Wider Impacts of Adult Learning

#LovePartTime

4th Northern Ireland Impact Forum

John D’Arcy

Technology – it’s not all about the kids

Embracing and leading the way with everyday technology

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It’s a global issue……

●Everywhere has challenges●What’s good practice?●What are the levers?

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It’s not all about the economy…….

●Health●Well-being●Self-esteem●Families●Communities

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Big data enables

employers to look beyond degrees, to

relevant skills and

competencies

‘Unbundling’: the great disruptor changes learning and working behaviour

….2000 2015…

Full time or part timeWork time, home time

Weekday, weekend

24 hour clockFlexi-time

Home workingiTunes unbundle CD

Nano-Time: work, learn, play, exercise, compete,self-promote, network, romance, create, live…

‘Distance’ and ‘part-time’ learning is commonplace and the terms lose salience

Learning packages sliced up and offered in vast scale and at low cost

‘The degree ‘bundle’ will begin to seem anachronistic as students are able to pick and choose the components they think they need.’ Forbes

Mission is relevant - open to people, places, methods and ideas –but context changes out of all recognition

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Potential students, 25-35 year old ‘Millennials’, look beyond degrees to achieve career success

• Digital natives, with multiple focuses of attention: ‘nano-timers’• Economic prospects have declined due to recession / financial crash• Concerned about unemployment (23%); the economy (19%) and social equality (10%)• Dissatisfaction with current HE provision (only 36% graduates say skills developed in HE are useful in

fulfilling work responsibilities and fewer than half of graduates (44%) say HE is useful in improving long-term career objectives)

• Strategically vital for businesses to keep workforce skilled in order to keep up with competition in fast-changing markets.

• Jobs with middling level of education shrinking

• In next few decades, 45+% of occupations could be automated. Chances of job displacement drop sharply as educational attainment rises

• Workers must keep learning to survive i.e. to keep ahead of the labour demand curve.

Millennials, the 1st generation who have to learn throughout career

“Instead of listing degree grades and academic achievements, the best CVs now present portfolios around performance and link to blogs, published articles, PowerPoint, podcasts and webinars the candidate has produced. Prospective employers can now quite literally interact with their candidates' work.” Daily Telegraph

6*See last slide for information sources and references

Innovation and Widening Participation

Badged Open Courses – launched 2015

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FutureLearn – An OU subsidiary

From zero to hero – a new MOOC platform

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FutureLearn

Learner data

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What's next for Adult Learning in Northern Ireland?