Thank you to Louise from the Department for Lifelong Learning, The University of Sheffield at The University of Sheffield for coming to talk to our Functional Skills students about progression routes to university.

Today’s #GetOnlineWeek event at @learnforlifeenterprise was lots of fun. Thanks to Matt, our exceptional IT teacher, Sarah, Heidi and Danielle from @goodthingsfdn for coming to help us get online, and all the wonderful people who attended and got involved. You can watch our video of the event on our Facebook page here.

Support and advice from NHS Sexual Health will be available at Learn for Life on:

16th October 11:30 – 1:30pm

15th November 11:30 – 1:30pm

17th December 12:00 – 2:00pm

Many thanks to The Sheffield 1000 for their kind donation to Learn for Life. The money will be going towards our outreach classes for new arrivals in the city. It will be helping to support some of the most vulnerable individuals with English language skills, integration into Sheffield and improving their mental health and wellbeing

On Wednesday Hayley was invited by MESH (Migrant English Support Hub) to give a talk for their Yorkshire & Humber ESOL Lunchtime Showcase. The focus of the session was Supporting Volunteer Teachers and she received lots of positive feedback. She discussed “A holistic approach to volunteering” at Learn for Life and how other providers can support their volunteers.

Here is more information about the event:

“The ESOL sector is distinctive in that it has the support of many volunteers who are keen to give their time and energy freely to develop the skills of migrants and especially refugees and asylum seekers settling in our region.

Volunteers are a vital resource. They often work in the ESOL classroom, either supporting specific learners or leading sessions in community sector environments. Some community sector provision, such as informal conversation sessions, could frequently not survive without the dedicated support of volunteers. Volunteers come to these roles with a range of experience to offer.

• How can we provide the right support to ensure that volunteers feel a valued and integrated part of the region’s ESOL offer?
• How can the sector support volunteers across the region to develop skills and practices appropriate to high quality ESOL provision?
• How can we ensure that volunteer-driven provision complements other provision to improve the ESOL learner experience?

In this session, we explore these questions. We will showcase initiatives that help to support and develop the skills of volunteer teachers as an integrated and complementary facet of the ESOL sector. Our featured initiatives will provide the basis of discussion around these important themes.”