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Adult and Community Learning is available in QLD through a variety of individuals and organisations, eg, churches, community centres, cultural centres, resources centres. It includes libraries, museums, sporting and leisure bodies, private businesses, local governments, and TAFE colleges, to name but a few.
Adult and Community learning is post-school learning. It can be incidental or intentional, formal or informal, accredited or non-accredited.
The value of community and adult learning should never be understated. Through adult and community learning, people's individual capabilites are built up, their health is enhanced as well as their social and economic well-being.
Such learning opens up new possibilities for people to re-educate or retrain themselves, or to complete learning which may have been interrupted while they were at school. An example was a young woman who had to drop out of high school because of an illness. She later went to night school, and went on to complete a degree and an associate diploma at university. This in turn led to employment.
The benefits of adult and community learning are diverse. Job seekers can acquire new skills which improve their chances of finding employment. Literacy, language and numeracy skills can be increased for those whose formal education has been lacking. It promotes lifelong learning habits, making the whole of life a learning opportunity. It engages both the mind and the body, and keeps people active, engaged and youthful. It can inspire people to engage in volunteering activities. It also encourages self-reliance.
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