Back to School: Adult learning opportunities in Blackpool

Blackpool Learning Rooms, based within The Place on Clifton Street, runs educational courses for adults in everything from employability and life skills, health and wellbeing, maths and English, and ICT and digital skills. Many people are referred to the courses this council service offers via the Job Centre but any individual in Blackpool is able to sign up to the brilliant range of courses – most of which are completely free.

Project manager Sarah Greene invited me along to the Learning Rooms, where I chatted with staff and adult learners about their experiences. I sat in on a lesson that forms part of Work It – a course devised with the Job Centre that recreates a work environment. Learners attend five days a week to get used to the structure of a work pattern and learn a range of employability skills. Links are well established with employers such as the Sandcastle, Merlin and Blackpool Zoo, but staff are seeking to expand the pool of organisations willing to take learners on for job placements and offer interviews at the end of the course.

I also popped into a cookery class in the facility’s purpose built kitchen to meet people enrolled on Eat Well Spend Less – a fun and informal course teaching the basics of cookery and budgeting. Another course, Being A Parent, is an incredible resource that looks at areas including mental health, challenging behaviour and discipline, communication skills and self care for parents.

80% of learners come from Blackpool’s most deprived areas and Sarah told me that many of the them have had bad experiences of education and arrive extremely nervous or reluctant to re-enter a learning environment. But the Learning Rooms is incredible welcoming and inclusive. Classes are small, with 6-8 students in each. Within a few sessions learners are at ease, having built connections with fellow students and staff and grown in confidence in their abilities and what they have to offer.

Thanks to the hardworking team at the Learning Rooms for inviting me along and providing me with a better understanding of the courses they offer.

If you’re over 19 and interested in developing your skills or picking up some new ones visit blackpool.gov.uk/adultlearning or call 01253 478131. If you’re an employer who’s interested in linking up with Blackpool Learning Rooms email learning.rooms@blackpool.gov.uk