NIACE

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NIACE (National Institute of Adult Continuing Education) is an educational charity in England and Wales, with headquarters in Leicester and Cardiff plus subsidiary offices in London and Doncaster. The organisation is dedicated to promoting adult learning and was founded in 1921. It is the main advocacy body for adult learning in England and Wales and probably the largest body devoted to adult education in the World.

The main aim of the Institute is to promote the study and general advancement of adult continuing education by improving the quality of opportunities available, by increasing the number of adults engaged in formal and informal learning, and by widening access for those communities under-represented in current provision. This is summed up by the words "more, better and different".

Niace undertakes this work through: advocacy to national and local government, funding bodies, industry and providers of education and training; collaboration with providers across all sectors of post-compulsory education and training; and through fostering progression routes for adults seeking to develop pathways as learners; a commitment to supporting evaluation and monitoring and to high quality service; securing informed debate - through research, enquiry, publication and through arranging seminars and conferences; effective networking - to ensure that lessons learned in one part of the system can be drawn on elsewhere; ensuring that the best of international practice is available to its members and users; a commitment to being itself a well-managed learning organisation.

The Director of NIACE since 1988 is Alan Tuckett OBE.

[edit] Centre for Research into the Older Workforce

The Centre for Research into the Older Workforce (CROW) is researching ways in which employers, government, unions and the European Union can encourage older workers to delay retirement. It is the only research centre in Europe with a specific remit to look at older workforce issues.

Its specific research interests include:

Age discrimination in work(which will be unlawful across Europe and in the UK by October 2006)
Flexible working and flexible retirement
Training, learning, and career development
Employer policies and practices in relation to older workers.

CROW has carried out research for the UK Department for Trade and Industry and Department for Work and Pensions on age discrimination. It is also involved in European funded research into the effects of gender and qualifications on work in later life and knowledge management in the automotive industry. CROW has researched older workers' attitudes towards work and retirement. It found that 80% of workers between 51 and 70 would consider delaying retirement, but most would only do if they could work more flexible hours. This research was quoted in a statement by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Professor Stephen McNair is the Director of CROW which, from August 2006, will be located at the National Institute for Adult Continuing Education (NIACE)