Free Adult Learners’ Week learning opportunities on offer in North Wales

Events, activities and learning opportunities are being offered across North Wales to boost people’s career prospects, skills, confidence and wellbeing during Adult Learners’ Week from September 21 to 27.

Adult learning providers and community organisations are contributing to the ‘Never Stop Learning’ campaign theme by helping people discover new opportunities.

Adults are being encouraged to embrace opportunities to discover their passion for learning, brush up on their skills, improve their health and wellbeing, progress their career, or seek tailored advice and information on funding or specialised career pathways.

Adult Learners’ Week is co-ordinated by Learning and Work Institute in partnership with Welsh Government with support from The Open University in Wales, National Centre for Learning Welsh, ACT, Agored Cymru and Adult Learning Wales.

All activities are listed at https://adultlearnersweek.wales/ and promoted throughout September via Working Wales – https://workingwales.gov.wales/change-your-story/adult-learners-week .

Adult Learners’ Week aims to make learning and skills opportunities more accessible to everyone and inspire people to discover how learning can change their lives.

The week provides an opportunity for people to embrace a second chance at education and work. Adults of all ages will have a chance to start or resume their learning journey with new in-person courses and online sessions at entry level throughout September.

A highlight of the week is the Inspire! Adult Learning Awards, which this year will be held at the Coal Exchange, Cardiff on September 23. The awards recognise those who have demonstrated a commitment to never stop learning.

Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education, Cefin Campbell MS, said: “Adult Learners’ Week celebrates the life-changing power of learning. Every day, adults across Wales are gaining new skills, growing in confidence and opening up new opportunities for themselves, their families and their communities.

“I am proud organisations across Wales are working together to support Adult Learners’ Week and inspire more people to take the next step on their learning journey. Whether you’re learning to progress in work, trying something new or building your confidence, my message is simple: Never Stop Learning.”

Michelle Matheron, Learning and Work Institute Director for Wales, added: “Free and available to everyone, Adult Learners’ Week is a chance to inspire adults to take a first step into learning, celebrate learner achievements and make local opportunities easier to find.

“Learning providers and community organisations of all types are taking part this year to offer chances to adults to discover learning opportunities. An event held in Adult Learners’ Week may be the spark that helps someone to rediscover the joy of learning or boosts their confidence to try something new.”

Grŵp Llandrillo Menai is celebrating Adult Learners’ Week by highlighting the wide range of part-time courses on offer across its’ North Wales campuses.

Courses are flexible and often only delivered for two or three hours a week. They range from British Sign Language, computing and digital skills to drawing and painting, family learning and basic skills including reading, writing and maths.

Grŵp Llandrillo Menai also runs free, part-time courses for adults in the community through its lifelong learning provision, ‘Potensial’. Adults can access both formal and informal learning opportunities, delivered bilingually where possible.

Courses take place at campuses and community locations, such as libraries and community centres, across Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd and Ynys Môn.

A weekly ‘Tea, Toast and Telly’ event is being by Potensial at Denbigh HWB on September 21 at 9.30am, designed to boost the wellbeing and confidence of people attending.

A Never Stop Learning! Event for Adult Learning Wek is being held at Flint Town Hall on Monday, September 21 from 10am to 2pm involving Coleg Cambria, Flintshire County Council’s Workforce Development Team, NEWCIS, Groundwork North Wales and local training providers.

Adults will be able to seek tailored advice and guidance about funding and training opportunities for specialised career pathways and consider opportunities to brush up on their skills, improve their health and wellbeing and progress their job.

For those working in the voluntary sector who want to learn or improve everyday Welsh in the workplace, AVOW, Wrexham’s County Voluntary Council, is holding a free, two hour, bitesize introduction at Wrexham Rugby Club on September 22 from 11am to 1.15pm. Book a place at http://tiny.cc/everydaywelsh_workplace .

AVOW is also hold another free, two hour introduction to everyday Welsh at home at Gwersyllt Primary School on September 23 from 9.30am to 11.30am.

Traditional Skills Limited is offering an opportunity for adults to develop folk art skills during Adult Learners’ Week. Folk art birds will be the topic at Ysgol Pendref, Denbigh on September 23 from 11am to 3pm and folk art butterflies will be made at Ysgol Caer Drewyn, Corwen during a family session on September 24 from 1pm to 3pm.

Heritage skills will be learnt at a taster day being organised by Deeside Community Trust at Ty Calon, Deeside on September 25 from 10am to 1pm. Participants will make willow bird feeder, create canal boat art coasters and try their hand at slate etching.