Over 150 delegates joined us for the final day of our annual conference, with the day also playing host to a conference within a conference organised in conjunction with Brighton & Hove City Employment & Skills Steering Group and City College Brighton and Hove.  Delegates were welcomed by Professor Julian Crampton, Vice Chancellor of the University of Brighton, who introduced all present to the day's theme, learning from practice.

Parallel sessions that ran throughout the morning and afternoon took a critical look at the work of Lifelong Learning Networks over the last three years.

Topics included: 

• Approaches to progression
• APEL
• Evaluating the SLN's information, advice and guidance provision
  
• Curriculum development
  
• Peer evaluation
  
• Best practice in networking
  

Ruth Williams of The Open University and Chris Baker, Director of the SLN, closed the 3 day conference with reflective presentations that explored  the impact and value of the lifelong learning networks.

A conference within a conference

Throughout the morning we were joined by colleagues from City College Brighton and Hove and members of Sussex's entrepreneurial community.

In a lively presentation, Tony Mernagh, Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, asked how we can tackle the local skills agenda.

Later, Phil Jones, Wired Sussex, furthered the discussion by looking specifically at the digital media sector and the role it is likely to play in the future of employment in the city.

There then followed an enjoyable debate led by a panel of successful alumni of City College Brighton and Hove, addressing the question, 'can we learn to be entrepreneurs?'  

Photographs: Set 1, Set 2, Set 3

Links to the materials from the event are at the bottom of the screen.