Recently, Southport Learning Town has taken up an invitation to join a coalition of organisations including broadcaster Channel 4, manufacturers’ organisation Make UK, and the National Housing Federation who have all pledged to “get the nation learning”. This follows the publication of a new report that demonstrates that when adults learn, our society and economy thrive. Led by the independent policy and research organisation Learning and Work Institute (L&W), the Get the Nation Learning campaign has been launched to make and win the case for lifelong learning. At the heart of the campaign sits the Get the Nation Learning Charter, signed by a growing number of key players - including employers, membership bodies, and community organisations - and now Southport Learning Town too.

This campaign launches as L&W’s research, commissioned by the longevity think tank Phoenix Insights, shows that lifelong learning increases adults’ employment prospects and reduces their out-of-work benefits receipt. With the Government targeting an 80% employment rate and a reduction in economic inactivity, the research shows that participation in learning could be a game changer for adults seeking and staying in work. This approach resonates with one of the objectives of Southport Learning Town, which is to establish life-long learning as a right for everyone and to identify a range of opportunities to do so in the local community.