Beyond Language: Preparing Adult and ESOL Learners for Life, Work and AI with STEM7

Embedding broader skills and knowledge into English, ESOL, and maths remains a significant challenge. In addition to the core curriculum, teachers are tasked with addressing important areas like AI awareness, safeguarding, Prevent, and British Values, a responsibility that often adds difficulty to their already demanding roles.

And on top of this, the digital and employability gap is widening. Without practical, integrated approaches, many learners risk being left behind, and the consequences are becoming harder to ignore. What once felt like a theoretical concern is now a pressing reality. The 2020 report “Supporting Digital Inclusion of Adults with Low English Language Skills” by the Carnegie UK Trust identified the urgent need for targeted support, but five years on, the barriers persist. Meanwhile, AI is rapidly transforming the labour market, making it vital that it is embedded into the curriculum.

A clear sign of what’s to come is Shopify’s recently announced ‘AI-first’ hiring policy, which prioritises artificial intelligence over human hires. In a memo to employees, Shopify’s CEO Tobi Lütke stated that teams must demonstrate why their needs cannot be fulfilled using AI before requesting additional resources. It sets a precedent for other employers, placing new demands on jobseekers. The message is unmistakable: digital, AI and interpersonal skills are now essential to thrive in the modern workforce.

Failing to equip adult learners with these skills poses social and economic risks. UK employers continue to report challenges in filling even entry-level roles. For migrants and refugees, integration depends not only on learning English and maths but also on developing the digital literacy and confidence to engage with modern life.

What is STEM 7?

STEM7 focuses on seven essential skills: creative thinking, problem-solving, communication, collaborative working, intellectual curiosity, flexibility, and data-driven decision making.

These seven skills were developed by the Leeds City College STEM group and was designed to identify and promote the core capabilities that are crucial not just within STEM subjects, but across all sectors. By grounding this initiative in real-world skills that employers value, the STEM7 model helps ensure our curriculum aligns with the evolving needs of industry.

Just about all of these skills are relevant regardless of the subject or sector. Today, everyone has to use digital technology and maths in one way or another. And if you think of the design approach and problem-solving inherent to engineering, most jobs require creativity too.

Our challenge as educators is to ensure our curriculum provides opportunities for students to step out of their comfort zones and take on tasks in some of those STEM7 areas they may struggle with.

Although Leeds City College had already been exploring STEM7 across other departments, adult learners hadn’t yet benefited from that work, until now.

The Challenge

This is what inspired the STEM 7 Challenge Series; a seven-week innovation project led by the Adult and Community Education (ACE) team at Leeds City College. The initiative brought together language, digital skills, AI tools and employability skills into one cohesive, challenge-based model that prepared learners not just for exams, but for life beyond the classroom.

This challenge reflects our core ethos: to nurture our learners’ experiences and open up life-changing opportunities particularly for those excluded from traditional pathways.

What Happened?

Over the course of seven weeks, 83 learners submitted more than 180 challenge entries. Each submission received personalised feedback via Google Classroom, powered by a custom-trained ChatGPT assistant and carefully reviewed by a human facilitator.

This AI-assisted, human-led model allowed us to deliver meaningful, learner-specific support at scale.

As a result, learners reported significant progress in key areas, including digital literacy, both written and spoken English communication, confidence and independence, planning and organising ideas, and overall readiness for employment and interviews.

Here’s what some of our learners had to say:

“I’m proud I finished all the challenges. I didn’t know I could do that.” – ESOL Entry 2 learner

“The one on health and exercise made me change my routine.” – Functional Skills learner

 “Before, I thought only language mattered. Now I know how to talk to employers, make a plan, and use tools that help me.” –  ESOL Level 1 learner

Skills were embedded through weekly real-world tasks, such as solving community problems, tracking personal habits, exploring career options, and preparing for job interviews.

Learners used AI tools like Gemini and ChatGPT to brainstorm ideas, structure their responses, and check grammar. However, all final submissions were written independently, in their own words. They showcased their work in a range of formats, from Google Docs and Slides to posters, videos, and handwritten pieces, reflecting their diverse needs, abilities, and creative approaches.

Why Embedding Works

Embedding digital, AI, employability and life skills into Adult and ESOL curriculum is not about doing more, it’s about teaching what really matters for their progression. 

Through the STEM 7 challenge series, students learned to reflect on and solve real-world challenges, use AI and digital tools with purpose, collaborate effectively, communicate their goals and strengths, and, most importantly, see their voices and efforts valued.

And it showed that when AI is used ethically and purposefully, it can help educators do what they do best: connect, empower and inspire.

The STEM 7 model will be fully embedded into our curriculum for 2025-26, supported by new strands in AI literacy, digital wellbeing and learner voice and contribution.

By Aleks House, Google Innovator and Deputy Head for Digital and Innovation, Adult, Community and ESOL, Leeds City College