Michael Sukkar MP

Celebrating Adult Learners’ Week

Michael Sukkar, Federal Member for Deakin, is urging local communities to support activities for Adult Learners’ Week, which this year is celebrating its 20th anniversary as an important event on the Australian calendar.

The theme for this year’s Adult Learners’ Week, which is held from 1 to 8 September, is ‘unlocking learning’, with a focus on life-long learning for everyone.

Michael was at Nunawading U3A today to honour Brian Nicholson with a 2015 Deakin Community Award for his promotion of, and contribution to, life-long learning.

“Brian’s work through the Nunawading U3A has helped raise the profile of adult learning in our community,” Michael said.

“I encourage everyone in our community to get involved in Adult Learners’ Week activities, whether it is to help raise awareness of literacy and numeracy issues, learn new skills, or to explore the opportunities out there for further learning.”

Adult Learners’ Week promotes life-long learning, supporting improved workforce participation and productivity for adults through increased participation in education and training.

Each year, Adult Learners’ Week is celebrated with hundreds of events and activities designed to promote the benefits of learning – in the home, at work, and in the community – and to highlight the many options available.

Those celebrating Adult Learners’ Week, in the electorate of Deakin and across Australia, will join a world-wide effort to promote life-long learning, with Adult Learners’ Week events being held all over the globe.

“This years’ theme of ‘Unlocking Learning: Lifelong learning for everyone’ addresses the common misconception that learning and education ends with traditional schooling.

“Learning is a lifelong activity, as attested to by the growing number of adult learners expanding their skills, knowledge and interests on an ongoing basis.

“Whether you want to learn new skills, change careers, or address literacy and numeracy skills, access to education is vital to a socially inclusive, productive and innovative Australia, no matter what stage of life you are at,” Michael said.

The Australian Government’s Restart programme is also incentivising small businesses to employ job seekers who are 50 years of age or older back into the workforce if they have been unemployed or on income support for more than six months.

“We cannot afford to lose generations of experience and know-how in our workforce, and by encouraging mature learners and workers back into the classroom and workplace we add immense value to the diversity and culture in those environments,” Michael said.

For more information on Restart, please visit: https://employment.gov.au/restart-wage-subsidy

Further details on Adult Learners’ Week can be found at: http://www.adultlearnersweek.org/.