ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the life history contexts of nine women between the ages of 63 and 77. It looks at how they acquired skills and training in terms of human/employ ability capital. The chapter discusses the influences of different global situations on their local circumstances throughout their lives, followed by an analysis of citizenship activities in relation to their gender, education and social backgrounds. The way the women positioned themselves with regard to the Community Access Programme (CAP) and other learning opportunities suggests that these older adults had a similar range of needs and motivations for supported and accredited learning to other age groups. The interface between social capital and educational achievement proved multi-layered and dependent on context. The way education was used in the DAB Centre, East Lanes and at the Bridge Centre meant that it became almost a general consumer item which could be shared and passed round friends and relatives.
