In the UK context of an ageing population, degree apprenticeships represent a new opportunity to study for a degree while working. Apprentices are full-time employees granted time to study for a degree with a significant workplace learning component. The aim of this study was to focus on whether degree apprenticeships are working for adult…

People invest £7.3 billion a year and £55 billion worth of time in learning. This is more than the Government and employers invest in learning and skills, but there are stark inequalities between groups. This report provides the most detailed snapshot seen of which groups of adults are investing in learning, and how much, and lays bare stark…

This book explores European governance and policy coordination within lifelong learning markets. Using an instruments approach, the editors and contributors examine the ways in which governance mechanisms employed by the European Union influence policy to regulate lifelong learning, and intervene in lifelong learning markets, at both European and…

As national coordinator since 2012, the Learning and Work Institute has played a role in bringing together partners across the UK to talk about adult learning. The joint projects aim to build experience, share best practice, and research what works. This is particularly crucial in the UK where there are different--some would say…

This article investigates the engagement of universities in older adult education in the specific context of Aotearoa New Zealand. Initially, the broader context of the tertiary education system and the place of universities within it are explained. Not unexpectedly adult education, and particularly older adult education, exists only on the…

This article reports on the research findings from a qualitative study of adult learners in Scotland taking part in a u.lab MOOC. As a new phenomenon in adult learning, u.lab has been extremely popular yet, at present, there exists little empirical data about either the process or outcomes of the learning experience. This study aims to provide a…

This paper explores learner progression for participants in community-based adult learning (CBAL) provision in Scotland. It focuses on learners' perceptions of progression drawn from analysis of life history interviews carried out with ten adults who had participated in community-based adult learning. The analysis of data was undertaken in three…

Scotland provides an interesting context for studying adult literacy in that it is one of the few countries that explicitly acknowledge the idea of literacy as a social practice. By drawing on two initiatives we illustrate literacy learning derived from a mixture of social practice and critical literacy perspectives. Together they provide insights…

The spending review brought a promise to protect adult and community learning as well as swingeing cuts to further and higher education and local government. In this article, some of the key players--Lynne Sedgmore, Christopher Brooks, Graham Hoyle, Maggie Galliers, Louise Hazel, Richard Bolsin, Maggi Dawson, Ruth Bond, Stuart Etherington, Brendan…

A key factor motivating the organisation of tutorial classes for adult learners, based on collaboration between the Workers' Educational Association and universities in England and Wales, was a belief that they offered an educational vehicle for the promotion of liberal concepts of political citizenship. Attempts to disseminate this tutorial class…

This paper explores the discourses of power in adult literacy and numeracy (ALN) teaching and learning that were highlighted through the processes of accessing and gaining the views of ALN learners for a research project on the quality of learning and teaching. It details the problems encountered in gaining access to this group of learners and…

Many adults in OECD countries have low language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) skills. The consequences of these low foundation skills span the economic, health and social well-being of individuals, families and communities. Investment in this sector of adult education is therefore crucial. This study looks specifically inside the programmes for…

This review provides a picture of what is known about adults' participation in education and training, with a particular emphasis on the vocational. Section 1 focuses on definitions and examines what the literature has to say about who counts as an adult learner and what counts as adult education and training. Section 2 reviews the literature on…

Although community-based adult learning can be enormously effective in drawing into learning those who feel excluded from the education system, little research has been done into how this potential can be turned to the advantage of disengaged learners. Researchers in Scotland hope to go some way to redressing this by providing, for the first time,…

A study of 32 public and 25 private randomly selected providers of adult education in Scotland focused on their policies toward adult participants and the extent to which the organizations cater to adults. Data were collected from principals, deputy principals, agency managers, and other senior staff throughout Scotland but were concentrated…