Wolverhampton City Learning Region_Vision and Values Statement

The Learning City Plan for Wolverhampton is encapsulated in the city’s The Vision for Education 2030: Shaping a City of Learning and is based on earlier developmental work undertaken by key partners independently and jointly. 

The City of Wolverhampton aspires to become a city of learning where:

• An ethos of quality underpins the provision of continuous learning opportunities for all children, young people and citizens within the city.
• Partners work together to create an education system that provides local solutions to local challenges.
• Access to learning is available for all levels and to all ages with increased participation from hard to reach/disadvantaged communities.
• Learning is innovative and technologically advanced and narrows the skills gap to develop a highly skilled workforce, joining skills to future business needs.

(The Vision for Education 2030: Shaping a City of Learning, 2017)

Connor, S. Mahoney, M and Lewis, N. (2019) Anticipating a 4th Industrial Revolution and the Futures of Learning Education Observatory: University of Wolverhampton.

The University of Wolverhampton's Education Observatory commissioned this study, working in collaboration with the University's Centre for Lifelong Learning.  A number of voluntary and community organisations  took part in this study, including City of Wolverhampton Council, Wolverhampton Voluntary Sector Council and Wolverhampton Learning Platform. 

Learning and Place: An assessment of the status of Lifelong Learning in the voluntary and community sector in Wolverhampton 

The University of Wolverhampton's Centre for Lifelong Learning commissioned this report working in collaboration with Wolverhampton City Learning Region partners and the National Social Marketing Centre (NSMC).

The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the importance of digital connectivity. The City of Wolverhampton’s investment in digital inclusion is fundamental. Digital skills are crucial for economic resilience and growth, as the gateway to jobs and progression and for social inclusion and cohesion as digital is the primary means of connection and access to essential services.

The purpose of this study was to gain a greater understanding of digital inclusion at a community level in Wolverhampton. The aim is to use the findings in order to inform future provision and build on the experiences and lessons learnt from the rapid provision provided during COVID-19.

The report has been produced by the National Social Marketing Centre - to access the report please click this link below: 

Wolverhampton City Learning Region: Learning Digital Skills Study

Help shape the future of the Wolverhampton City Learning Region Launch Event 

The launch of the Wolverhampton City Learning Region initiative took place on Tuesday 17th October 2017.

The launch provided:

• an introduction to the concept of Learning Cities/Regions
• the reasons for developing it,
• an analysis of the social and economic context underpinning it,
• asked attendees / stakeholders views on how we can work in partnership to address some of the common challenges facing Wolverhampton and our region.

To be successful the Wolverhampton City Learning Region initiative needs to be owned and driven by all sectors and the launch represented the opportunity for attendees / stakeholders to collaboratively shape its future to determine the direction and priority actions.

The launch was hosted by University of Wolverhampton at The Chancellor’s Hall, City Campus in Wolverhampton. 

Building a Learning Region, What it Takes to Make a Learning City / Region:

Key Lessons From Bristol, Swansea and Cork

The purpose of this breakfast event was for Wolverhampton City Learning Region stakeholders to hear from key representatives from Bristol Learning City, Swansea Learning City and Cork Learning City about key lessons we can learn from their experiences to date with building a sustainable and successful learning city.  This event was organised to inform next steps with developing the Wolverhampton City Learning Region initiative through a partnership approach based on collaborative working. 

The breakfast event was hosted by University of Wolverhampton at the Wolverhampton Science Park. 

For a copy of the Event Programme please click on the link below.

WCLR May Event Programme

For the event videos, please click on the below links:

Building a Learning Region Event – Welcome Video

Building a Learning Region Event  – Bristol Learning City Presentation Video

Building a Learning Region Event  – Swansea Learning City Presentation Video

Building a Learning Region Event  – Cork Learning City Presentation Video

Building a Learning Region Event  – Panel Discussion Q&A Video

The report provides a summary of the successes of the pilot learning festival that took place in March 2019, evaluation feedback from stakeholders, key lessons learnt  and outlines the next steps recommended to plan for future learning festivals for Wolverhampton.     

The learning festival is a core component of the Wolverhampton City Learning Region priority for Realising Aspirations and aims to draw attention to the formal, non-formal and informal learning opportunities available locally in order to increase a culture of learning and its importance across the city.  UNESCO promotes that learning festivals are a key approach to nurturing a culture of learning throughout life within a city.

