Celebrating success with Liverpool’s Adult Learning Service

Meet Liverpool’s latest batch of job-ready, skilled-up adults.

They have all been on a journey of self-discovery with Liverpool City Council’s Employment and Skills team. They’ve stayed the course and are now ready for the next steps in their journeys following a special graduation ceremony.

More than 40 adults converged on Toxteth’s Granby Adult Learning Centre to receive special certificates to recognise their achievement in a range of subjects and successfully achieving their goals in finding work.

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In a typical year, the service works with more than 8,000 learners, aged 19 or over. A further 2,000 people have been helped through the Ways to Work employability programme at venues across the city.

The service offers more than 300 courses in a range of subjects including everything from Arabic to Web Design. This includes courses in subjects such as English and Maths aimed at people who want to improve their employment prospects and move into the world of work.

Through the Ways to Work employability programme, the team offers one to one support for those needing help to get into work. This can include training for specific job skills such as forklift truck driving and bricklaying.

The team work through a number of learning centres across the city, including Calderstones, Newsham, Norris Green and Park Road. They also use children’s and community centres, libraries and out-reach locations and even deliver sessions through a mobile learning bus.

The celebration of achievement awards were presented in categories including: overcoming challenges, distance travelled, young achiever, adult achiever, community champion, learning for wellbeing, above and beyond, social impact and partnerships.

The Adult Learning Service is performing well – with an overall learner achievement rate of 93 per cent last year – the highest rate of services in the 8 English core cities.

Courses have been designed to be affordable, including many free taster sessions. The timetable has been drawn up to fit around students’ work and family commitments.

A host of new courses will be launching for the September term and there are a series of enrolment open day events and registration sessions for Ways to Work coming soon.

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Liverpool Deputy Mayor, Cllr Gary Millar, who opened the event, said: “It’s inspiring that the city council’s Employment and Skills team is continuing to have such a positive impact on those people from across the city who sign up and take part in what are often life changing training courses. To see the faces of learners, their families, friends, their tutors and advisors celebrating their achievements reminded me of why our Adult Learning Service and Employment and Skills team is recognised as one of the best in the country. I’m pleased to say that our experts have produced a programme that includes everything from learning a new hobby or skill through to vocational courses and training that can really improve your prospects of finding employment.”