What is a Learning Community?
The notion of taking learning out of the traditional and formal setting is not new but has been given a renewed emphasis with the development of the Learning City and Learning Communities initiatives in the mid 1990’s.
The Chief aim of Learning Communities has been to address the skill needs of disadvantaged communities through providing and promoting informal and first rung learning to motivate and re-engage people back into learning and training.
Most activities of Learning Cities have been aimed at tackling communities which suffer from low levels of basic skills, low levels of progression into further learning after compulsory education and high levels of unemployment.
Clearly these issues contribute to feelings of low self esteem and low motivation. The individual’s experience of their education, particularly in compulsory education has a hugely influential affect on their lives and the community within which they live, which is often past on through generations of families and communities.
Good practice suggests that in order to encourage participation, learning and training opportunities must be well promoted in local communities, with the provision of activities in local venues and at convenient times, which are interesting to the local community and demonstrate a clear benefit to the participants.
Learning Communities play a crucial role in addressing these issues by delivering learning activities directly in communities which are relevant to people’s needs and desires in order to build the local capacity not only in terms of employability but in regenerating the social and livability element of neighbourhoods.
What does it mean for Gt Yarmouth?
The Great Yarmouth Learning Community was formed in 1998 as a key component of the Great Yarmouth Borough Councils 2020 Vision where lifelong learning was identified as a priority action area. The Great Yarmouth Learning Community is an informal partnership of all agencies within the Borough who have an interest in Learning.
The partnership became established as a forum for determining strategies and activities which blended the resources of traditional learning providers with the informal, community based learning.
In 2000 the Learning Community Partnership made a successful bid for Single Regeneration Budget (SRB6) funding which saw a total of 44 projects being supported by the funds.
The SRB6 projects from 2000-2004 have enabled developments in learning provision ranging from innovative learning projects to new buildings like the East Norfolk Sixth Form College Skills Centre and the new Horticulture Centre at Great Yarmouth College. Great Yarmouth now has many more learning opportunities than when the Learning Community was formed.
In April 2003 the Learning Community carried out a review of its purpose, structure, objectives and activities. Following the review a development framework was drawn up. Needs identified were to raise the profile of learning and widen participation in learning which is the focus of our work today.
The Learning Store
York Road Centre
3A York Road
Great Yarmouth
NR30 2LZ
Tel: 01493 745059
Fax: 01493 330406