'Building Meaningful Representation for Adult Learners'. AONTAS Position Paper

The mission of AONTAS to "advocate for the right of every adult in Ireland to quality learning" is a testament to its commitment to the adult learner as the central focus of further education and training services. In its current strategic plan which is underpinned by three key themes; voice, visibility and value AONTAS articulates as one of its key principles: to support and affirm the voice of adult learners as the core of its advocacy work. In order to support this principle AONTAS engages in a number of activities which are learner specific--these include information referral for learners and adults returning to education and training and capacity building opportunities for learners to become strong role models. This paper sets out AONTAS position on how the learner voice can best be represented in order to reflect the diversity of adult learning and to ensure that learners have more of a say in service delivery. In making a case for learner forums, NIACE, the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education in the UK has already outlined how learner engagement can provide for better decision making, more effective services and greater cost effectiveness in designing services. In this paper a number of activities and mechanisms are proposed which could support and enhance learner representation across the further education and training services. Appended are: (1) Charter for Learning (Limerick City Adult Learner Forum); and (2) The 9 Steps for Wales. (Contains 16 footnotes.)