Elected members visit Goole Adult Learning Centre

East Riding councillors from the Goole and Howdenshire area have visited Goole’s Adult Learning Centre to hear about the range of courses available and the positive impact it is making on the lives of local people.

Since opening its doors in the summer of 2016, the centre in Pasture Road has seen around 500 learners’ access courses each year. Local ward members were keen to learn more and toured the centre with manager Nicki Berry.

Nicki said: “It was good to show our local councillors around the centre and let them know what is available. By providing this information, ward members can help refer residents to us. The past 14 months have been really successful, not just for us but for our learners as well. The centre continues to go from strength-to-strength and the curriculum is continuously being developed to provide a real choice of courses.”

Here are five things to know about Goole Adult Learning Centre:

1.  The council’s ‘Try Week’ in Goole is one of the most successful weeks in the adult learning calendar. Residents in the town are keen to learn new skills, improve their CVs and enhance career prospects!
2. The next ‘Try Week’ will run between Monday, 8 and Saturday, 13 January 2018. Goole residents can try retail, employability, growing produce and gardening or gardening for health and wellbeing sessions for FREE before enrolling (and paying) for the full course.
3. The most popular courses with Goole residents are computer and digital skills and self-esteem and confidence building courses.
4. Counselling skills courses see a good take up in Goole, with the centre offering a free introduction followed by level 2 and level 3 courses.
5. Adult learning works closely with local partners in Goole and has seen successful employability and customer service courses delivered during 2017. On the back of this, the centre will be launching retail and online job seeking qualifications for 2018.

Councillor Andy Burton, cabinet portfolio holder for economic investment at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “Our adult learning centres do a fantastic job in supporting residents to learn new skills and develop their knowledge.

“As our most recently opened adult learning centre, it was great to tour the facility  at Goole with my fellow councillors and to find out what it has to offer the local community.”

For further information about adult learning, including the range of courses on offer, visit www.eastriding.gov.uk/learn

Photo: (L to R) Councillor John Barrett, Councillor Malcolm Boatman, Councillor Caroline Fox, Nicki Berry, centre manager, Councillor Victoria Aitken and Councillor Nigel Wilkinson