Adult Education

Adult Education as a sector is wide reaching and is not only the provision of essential skills courses for employability, but it extends further into supporting a culture in which people can become active citizens within their community and Wales.

Adult Education can be in the form of formal and non-formal education. The Tertiary and Education Research Bill (Wales) 2022 now legislates to promote life-long learning and supports the development of the citizens curriculum as well as a nation for second chances. The opportunities available through Taith funding can help support these developments by providing participants with the chance to experience the world and bringing the world back to Wales.

The visit was one of the privileges of my lifetime, let alone my professional career!! It was such an inspiring, passionate and productive week, albeit an exhausting one. The outcome of which we wouldn’t have been able to capture without a funder that provides the time, space and location that Taith does.

Diverse Cymru, Pathway 2 project

A bearded person holding and painting a paper sculpture.

Why participate?

Taith offers opportunities for learners and staff, including volunteers, from Welsh Adult Education organisations to participate in life changing mobilities abroad, shown to have demonstrably positive impacts on people’s personal progression in life, not only their learning and employability prospects, but also on their health and wellbeing as well as their social and community involvement. These benefits are particularly apparent for participants with fewer opportunities. International mobilities enable participants to develop key skills, competencies and experience new cultures and languages, whilst simultaneously promoting Wales, the Welsh language and culture throughout the world.

For learners, an international experience can provide them with the opportunity to gain new skills and knowledge by studying alongside international partners. It can help support their social development by encountering new cultures and experiences. Taith provides additional funding to support those with additional learning needs, disabilities and from deprived backgrounds and as such encourages those from these under-represented groups to be able to have these unique life experiences. These experiences can be used to support the strategic aims outlined in the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (CTER).

For staff, the opportunity to learn best practice from international partners can be invaluable. Taith provides opportunities for staff to learn through a range of options, such as training courses, job shadowing, and system development projects within Pathway 1, through to strategic collaboration projects looking to identify a sector need in Pathway 2. These experiences can help develop the framework and skills set needed to progress the Adult Education sector to meet the future aims of the Tertiary and Education Research Bill (Wales) 2022 and support the ethos of the citizens curriculum and second chance nation culture.

Who can apply?

Eligible applying organisations:

Any organisation regulated or registered in, and operating from, Wales providing formal and non-formal Adult Education, including:

Local and regional public authorities, coordination bodies and other organisations registered and operating from Wales with a role in the field of Adult Education.
Non-governmental organisations, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations, including but not limited to registered charities and charitable incorporated associations, community interest companies, companies limited by guarantee.
Consortium of organisations/providers, which comprises a single lead organisation applying on behalf of two or more adult education providers, in the field of Adult Education. All members of the consortium must be regulated or registered in, and operating from, Wales. Consortium partners must be agreed and named at the point of application and it is not permitted for the lead organisation to charge a fee to consortium partners for inclusion in the bid.

Organisations working in the field of Adult Education, which are not regulated or registered in Wales but operate on a UK wide basis, with demonstrable, recent, experience of delivering activity in Wales, may also be eligible to apply provided they meet the following criteria:

Satisfactory evidence is submitted to demonstrate:

how the proposed programme activity will benefit Wales and
that the intended participants are either (i) for outward mobility, participants who are undertaking learning activity in Wales, or (ii) for inward mobility, the participants will be undertaking learning activity in Wales.

Applying organisations must have demonstrable, recent, experience of delivering activity within the sector to which they are applying.

This document relates specifically to the Taith Pathway 1 (2023) funding call for the Adult Education sector and will be subject to change for the next funding call:

Pathway 1 – Adult Education

The Taith Core Programme Guide guide is for organisations and individuals to discover more about Taith, how the programme works and who is eligible to apply for, and receive, funding:

Taith Core Programme Guide 2023