Why learn?

What can Lifelong Learning Offer You?

'We are in a new age - the age of information and global competition...We have no choice but to prepare for this new age in which the key to success will be the continuous education and development of the human mind and imagination.' The Learning Age.

In the 21st Century, the new disadvantaged will be those who do not have the capacity to learn. They will sink, unable to change and adapt as they are flooded with ever more information and change. But learning is about more than just getting by in a changing world. Our ability to learn is what makes us human: we are born curious and our ability to continue learning is what defines us - as individuals, as communities and as societies. Learning can bring you, your family, your organisation and your community any number of benefits.
Just some of them include:

• personal growth and expanded horizons
• increased employability and improved career development prospects
• a broader range of interests and a wider social life
• the ability to create your own future

A Learning Society in the UK

For the first time ever, we have a vision of an inclusive Learning Society in the UK. One which recognises and nourishes everybody's ability to learn and grow.

The Government recently published the first ever Green Paper on Lifelong Learning, The Learning Age. It asks for people's views on a number of proposed measures that will support and develop people's learning.

But it is up to all of us to contribute to that Learning Society's creation. Go to the Department for Education and Employment's Lifelong Learning website if you would like to find out more about The Learning Age and offer your views and ideas on how it should be implemented.