Last week’s Adult Learners’ Week gave us much to celebrate. We heard from people whose lives have changed through learning, and from the tutors and support staff who helped them believe they could begin. Those stories matter. They remind us that the first step into a class can be a very big one.

In the days since, I have also been thinking about the people we did not meet.

Some would like to learn but cannot see how to fit a course around work or caring responsibilities. For others, the cost of getting there is enough to put it out of reach. And some have been told, directly or indirectly, that education is for someone else. They may have left school years ago believing they were no good at learning.

The Learning and Work Institute’s survey of adults in Wales shows how unevenly opportunity is shared. Nearly six in ten full-time employees reported taking part in learning over the previous three years, compared with fewer than three in ten economically inactive adults. The survey counts many forms of learning, including informal and self-directed activity. Even on that broad measure, the gap is striking.

It is tempting to respond by telling people about the courses available. Information helps, but it cannot do the whole job. A person may know a course exists and still have no way to get there after a late shift. Someone who has lost confidence may need a conversation with a tutor before they are ready to enrol. Learning offered in a familiar community setting, through a partner people already trust, can make that first step feel possible.

I see the care our tutors, support staff and partners put into this every day. They notice when someone is nervous. They make room for questions. They help people through the moment when they are unsure whether they belong. That work is central to reaching adults who have had the fewest opportunities to learn.

We should also be honest about capacity. Providers across Wales can make learning welcoming and flexible, but we need the resources to offer places where and when people can use them. Otherwise, our invitation will reach further than the opportunity behind it.

Adult Learners’ Week reminded us of what people can achieve. The challenge now is to make the first step possible for more people, throughout the year. If tertiary education is to mean tertiary education for all, we must pay attention to those who are still outside the room.

Kathryn Robson, Chief Executive