Wales Highlights the Power of Adult Learning in 2026

Key Points

• Adult Learning in Wales is taking the spotlight this week, which is the Adult Learners’ Week scheduled from September 21st to 27th, 2026.
• A survey carried out by the Learning and Work Institute revealed that almost half (47%) of adults in Wales have been involved in learning at some point over the past three years.
• The survey showed that 96% of individuals participating in learning activities identified at least one benefit.
• The benefits include increased self-confidence, making strides towards personal goals, improved performance in the workplace and better skills.
• Almost 160,000 adults were participating in further education, local authority learning or apprenticeships in Wales in 2024/25.
• The Inspire! Adult Learning Awards will honor 11 learners for changing their lives through learning.
• Over 100 nominations have been submitted to the awards, reflecting the wider achievements of adult learners in Wales.
• Michelle Matheron, the Director for Wales at the Learning and Work Institute, stated that adult learning helps achieve good health, employment, economic success and social justice.
• Adult Learners’ Week events can be accessed via the Adult Learners’ Week Wales website.

Wales (Wales Times) September 21, 2026 – Adult Learning in Wales is being celebrated during Adult Learners’ Week, which runs from September 21 to 27 and aims to recognise people whose lives have been changed by education while encouraging others to begin their own learning journeys.

The campaign is placing attention on the wide range of learning available to adults across Wales. This includes formal college courses, apprenticeships, community learning, local-authority education, family learning and work-based training.

According to the article published by FE News, Michelle Matheron, Director for Wales at the Learning and Work Institute, said the week provided an opportunity to focus on the positive effect of adult education. The article was written by Matheron and published under the headline “Time To Celebrate Adult Learning As A Positive Force For Change Across Wales”.

The development comes as education providers, tutors, learners and policymakers continue to consider how adult learning can support people facing changes in employment, health, family responsibilities and personal circumstances.

What Does the Latest Survey Show?

The Learning and Work Institute’s Adult Participation in Learning Survey uses a broad definition of learning. It includes more than traditional classroom-based education and recognises that adults can learn through formal courses, workplace training, community activities and other forms of structured development.

The survey found that 47% of adults in Wales reported participating in some form of learning during the past three years in 2025. This indicates that almost half of the adult population had taken part in learning, whether for employment, personal development, qualifications or other reasons.

The figure reflects the variety of ways in which learning takes place. An adult learner may be studying towards a qualification at a college, attending a community class, taking part in an apprenticeship or developing new skills through a work-based programme.

The survey also recorded the outcomes reported by those who had taken part in learning. It found that 96% of people in Wales who had engaged in learning during the previous three years experienced at least one benefit.

Reported benefits included increased confidence, progress towards personal goals, improved performance in a current job and the development of new skills. The findings suggest that the effect of learning is not limited to examination results or qualifications.

How Can Learning Affect Health and Confidence?

The article reported that adult education can contribute to health, well-being and confidence. Learning can give people a regular focus, a sense of progress and an opportunity to develop relationships with tutors and other learners.

For some adults, entering a learning environment may represent a significant personal step. People may begin a course after a period away from education, unemployment, illness, caring responsibilities or other changes in their circumstances.

Matheron wrote that adult learning can give people “something to look forward to and focus on in difficult times”. The statement places education within a wider social and personal context rather than treating it only as a route to employment.

The reported benefits can also extend beyond the learner. Improved confidence may help an individual pursue further education, apply for a job, seek a promotion or take part more actively in family and community life.

However, the article did not suggest that adult learning removes the challenges faced by learners. It acknowledged that learning journeys are often shaped by financial pressures, work, family responsibilities and personal circumstances.

How Does Adult Learning Support Employment?

Adult education can help people gain qualifications, develop practical abilities and move closer to employment. It can also help people who already have jobs to improve their performance or adapt to changing workplace requirements.

The FE News article reported that adult learning supports economic growth by helping people enter work and remain in employment. Its effects can therefore reach employers, families and communities as well as individual learners.

Work-based learning and apprenticeships are among the routes through which adults can develop skills while gaining practical experience. College and community-based courses can also provide a foundation for people seeking a first job, a new job or a change in career direction.

The survey findings cited in the article show that learning benefits are not restricted to people who achieve an immediate employment outcome. Increased confidence, progress towards personal goals and stronger skills were also identified as important results.

This broader definition is significant because some learners may need time before moving into employment. A course may first help someone rebuild confidence, improve basic skills or establish a routine before they are ready to apply for work.

Who Will Be Recognised During Adult Learners’ Week?

During Adult Learners’ Week, the Inspire! Adult Learning Awards will recognise 11 learners from across Wales.

The awards will celebrate people described in the FE News article as having changed their lives through education. Their learning journeys are expected to demonstrate the different reasons adults return to education and the different barriers they may need to overcome.

Matheron wrote that the 11 learners had not followed easy or straightforward paths. Their journeys had often been non-linear and had to fit around their individual lives and circumstances.

