Political leaders like to put forward guiding ideas or themes which pull their individual decisions into a broader narrative. For John Major it was Back to Basics, for Tony Blair it was the Third Way and for David Cameron it is the Big Society. While Mr. Blair relied on Lord Giddens to add intellectual weight to his idea, Mr. Cameron's legacy idea…

This article focuses on adult education and unemployment in Britain and on specific projects at Leeds University and at Wayne State University in Detroit. It discusses different approaches used by these projects, other initiatives, and factors for success (interagency cooperation, outreach work, flexibility, no cost to students). (CT)