IT girls click for success at the pub
Warwickshire County Council has taken to the pub to get more people learning new IT skills.
The County’s Adult and Community Learning Service posted flyers around the Packmores Estate in Warwick, publicising First Steps courses in IT. The 12 week courses will lead to a nationally recognise qualification. This course was able to be offered to Warwick residents due to funding from Warwick Town Council.
These were courses with a difference, though, as, rather than attend colleges, students have been doing their learning in a local pub.
Sam Moore, Development Worker with Adult and Community Learning said: “For some people who have been out of education for a while, it can be a bit intimidating, particularly going into a college”.
“For this course, the local pub was very generously offered, and this is turning out to be the ideal venue for the ladies who are taking the first steps courses. If people are more happy to learn in a venue like the local pub, we will try and make that possible for them.”
Venue for the classes is the Bunch of Grapes on Vine Lane. It is here that local students have been learning the basics in computing starting from switching a machine on. Interestingly, the Bunch of Grapes was the location for the first ever adult and community learning course run by the county.
Reasons for taking the course have varied from wanting to know how to use the email and internet, increased job prospects, production of flyers for a beauty business, downloading photographs and wanting to keep tables of a darts league.
Michelle Tilling is enjoying the course so much that she has already looked at taking further courses at the pub in English and Maths. Previously nervous about attending a college course, she is loving every minute of her classes. She said: “I was buzzing after my first class. I’d learnt so much I was on cloud nine.”
Jane Caen, landlady of the Bunch of Grapes, is delighted to be able to help and has enjoyed watching the ladies blossom in skills and confidence under her roof.
She said: “This is a community pub and people were very good to me when I first came here. I’m pleased to be able to give something back.”
For further details of courses in your area or to see if courses can be staged in community venues, call Adult and Community Learning on 01926 731005
Picture shows back row: Neil Walker and Jane Caen, front row Linda Barnes, Simone Newman and Michelle Tilling all of Warwick
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Media contact: Richard Harkin 01926 414162