The learners completed their education with the support of tutors and through access to learning provision that suited their needs. This highlights the importance of flexible and appropriate education services, particularly for adults balancing study with employment, childcare, health needs or other responsibilities.

The awards are also intended to represent a wider group of learners. Nearly 100 nominations were received, meaning the 11 award recipients represent only a small proportion of the achievements submitted for consideration.

How Many People Took Part in Learning?

More than 160,000 people were learners in further education, local-authority learning or apprenticeships in Wales during the 2024/25 academic year.

The figure was cited in the FE News article as evidence of the scale of adult and further learning activity across Wales. It includes people studying through different types of provision rather than one single education route.

The article stated that more learners are needed, while also describing the existing figure as representing 160,000 lives changed. It also recognised the perseverance of learners and the contribution of education staff.

Learners may attend colleges, community learning centres or other education settings. Some may begin a course at a child’s school through family-learning provision, while others may start work-based education or return to a classroom after many years.

What Types of Learning Are Available Across Wales?

Adult learning in Wales takes place in a range of locations and formats. The article identified several examples of people beginning new learning journeys across the country.

These include adults:

• Taking their first steps into a community learning centre.
• Entering college for the first time.
• Starting a new work-based course.
• Joining family learning at their child’s school.
• Studying through further education.
• Taking part in an apprenticeship.
• Participating in learning arranged through a local authority.

The variety of provision allows adults to choose opportunities that may fit their experience, location and responsibilities. A person who cannot attend a full-time college course may instead choose community learning, part-time study or workplace education.

The article’s central message is that adult learning is not limited to one age group, qualification level or education setting. It can support people at different points in their lives and can be adapted to different needs.

Why Is Adult Learning Also a Social Issue?

The Learning and Work Institute described adult learning as more than an education policy. In the article, Matheron presented it as an intervention connected with health, the economy and social justice.

The health connection relates to confidence, well-being and the benefits of having a regular activity or goal. The economic connection relates to skills, employment and workplace development.

The social-justice connection reflects the role that education can play in widening access to opportunity. Adults who have had limited access to education may use later learning to gain skills, pursue qualifications or move towards goals that were previously out of reach.

The article acknowledged that adult learning faces significant challenges, including the number of people who could benefit from learning but are not currently accessing it. It also referred to the difficult financial environment in which adult-learning provision is operating.

Despite those challenges, the article focused on the evidence of positive outcomes rather than presenting adult education as a problem without solutions.

What Did Michelle Matheron Say?

Writing for FE News, Michelle Matheron said adult learning delivers measurable impact and changes lives. She explained that learning can lead to a qualification, a first job, a new job or another opportunity.

Matheron also said learning improves health, well-being and confidence. She noted that it can provide people with a constructive focus during difficult periods.

In relation to the survey findings, she highlighted that 96% of adults in Wales who had engaged in learning reported at least one benefit. These benefits included improved confidence, progress towards personal goals, better performance in a current job and stronger skills.

Matheron also connected learning with wider economic outcomes. She wrote that adult education supports people into work and helps them remain there, with effects felt by families, employers and communities.

The article’s final position was that adult learning should be recognised not only as an education measure but also as a health, economic and social-justice measure.

Background: Adult Learners’ Week in Wales

Adult Learners’ Week is being held in Wales from September 21 to 27, 2026. The week provides an opportunity to recognise learners, tutors and education providers while encouraging adults to explore learning opportunities.

The campaign is taking place alongside the Inspire! Adult Learning Awards, which will honour 11 learners. The awards form part of a wider programme intended to show how people across Wales have used education to develop their skills and change their circumstances.

The figures cited by FE News come from the Learning and Work Institute’s Adult Participation in Learning Survey and education participation data for 2024/25. The survey uses a broad understanding of learning, while the participation figure covers further education, local-authority learning and apprenticeships.

Further information about activities during Adult Learners’ Week is available through the Adult Learners’ Week Wales website, as referenced in the FE News article.

Prediction: How Could This Affect Adult Learners?

Adult Learners’ Week is likely to increase attention on the practical and personal benefits of education for adults across Wales. The focus on confidence, employment, skills and well-being may encourage people who have delayed learning to explore courses or training that fit their circumstances.

The campaign could also strengthen public recognition of community learning centres, colleges, apprenticeship providers and family-learning programmes. If the reported benefits receive wider attention, providers may have a stronger basis for demonstrating the value of adult education to policymakers, employers and local communities.

However, increased awareness alone may not remove the barriers identified in the article. Participation will continue to depend on factors such as course availability, affordability, transport, childcare, health, time and access to suitable support.

For adult learners, the immediate effect is likely to be greater visibility for available opportunities and for the people who have already benefited from education. For Wales more broadly, continued investment in accessible adult learning could support skills development, employment and community well-being, although the scale of that effect will depend on whether adults can access provision that matches their needs.