Programme Overview
The formal programme of the conference will take place from 1500hrs on Sunday 17 May to 1630hrs on Tuesday 19 May.
The conference consists of:
- Plenary Presentations - which highlight European and transnational perspectives on the major issues; and, in the session chaired by Baroness Blackstone, look at UK experience relating to the new technologies.
- Group Work - which builds on short papers issued on arrival to delegates. Speakers (3 per session) will raise key questions in 5-10 minute presentations, to be followed by discussion and debate in discrete but thematically related one and a half-hour sessions. Group work will focus on the lessons to be derived from existing good practice.
- Visits - optional visits including British Aerospace, Manchester Airport and other industrial and educational projects in and around Manchester.
- Optional Workshops - specific topic seminars will be offered, such as Making Learning Exciting and Towards an Inclusive Qualifications Framework. These provide the chance for more concentrated discussions.
- Exhibition - a showcase exhibition of lifelong learning materials and activities featuring the BBC, local colleges and the TUC among others.
- Conference Newspaper - a conference newspaper will be produced at the end of Sunday and Monday, and will be circulated to delegates at the start of the next day's sessions. Delegates will be invited to contribute short items of copy on key themes emerging from each day's work.
Alongside the main conference programme there will be Adult Learners Week - an annual event with 5000 local activities, broadcast programmes on all national television channels backed by a free telephone advice line, and a number of national events. The week is sponsored by the European Social Fund and DFEE and co-ordinated by NIACE, the National Organisation for Adult Learning.
The Festival of Lifelong Learning - a collaboration between NIACE and Manchester Training and Enterprise Council will see a series of activities in and around Manchester, designed to raise awareness of 'Lifelong Learning' and show that learning can be and is fun.
Watch out for more details of Learners Week and the Festival in your delegate pack.
