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?
3
It’s not all about the economy…….
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Health
Well-being
Self-esteem
Families
Communities
4
‘Unbundling’: the great disruptor changes learning and
working behaviour
….2000
Full time or part time
Work time, home time
Weekday, weekend
2015…
24 hour clock
Flexi-time
Home working
iTunes unbundle CD
Mission is relevant - open to people, places, methods and ideas –
but context changes out of all recognition
Nano-Time: work, learn,
play, exercise, compete,
self-promote, network,
romance, create, live…
Big data
enables
employers to
look beyond
degrees, to
relevant skills
and
competencies
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
‘Distance’ and ‘part-time’ learning is
commonplace and the terms lose salience
5
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)
Millennials, the 1st
generation who have to
learn throughout career
• 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
“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
• 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.
*See last slide for information sources and references
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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?