Welcome to December news, the final for 2017. This month brought us both good and bad news from Canberra. Finally, we had a positive outcome for the Same Sex Marriage Bill which was passed on 7 December. A great achievement for equality in this country and one, which demonstrates the power of a strong social movement to influence and change Australian law to make our country a fairer place.

The same can’t be said for other recently introduced legislation. Read more about the changes under our advocacy section below. The Welfare Reform Bill has been held over in the Senate until next year. The Bill includes the controversial drug testing and seeks to tighten exemptions for drug and alcohol dependence, increase wait times for unemployment payments, and axe the wife pension and bereavement allowance.

The people who will most likely be impacted by the proposed welfare changes are people who have poor literacy and numeracy skills and people who have had little or no opportunity for decent education and learning.

In the 2015 report entitled, Economic & Social Cost of  Illiteracy – A snapshot of illiteracy in a global context (World Literacy Foundation), it estimated the cost of illiteracy in Australia at 33.29 billion dollars.

Imagine if we were to take a preventative approach and put even one quarter of that money into education, literacy and lifelong learning – what changes would we see? Improving literacy skills and providing opportunities for lifelong and lifewide learning can help people make the best of their lives and improve quality of life for both individuals and communities.

That's why ACE has an important role in providing pathways for people at risk of being left behind. Investment in adult and community learning is a #lifechanger that pays off in multiple ways. ALA’s quarterly Quest magazine pays tribute to some of the great success stories around the country and our December issue is a bumper one highlighting the positive outcomes of ACE in our communities.

ACE staff celebrating year's end at Braybrook Community Centre.

We know that adult learning plays a key role in creating environments for individuals and communities to prosper. Healthy minds, bodies and spirits are important for all individuals to function and to engage with each other, community services and civil society. We will be taking this message to Canberra as we work towards the Year of Lifelong Learning or #YOLL2018.

ALA joined with the Hands Off Our Charities Campaign to voice concerns about legislation that bans international philanthropy for advocacy. Restricting advocacy by charities is not good for democracy.

ALA was one of 100 charities that raised concerns about the future of the Australian Charities and Not for Profit Commission (ACNC) and requested a robust process to appoint the new ACNC commissioner.

The Federal Government has since announced the appointment of The Hon. Gary Johns as Commissioner of the ACNC. This appointment is considered troubling by many charities, as the incoming Commissioner has previously campaigned against charities. To understand why it is a contraversial issue click here.

Uluru Statement From the Heart
ALA joined with ACOSS and other peaks in calling for the Australian Parliament to respect and back the Uluru Statement from the Heart. ALA supports First Nations peoples' endeavours to have a voice and calls on the Australian Parliament to make this a national priority. More here.

Together with other national development and education agencies, ALA wrote to request that Australia commits to increased support for Education for Girls through Global Partnership for Education (GPE) at the GPE Financing Conference held in Dakar, Senegal on 2 February 2018.

ALA responded to the Business Council's release of 'Future Proof, Protecting Australians through Education and Skills, a discussion paper which outlines a new tertiary model that would enable workers to more easily retrain and reskill over their lives. Click here for ALA media release. Responses to the dicussion paper can be lodged until 19 January 2018. Submissions to [email protected].

Letter to the Editor published in The Age newspaper (19/12) in response to a previous newspaper article about a 70 year old woman going back to study.  ALA encourages later life learners and second chance learners to take up every opportunity to keep learning.

The recently released special edition of AJAL focussed on the 'Getting of Wisdom' (learning in later life) cultural exchange that took place earlier this year. The publication is available now.

Please note: In 2018, our special edition of AJAL will focus on lifelong learning. To submit an article for any future editions click here.

In the lead up to the Year of Lifelong Learning 2018 ( #YOLL2018)
ALA participated in a workshop on lifelong learning policy and practice hosted by Melton City Council.

