Join our virtual Cities of Learning network
Our dedicated Cities of Learning Circle community is full of place-based learning influencers. Interested? Get involved and help us develop the Cities of Learning movement with other Fellows online.
Cities of Learning
Cities of Learning
Embedding regenerative lifelong-learning in place
Cities of Learning is a movement of people and places committed to nurturing, validating and connecting learning across towns, cities and regions to support a regenerative economy.
The RSA supports local leaders, with digital infrastructure, learning- systems design and a national network of peers, to transform their learning eco-systems towards better outcomes for people, places and the planet.
Our ambition
Through a three-stage process, our work with cities aims to:
- Seed what is strong, validating the skills and capabilities that places already have.
- Nurture what is desired, embedding the skills and capabilities places want to see in the short term.
- Grow what is needed for the future, building next generation skills and capabilities for regenerative places.
The Cities of Learning network
We’re working with leaders and champions to build the Cities of Learning movement in places across the UK including:
Cities of Learning works with employers, educators, policy makers and learners to agree shared learning priorities for their town, city or region and to recognise those skills through digital badges.
Ways we can help
Learning organisations
Make your offer more discoverable, measurable, inclusive and relevant to today’s learners.
We can support you to:
- add value to your skills offer
- measure the impact of your programme or demonstrate compliance
- make your programme more visible to learners
- help your students better articulate what they have learned with you.
Employers
Are you in a Cities of Learning location? If so, get support to discover work-ready talent that fits your company needs and culture.
We can support you to:
- connect with the right talent for your business
- enhance your recruitment process and support diversity and inclusivity
- enhance your training and development offer through badging
- address skills gaps through responsive learning.
Place-based leaders
Improve the economic, social and individual wellbeing of your borough, town, city or region.
We can support you to:
- increase access to learning for all
- prepare specific groups for work
- address skills gaps or diversity issues
- encourage a sense of place, identity, and ambition.
Ways to get involved
Learn about the various ways you can partner with or support Cities of Learning:
Create digital badges and learning pathways
Help learners articulate the skills, knowledge and experience they develop through your activities.
Join our place-based learning network
Join our network to share and celebrate insights from learning practitioners across the UK and the globe.
Build a place-based programme
Get access to support so you can take an active role in shaping the learning ecosystem in your city or region.
Fund Cities of Learning
Boost the UK’s learning and development ecosystem by funding Cities of Learning.
Foundation stones
Cities of Learning uses quality-assured digital badges to recognise unaccredited learning and respond to employer needs. We then connect badged learning experiences across places and into pathways towards employability, education and personal wellbeing.
We work with these partners to achieve this:
- Badge Nation helps organisations write and quality- assure digital badges to the RSA standard.
- Navigatr is a digital platform that was incubated by the RSA to issue and connect badges into pathways.
- Future Creators leads the south-east Cities of Learning network and provide mentoring, support and lived experience to place-based leaders joining the movement.
Funding partners
We’re extremely grateful to our funding partners who generously support this work. Their funding and practical support helps us to provide the practices and training needed to enable cities and regions in the UK to reach their full potential.
Learn, unlearn, relearn
As economic, climate and societal challenges loom large on our horizon, there is a growing and legitimate interest in what skills the UK economy and society might need in the coming decades.
