European Social Fund in England
2007 - 2013
Adult Learners' Week
Adult Learners' Week (ALW) is an annual week-long national campaign delivered each May which seeks to engage and inspire people to pursue adult learning - either to catch up on skills not learnt at school, to learn for or at work, or to learn for fun.
Organised by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), and part-funded by the European Social Fund, ALW is the UK's largest learning campaign. It is a collaborative venture between education and training providers, broadcasters, and national and local government.
As well as promoting education and training for adults it celebrates the learning achievements of adult learners through regional and national awards, including a number of ESF awards for individuals, groups and projects.
More information about how ESF Co-financing Organisations and providers can get involved in 2009, and on ALW 2008 activities and winners is provided below.
Adult Learners’ Week 2009
Adult Learners’ Week 2009 will take place from 9–15 May 2009. Nominations for ESF and other award winners can be submitted from July 2008 to 21 January 2009. Regional Roadshows are being held this Autumn highlighting the benefits of getting involved in Adult Learners’ Week. Find out what will be included in the Roadshows, where and when they are being held and how to apply in the Adult Learners’ Week leaflet.
- ESF Co-financing Organisations (CFO) are encouraged to raise awareness amongst providers and partner organisations of opportunities to submit nominations,
- CFOs, Providers and ESF partners can get involved from summer 2008 by nominating ESF projects and individual participants for national and regional ESF awards.
Adult Learners’ Week 2008
In 2008, Adult Learners’ Week took place from 17 to 23 May. The national awards ceremony was on Monday 19 May at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London.
This year James Plaskitt, Work and Pensions Minister for ESF, attended the ceremony and gave a speech about the European Social Fund. He presented three awards to ESF winners.
The national ceremony was attended by around 300 people including learners, nominators, adult learning practitioners, MPs, senior civil servants and senior managers. In addition to the awards ceremony there was a small accompanying exhibition which included information about ESF.
Case studies of 2008 national Adult Learners’ Week ESF award winners