HOTCOURSES ANNOUNCED AS NEW FESTIVAL OF LEARNING PARTNER

Hotcourses, the UK’s number one online search site for adult learning has been announced as a new Festival Partner for Festival of Learning, England’s largest celebration of adult and lifelong learning, Learning and Work Institute announces today.

Festival of Learning, formerly known as Adult Learners’ Week, works with learning providers and community organisations across the country to encourage more adults into learning. Now in its 25^th year, the campaign works to raise the profile of adult education and lifelong learning through the annual Festival of Learning Awards and a programme of local ‘have a go’ events across England.

From today, Learning and Work Institute, which runs Festival and Learning, and Hotcourses enter in to an exciting new partnership to reach more adult learners and shout louder about the vast benefits that going back in to learning later in life has for individuals, families, society and the economy.

Stephen Evans, chief executive at Learning and Work Institute, said:

“Slowly but surely, there is growing consensus that lifelong, continuing education needs to be an important part of all of our lives. As the Education Secretary said in the House of Commons just last week, “Lifelong learning needs to become the norm in our country.” Over the last 25 years, through Adult Learners’ Week and now Festival of Learning, we’ve championed individuals, learning providers, employers and projects who have changed their lives and the lives of those around them through the transformative power of adult learning.

“I am delighted to welcome Hotcourses as a new Festival of Learning Partner. Our organisations share a passion for helping more people re-enter learning throughout their lives. The benefits to people’s employment prospects, health and wellbeing and engagement in society that adult learning provides makes it an effective way to help tackle some of the big challenges we face as a country, such as an ageing population, automation in the labour market and reduced reliance on migrant labour post-Brexit.”

Marcella Collins, Managing Director, Hotcourses UK, said:

“We’re thrilled to be working with Learning and Work Institute as a partner for the upcoming Festival of Learning. Promoting this festival and inspiring adult learners to participate in the various ‘Have a go’ events and nominate people that have achieved incredible goals thanks to adult education falls in line with our ethos at Hotcourses.

“Hotcourses Group have been helping adults find the right learning opportunity for over 20 years. Whether that’s a course that will help you progress in your career or one that teaches a new skill, we understand that education can have a significant impact on an individual’s mental wellbeing and overall socioeconomic impact.”

Nominations for this year’s prestigious Festival of Learning Awards close on 31 March 2017. Winners will be announced at the Festival of Learning Awards ceremony in London in September.

About Hotcourses Group: The Hotcourses Group was founded in 1996. The company provides the world’s largest web-based course and university/college search for domestic and international education and adult learning. Hotcourses Group web products and services are used by over 68 million students worldwide each year. The company employs over 300 people worldwide with offices in London, Sydney, Boston and Chennai.

About Festival of Learning: Festival celebrates learning through the remarkable stories of people, projects, provision and organisations that have used learning to transform their lives and the lives of others. The achievements of Festival of Learning award winners are recognised and inspire others to discover the power of learning.

About Learning and Work Institute: We are an independent policy and research organisation dedicated to lifelong learning, full employment and inclusion. We bring together over 90 years of combined history and heritage from the ‘National Institute of Adult Continuing Education’ (NIACE) and the ‘Centre for Economic & Social Inclusion’. We have run Festival of Learning, previously known as Adult Learners’ Week for 25 years.