Graduates of adult learning programmes joined together for a special evening of celebration and amazing stories.
The annual awards ceremony – now in its 21st year – marked the achievements of many people who have used adult learning courses to gain vital skills, improve confidence to access employment and volunteering opportunities and to improve their lives.
We offer a wide variety of learning and support, helping over 1000 adults each year through courses focusing on health and wellbeing, personal development, life skills and employability.
Leader of the Council, Cllr Carole Pattison, opened the event by highlighting the importance of learning, the opportunities it can provide and how learning is for all ages.
Cllr Pattison said:
“We are proud of our adult learning programme and working with partners makes our offer both accessible and community based.
“We have a large breadth of courses available and I am so happy to see the many adult learners who have taken advantage and are celebrated for their success.”
All the award winners had shown exceptional dedication and success in their learning journeys.
Notable winners included:
- A learner who won an award despite suffering serious health issues, including a stroke giving him limited use of both hands. He was supported and encouraged to attend his course and to learn in the way that suited him best. As a result, he completed a nutrition course and achieved his goal of bringing people together by opening a luncheon club in his local community.
- A 71-year-old learner who had moved to Kirklees from war-torn Ukraine. She used adult learning to gain a qualification to Support English Language Teaching and Learning. Despite being in a new country and facing a wide range of challenges, she now provides one-to-one support to learners who are struggling.
- A group of adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who produced 3D printed products and sold them through a shared community retail space, learning how to work together. The experience also gave them key business skills in areas such as customer care, money management, stress management, health and safety and more.
- A mother with ambitions to work with children who started to volunteer at a local school helping children to read. Her experiences and learning helped her to support her own daughter and when an opportunity to work as a SEND nursery assistant was available, she applied and is now employed at the school.
Cllr Amanda Pinnock, Cabinet member for Education and Communities, said:
“The resilience and commitment shown by our adult learners is often truly inspirational.
“They exemplify the transformative power of education and are a testament to the opportunities that lifelong learning provides. We are proud of each and every one of them.”
Never too late to learn
Where better to celebrate adult learners than the Oastler Building at the University of Huddersfield, an inspirational space where the awards ceremony took place.
The council is committed to developing life and work skills for all, enabling better employment opportunities and offering a variety of courses with wide appeal.
More details and how to sign up can be found at Community learning and adult education courses | Kirklees Council
Our Kirklees Futures
Adult Learning Kirklees supports inclusion and equity, which are key elements of Our Kirklees Futures – the district-wide vision for learning and the Kirklees Employment and Skills Plan – Aspire, Achieve, Include, both of which sit alongside each other and aim to ensure learners of all ages are equipped with vital skills for life.
Please visit the Our Kirklees Futures and Kirklees Employment & Skills Plan webpages for more information.