In November, ALA presented at the Public Pedogogies Institute conference – Turning Learning Upside Down – on Why Australia Needs a Lifelong Learning Policy. We also launched our special edition of the Australian Journal Adult Learning (AJAL) on later life learners (refer below). More information here.

In 2018, we will double the number of professional development opportunities available to members. We are also looking at new ways to resource our members and enhance their opportunities for professional learning.

It is going to be a big year so keep an eye on the upcoming events.

ALA staff and I thank you for your support, and we look forward to working with you in #YOLL2018  to celebrate the benefits of lifelong learning and the power of its success in transforming who we are and the world in which we live.

Start planning now for 2018 National Year of Lifelong Learning.

If you are looking for a good book to read over the summer, you may enjoy watching this video. Click here.

Peace and goodwill to all.

Jenny Macaffer
CEO

PRACE is seeking applications for the following positions in 2018:

1. Certificate 1 in Transition Education. Tuesdays & Fridays 9.30 am to 3.30 pm (12 hours)

Date: February 13th, 2018 to December 18th 2018

Applications must address the selection criteria and send with your resume to [email protected] by 5.00 pm Sunday 21st January December, 2017. Position description here.

2. Making Connections. A pre-accredited program for people with mild intellectual or learning difficulties. The program will develop employability and life skills, including literacy and numeracy, through a range of activities and experiences.

Mondays 10.00 am 1.30 pm & Fridays 10.00 am to 2.00 pm.

Send your resume to [email protected] or call Nadine on 9462 6077. Position description here.

The 'Welcome to the Library' reader, video and accompanying teacher resource aims to raise awareness of libraries and the services they provide for the community, while the teacher resource offers a range of learning opportunities for both literacy and EAL (English Additional Language) students.

Building Skills for All in Australia describes the characteristics of the low-skilled and discusses the consequences that low skills have on economic and social development for both individuals and Australian society.

Rethinking lifelong learning explains why we need adult and popular education to be accepted as integral to lifelong learning and essential to the empowerment of local communities. More here.

The Hodgman Liberal Government has committed to providing opportunities for Tasmanians to learn throughout life, and the 26TEN approach to lifting adult literacy and numeracy levels
means better opportunities to get a good job and to have a better life.

The Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages is a digital living archive of endangered literature in Australian Indigenous languages of the Northern Territory.

AVETRA Nominations for two Awards:  the Ray Barker Award for Distinguished Service to VET Research, and the Journal Article of the Year 2018. Closing date 28 February 2018. For further information contact Linda Simon, Executive member, [email protected].

Map For Impact: The Victorian Social Enterprise Mapping Project
November 2017 report was commissioned by the Victorian Government, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources as part of the implementation of the Victorian Social Enterprise Strategy.

The Power of Adult Learning: Vision 2030 examines the power of adult learning and education across the globe at the International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA) Mid-Term Review 2017.

Measures to reduce the barriers to upskilling and retraining the Productivty Commission's review Paper No. 8 explores 'automation and work' and 'obstacles to lifelong education and training'.

The latest report from the Productivity Commission Shifting the Dial: 5 year productivity review offers advice on our priorities in terms of enhancing the national welfare. It states that, 'Achieving prosperity needs to focus on a new policy model and identifies why policies for shared prosperity must centre on health, education, cities and the better functioning of governments.'

The Age economics editor, Ross Gittins, responded to the narrow confines of the report saying that:

'As befits its obsession with productivity, the commission doesn't bother to acknowledge that knowledge is valuable for its own sake. Humans value knowing things about their world. But instead the Commission focus only on the more prosaic role of education and training to equip people with the skills that help them earn a living.'

Amy Kazim (WA)
Angliss Neighbourhood House (VIC)
Central Australian Remote Health Development Services (NT)
Cathy Jones (NSW)
Denise Archie (NSW)
Helen Rodd (VIC)
Joblink Plus Training (NSW)
Sally Poole (QLD)
Wyndham City Council (VIC)

See you all in 2018 - Year of Lifelong Learning!