What is Adult Learners Week?
Adult Learners Week takes place in the first week of September each year. It is an international event embodied in the 1997 Hamburg Declaration on Adult Learning, to which Australia is a signatory.
Adult Learners Week promotes life-long learning, which can support improved workforce participation and productivity for adults through increased participation in education and training. It is celebrated through activities that raise awareness of adult education and promote participation in further learning.
The Australian Government promotes activities that contribute to a national Adult Learners Week presence, whereas State and Territory Governments are responsible for supporting Adult Learners Week at the state and local level.
Adult Learners Week aligns with the priorities for adult learning and education outlined in the 2008 Ministerial Declaration on Adult Community Education. This Declaration acknowledges the role of the Adult and Community Education sector in the provision of vocationally focused education and training; fostering skills development and economic and community participation; and providing pathways to further education and training or employment.
Funding for Adult Learners Week
The Department provides funding to the peak body for adult education, Adult Learning Australia, to coordinate and deliver activities to support Adult Learners Week. For more information, please visit the Adult Learners Week website.
