Adult Student Week I 3-9 August 2026
Celebrating the people behind the achievements.
Preston College is showcasing the life-changing impact of adult education as it launches Adult Student Week 2026, a week-long celebration of the inspiring students, graduates and employers who are demonstrating that it is never too late to invest in your future.
Running from Monday 3 to Sunday 9 August, the campaign will showcase the real stories behind adult learning, highlighting how education is helping people gain confidence, change careers, develop new skills and progress into higher education and employment.
Throughout the week, Preston College will share inspiring learner stories, celebrate recent Higher Education graduates, recognise outstanding student achievement and highlight the work of the Lancashire & Cumbria Institute of Technology (IoT), demonstrating how education is helping to develop the highly skilled workforce our region needs.
Why adult education matters more than ever
In a rapidly changing world, learning is no longer something that happens only at the start of our careers. Advances in technology, changing industries, artificial intelligence and evolving workforce demands mean that learning throughout life has become essential for individuals, employers and communities alike.
For many adults, returning to education is about far more than gaining a qualification. It can be the first step towards a new career, greater confidence, improved wellbeing, financial security or achieving a long-held ambition.
Adult education also plays a vital role in supporting local economic growth by helping employers address skills shortages, improving productivity and creating opportunities for people to access higher-skilled, higher-paid employment without leaving the region.
Changing lives and strengthening Lancashire
Every year, thousands of adult learners choose Preston College to develop new skills, retrain, progress into higher education or take the next step in their careers.
From healthcare, engineering and construction to business, digital technologies, teaching and the creative industries, adult learners are helping to strengthen Lancashire’s workforce while transforming their own futures.
The College’s flexible approach to learning enables adults from all walks of life, including parents returning to work, career changers, those looking to upskill, and people pursuing a lifelong passion, to access high-quality education that fits around work, family and other commitments.
Celebrating success
During Adult Student Week, Preston College will be sharing:
- Inspiring adult learner case studies
- Higher Education graduate success stories
- The Adult Student Award winners
- Insights into the wider economic and social value of adult education and Higher Education
- Information about courses starting this September and opportunities to apply
A message from Preston College
“Adult education changes lives. Every learner has their own reason for returning to education, whether that’s starting a new career, developing new skills, progressing into higher education or simply proving to themselves that they can achieve more than they ever imagined.
Adult Student Week is an opportunity to celebrate those achievements while recognising the wider contribution adult education makes to our communities, our employers and the future prosperity of Lancashire. We are incredibly proud of every learner who has chosen to take that first step.”
Follow Preston College throughout Adult Student Week (3–9 August) on social media as we celebrate the people, stories and successes that demonstrate the transformational power of lifelong learning.
View our Adult Course Guide and take the first step towards your future – CLICK HERE
