Supporting when looking for work 

Personal development can mean a lot of different things. Our courses can help you develop the skills and confidence you need to make the most of your potential. Our adult education classes can also help you grow in your current job and help you reach your goals. 

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Looking for work? Start here

If you are looking for work and want to get started, we have short courses to help you find work. We run free course * on CV writing, job hunting and interviews. We’re here to help you reach your potential. From starting to explore your options to learning how to successfully apply for jobs. Our personal development courses help you take positive steps towards your dream job.

Stand out from the crowd

To stand out in the crowd and improve your employability, our tutors offer friendly support to meet your needs. You can talk to your tutor about your goals and identify the steps you need to take to get into the job you want.  Whether an online course or in person, our tutors are here to ensure you succeed. 

Already in work?

If you’re already in work and want to gain new skills and confidence or improve your wellbeing at work, our courses can help. Our adult education skills courses help you clarify your goals and find a clear path to reaching your potential.

*Over 90% of applicants for skills courses do not need to pay a fee. Subject to status - courses are free for unemployed people, job seekers and people on low wage. If you do not qualify you will be alerted during the application process.

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Personal Development: Gaining Confidence to Sign

This exciting learning opportunity is intended to help the participants to gain knowledge and confidence in using BSL. The intention is learning for further education, community engagement and possibly employment. The skills learnt on this course may help someone looking to secure employment in a school/college setting to learn some basic greetings to enable them to communicate at a basic level with someone in the deaf community. This course will be taught for 7 weeks in 2 hour sessions and will total 14 guided learning hours. The learning will take place over Zoom using Canvas as a Virtual Learning Environment.
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Course Information

Dates:
Mon 02/09/2024 -
Mon 21/10/2024
Times:
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Cleghorn
Course code:
Q00018084
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £51.80

Confidence to Learn: Study Skills

"Are you currently studying? On this Confidence to Learn course, you will develop study skills that will help direct you to a more focused way of studying. If you have not studied for a long time, or worried about how to start an assignment, or manage your time, this is the course for you. You will have the opportunity to personalise your approach to study and learning. Over the course you will find out what works best for you. General study skills are not for a specific subject, they are skills that cover all subject areas. The study skills you will develop at this level will help as you go through each topic on the course. To develop your study skills, you will practise a variety of tasks such as time management, active listening skills, note taking and many more. This will help you become more confident in the way you study. Study skills are not just for this course, they can be used in a variety of ways, for example solving problems in everyday life and managing your time successfully and learning to remain focused on a task. "
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Course Information

Dates:
Tue 10/09/2024 -
Tue 03/12/2024
Times:
3:00pm - 3:30pm
Duration:
12 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Natasha Abrams
Course code:
Q00017658
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

Step into Work

"Step Into Work" is a comprehensive program designed to equip you with the essential skills needed for job hunting. This course covers writing effective cover letters, creating standout CVs, and mastering interview techniques. Through practical workshops and expert guidance, you'll learn how to present yourself confidently to potential employers and increase your chances of landing the job you desire. This course will help you examine your current skills and qualities and how they transfer to job related tasks. You’ll need access to the internet to take this ‘Step into Work’ program as our tutors use the WEA’s digital learning portal, Canvas, to send you important information and tasks.
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Course Information

Dates:
Mon 16/09/2024 -
Thu 26/09/2024
Location:
Online
Course code:
P00000098
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
7 places remaining
Status:
Available

Confidence to Learn: Preparation for Award in Digital Promotion for Business Level 2

Get to the core of how to build or promote a business with this digital marketing course. Digital promotion activities such as online and social media marketing can help you support your company’s growth or build your own business. Get first-hand knowledge of key business activities that promote growth. Gain a clear understanding of digital marketing practices with this preparatory digital skills course. It’s ideal for flexible learning as you can choose topics that interest you from a variety of units. Pick up crucial skills for employment that can help you in any sector and build skills for your CV.
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Course Information

Dates:
Tue 24/09/2024 -
Tue 08/10/2024
Times:
9:30am - 12:00pm
Duration:
3 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Indrel Doney
Course code:
Q00017630
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £27.75

WEA Membership

For just £15 a year, you can:

  • Join our popular, award-winning weekly lecture series,
  • Access an archive of over 100 past lectures,
  • Get priority online and phone booking for autumn courses (England only),
  • Receive our Highway magazine and access back issues,
  • Attend our members’ annual conference.

