Skills for life

Ever heard of Makaton? It's a unique language programme, and over 100,000 people are using it to communicate in the UK today. It combines symbols, signs, and speech to make conversation easier for people who have communication difficulties. This Makaton course is ideal for you if you want to learn an inclusive communication tool. It can help you interact with people who have speech, hearing, or learning difficulties. This Makaton sign language course covers the essentials of hand signals, fingerspelling, and signing. Learn to introduce yourself. Develop knowledge to be able to sign about basic topics such as numbers and colours.

Hearing impairments bring a variety of challenges, both to those who lose their hearing and their loved ones. Luckily, there are communication techniques you can learn to be able to maintain healthy interactions. Learn to communicate effectively despite hearing impairments with this beginners’ lip reading course. This course is appropriate for you if you have hearing impairments or if you’d like to communicate with a friend or family member with hearing loss. Lip reading for beginners gives you an introduction to some essential lip shapes. Explore deaf awareness issues to understand how hearing loss affects communication. Learn about speech patterns and cues to facilitate interactions. If you have hearing loss, learning skills and strategies to take advantage of residual hearing can also help you get the most out of social interactions. Please note this course is delivered online via ZOOM.

This Maths course is funded for learners who are already employed or who are on a vocational programme working towards employment in a specific sector. This course is for West Midlands Combined Authority residents. This Multiply Maths for Construction Workers course builds essential numeracy skills tailored for those in or aspiring to join the construction sector. Spanning six 2-hour sessions, this course covers practical applications such as measurement conversions, area and perimeter calculations, and mixing ratios, all within a construction context. By focusing on real-world examples, learners gain confidence using maths to enhance accuracy and efficiency in their work. This course is funded by West Midlands Combined Authority.

Do you know what ‘gaslighting’ is? Most people have heard of the term, but many do not understand what it really means. This workshop will delve into the issue of gaslighting in the context of the workplace. We will explore what the word actually means (its use and misuse), how to recognise the signs, and what can be done about it.

Hearing impairments bring a variety of challenges, both to those who lose their hearing and their loved ones. Luckily, there are communication techniques you can learn to be able to maintain healthy interactions. Learn to communicate effectively despite hearing impairments with this beginners’ lip reading course. This course is appropriate for you if you have hearing impairments or if you’d like to communicate with a friend or family member with hearing loss. Lip reading for beginners gives you an introduction to some essential lip shapes. Explore deaf awareness issues to understand how hearing loss affects communication. Learn about speech patterns and cues to facilitate interactions.

This Maths course is funded for learners who are already employed or who are on a vocational programme working towards employment in a specific sector. This course is for West Midlands Combined Authority residents. This Multiply: Maths for Support Workers in Schools course provides essential maths skills tailored for support staff in school settings. Across six sessions, learners will gain confidence in practical numeracy areas like basic maths, fractions, percentages, measurement, and data interpretation. Each session connects mathematical concepts to real-life tasks, enabling participants to support children's learning effectively and enhance classroom engagement. This course is funded by West Midlands Combined Authority.

This Maths course is funded for learners who are already employed or who are on a vocational programme working towards employment in a specific sector. This course is for West Midlands Combined Authority residents. This Multiply Maths for Care Workers course introduces key numeracy skills needed in the care sector. Over six 2-hour sessions, learners will cover practical applications, including medication dosages, unit conversions, reading charts, and managing time effectively, helping participants apply maths confidently in routine care tasks. This course is funded by West Midlands Combined Authority.

Do you know what ‘gaslighting’ is? Most people have heard of the term, but many do not understand what it really means. This workshop will delve into the issue of gaslighting in the context of the workplace. We will explore what the word actually means (its use and misuse), how to recognise the signs, and what can be done about it.

Are you approaching retirement age? Navigating the lifestyle change that retirement brings can be tricky. This retirement planning course aims to prepare you and your family for the changes that retirement brings. Its objective is to help you through the transition with ease so that you can enjoy this new phase of life. This short course will also help you gain an understanding of retirement planning services that exist to help you. This retirement planning training course covers personal planning and financial planning. Understand the emotional and personal changes that retirement brings. Consider how to plan your time and manage your relationships to maintain your emotional well-being. Is retirement really what it’s cracked up to be? Are you ready to retire? Research suggests that many people struggle to adjust to retirement although they may have been looking forward to it. How can we prepare ourselves effectively for this new phase of our lives? You may be someone who has always hankered to pursue a new career, volunteering or developing a new interest and would like the opportunity to fine tune and test out your ideas. We will be looking at your views about retirement, what some of the pitfalls might be, where you might start to look for financial planning advice, health, work and volunteering opportunities. Join us to explore this wonderful opportunity to have the time of your life!

This course offers a comprehensive exploration of air frying as a versatile and health-conscious cooking method. Participants will learn the principles of air frying, including temperature control, air circulation, and cooking times, to create a variety of delicious dishes with minimal oil. Through a combination of theoretical instruction, practical demonstrations, and hands-on cooking sessions, students will develop proficiency in using air fryers and discover innovative recipes and culinary techniques. Emphasis will be placed on health-conscious cooking, flavour enhancement, and the adaptation of traditional recipes to suit air frying.