Community Based Adult Learning
Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) represents employers, stakeholders and staff working in Community Based Adult Learning (CBAL), the purpose of which is to empower and enable individuals, groups and communities to participate in learning opportunities, which are provided in a way which makes them accessible and easy for everyone to reach.
Adult learning, which takes place in a community rather that an institutional setting, can be identified by any of the following features:
- has a widening participation agenda, which aims to reach individuals/groups in communities, who would/could not normally attend institutionally based adult education
- addresses the learning needs of specific individuals/groups in communities through customised provision
- brings formal and non formal learning opportunities into a community location.
CBAL covers work with individuals/groups in the context of their own community and takes place in many settings. It plays a major role in building social inclusion and supporting civil renewal and includes the provision of adult skills for literacy and numeracy.
Of those employed in CBAL, roles include enabling, supporting and motivating, as well as tutoring, providing guidance and facilitating learning.
CBAL was often known as adult and community learning (ACL) and is subject to inspection through relevant country inspection bodies.
CBAL is often undertaken in partnership between larger institutions and smaller community based voluntary organisations using a combination of paid and volunteer workers.
This text has been taken from the "Common core" occupational and functional mapping, issued by the former National Training Organisation for Community Learning and Development (PAULO) in 2004, which is available by clicking on the link, and from the 'Skills Foresight Report, also issued by (PAULO) in 2004.
