If you are looking for work, need to get a better job, or want to improve your work skills, the WEA is here for you. We have a great track record of helping people like you gain the skills and confidence they need for work. Best of all, most of our work skills courses are free*.    

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You can improve your job opportunities with the WEA.  

Reach your potential  

We know you can reach your potential in three simple steps:  

  • Build your confidence and essential skills  
  • Develop skills related to specific types of jobs  
  • Progress in your current job by boosting your current skills and learning new ones  

Supportive classes

The WEA and our team of supportive tutors are here for you at every step.  Whether you’re a jobseeker, have recently been made redundant or you simply want to move up the ladder, we have a course for you.   

Improve your English, maths or digital skills to earn more money.  Find courses in health and social care, community interpreting, schools and childcare and more.   

Find out more about job hunting, take courses to become more employable or change your career. Boost your employability skills and stand out on that job application.    

Learn your way with the WEA

Take a short, informal course or gain a national qualification. Learning in a classroom, in a work setting or at home, you’ll always have the same great support from your tutor.  

There’s something for everyone.

*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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Introduction to Support Work

This short course will offer you an insight into how to help support someone with their daily life and wellbeing, including people living with physical disabilities and/or mental health issues. As a support worker, you may find yourself working in a variety of settings. The day-to-day job of a support worker will differ depending on the needs of the person, or people they are supporting. The main focus is to help people, whether that is at home, at school or work, enabling them to live more independently, by offering them both physical and emotional support.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 06/08/2024 -
Tue 06/08/2024
Times:
11:00am - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
NST Hub (North Somerset Training Communi
31 Alexandra Parade
Weston-super-Mare
BS23 1QZ
Tutor:
Katie Dexter
Course code:
Q00017106
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
8 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £21.00

Personal Development - Managing Finance Using a Mobile Device

Enjoy developing your digital skills further in how to use your mobile device to access your online backing app or create one for the first time. During this course you will gain awareness of how to use your mobile device to search and download apps to support with budgeting healthy meals for you and your family.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 12/08/2024 -
Tue 13/08/2024
Times:
10:30am - 1:00pm
Duration:
2 sessions
Location:
New Hope Global (Birmingham)
Birchfield Library (2nd floor)
3 Trinity Road
Birmingham
B6 6AH
Tutor:
Humera Mehrban
Course code:
Q00018186
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £21.00

Multiply - Emergency First Aid at Work - The Salvation Army Donation Centre in Braintree

The 8 hour Emergency First Aid at Work course consists of practical and theoretical activities. Over two days you will learn the essential skills, including numeracy and responsibilities of a first aider in the workplace. Participants will learn the critical role they play in emergency situations. You will learn the skills and knowledge to provide the organisation with Emergency First Aider's who can provide treatment to casualties in a prompt, safe and effective manner.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 13/08/2024 -
Wed 14/08/2024
Times:
9:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
2 sessions
Location:
Salvation Army Donation Centre
1 Anglia Way
Braintree
CM7 3RG
Tutor:
Zoe Shelley
Course code:
Q00017080
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

Professional Development: Step into care

This course will help you to understand the nature of care and caring and examine the Care Standards that define the knowledge, skills and behaviours expected of specific job roles in the health and social care sectors. Develop awareness of the variety of roles and opportunities available within the care sector including the NHS. This introduction to care course will support you to understand what skills are needed for the variety of opportunities available to you. This course may lead to further training, an award in health and social care, volunteering and employment. This course is funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 19/08/2024 -
Mon 09/09/2024
Times:
9:15am - 11:15am
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Sophie Fowkes
Course code:
Q00015540
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.60

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!

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

Multiply - Maths for the Healthcare Sector

Here at the WEA we believe in bringing education within reach of everyone Our maths course is designed to give everyone the opportunity to learn and develop the essential numeracy skills they need to succeed at any age. We want to help people to improve their ability to understand and use maths in daily life. This Maths for work course is an opportunity to learn new skills to support you no matter what role you play in work. You will be able to understand how to use new maths skills to support your children's homework, along with managing finances and supporting you in your career progression

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 28/08/2024 -
Mon 16/09/2024
Times:
9:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Humera Mehrban
Course code:
Q00018245
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

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.

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

Beginners Microsoft Word & PowerPoint

What would improved digital skills mean for your career or everyday life? No matter what your job role is, the chances are your day-to-day life would be easier with enhanced computer skills. This beginner’s Microsoft Word and PowerPoint course will help you learn the basics of Word and PowerPoint. This knowledge can help you in a wide variety of routine situations. These can include creating CVs, helping your kids with their homework, or preparing presentations for family events. You will learn how to Enter and Edit text in a document, save and print your work, format and align text, add images, create a poster and customise Templates in Word. Create Striking Presentations with images, and designs. Run slide shows and produce audience notes.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 02/09/2024 -
Mon 21/10/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Mark Turk
Course code:
Q00009572
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £51.80

Beginners Excel and Spreadsheets

Did you know you can use spreadsheets to make hundreds of everyday tasks easier? You can use them to efficiently keep track of job applications, birthday lists, inventories of collectible items, or anything else. Never opened a spreadsheet in your life? Don’t worry. This is an Excel course for beginners, and we’ll cover all the basics. This beginner’s Excel course aims to teach you computer skills for everyday life. You will learn how to navigate spreadsheet cells, format data, add currency and change decimal places. Save and Print a worksheet. Add borders and colour to text and cells. Use basic formulas and create charts from selected data.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 02/09/2024 -
Mon 21/10/2024
Times:
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Mark Turk
Course code:
Q00009575
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £51.80

Personal Development: Introduction to Volunteering

This course will help you to develop the skills you need to become a volunteer. Volunteering contributes to society and can also help you stand out to new employers. Showing volunteer work on your CV shows employers that you can work in a team and have compassion. Volunteer skills can also be helpful in your career development. Volunteer skills are the abilities you have to help other people effectively to support a specific cause. The best volunteers have a strong work ethic and work well with others. Volunteers typically work for free, so they need to self-motivate and remain focused on their volunteering projects or tasks. You can use many of these skills for volunteering in your workplace.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 03/09/2024 -
Tue 08/10/2024
Times:
11:00am - 4:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
NST Hub (North Somerset Training Communi
31 Alexandra Parade
Weston-super-Mare
BS23 1QZ
Tutor:
Katie Dexter
Course code:
Q00017498
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
6 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £210.00

Preparation for Level 2 Caring for Children and Young People

Have you completed an introductory or a Level 1 helping in schools’ course? Then this introductory course is right for you. It will provide you with the necessary knowledge and study skills needed to prepare you for a Level 2 course. It will also provide you with the opportunity to practice using study skills such as quizzes, case studies and related texts. You will get the chance to discuss new topics with other learners and, ask and answer questions. You will also be given a brief outline of what you will learn on your course. Your tutor will give you constructive feedback to ensure you are ready for your next stage of learning.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 04/09/2024 -
Wed 18/09/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:30pm
Duration:
3 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Natasha Abrams
Course code:
Q00017559
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £150.00