Lifelong learning key to social inclusion: Hanna

Lifelong learning has a major role to play in overcoming social exclusion, Carmel Hanna, Minister for Employment and Learning, has said.

The Minister was speaking at Queen’s University, Belfast, at an event to recognise the first successful participants on the Simon Community’s ViVa Lifelong Learning Project – a programme of training for the homeless residents of the Community’s hostels across Northern Ireland.

Mrs Hanna said: “Lifelong learning is essentially about people and increasing their ability to play a full part in a changing society. Clearly, there is a strong economic benefit – the need to modernise and upgrade the skills of the local workforce to ensure that Northern Ireland remains competitive in the international marketplace.

“Social inclusion through learning is pivotal to the delivery of my Department’s priorities. Those with lower educational attainment often face other serious social problems, including homelessness. Their difficulties can stem from not having adequate essential skills, the literacy and numeracy skills that are the building blocks for lifelong learning.

“That was brought sharply into focus by the findings of the International Adult Literacy Survey, which revealed that up to one in four adults performed at the lowest levels of literary competence. For some groups, such as those who are unemployed, the proportion is even higher."

A central ethos of Simon Community Northern Ireland is to provide more than just a roof for single homeless people in Northern Ireland. The ViVa Life Long Learning Programme for single homeless people has assisted Simon Community in developing the skills of single homeless people and better enable them to enter employment.

The ViVa Lifelong Learning Programme, supported by the National Opportunities Fund, delivers training to the residents of the Simon Community on personal development, pre-vocational research/jobsearch, ICT and essential skills.

The anticipated benefits for the resident groups are improved levels of motivation, greater co-operation with project staff in planning for independence, more regular patterns of living, their progression along the path to independence and enhanced employment opportunities.

(MB)