Transforming Lives and Careers in Essex
Changes for 2025/2026 to strengthen our vision and approach.
Adult Community Learning in Essex is a powerful force for improving lives.
ACL plays an important role in improving people’s job prospects and lives, with a proven positive impact on the health and wealth of Essex residents.
By focusing on career-based learning and working closely with local businesses, ACL can better help Essex residents gain the skills they need for current and future jobs.
We continue to update our courses to ensure the long-term sustainability of ACL so that we can continue to support the community and help drive economic growth for years to come.
Key Changes to Our Curriculum for 2025-26
To keep ACL thriving and sustainable, we’re adapting how we deliver learning opportunities. These changes are guided by funding priorities set by the Department for Education (DfE), ensuring we provide what’s most needed in our communities across Essex.
Here’s how we’re focusing our efforts:
- Upskilling and Reskilling: Offering courses that help adults step into better jobs and prepare for future career opportunities.
- Life Skills Development: Supporting residents to access courses relating to health and wellbeing alongside parent and carer support and opportunities to develop stronger communities.
What does this mean for our courses?
- Some courses that were previously subsidised may no longer have the same funding due changes in funding policy.
- We’re introducing a full-cost model for several courses, where fees will reflect the actual cost of running the course—no profit, just sustainability.
- Unfortunately, some courses will need to be discontinued.
- High-priority courses, particularly those aligning with employability and Essex’s skills needs, will expand to meet demand.
These updates aim to ensure we continue transforming lives, supporting careers, and meeting Essex’s evolving needs for years to come.
A Career-Led Approach
The Right Offer to the Right People
We aim to focus on creating clear career pathways to help our learners take progressive steps rather than just offering courses. Our key priorities include:
- Providing learning where it’s needed most by increasing outreach and offering learning opportunities in accessible places.
- Aligning our learning programmes with skills needs and government funding to prioritise the upskilling and reskilling of low-income adults. This includes offering foundational steps and career ladders for growth, as well as improving work and life skills for residents.
- Ensuring the financial stability of our programmes to make them viable and sustainable.
A Service Without Walls
Being in the Right Place
To create a more accessible learning environment, we plan to:
- Expand outreach options to engage more learners.
- Establish a presence in target areas where education is needed most.
- Embed introductory programmes in spaces with natural foot traffic to reach target adult learners.
We are also eager to connect with groups and organisations across Essex where we can offer meaningful support. If you believe there’s an opportunity for us to assist your group or collaborate with other services, please let us know by completing the form below.
Courses that will no longer be offered
ACL Essex is updating its courses to stay financially stable and follow new government priorities that address the evolving local needs. ACL is offering more job-focused courses while transitioning away from those that do not align with current funding or strategic priorities. The focus is now on skills that help with jobs, health, and wellbeing, while funding for leisure-oriented courses has been reallocated.
Please know that these decisions are not made lightly and are guided by government directives and funding priorities. Factors such as local demand for courses, past viability, and the role we play in addressing community needs are all carefully considered. While these adjustments are sometimes unavoidable, we are committed to doing our best to offer suitable alternatives and support wherever possible.
Support Available
If you are impacted by these changes, there may be alternative options available to help you continue your learning journey. Our Career and Skills Progression Advisors and tutors are available to assist you if you need additional guidance.
You can reach out to us at: ACL.careersandskillsadvice@essex.gov.uk.
Additionally, the National Careers Service offers a helpful course search tool to explore learning opportunities in your area: www.nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/find-a-course