Lifelong learning
12 June 2025
Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton delivers annual Raymond Williams lecture
This year’s Raymond Williams lecture was delivered by Open University graduate and honorary graduate Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton.
1 June 2025
Empowering learner ambassadors
Engaging and motivating more adults to have the confidence to join adult learning and listening to learners about what works is essential to drive up the skills levels across Wales. The Medr Strategic Plan identifies learner voice and learner engagement as key priorities.
21 May 2025
Amplifying Learner Voices: Insights from International Collaboration
Peer influence and lived experience are valuable for increasing participation in lifelong learning. This principle underpins the Learner Ambassador programme, an initiative developed by the Learning and Work Institute (L&W) in collaboration with members of the Adult Learning Partnership Wales. The programme focuses on empowering learners and ensuring their perspectives are heard through international collaboration for personal and professional development.
10 December 2024
Time for an Adult Curriculum for Wales?
One of the most pleasing aspects of Medr’s draft strategic plan was its focus on ‘the needs of the learner—their experience, achievement and well-being— ensuring they are involved in decision-making and encouraging participation in learning at all stages in life’.
22 October 2024
Equity in Tertiary Education in Wales: an adult learning perspective
The introduction of Medr, the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research has the potential to dramatically reshape approaches to promoting equity in tertiary education in Wales. There are several reasons to be cautiously optimistic about the new body and how it could transform the post-compulsory landscape.
18 September 2024
Adult Community Learning Partnerships: Tool for Effective Practice and Delivery
The Adult Community Learning Partnerships tool has been commissioned by the Welsh Government and co-produced by Learning and Work Institute and local ACL Partnerships, with input from national stakeholders including Welsh Government, Estyn, Adult Learning Wales, ColegauCymru, Careers Wales and Holex.
10 September 2024
Adult learning: Creating paths to economic fairness
We all know that higher skill and education levels are key drivers of economic success, both for individuals and across geographic areas. If we want Wales to have a prosperous economy where the benefits of that prosperity are distributed evenly, then education and skills are going to be a core focus.
6 September 2024
Participation in learning in Wales
Welsh Government has a welcome aspiration to make Wales a nation of second chances; with a policy landscape that supports lifelong learning and in particular adults returning to education. However, translating such a laudable ambition into practical action is no mean feat. We’re all accustomed to an entitlement to education into our early adulthood, but the same entitlement is less apparent as we age.
1 August 2024
Adult Participation in Learning Survey 2023: Wales
Year-on-year the survey finds stark and persistent inequalities, with some groups more likely to learn as an adult than others. The 2023 survey also indicated that differences between geographical regions may be widening. With devolution of learning and skills policy and funding, it is important to better understand patterns of participation at a national and regional level.
3 July 2024
New Futures Wales pilot
Our flagship programme, New Futures, supported workers who were looking to change career and reskill as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. This work was funded by the Covid-19 Support Fund.
