Dr. Seuss said, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. And the more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” He was right. It’s never too late to learn something new – even if that something new you learn is how to get involved with England’s biggest celebration of learning. That’s what you’ll learn in this blog post.
The Festival of Learning started as Adult Learners’ Week in 1992, and since then has been helping decision-makers in all sectors get a better understanding of how adult education could influence a whole range of social policies.
This September, the Festival is encouraging everyone to Have A Go by working with organisations and learning providers to offer free learning activities for adults – including taster sessions, online learning, talks or lectures, open days and more. It all wraps up with Adult Learners’ Week from Monday 20th September to Sunday 26th September. Not only does the Festival of Learning encourage learning, it also showcases awards for some of the year’s greatest adult learning achievements – which of course make a very attractive addition to a CV or LinkedIn profile and a great conversation starter for prospective employers.
The Festival, its organisers and participants believe that none of us is too old to learn – and we couldn’t agree more. Lifelong learning is important for an individual's competitiveness and employability, but also enhances social inclusion, active citizenship and personal development. And off the back of National Coding week last week, we thought we’d go into more detail about what this event has to offer – and how you can make the most of some free activities to improve your own development and skills. So, let’s dive in.
Visit the Adult Learners’ Week website
Here, make use of a wide range of learning resources spread out across lots of different categories – from courses, videos, advice and guidance to open days, taster sessions, webinars and conferences, plus events and learning fayres.
They cover a huge variety of topics, too – here are just a few:
Construction and trades
Digital skills
General education
Health, wellbeing and exercise
Job skills
Language and communication
Life skills
Making and creating
Outdoor activities and the environment
Reading, writing and maths
Science, technology and engineering
Social sciences and humanities
All courses and events are spread across the UK and you can join online, in person or as part of the community.
Take a look at this brochure
Adult Learner’s Week has obviously gone into greater detail in this brochure than we can in a blog post, so be sure to download this exhaustive guide. Inside, you’ll find out more about exactly what courses and resources are available for free across the subject matter above – and pick up some links that should give you some good places to start.
These courses range from a few hours to up to twelve weeks and even provide certifications upon completion that can be displayed on your LinkedIn profile. We highly recommend taking a look at this wealth of knowledge to expand your skill set and add to your repertoire – whether personal or professional.
Join the Festival of Learning community
You’re not alone. The Festival community brings together people from a broad spectrum of learning providers and organisations – all of whom believe in the value of adult learning. Together, they play an active part in the Festival of Learning to support a useful dialogue between community members and Festival organisers.
Joining the community couldn’t be simpler – just get involved in Festival of Learning activities or contribute by nominating in their awards or engaging with their campaign communications. As a Festival of Learning community member, you will receive relevant information on news and resources, be enabled to help shape the Festival of Learning through sharing your expertise and experiences and be invited to take part in pilots of new Festival of Learning initiatives.
What will you learn this month? And how will you keep learning new things year round? Let us know if you’re taking part in Adult Learning Week or if you’ve come across any great resources you’d like to share.
