July 2010
Contents
Latest Publication from FACE available now
Widening Access Developments in Wales - Danny Saunders
Delegate's Report on FACE 2010 by Emma Jackson, PhD student
Summer 2010 eJournal FACE 2 FACE circulated
Joint Seminar from Two UALL Networks
What else is in the News? Other sources of education news online
Latest publication - July 2010
Towards a New Agenda for Lifelong Learning: Access, Diversity, and Participation
The proceedings of the FACE Conference 2009
The published proceedings of FACE 2009, "Towards a new agenda for lifelong learning" will be available for purchase from July 2010. The published proceedings are the ideal extension and consolidation of a very successful FACE conference.
Download an order form to buy this book
Discounted price of £25 for conference delegates
Order from Jackie at 0208 223 4936 j.leach@uel.ac.uk
Widening Access Developments in Wales
It has been a busy time for widening access practitioners and policy makers in Wales. Developments cover six broad perspectives. First, the entire higher education sector is in the middle of responding to the Welsh Assembly Government’s For Our Future - a national strategy which emerged from the Review of Higher Education in Wales led by Prof Merfyn Jones in 2009. A key part of the emerging policy concerns the theme of social justice, and the funding council are now asking institutions to respond to questions about flexible delivery, equality, consistency of access, part-time learning, and civic engagement.
Second, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales is planning the next phase of Reaching Wider as well as widening access more generally, involving three regional partnerships with an all-age brief as well as focusing on retention and progression. The new access plan will be launched for a 2011-12 start. HEFCW will also be launching a Foundation Degree policy for Wales – something which has been long awaited in order to develop links between universities and further education colleges through links with employers.
Third, Wales has resourcing from the EU for developing lifelong learning in convergence areas of West Wales and the Valleys. HE partnerships are now establishing substantial work based learning programmes characterised by bite-sized accreditiation as well as new Foundation Degrees, with close links to employers, FE colleges and sector skills councils. There are also a series of large scale priority 2 programmes which focus on support and progression pathways for communities associated with being outside of education training and employment.
Fourth, a series of large scale regional developments are establishing new partnerships. One example is the Universities Heads of the Valleys Institute (UHOVI) – with an additional 4000 students to be enrolled in the area surrounding Merthyr and Ebbw Vale. Another illustration involves the establishment of the new Trinity St Davids University, with a substantial regional mission in West Wales which includes work based learning as well as Welsh language developments.
Fifth, the skills agenda in Wales is being promoted through a series of recommendations from the Wales Employment and Skills Board, which has just published the recommendations from five working groups covering basic skills, youth unemployment, employability skills, and Higher Education.
Finally, the Welsh Assembly Government has asked for an independent review of careers services in Wales, and the recommendations of the review group – chaired by Dr Haydn Edwards and involving Prof Danny Saunders and Dr Deirdre Hughes – are now with the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning. A key interest involves developing a unified strategy for all-age careers and employability support across sectors.
Professor Danny Saunders
University of Glamorgan
FACE Vice-Chair,
Representative for Wales
Delegate's Report on FACE 2010 - Emma Jackson, PhD student
"Which Way Now For Widening Participation?
Lifelong Learning, Economy & Society"
30th June – 2nd July 2010
Southampton Solent University
As a new researcher in the area of widening participation, I wanted to attend the FACE conference to establish networks and to expand my knowledge from practitioners and researchers who are established in the field. Unsure what to expect, I came face to FACE with a thought provoking conference which is devised to support people in my position. This was signified with a conference delegate questioning how FACE will support early researchers in relation to the current economic and political climate.
The three days were brimming with a wide spectrum of keynote speakers and workshops. For me the overwhelming choice of workshops had me deliberating weeks before attending. Nevertheless, all the workshops I attended conveyed important research findings which I may have not otherwise accessed. This is also the same for the Aimhigher roundtable which was important for my doctoral research. The keynotes ranged from different perspectives, such as HEFCE to BIS to an international perspective from Jane Neuburger President-Elect of NADE (The National Association for Developmental Education). Jane’s keynote emphasised that access to education is an issue many countries face and that uniting and sharing good practice will be vital to tackle the global barriers of accessing and continuing education.
This passion and drive to tackle the arena of accessing and continuing education, even in the face of uncertainty, evidentially ran through the conference. This enthusiasm has spurred me on in my doctoral research and I am very much looking forward to FACE 2011.
Emma Jackson, PhD student, University of Worcester
e.jackson@worc.ac.uk
I am first year PhD, my proposed doctoral research is in partnership with Aimhigher Herefordshire and Worcestershire to evaluate their mentoring programme.
Latest issue of our eJournal FACE to FACE
The Summer 2010 issue of the FACE eJournal has been circulated to members. If you are a FACE member and for any reason you have not received your copy, please contact Pete Jones at pete.jones@staffs.ac.uk
The Autumn 2009 issue of the FACE eJournal is now freely available online to everyone.
Joint Seminar from Two UALL Networks
Imagined Social Capital and Adult Women Returners
Goldsmiths, University of London, Wednesday 15 September 2010
Two UALL networks, Widening Participation and Social Inclusion (WPSIN) and Women in Lifelong Learning (WiLL) are pleased to jointly present a seminar exploring the issues facing adult women returning to education. Speakers include:
Professor Jocey Quinn, University of Plymouth
Heather Allison, London Metropolitan University
Joan Fletcher, Goldsmiths, University of London
In the second part of the session, there will be a panel discussion and participants will be invited to consider practical strategies for supporting learners and make suggestions for policy change at local and national level.
Price: £25 UALL members; £40 non-UALL members
Please contact s.carroll@gold.ac.uk for further details
What else is in the News?
For the latest UK Education headlines and stories go to the FACE News Feeds page where you'll find the online news feeds of several of the sources listed below gathered together on one page for easy access.
The Department of Education news page http://www.education.gov.uk/news
The Guardian http://education.guardian.co.uk
The Independent http://news.independent.co.uk/education
The BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/default.stm
The Times http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education
The Times Higher Education http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk
This is the July 2010 eBulletin from FACE (the Forum for Access and Continuing Education), offered to practitioners, policy-makers, researchers and others with an interest in access, widening participation and lifelong learning. The eBulletin is sent to colleagues in the sector, members and non-members alike. If you would prefer not to receive it, please contact James.Tate@uwe.ac.uk and your details will be removed from the circulation list.
If you wish to respond to anything in this eBulletin or contribute to the August 2010 issue, please email Jim at James.Tate@uwe.ac.uk