West Cheshire College Expand Work Based Adult Learning at Royal Mail

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West Cheshire College are to build upon their relationship with the Royal Mail by offering the company’s employees the opportunity to study for basic qualifications in English and Maths as part of the governments “Skills for Life” learning programme.

The College already works with the Royal Mail to bring the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL), the internationally recognised qualification which enables people to demonstrate their competence in basic computing skills, to staff in the College’s locality. This new initiative will be seeking to encourage postal workers and management to study at NVQ level.

Skills for Life, the Government’s strategy for improving the problematic state of adult literacy and numeracy in Britain today, aims to assist the seven million people who have problems in these areas. Amongst other groups, the programme seeks to help low-skilled people employed in the public sector to improve their basic skills set.

Catering to Individual Strengths

A West Cheshire College tutor, Clare Owens, who is closely involved with the administration of adult literacy and numeracy courses said: “Adults use English and Maths on a daily basis and these courses identify individual strengths, allowing employees to work towards a relevant qualification in a familiar environment with people they know.”

Royal Mail Learning Reps have been actively encouraging approximately 40 members of staff to sign up for the courses, which are being delivered in the workplace. Managers and Supervisors from Chester, North Wales and Shropshire are also taking on a new challenge and are working towards a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in Management.

Anne Hansen, Development Officer for Workplace Learning at the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), said: “Alongside the thousands of companies who are working with trade union learning reps to bring these essential literacy, language and numeracy skills to their workforce, NIACE would cite Royal Mails activities in this sphere. Literacy, language and numeracy are essential skills these days. Royal Mails activities are exemplary.”

Michael Lloyd

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