How to effectively support adult learners and drive progressions.

Introduction

The Government is pushing hard to deliver lifetime skills for people looking to gain employability and upskill.

Adults seeking this type of training will come from a range of backgrounds, some will be unemployed, some will be switching careers, some could be recently redundant from a job they may have had for many years, some may have lost their apprenticeship, or some may be re-entering education for the first time since leaving school.

The pandemic has had a devasting impact, and the Government is all too aware of the vital role of retraining and upskilling our workforce. We have to be ready to support growing numbers of adult learners, who will have to balance study with work, financial or caring responsibilities and will each learn at their own pace.

What measures do you have to support these learners?

How does your provision identify and safeguard the needs of these learners to build confidence and start a new journey in education and work? And are you using your AEB allocation to the advantage of your learners?

Providing a higher level of service, with greater funding to support learners that helps to prevent needless budget underspend. This is the power of identifying learning needs, needs that can be met by your organisation.

Diversity and inclusivity in education are at the forefront of all high-level conversations. People want practical solutions that help to increase access to education. And our national recovery depends on supporting more adults to succeed, offering real employment opportunities and breaking down barriers in all levels of education.

“Where learners have clear expectations, and focus on the outcomes of learning, they are more likely to find solutions to the practical challenges they face.”

But without knowing how someone thinks and learns, how can you understand their challenges and train them effectively?

And how can they start to see a road map ahead?

One that shows they’re not bad at learning and gives them the opportunity to think differently about themselves and their own abilities.

Here’s how you can help.