Adult Learners’ Week Awards 20^th anniversary

Since the first Adult Learners' Week in 1992, tens of thousands of adults have been nominated for awards, with 1,500 of them winning. The winners come from all walks of life, vary in ages - last year's oldest winner was 94 years old - have been soldiers, nurses, musicians, artists and have overcome all kinds of barriers to take up learning and improve not only their own lives, but the lives of their families and communities. NIACE (the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education) launched their 20th Adult Learners’ Week Awards on Monday 8th November 2010.

Richard Crabb, Head of the Adult Learners' Week Team at NIACE, said:

"Since 1992 millions of adults, through Adult Learners' Week, have been encouraged to take up learning. It's often the incredible stories about our winners, who have completely transformed their lives and achieved beyond their expectations, that inspire others to discover more about themselves, and the world around them, through learning."

"We want to hear from everyone who has won an Adult Learners' Week award since 1992 and we'd be really interested to hear about their achievements since winning their award. Every one of our winners had even more ambitious plans for their future following their remarkable achievements which had won them the award in the first place. We want to see how far they have gone towards achieving those ambitions. We know that learning transforms lives for the better. We want to see how our past winners have continued their learning journeys and how their stories can continue to inspire others."

For more information on Adult Learners' Week, including the highlights of this year's awards, please visit the website.

Tegan was the winner of the ESF South East Regional Learner Award- you can find her inspirational story within our case studies library.

Celebrate outstanding ESF - funded adult learners

"Learning has given me a trade and the ability to earn a fairly good living. It has given me more confidence in my own abilities and made me realise you are never too old to learn.” (Jon Honeyfield, ESF Regional Award Winner 2010)

This year, there were 3 national and 9 regional awards sponsored by the European Social Fund:

• European Social Fund Outstanding Learner of the Year Award

• European Social Fund Inspiring Learning Project Award

• European Social Fund Learning Works Award

• European Social Fund Regional Awards (a total of 9 awards, 1 per region)

Everyone nominated received a certificate of achievement. Winners received a learning voucher, valued between £200 and £1,000, and were invited with their nominator to a ceremony during Adult Learners’ Week (14-20 May 2011).