This article shares a reframing of lifelong learning beyond a formal career. Like many of his peers, after 40 years in postsecondary education, the author has moved beyond his most recent full-time work teaching in an adult education graduate program to emeritus faculty status. In this article, he shares his experience moving into the next phase…

Generational conflict is back. After years of relative silence, and mutual ignorance, the young and old are once more at war. With youth unemployment high on the political agenda, the fortunes of the "jobless generation" are being contrasted with those of the "golden generation" of baby boomers, but is one generation really being mugged by the…

In a climate of fiscal constraint and cuts to public spending, it is more important than ever to demonstrate the effectiveness of learning programmes. The author carried out an action research project within Norfolk County Council's adult community learning service, where she works as a tutor, with the aim of increasing the impact of reminiscence…

Everyone knows that lack of internet access can reinforce the social and economic disadvantages already facing some older people. Recognising the divisive nature of digital exclusion, the government has invested 2.8 million British Pounds in Get Digital, a project that will enable sheltered housing residents to develop computer and internet…

The key message of NIACE's 2011 survey of adult participation in learning is that recession is bad for lifelong learning for anyone over the age of 25. The survey highlights the central importance of workplaces as sites of adult learning--and the challenges posed to a learning society when opportunities to learn reduce. It shows that the gap…

When 75-year-old Margaret Corston saw a poster in her local library advertising a course in basic radio broadcasting skills, she little thought that some 18 months later she would be hosting her own weekly show, with thousands of listeners, on community radio. From small beginnings--her first course was called "First Steps in Radio"--she began to…

At their best, adult community learning partnerships not only offer the least educated adults a second chance, they can motivate a whole community by developing a culture of learning. Critical to success is careful planning to meet the needs of individuals and groups of learners, especially those who have been away from learning for many years. At…

Certainly, there are people who can't wait to leave work, and people with grand plans for retirement. There are also people who have worked a long time in a stressful environment or doing heavy manual work, or who live in a poor community, and whose life expectancy is much shorter. But most people in their 50s say that they would like to work…

Developing educational programs for older adults who are highly educated and healthy is necessary in order to meet the learning needs for this specific group. One response to this demand for educational programs is the Learning in Retirement Organization (LIR). LIR began in New York City in 1962 as an educational program for retired professionals.…

As part of its "Learning Revolution" plan for informal adult learning, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills asked NIACE to write guidance materials for managers of care homes about the impact learning is having--in the care homes that provide activities--on the residents and the staff. It became clear in the course of the project…

Philosophy for Children has been offering schoolchildren the opportunity to engage with philosophical ideas since the 1970s. It is a simple idea, already used in schools in Britain and around the world. Children share some reading--or other stimulus--with their teacher. They then devise their own questions, choose one that interests them, and,…

A new project called Bookbite, which was launched in February 2010 by the national reading charity Booktrust, aims to encourage people over 60 to engage more with reading and writing for pleasure, and provides a range of web and paper-based resources to get them started. In this article, the author accounts his visit to the project and how he met…

Everyone is living through a period of considerable demographic change, which is predicted to continue and escalate. People are living longer and, generally, healthier lives, and the lifelong learning system in the UK needs to catch-up with this new reality. There is a need for a much more flexible approach that offers choice and opportunities to…

Adult Learners' Week--which is supported by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the European Social Fund, amongst a raft of other organisations--is all about raising demand for learning. At its core, the campaign is about encouraging under-represented groups--including low-skilled, unemployed and low-paid adults and those…

The Maths, ICT and Older Learners project was commissioned by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and carried out by NIACE between October 2007 and April 2008. It aimed to identify factors that are influential in helping older learners develop their skills in mathematics and ICT, and, by doing so, to improve their social…