The rationale for the learning festival links to the learning city plan encapsulated in The Vision for Education 2030: Shaping a City of Learning (2017), which states that the City of Wolverhampton has the following aspiration - Access to learning is available for all levels and to all ages with increased participation from hard to reach/disadvantaged communities.

For a copy of the Evaluation Report please click on the link below.

PilotLearningFestival_EvaluationReport

In November 2019, The Right Worshipful the Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Claire Darke hosted the Transformational Change Through Learning Summit for Wolverhampton City Learning Region to bring together key stakeholders from across Wolverhampton to consider how city-wide transformation through learning can be achieved. 

For a copy of the Summit Programme please click on the link below.

 14thNovember2019_Summit_Programme

The Global Learning Festival seeks to provide unity and connection to communities all over the world. By participating in learning events on a wide variety of topics, across time zones and languages, anyone can experience firsthand the benefits that lifelong learning can offer.

The Global Learning Festival is co-led by Melton City Council and Wyndham City Council, both on the western fringe of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia.  Both the City of Melton and City of Wyndham are accredited UNESCO Learning Cities.

The Wolverhampton City Learning Region core partners represent the City of Wolverhampton at the Global Learning Festival working group and contribute to and support the development and planning of the Global Learning Festival through the working group alongside other learning cities from across the world.   

From 1st - 4th September 2020, the City of Melton and the City of Wyndham co-led the first Global Learning Festival (GLF) with over 20 other partners including the PASCAL Observatory and the Australian Learning Communities Network (ALCN) who helped bring this event to life. 

The 2020 Global Learning Festival Report Report produced by Melton City Council and Wyndham City Council outlines the success of the first festival which was held over 4 days.  

The Global Learning Festival report is written by Jac Torres-Gomez with valued input from Cassandra Connelly, Alison La Rose, Diane Tabbagh, Sally Edwards and Hellen Kibowen with contributions from the Global Learning Festival partners including Wolverhampton. 

For a copy of the Evaluation Report please click on the link below: 

Evaluation Report - Global Learning Festival 2020

The Global Learning Festival aims to provide unity and connection to communities all over the world and to give learners a firsthand experience of the benefits that lifelong learning can bring, particularly during uncertain and challenging times.

The Global Learning Festival is co-led by Melton City Council and Wyndham City Council, both on the western fringe of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia.  Both the City of Melton and City of Wyndham are accredited UNESCO Learning Cities.

The Wolverhampton City Learning Region core partners represent the City of Wolverhampton at the Global Learning Festival working group and contribute to and support the development and planning of the Global Learning Festival through the working group alongside other learning cities from across the world.   

Running from 8th - 11th November 2021, the City of Melton and the City of Wyndham co-led the second Global Learning Festival (GLF) with over 20 learning communities around the world and support, partnership and collaboration from the PASCAL International Observatory, the Australian Learning Communities Network (ALCN), Adult Learning Australia, UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities, RMIT University and the WISE Qatar Foundation.   

The 2021 festival showcased live and pre-recorded events delivered from across the world including from Australia, the USA, the U.K, Israel, Northern Ireland, Taiwan, Canada, Bangladesh, Kenya, Benin, Colombia, Finland, Italy, Lithuania, and Turkey.   

The 2021 Global Learning Festival Report Report produced by Melton City Council and Wyndham City Council outlines the success of this second festival which was held over 4 days.  

The Global Learning Festival report is written by co-organisers Wyndham City Council and Melton City Council with contributions from the Global Learning Festival partners including Wolverhampton. 

 For a copy of the Evaluation Report please click on the link below:

Evaluation Report - Global Learning Festival 2021

Dr Stuart Connor is a Reader in Learning Futures in the Education Observatory at the University of Wolverhampton. Stuart has a background in policy analysis. His work seeks not only to understand the impact that changing conditions and policies have on people's lives, but also to explore how people can and should have an impact on policies and practices.  Stuart is part of the University’s WCLR Innovation Group. 

Stuart’s current research focuses on learning futures - the form and functions of futures literacy and the role of Futures Studies in anticipating the futures of learning. In the face of an uncertain, contested but ultimately shared future, Stuart’s research draws on a range of foresight methods to examine the horizon of probable, possible and preferable futures. His work seeks to identify, and question, assumptions about what constitutes preferable futures and the means by which these can and should be realised.  Stuart has undertaken futures research on the Wolverhampton City Learning Region initiative to assist key stakeholders (businesses, city leaders and learning providers) to undertake visioning work to determine rather than take for granted, the type of post-industrial city that is being created and the power relations embedded in each vision.  

