Going Places with Essential Skills

Essential Skills qualifications can provide learners with a passport to an enhanced quality of life and better job opportunities.

That was the message from Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey, as he congratulated a local learner on being chosen to represent Northern Ireland in a Europe-wide Essential Skills project.

When Essential Skills learner, Michelle Elliott, decided to return to education she did not realise that this was the beginning of a life changing journey that would take her first to Hillsborough Castle to receive a workplace learning award and then all the way to Belgium to represent Northern Ireland on the Eur-Alpha project.

The project, which runs for three years, is seeking to establish a European network for good practice in the teaching and learning of literacy, numeracy and basic skills. Michelle will participate in the first of three workshops to be held in April in Namur, Belgium. Two further workshops will be held in 2011 and 2012 in Barcelona and Edinburgh with learner representatives selected from forthcoming Essential Skills Award winners.

Michelle’s reasons for returning to learning, through workplace classes organised by UNITE and funded by the Department’s Union Learning Fund, were threefold. She explained: “I returned to learning, to gain qualifications and confidence to enable me to enhance my opportunities for promotion. I also wanted to be able to help my children with their homework.”

Michelle, who works for Langford Lodge Engineering, not only achieved her Essential Skill Level 2 in Numeracy and promotion within her workplace, but she has also been chosen by the Department for Employment and Learning from last year’s Essential Skills Awards winners to represent Northern Ireland Adult learners on the prestigious project.

Commenting on Michelle’s success, Sir Reg said: “Good Essential Skills form the cornerstone of everyday life, at work and at home, and enable learners like Michelle to change their lives in ways they never thought possible. Since 2002, over 60,000 learners have gained qualifications, enhancing their job opportunities and in many cases progressing to further and even higher education. Michelle will make a fine ambassador for learning as she represents Northern Ireland in Europe.”

Michelle has no doubt that her Essential Skills qualification has provided her with a passport to a much brighter future: “I plan to develop myself further through gaining qualifications and I would also encourage others to follow me in gaining qualifications and inner confidence to follow their dreams.“

If you would like to improve your Literacy, Numeracy or ICT skills why not contact your local college or visit http://www.knowhowNi.info for further information on FREE classes in your area.

The closing date for this year’s Essential Skills Awards is 2 March 2010. Details on how to apply are available on the Department’s website

Notes to editors:

1. Queen's University has received funding for the Eur-Alpha project under the European Lifelong Learning Programme to promote exchanges between practitioners, learners, researchers and policy makers. They are one of 18 organisations from 13 countries partnered across Europe in the project.

2. All media enquiries should be directed to the Department for Employment and Learning Communications Branch, on 028 9025 7872. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.