'Lifelong Learning and the Early Years' is part of a two-yearindependent Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning, sponsored bythe National Institute of Adult Continuing Education.
Children's centres provide learning opportunities linked to health,diet, child development and parents with some providing numeracy andliteracy courses.But there is no requirement for them to have a'definable employment goal,' according to Margaret Lochrie, director ofCapacity, a public interest body for children's services, who wrote thepaper for the study.
Ms Lochrie would like to see Sure Start Children's Centres rebranded asinter-generational learning centres.
She said, 'Most poor children live in homes which are workless or whereparents are in low-paid work.
'There can be no lasting solution until progress is made towardsincreasing the skills and employability of those parents who are mosteconomically marginalised.'
She said children's centres have an advantage over further educationcolleges, as they are already engaged with the parents and are oftenmore accessible.
She cited Maden Children's Centre in Bacup, Lancashire, which has linkswith over ten training and education providers.
Head Michaela Francioli said, 'We have worked hard to establish links,because I believe getting people back into work and having an income isa major route out of the poverty trap. We have people from the localfurther education college based in the building with an IT suite and weare able to offer a huge range of different qualifications.'
Further information
www.lifelonglearninginquiry.org.uk
