Community Learning & Development workforce supported

Community learning and development provides young people and adults with skills for life, learning and work.

It also focuses on growing community-led groups and services that make communities more cohesive, resilient and better able to make the most of opportunities and overcome the challenges they face. 

With more than 50 years’ experience of widening access and being open to all, regardless of prior educational experiences, The Open University in Scotland understands the adult learner journey and the barriers people face in accessing learning. We are excited to be working with partners to provide a workforce offer for the community learning and development sector.

We recognise the vital role that community learning and development practitioners play in enabling adult learners to achieve their goals.”

We recognise the vital role that community learning and development (CLD) practitioners play in enabling adult learners to achieve their goals in communities across Scotland. The pilot project is supported by the Scottish Government. 

This exciting new programme launched this month with the offer to CLD practitioners of at least 200 funded places on OU accredited short courses through our FutureLearn platform.

At the OU, we are totally committed to the vision that, ‘Adult learning in Scotland will develop better skilled, educated, confident and empowered people contributing to connected and inclusive communities’.

This partnership CLD pilot programme very much fulfils that vision helping CLD practitioners to enhance their practice online.

CLD practitioners working in the third sector, local authority, adult learning or youth work, from anywhere in Scotland, are invited to take part.

Delivering to Scotland’s Adult Learning Strategy, these OU accredited courses have been developed to support the widest range of learning practitioners.

For those working in CLD, you can enhance your online skills to help you engage with more people in ways that are accessible to them and to use digital platforms more effectively.

The accredited courses cover learning online, accessible and inclusive learning, mental health in learning, embedding social, race and gender-related equity and evaluation of learning when it’s delivered online.

We have also developed an online portal with free online learning resources for the CLD workforce, and our network of Regional Champions are rolling out learning workshops to local authorities and third sector providers in every region of Scotland.

These champions will also facilitate learning clubs for practitioners undertaking workshops, short courses and other learning opportunities. 

The OU has a social mission to make education accessible to all. That is why we are so excited by this fantastic opportunity and to work in partnership with the CLD Standards Council to offer a range of development opportunities to the CLD workforce.