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The coronavirus pandemic may have increased the value adults place on learning, for work and their wider lives, writes Emily Jones, Head of Research, Learning and Work Institute.
Lockdown learners: Could the pandemic lead to a shift in adult participation in learning?
This week is Lifelong Learning Week, a chance to celebrate the difference that learning can make to people’s lives. And there may have never been a more important time for adults to engage in learning.
Faced with unprecedented economic and technological change, many adults will need to upskill or retrain to find new work; others will need to develop their skills and adapt to new ways of working within existing roles. But learning is about much more than just work. Evidence on the wider benefits of learning is clear: adult learning has an important role to play in supporting health and wellbeing, in addressing inequalities and ‘levelling up’, and in connecting people and tackling social isolation.
Every year, Learning and Work Institute runs the Adult Participation in Learning Survey, providing a unique and rich evidence base on patterns and trends in adult learning across the UK. The survey adopts a broad definition of learning, that’s not limited to courses, but includes learning at home or at work...
We also know that learning is addictive; once adults start learning, they are more likely to continue. Indeed two in three of those who took part in online learning said they were very likely to continue doing so in the future. As we return to ‘normal’, we need to make sure that adults who had a go at the learning during lockdown are supported to continue, helping them to secure rewarding and fulfilling work, and maintain their health and wellbeing.
Source: FE Week
