Eric Whitfield

Eric is Adult Learning Manager at East Renfrewshire Council. He seized the opportunity to join the Registration Committee in order to contribute to the future development of the CLD profession in Scotland. He believes the Standards Council is essential as a focal point for building a cohesive profession from what has become a wide-ranging set of services and approaches. It provides an opportunity to be clear about who we are and be more clearly recognised alongside other professions.

Eric argues that not only can the best CLD practice transform individual lives, it can help Scotland to be the place it aspires to be. He thinks the key issue influencing the success of our communities is the ability of CLD practitioners to work creatively with individuals and groups, to identify their learning needs, and to provide well planned and evaluated learning. All too often, 'off-the-shelf' responses are provided for learners, based on minimal or non-existent understanding of their learning needs or the purpose that learning is being put to and this makes them ineffective. CLD has the power to provide effective learning that leads to desired change for the learner.