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Get The National Learning Week 2026 highlights the benefits of adult education for people, society and the economy.

Kelly English, Vice Principal for Curriculum - Adults, Higher Education and Apprenticeships, The Sheffield College, explains how lifelong learning transforms lives.

Many of the major challenges facing the country depend on having an adaptable and skilled population who are also prepared for a rapidly changing world of work.

Those are some of the key points from a new national report, Skills for Life, Work and Place, exploring the value of education for adult learners and benefits to communities.

Adult education, the report points out, has the potential to be a foundation stone for the country’s future economic and societal prosperity.

Published by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Further Education and Lifelong Learning in October 2026, the report outlines a series of recommendations for policy makers.

The recommendations include actions that would fully recognise the societal value of adult education alongside its economic and employment benefits. Gathering evidence on the improvement to public health, reducing isolation and strengthening communities are some of the suggested next steps.

Further education colleges have a major part to play in this as anchor institutions providing education and training to diverse communities and contributing to the local economy.

At The Sheffield College, we regularly see the positive impact of adult learning enabling our students to gain skills, boost their career prospects and improve their wellbeing.

It’s why we are proud to support Get The Nation Learning Week, from 2nd to 6th November highlighting the benefits of lifelong learning for people, society and the economy.

As part of that, we are a signatory to the Get The Nation Learning Charter organised by the Learning and Work Institute. Our adult course offer ranges from access, apprenticeships and digital skills to cybersecurity, university level and higher technical qualifications.

Backing the charter demonstrates a recognition of the benefits of adult learning in all its forms and committing to building a future where everyone can learn throughout life.

One curriculum area that we have seen working particularly well is our access provision. Access to Higher Education Diplomas are one-year qualifications that help adults gain the relevant entry requirements for a university level course or degree.

These courses enable adults aged 19-plus who have been out of education for a period of time to re-engage with studying, retrain for a new career and apply for university.

Subjects range from business, computing, education and health sciences to law and policing, medicine, nursing and paramedic science.  For those who don’t meet the entry requirements, we provide pre-access courses to help them gain GCSEs in English language and maths.

Last year – 2025/26 - 93% of access students progressed to university. They include Ruby who wasn’t sure that they would ever make it to university. Fast forward to one year later and Ruby has successfully completed an access course in education and early years and gone onto the University of Sheffield.

Likewise, Cameron completed an access course in science and has gone onto the same Russell Group university to study physics with ambitions to complete a Master’s and PhD.

We are proud that former students have secured places on competitive degree programmes such as aerospace engineering, biomedical science, midwifery, nursing, paramedic science, pharmacy, physiotherapy and veterinary science.

We understand that it is a brave decision to return to the classroom as an adult whatever your age and the course that you choose. You’re likely to have overcome a lack of confidence, fears about being too old to learn, and concerns about the costs as well as studying alongside managing other responsibilities.

Part of our job is to allay those concerns and provide a space where students can rebuild self esteem and develop skills in line with our mission of transforming lives through learning. Ensuring that students believe in themselves is a key part of it.

Whether students pay for an access course on not depends on their age and prior qualifications.  Most students will use an Advanced Learner Loan to cover the cost of an access qualification. If they complete an eligible degree afterwards, the loan is written off.

For students aged 19 to 23 where the access course is their first Level 3 qualification, the course will be funded. There’s no upper age limit for the courses. Some adults have not been in a classroom for 20-plus years.

It is an honour to see our students achieve things that they previously thought were not possible and to develop a sense of optimism for the future.

They arrive at college lacking confidence and walk out feeling as though they can take on the world, which is a privilege to witness. It’s not just about the positive impact on that individual but what they can contribute to their family and beyond.

That is why it is time to champion the contribution that adult education makes to lives, places and the economy and support wider moves for others to benefit from lifelong learning.

As one of our former access students has said: ‘For anyone thinking of going into education or who thinks it’s too late to go to university – it’s not. It’s never too late.’

Pictured: Kelly English, Vice Principal for Curriculum - Adults, Higher Education and Apprenticeships. Photo credit: Joe Horner.