A conference looking at the contribution adult learning makes to Cumbria and its local communities is being held at Carlisle Racecourse tomorrow (Wednesday 21 May).
A part of national Adult Learners Week, the conference -'The Missing Link?' - will look at adult learning's role in making local communities wealthier, greener, safer and stronger, healthier, and improving the lives of the county's children and young people.
Cumbria has a vibrant and diverse adult learning sector, but much of its contribution goes unrecognised. The conference will explore, through a mixture of case studies from other parts of the country, and good practice examples from within the county, how adult learning can move 'from the margins to the mainstream'.
Contributors will be attending the conference from all over the country, and include Donald Rae, Derbyshire County Council's assistant director for social inclusion and Andrew Green, from the Learning Partnership of Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly.
Workshops at the event will include:
'Rising from the ashes' - a local training organisation shows how appropriate advice and good guidance can contribute to ways out of worklessness.
'Training and recycling, hand in hand' - C2 Enterprises show how disabled people are working together to produce quality goods and services, as well as providing training and development opportunities.
'Learning together' - national case studies show how family learning can assist in children's development, whilst increasing the skills of parents and other family carers.
'Championing Learning in Furness' - Barrow Learning Champions show how they recruit local residents onto course with long lasting results for both the recruits themselves, and their communities.
Charles Searle is Cumbria County Council's senior education officer for adult learning. He said:
"The conference will serve two purposes. It will be a celebration of the wide range of adult learning going on in the county as part of an extensive programme of Adult Learning Week events. It will also bring together the county council and its partners in the voluntary and community sector to look at ways in which adult learning can address the wider issues of skills for employment, the environment, youth opportunities, health, and family learning.
"By the end of the day, we are aiming to have a partnership in place that will enable us to increase the amount, and relevance, of adult learning in Cumbria's communities."
For further information about Adult Learners Week events taking place across the county, go to http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/ and click on the link to Adult Learners Week.
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'The Missing Link' at Carlisle Racecourse on Wednesday 21 May at 1.30pm, adult learners awards will be presented by Jon Power from the Learning and Skills Council.
Please note: Cumbria County Council's media team telephone numbers have now changed.
Media enquiries to Alison Lister, Media Officer on 01228 226335 or 07966 116948