Adult Learners’ Week in Merseyside

North West
24 Jul 2010

A range of activities across Merseyside created a real buzz about learning in workplaces, colleges, libraries, museums and in the community during Adult Learners’ Week.

A themed mock trial in the civic court room

A range of activities across Merseyside created a real buzz about learning in workplaces, colleges, libraries, museums and in the community during Adult Learners’ Week.

Here are some of the highlights:

St Helens CVS in partnership with local learning providers, organised an event in St Helens town centre. Including demonstrations of dancing, sign language and information stands, it is estimated that over 600 people visited the marquee during the day.
Merseytravel and Merseyrail, in partnership with unionlearn organised a ‘Learning at Work’ event at the historic St George’s Hall in Liverpool City Centre. Initially planned to be a day for staff to find out about learning opportunities it quickly grew to become a public event. Highlights of the day included Liverpool City Council signing their learning pledge, history tours of the civic court room by Radio Merseyside local historian Steve Binns (MBE)and themed mock trials in the civic court room. As well as Skills for Life, numeracy and apprenticeship workshops, CV writing and interview skills and health and wellbeing.
VOLA (The Voluntary Organisation Learning Association), held a celebration event and awards ceremony for local Third Sector organisations that have made the Skills Pledge, as well as learners that were nominated by their employers. The event also included taster sessions in First Aid at Work, Developing a Fundraising Strategy and Holistic Therapies.
The museums and galleries across Liverpool, including the Merseyside Maritime Museum, World Museum Liverpool, the National Conservation Society and the Walker Art Gallery, held various workshops and tours throughout the week. A wide range of activities were on offer, such as ‘What’s your poison?’ an opportunity to learn forensic skills and discover the nasty things that used to be mixed with everyday items like coffee, tea and flour. • Radio City DJ Lee Butler went along to Liverpool Community College to sample some of the activities on offer and interviewed students about their experience at the college.
Birkenhead Job Centre Plus held an event which included exhibitors with information about Wirral Met College, Open University, Connect, Costco, Fairtrade and Tradecraft, Healthy Eating and Living and Quick Reads.
Knowsley PCDL partnership organised a marquee in Kirkby town centre where activities included card making, art, line dancing, sign language and Spanish.
South Liverpool Personnel held their Cultural Diversity event in Gartson. They invited members of the public along to sample food from around the world, learn African drumming and find out about Geneology, ESOL, and IT skills.
The Bridge, in Sefton held an open day coffee morning which included bite – size sessions on IT and jewellery as well as providing information and advice on learning opportunities. Whilst Autism Initiatives launched their agreement with Active Sefton’s Active Workforce programme with a number of taster sessions including yoga, tai chi, salsa dancing and health checks.