Adult Learning Australia

04/06/2026

Following our 2026 Annual General Meeting, we're delighted to announce our new Board Executive:

President — John Sheen

Vice President — Isabel Osuna-Gatty

Secretary — Ros Bauer

Treasurer — Tim Catterall

Deputy Treasurer — Dr Ron Wilson

We also warmly welcome two new ALA Board members: Zoe Gow and Tracey Ollis.

Zoe (below, left) has been ACE Program Manager at South Australia's Pooraka Farm Community Centre for the past 15 years, with deep expertise across program development, advocacy, stakeholder engagement and community service delivery.

Tracey (below, right) is an Associate Professor at Deakin University specialising in adult education and lifelong learning within ACE settings. Her research has been published nationally and internationally, and is driven by social justice education, trauma-informed practices, and issues of widening access and participation.

Collectively our Board members bring a wealth of expertise and commitment from across Australia and across professional settings. We're really excited about their ongoing contribution to ALA's national voice for adult learning and community education.

You can read more at ala.asn.au/about-us/who-we-are/ — and in the upcoming issue of our national magazine, Quest.

26/05/2026

Deepen your learning with our next professional development webinar:

Dr Garry Argent and Professor Peter Kelly, both from Deakin University's School of Education, will join us to discuss their new book - On the Problem of Foundation Skills and the Futures of Work.

Thursday, June 4
1PM - 2PM AEST

Register here: ala.asn.au/foundationskillsandwork/
Free for ALA members | $65 for non-members

This session will explore how global capitalism, digital disruption, and changing worlds of work have reshaped how we understand language, literacy and numeracy skills in Australia.

Garry and Peter will also discuss how today’s foundation skills landscape increasingly positions learners as consumers and what this means for practice, policy, and the future of adult education.

13/05/2026

If you live in Victoria and are interested in embarking on or deepening a career as a language, literacy and numeracy educator - the Victorian ACE Scholarship Program could be for you!

More details at: https://www.vic.gov.au/ace-scholarships-program

The Victorian Government is offering scholarships to people pursuing a rewarding career as an adult language, literacy and numeracy educator in Learn Local settings in Victoria.

12/05/2026

Have you registered for next week's 2026 AGM yet?

Our guest speaker will be NDIS Commissioner Louise Glanville, who will share her expert insights on the topic "Contributing to a sustainable NDIS through learning".

Don't miss what promises to be a very engaging session for our sector:

Friday May 22 | 1PM - 2PM AEST | online via Zoom

RSVP here for your Zoom link: ala.asn.au/2026-ala-agm/

Louise Glanville is pictured here, right, with NDIS Associate Commissioner Natalie Wade, on the left, both with T-shirts from the "No Sweetie" campaign, which challenges the patronising language often directed at people with disability.

Read more about the campaign here: www.nosweetie.org

29/04/2026

Our extensive library of professional development webinars is free for ALA members to access — meaning you're never far from great learning opportunities.

Search our archive at ala.asn.au/professional-development/recorded-sessions/

And if you're not an ALA member, you can join us here: ala.asn.au/join-now/

16/04/2026

Our next webinar will help you build your capacity as an adult educator to recognise, respond to, and refer concerns related to domestic and family violence.

Register now at ala.asn.au/professional-development/webinars/

13/04/2026

Has learning changed your life?

In our latest issue of Quest, Canberra student Hayley Drummond explains how learning as an adult has transformed her future 👏

In Issue One of our national magazine for 2026 you'll also read about the latest global research into how adult education responds to societal change, and discover a free manual which is winning praise from tutors. You'll hear too about a unique Danish college for adults, catch up on the latest ACE sector news, and much more.

Read Quest at ala.asn.au/quest/ — we hope you enjoy it!

09/04/2026

Adult Learning Australia is now seeking nominations from board members who are passionate about our core values and vision.

Nominees should have demonstrated expertise in two or more of these areas:

Adult education
Advocacy and Influence
Business development and finance
Governance
Policy analysis

Nominations close 5pm, Friday May 1.

For more information or to make a nomination, visit ala.asn.au/join-the-board

09/04/2026

Sharing with you this reminder from the Australian Taxation Office :

📢 The countdown is on for Payday Super!

If you’re an employer, take action now to get ready so you’re prepared for the biggest change to Australia’s super system in decades.

Starting 1 July 2026, employers must pay super contributions for each payday.

Take action now by:

✅ Reviewing your payroll systems and cashflow

✅ Understanding the changes

✅ Considering whether your business can start paying super more frequently

✅ Staying informed

Visit ato.gov.au/paydaysuper for more information.

02/04/2026