ALW and ESF
The European Social Fund (ESF) shares NIACE’s vision to engage more adults in learning and recognise learning achievements. Its part funding of Adult Learners’ Week in England helps extend the reach of the initiative and promotes ESF activities and successes.
As part of the Adult Learners’ Week Awards, there are a range of European Social Fund (ESF) award categories for learners and projects that have benefited from ESF funded learning opportunities.
Andrea Sanders won the ESF National Outstanding Individual Award in 2015.
Learning has enabled Andrea to transform her life, manage her mental health condition and embark on a new career as a social care worker. Being made redundant from her job in the textile industry in 2003 had a devastating effect on Andrea’s mental health.
However, she was able to take her first steps to recovery by volunteering. She quickly realised that learning helped to maintain her health and to find her direction.
Through Jobcentre Plus, she joined the Future Careers Programme, a pre-employment provision supported by the European Social Fund (ESF). This kick-started her journey into social care, through which she completed a range of accredited courses and secured a work experience placement at a care home in Barnsley, at the end of which, she was offered a permanent job.
Andrea’s personal life has also seen significant impact, she is now positively managing her mental health and her new job has also improved many relationships. Her goal is to become a senior carer in the next 5 years.
She said: “I am becoming my own person, believing in myself and my heart swells knowing I will amount to something, after being told by someone close to me that I wouldn’t amount to much”.
Andrea’s nominator Patricia Ryder said: “Andrea is an inspirational role model to people recovering from mental health conditions which can result in long term unemployment. Engaging in learning and new experiences has enabled her to progress steadily and achieve full-time employment.”
View other Award winners’ stories
The European Social Fund (ESF) aims to improve employment opportunities in the European Union by supporting Member States' employment and skills policies. In England, in 2007-2013, the ESF is investing £2.5 billion in jobs and skills, giving people who need support the most, including those in the most disadvantaged communities, the tools and help they need to fulfill their potential.
In 2014-2020 the England ESF programme will:
-help young people, jobseekers and inactive people access employment
-tackle barriers to work faced by disadvantaged people
-invest in education, skills and lifelong learning
Find out more about the important work of ESF
