Adult learners who have been nominated for national awards are to be presented with certificates at a special ceremony.
The event is part of Adult Learners’ Week which celebrates of the benefits of lifelong learning and focuses on the many types of learning available to adults from all walks of life.
It will take place at the World Museum on Friday 24 May
Fourteen Learners from Merseyside who have been nominated for awards from the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) will receive certificates. There will also be presentations to four projects (information below).
A further 21 learners the city council’s and Unison schools project which brings training to school support staff and parents via Archbishop Beck and St Cecelia’s primary schools adult learning service will also receive certificates along with 11 other learners from the adult learning services who have achieved level five in numeracy or literacy
The event will also involve more than 40 learning providers who will hold a learning market place with information stalls and workshops, followed by walks and tours of the city.
Councillor Nick Small, city council cabinet member for employment, enterprise and skills, who will present the certificates, said: “You are never too old to learn. It should be a lifelong process and we want to encourage adults to engage in learning of all kinds. We also want to recognise those organisations who provide the opportunity for adults to engage in learning and develop new skills.”
The event is open to the public between 10am and 4pm. It has being led by unionlearn , Merseytravel and the Adult Learning Week NW Regional Consortium, who are deliverers for NIACE.
The projects to receive awards are:
Musician in Residence Project
Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra has been working in partnership with MerseyCare NHS Trust to deliver their Musician in Residence programme in mental health inpatient wars across Liverpool and Sefton delivering around 600 sessions per year.
MerseyCare commission the Orchestra to provide therapeutic music sessions to patients in secure units as well as people with learning difficulties, mental health and dementia.
Music reaches patients who wouldn’t normally engage with activities and helps improve the patient experience encouraging interest in other areas such as poetry and reading.
Liverpool Fashion Week
The Creative Life Skills students at Knowsley Community College participated in Liverpool Fashion Week. They were given the challenge of creating 12 outfits from recycled materials that were then modelled by professional models as part of the festival.
The learners all overcame personal barriers as they all have learning difficulties or disabilities and they investigate alternative ways of working to ensure they could take part in the challenge.
Lines of Enquiry
The WEA engaged hard to reach students from black and ethnic minorities, disability groups, and learners not normally engaged in education in a wide range of learning activities across the North West including art, drama, music, creative writing, textiles and jewellery making. The project engaged with local museums and undertook research using creative methods.
Participants improved their life skills, some moved into volunteering and their general confidence was enhanced.
NIACE Highly Commended Project Award
Information and Skills for all (Kensington Community Learning Centre)
The project provides the local area with a community hub that offers access to much needed services identified by the community. Last year the project helped nearly 1000 individuals develop a range of news skills including: IT/internet, ESOL courses, health and wellbeing classes, healthy eating arts, crafts, recycling, languages and PC/laptop maintenance.