شبكة المعلومات العربية التربوية

Lifelong learning is a necessity imposed by the rapid modernization in the world today. Through its programs communities can be provided by their needs of human resource who are able to build the community, and run it according to the developed world’s needs and requirements. Therefore, countries endeavored hard to develop programs of this type of learning, and worked to activate the partnership with local community and its institutions in funding and support these programs. It had emerged several reasons that call for the partnership such as limited resources and funding crisis which governments faced. Also, the reasons of equality and fair admission to all groups of society. In addition to achieve efficiency by providing adequate income that raise the quality of services, and the competitiveness among institutions. Also, to meet the needs of the knowledge economy, and the competitive market of globalization. The Saudi Universities realized recently the importance of this, and tended to adopt certain policies of partnership in terms of participation of beneficiaries, and employers in planning and support training programs. In spite of that, the local community and its sectors involvement is still weak, and did not give the desired results, because of many barriers which prevent the development of community partnership in supporting these programs. Based on that, the present study aimed to develop this partnership by recognizing the concept of community partnership, and their justification in financing lifelong learning. As well as, identifying most features of community partnership in financing lifelong learning programs in universities in addition to rationales of development. The study, also, reviewed the models and international experiences in this field, which can be applied in Saudi programs. As a result, this study offer some suggestions, which might lead to developing the current partnership and fit with the policies of universities along with the needs of society and its institutions. (Published Abstract)