About Us

Our role has grown significantly over the last few years since we were formally set up in May 2000.  Having firmly laid our roots in 1997 we first started out  working with 1600 organisations to deliver the key message that - It’s Never too late to Learn through three campaigns Adult Learners’ Week, Sign Up Now and Signed Up Yet, and many of them continue to support us to this day. 

Now we work with over 7,500 organisations to deliver on the campaign messages, and this network includes not only those who provide learning, but also  those who have a broad interest in learning and see it as a way to develop their staff or to help realise their aims.

We are a partnership of learners and providers so our focus is on driving up aspirations from the grass roots and our work programme reflects this. Our partners are critical to the success of the organisation working with us to determine and agree the priorities for our work and to deliver its objectives and activities.

Working across the 32 local authority geographies in Scotland with key local partners, we recognise the need for Scotland to develop a society where diversity of background, culture, knowledge and skills are valued and nurtured. Our partners work with us to contribute to the creation of a society where people actively engage in their communities both locally and nationally and provide ways to demonstrate that learning can enable people to do that.

We collectively work on the premise that lifelong learning contributes to the development of society through the achievement of other social goals such as civic participation, sustainable development, improved health and well-being, reduced crime and greater social cohesion.

Our focus is not primarily on driving up the skills of the workforce although we do recognise that participation and involvement in learning can contribute toward this and support people to help them make the right career choices.

We believe that skills are not just for work - they are for life too!.