Stuart is currently working with Professor Sarah Hayes and colleagues on Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded projects developing a cross-sector dialogue on the ‘postdigital’ contexts of individual learners, and situations compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic and taking a creative and inclusive knowledge exchange approach towards critiquing and extending the Human Data Interaction as a conceptual framework.  

• Connor, S. Mahoney, M and Lewis, N. (2019) Anticipating a 4^thIndustrial Revolution and the Futures of Learning: A discussion paper for Wolverhampton Learning City Region. Education Observatory: University of Wolverhampton.

 Anticipating a 4th Industrial Revolution and the Futures of Learning

• Connor, S. (2017) Global Megatrends and the Black Country. Dial 481 project / University of Wolverhampton 

GlobalMegatrendsandBlackCountry-StuartConnor

Sir Alan Tuckett is Emeritus Professor based in the Education Observatory, University of Wolverhampton and has an advisory role within the University’s Wolverhampton City Learning Region innovation group. He previously led the co-ordination of UK learning cities support 1996 - 2000 and is a member of PIMA and corresponding supporter of PASCAL the academic learning cities network. His expertise contributed to the development and launch of Wolverhampton City Learning Region initiative in 2017.  He is an internationally recognised expert in adult education and advises UNESCO and recently the World Economic Forum on adult and lifelong learning. From 1988-2011 he was Chief Executive of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, where he led a research and development programme totalling some £45 million, advised ministers on adult learning policy, and created in the UK the annual Adult Learners’ Week.  He has served as President of the Pre-School Learning Alliance (1999-2003), was a member of the Inter-Ministerial Skills Committee, and has forty years of governance experience. He writes widely – his most recent book is ‘Seriously Useless Learning’ co-authored with Ian Nash.  Alan was awarded the OBE in 1995, and has honorary doctorates from 8 universities.  

• ILO Interview with Sir Alan Tuckett - Lifelong Learning and Skills Development

 A landmark report issued by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Global Commission on the Future of Work recommends, among others, a universal entitlement to lifelong learning that enables people to skill, reskill and upskill. But, what exactly do we mean by lifelong learning? And, what role does the ILO and its partners play in managing a universal entitlement to lifelong learning? These are among the questions raised in this interview with Sir Alan Tuckett.

For the short version of the video interview, please click on the below link:

Lifelong Learning and Skills Development - Interview with Sir Alan Tuckett (short version)

For the long version of the video interview, please click on the below link:

Lifelong Learning and Skills Development - Interview with Sir Alan Tuckett (long version)

The Institute for Community Research and Development (ICRD) at the University of Wolverhampton works with and in our local communities to deliver effective community-based transformational projects, drives policy developments, and promote social mobility. Drawing on a history of collaborative research across the University's faculties of Social Science, and Health, Education, and Well-being, ICRD uses interdisciplinary expertise to affect positive change in local communities, increase knowledge, and shape local and national policy. ICRD undertakes pioneering community development studies that improve the life chance of individuals in the region, and works with our partnership networks to champion for change.

• Communities Uncovered Project Report 

The Communities Uncovered was published in 2018 by the Heart of England Community Foundation in collaboration with the ICRD’s Dr. Steve Iafrati. The report aimed to identify the most pressing social, economic and health related issues currently affecting people living in the Black Country and Birmingham.  The Heart of England Community Foundation followed up with the launch of the Communities Uncovered Fund, designed to support the recommendations highlighted in the report, in an effort to make significant positive changes in the Black Country and Birmingham.

Communities Uncovered

• An evaluation of Wolverhampton’s Social Prescribing Service: A New Route to Wellbeing

 The ICRD were commissioned by the Wolverhampton Clinical Commissioning Group to conduct an independent mixed methods evaluation of Wolverhampton’s Social Prescribing Service. The social prescribing service, run by Wolverhampton Voluntary Sector Council, provides a link between primary care services and the voluntary and community sector, and aims to help people with non-clinical needs access a wide variety of services and activities in Wolverhampton to support their health and wellbeing.  Dr Rachel Massie and Dr Nahid Ahmad led the evaluation and the report (2019) highlights the positive impact on service users’ wellbeing and loneliness, potential cost savings for primary care services and overwhelmingly positive feedback from a range of stakeholders.

