The North Glasgow Housing Association (NGHA), a learndirect scotland branded learning centre, has been officially recognised for its dedication and commitment to learning by the organisers of the UK’s largest festival of adult learning, the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE).
The housing association will be presented with an Opening Doors to Adult Learners Award as part of Adult Learners Week this month. NGHA , in an area of high unemployment, has extended its remit to provide a range of learning opportunities for the local community. The NGHA works with its partner FE colleges to provide courses for local people, ranging from the European Computer Driving Licence to the "Environmental Hit Squad".
Learning is key to regeneration, according to the association, and its services extend to providing an Internet café, a newspaper and lots of personal support to learners.
The learning that NGHA provides is geared towards helping people into employment, be they refugees and asylum seekers learning about IT packages in the tourist industry or young people finding out about removing graffiti.
James, for example, is using his new IT skills to set up a web site and Hassan is now studying law.
One important feature of the project is the way that learners support and teach each other; Hassan is helping Lyndsay with Arabic; Marion, a tutor, encourages her learners to eat as well as work together. This really is community learning.
Rachel Thomson, Senior Campaigns Officer at NIACE, said, "The brand new Opening Doors to Adult Learners awards celebrate creative schemes of learning that have a track record of success for their adult learners - ones that really ignite a spark of enthusiasm that can lead to whole new lives for learners and benefit whole communities."