Just add us to your basket to sign up today!

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Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

Professional development: Step into apprenticeships

This course will help you to understand the opportunities available to you through apprenticeships. Ever wondered how apprenticeships work and who they are for? Thought you were too old to start an apprenticeship? This course will develop your knowledge and awareness of the variety of apprenticeships available to you. Discover how to learn while competing on the job training in a specific role and how an apprenticeship can benefit your personal development. This course may lead to further training, higher education and employment. This course is funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority.
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Course Information

Dates:
Mon 07/10/2024 -
Mon 18/11/2024
Times:
11:45am - 1:45pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Sophie Fowkes
Course code:
Q00015544
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £51.80

Personal Development: BSL Next Steps Developing Confidence to Sign

This is a fun and interactive course, ideal to follow on from the Beginners BSL. The intention of this course is to develop skills in BSL for community engagement, further learning and possibly employment in a school/work setting. The course will run for 14 guided learning hours and will be taught online using Zoom and Canvas as a Virtual Learning Platform. Learners will be fully supported in achieving the learning outcomes for the course and the intention is that the course will help them to further develop their confidence in order for them to engage in signed conversations with their peers.
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Course Information

Dates:
Mon 04/11/2024 -
Mon 16/12/2024
Times:
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Caroline Cleghorn
Course code:
Q00018083
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £51.80

Time Management

Learning to plan your time more effectively can help you increase your personal productivity and perform better in various aspects of your life. If you feel like you’re constantly behind and rushing from one thing to the next, this time management training course can help you take the reins on your schedule. Learn techniques to help you enhance your productivity without burning out. Improving your time management skills can help you perform better in voluntary roles, work, or as a parent. It can also help you find ways to juggle all of these responsibilities without generating stress.
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Course Information

Dates:
Fri 10/01/2025 -
Mon 13/01/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
2 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Inna Gorobets
Course code:
Q00015747
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £14.80

Professional Development: The Secrets of Investigative Journalism

If you wonder how people uncover information in the public interest that would usually remain in the dark, this course on investigative journalism is for you. This introductory course highlights the skills needed by investigative journalists when they conduct public interest investigations. Participants explore ways of reporting and editing stories, especially those which usually go unreported. The course will cover definitions of investigative journalism; how to find and plan an investigative story and which sources might be available. It gives a brief introduction to some of the legal and regulatory aspects of journalism.
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Course Information

Dates:
Wed 22/01/2025 -
Wed 05/03/2025
Times:
6:30pm - 8:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Rebecca Eliahoo Charles
Course code:
Q00018052
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.30

Professional Development: Mentoring and Professional Development

This practical course aims to help you to establish a mentoring relationship, initiate productive mentoring dialogues and to challenge people to identify goals and grow professionally and personally. You would need to mentor someone, for instance, a colleague as this is a practical course covering key skills including: questioning, goal-setting collaboratively and encouraging personal and professional growth.
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Course Information

Dates:
Thu 23/01/2025 -
Thu 13/03/2025
Times:
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Rebecca Eliahoo Charles
Course code:
Q00018032
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £51.80

Professional Development: CV writing

On this course, you will learn about the key elements of a CV and follow this structure to build your own. You will be guided through a step-by-step process allowing you to build your CV as the course progresses. You will learn about the type of personal information you should include, how to construct your previous education and work experience, as well as how to write an effective personal statement. You will use your existing English to communicate with others on the course but you will continue to develop your wider English skills and learn new vocabulary connected to CV writing. /You will need to be working at ESOL Level 1 to join this course. If you are a new WEA learner we will ask you to do a short initial assessment to check your ESOL Level. This course is funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority
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Course Information

Dates:
Mon 09/06/2025 -
Tue 24/06/2025
Times:
12:15pm - 2:45pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Imogen Draper
Course code:
Q00017326
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £55.50