Make Happen is supporting and celebrating ‘Lifelong Learning Week’ which is the Festival of Learning’s annual week of celebration that raises the profile of lifelong learning whilst celebrating adult learners and their learning providers.
We have developed a range of resources aimed at adult learners in hope that they provide people interested in pursuing a higher education qualification with the support and motivation needed to pursue their own ambitions.
At Make Happen we recognise that adult learners may have barriers to accessing learning opportunities such as, caring responsibilities, limited confidence, a lack of knowledge on the opportunities available to them, or how to access them. We also appreciate that there are many reasons why adult learners return to learning, such as, a change in career, to up-skill or perhaps try something new and pursue a life-long passion project.
Take a look at the range of our online resources to get you started:
- Videos – Current adult learner students share their inspiring stories of how they’re getting on at university, and some tips on how you can become and thrive as a student too.
- Blog post from Essex graduate Thomas – Studying in Essex, Thomas enlightens us about his experience as an adult learner, where he discovered he has dyslexia and was provided with the support to not only successfully complete an undergraduate degree, but also a masters too. Now a lead lecturer for London South Bank University and trustee of the homeless trustee Emmaus, Thomas shares his story to inspire others.
- Podcasts – We spoke to current university student Abi and also Matt, a tutor at the local Adult Community Learning centre, to create a podcast episode dedicated to prospective adult learners. We wanted to find out, in more depth, about university life as an adult learner, how to get there whilst juggling many responsibilities, including childcare and how an Access course can provide you with the skills and qualifications to succeed in higher education. This episode was made in collaboration with the University of Essex Outreach team.
- Our higher education guide for adult learners has just launched, which includes all the information you need to know to pursue higher education as an adult. Still want to know more? Take a look at our full range of guides.
Make Happen Academy
Register for the Make Happen Academy, to get access to our wide range of free resources and a dedicated area for adult learners.
Social Media updates
We will also be sharing top tips all week so be sure to follow us @MakeHappenEssex or click the links below!
UniConnect partnerships across the country are also celebrating Lifelong Learner Week, so please keep an eye on their social media pages to find even more resources or simply search for #lifelonglearningweek
@humberoutreachprogramme @SussexLearn @NextStepsSW @festivaloflearning