UCU ADULT AND COMMUNITY LEARNING CONFERENCE 2006 -

Adult Learning after the FE White Paper

30th June at UCU Head Office 27 Britannia Street London WC 1 (nearest stations Kings Cross-St Pancras)

A NATFHE-NIACE Big Conversation on the Future of Adult Learning Event

In 2005-2006 adult learning took a pasting as the government priorities for learning and skills, 14-19 education, Skills for Life and the Level 2 entitlement meant deep cuts in all other adult learning programmes. In 2006-2007 the cuts in adult learning are going even deeper, with even the government admitting there will be half million adult places lost. Almost every local authority seems to planning a 10% cut on non accredited programmes despite the ACL budget supposedly not being cut a national level. Before Easter the FE White Paper was published with new messages on mission and purpose and quality and contestability for all adult learning providers. This year’s ACL Conference will look at various aspects of the current and future outlook for adult learning. All UCU branches are invited to attend this free event. All adult and community learning UCU branches should try to send at least two participants to the Conference. It also may be of particular interest to FE branches in colleges with large amounts of adult learning.

Agenda

• 10am to 10.30am Registration
• 10.30am to 10.45am Welcome and NEC ACL Member’s Report
  Les Price
• 10.45am to 11am Equality issues in UCU
  Roger Kline UCU Head of Equality and Legal Issues
• 11am to 12pm Industrial relations in ACL
  Russ Escritt RO East Midlands on renegotiating fractional contracts in ACL
• 12 to 1.15pm The future of adult learning post White Paper
  Alistair Thompson Senior Development Worker NIACE
  Professor Lorna Unwin Institute of Education University of London
• 1.15pm to 2pm Lunch
• 2pm to 2.45pm Adult Learning: the view from the DfES
  Brien Helsdon DfES Team Leader, Access and Inclusion.
• 2.45pm -3.30pm Race Impact Assessment and adult learning cuts

NIACE (National Institute of Adult Continuing Education) is planning a series of 'Big Conversations' around the future of adult learning following the FE White Paper. NIACE is encouraging its members to organise discussions, debates and events starting in Adult Learners Week (22 to 26 May) around this theme. NATFHE is joining NIACE in this and is encouraging branches affected by cuts in adult learning to work with NIACE to organise these Big Conversation events.

Branches and individual members can bring a NATFHE perspective to these Big Conversations and link with others fighting the adult learning cuts. A NATFHE briefing on the White Paper is being prepared for dispatch to branches after Easter.

Places at NIACE's Big Conversation events are free, but strictly limited. For more information contact [email protected].

A major project to provide a professional recognition scheme for a substantial number of Skills for Life practitioners in England will be launched in late spring. The Professional Recognition Learning and Skills (PRLS) scheme provides a route for existing practitioners to be recognised as teaching professionals without the formal qualifications that new entrants require to meet the current regulations. For more information contact Lifelong Learning UK, Paul Hambley on 07793 464 600 or Tony Prideaux on 07793 185 669.

See press release