Originally published in 1987, at a time of high unemployment, this book provides a critical analysis of the role played by education in solving unemployment. It examines the practical, social and psychological effects of unemployment on adults and argues that formal institutional responses are inadequate within any long term perspective, and that it is rather community, informal and often unofficial initiatives that will provide learning experiences for unemployed people.

Research report, adult education, unemployed, UK - psychological aspects, role of government agencys, voluntary organizations, mass media and advisory services, curriculum, experiments. References, statistical tables.

This paper gives an overview of what the author saw and learned about the current state of provision for the adult unemployed, and sets out some of the principal impressions which the author formed through her observation and discussions. This is a valuable paper as a statement of some of the key issues facing those who seek to develop provision for the unemployed and as a stimulus to discussion among providers and practitioners as to ways and means of tackling those issues.