Social Prescribing Evaluation Report

Located in the Institute of Education at University of Wolverhampton, the Education Observatory was established in 2017 and builds on a long history of innovative educational research and evaluation at the University of Wolverhampton.

The Education Observatory Website

The Education Observatory undertakes research in all areas of education and allied areas of social policy to secure social justice and regional transformation in the West Midlands.  There are ongoing and completed research projects in a variety of areas of education, covering all stages, from early years to post-compulsory. 

• Black Country Education Insight Report 2020

The second Annual Black Country Education Insight report examining all phases of education in the area is now available. In the first report in 2019 we focused primarily on analysis of publicly available data, combined with research findings where appropriate, to explore and exemplify education and employment in the Black Country.

This report is written in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The uncertainty associated with this increases the challenge of reflecting on the past to plan for the future. Therefore the discussion of each area of education and employment examines both historical data and the experiences of practitioners and professionals who are directly addressing the crisis . Undoubtedly this has made education even more fast-moving and unpredictable than usual.

John Traxler, FRSA, is Professor of Digital Learning in the Institute of Education at the University of Wolverhampton. He has been invited to establish an UNESCO Chair at the University in innovative informal digital learning in disadvantaged and development contexts. He is a Founding Director of the International Association for Mobile Learning. Professor Traxler has been responsible for large-scale mobile learning implementations, small-scale mobile learning research interventions, capacity building, major evaluations, landscape reviews, and curriculum development. Professor Traxler has extensive experience developing e-learning and mobile learning capacity and over the last five years, he has become involved in policy and strategy. Professor Traxler’s position within and across regional and international networks facilitates knowledge transfer with the WLCR.

• Recent research has responded to the educational challenges produced by the Covid19 pandemic:

Traxler, J., Scott, H., Smith, M., & Hayes, S. (2020). Learning through the crisis Helping decision-makers around the world use digital technology to combat the educational challenges produced by the current COVID-19 pandemic (No. 1). EdTech Hub

Sarah Hayes is a Professor in Higher Education Policy. Sarah’s research into Higher Education policy intersects across Sociology, Technology and Education. She is leading on a programme of work examining digital inclusion, skills and data poverty, which has become particularly critical as the region seek to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. Digital inclusion is a key priority within the WCLR initiative. Recognising the challenge of connecting skills initiatives in schools, educational institutions, charities, businesses, local authorities and innovative grassroots schemes to counter disadvantage and meet individual needs (Jopling and Johnson, 2019), work undertaken as part of an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded Human Data Interaction project: ‘Data and disadvantage: taking a regional approach towards Human Data Interaction (HDI) to inform local and national digital skills policies’ has examined how postdigital citizens interact with digital skills ecosystems and related ecologies of learning in their communities (Peters, Jandrić and Hayes, 2021).

A new book written by Professor Hayes: Postdigital Positionality, has just been published by Brill, drawing attention to the unique challenges faced by diverse, digitally excluded individuals.

Professor Hayes has just won a second EPSRC grant for a regional project that will encourage cross-sector authorship about digital inclusion and data. Two events in Autumn 2021 will bring together regional stakeholders to collaborate on chapters on digital inclusion and data for a book that will be published in 2022 by Springer in the postdigital book series.

Professor Phil Dearden at University of Wolverhampton has established the highly successful Centre for International Development and Training (CIDT). He has more than 30 years of experience in capacity development (CD) for international development in over 50 countries. He has worked as a facilitator/trainer, programme/project manager, and organisational development consultant in a wide range of sectors, including: agriculture, forestry, environment, climate change, trade, governance, rural livelihoods, education and health.

Phil is an experienced trainer in Results-Based Management (RBM), including the Programme and Project Cycle Management (PPCM), in Results Frameworks and the Logical Framework Approach (LFA).  The experience and services provided by CIDT, in particular their suite of training programmes linked to strategic interventions, are utilized as part of the WCLR initiative as one of the core contributions that the University can make to it Phil is part of the University’s WCLR Innovation Group.

In response to the Covid19 pandemic and restrictions, CIDT have been innovative through working online and are able to offer/facilitate:

Online lectures across the globe e.g.https://cidt.org.uk/agriculture-youth-employment-and-decent-work/

Online Webinars e.g. https://cidt.org.uk/join-us-for-the-cv4c-webinar-series-achievements-reflections-and-food-for-thought/

Online Workshops e.g. https://cidt.org.uk/online-workshop-supports-development-of-the-moldova-decent-work-country-programme/