News & articles
16 September 2025
It’s September, it’s back to school… and it’s Adult Learners’ Week. We’re putting family learning under the spotlight!
September has arrived, and my focus is on Adult Learners’ Week and coordinating a campaign with hundreds of partners across Wales. Together, we aim to encourage more adults to build their skills with confidence. We approach the campaign by identifying key partners to reach into communities and crafting messages that resonate with those who may have learned too early that education isn’t for them.
16 September 2025
Unlocking Wales’ Learning Potential: Why Adult Education Matters More Than Ever
Every September, Adult Learners’ Week shines a light on the transformative power of learning. It’s a chance to celebrate people who have taken the leap back into education, and to reflect on what more we can do to ensure that opportunities are open to everyone in Wales.
16 September 2025
Building a qualifications system for the future
Adult Learners’ Week offers an opportunity to think about how the system works for adults. I suggest that in the context of the qualifications system – at least in Wales – there needs to be a 2-stage approach: a pre-16 model centred on the new Curriculum and intended to build core competencies ahead of ‘specialisation’ post-16, and a flexible post-16 model that allows for diverse routes of specialisation and an ability to change tracks as economic opportunities open up.
16 September 2025
New skills, new connections, new opportunities: why lifelong learning is so important
Adult Learners’ Week is a timely reminder of just how transformative learning can be, and this year’s theme – ‘Never Stop Learning’ – highlights why lifelong learning is so important. And with groups across Wales providing a wide range of formal and informal learning for older people, there are lots of opportunities to get involved and try something new.
16 September 2025
More to Learn from Appalachia to Wales: Coal, Community and Culture Appalachian-Welsh Exchange
In honour of Adult Learners’ Week in Wales, I’m reflecting on my connection with the DOVE Workshop, a powerful experience that transformed my understanding of community education.
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.
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.
8 April 2025
Serco announces joint research project to boost the Welsh job market
Serco is spearheading a critical research initiative with the Learning and Work Institute aimed at delivering a more inclusive Welsh labour market.
19 December 2024
Learning and Work Institute publishes latest Impact Report for 2023-24
Our vision is for a fair and prosperous society where learning and work enable everyone to realise their potential. Our latest impact report highlights the work we completed from April 2023 to March 2024.
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’.
