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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Entry Level Digital Skills: Google - How to use Google Doc

Discover the wonderful world of Google Docs: This short taster course will introduce you to the basics of Google Docs including an overview of how to create and implement it, what you can do with Google Docs and how to use it across applications. We will be using data provided on a Google account to use Google Docs. Whether you have studied the content before or are completely new to it, you will find value on this programme. You do not need any special tools to attend, just yourself and some enthusiasm. Start your Google Docs journey today by registering for this course.
Dates:
Tue 29/04/2025 -
Tue 03/06/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Peter Brown
Course code:
Q00017446
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
8 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £37.00

Functional Skills Qualification in English (Level 2)

There are many reasons to study this English functional skills course but you might be surprised to know that they’re not academic. Whether you want to feel more confident at public speaking or would like to study an apprenticeship or traineeship, this Level 2 English Functional Skills course can help you achieve your goals in a fun and practical way. Functional skills courses teach you English skills for learning, life, and work- not just to pass an exam. Enjoy the learning process as you watch your vocabulary grow, your spelling improve, and your confidence soar. If you’re fed up with academic courses and want to learn English in a practical and gratifying way, you won’t regret taking this English functional skills level 2 course. Functional Skills qualifications are free if you don't already have a GCSE in English or Maths at grades A*-C, or 4-9. We'll check your level and any previous qualifications before you start. This ensures you are on the correct course.
Dates:
Tue 29/04/2025 -
Thu 24/07/2025
Times:
12:30pm - 3:00pm
Duration:
23 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Paula Veiga
Course code:
Q00021522
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £148.00

Essential Digital Skills (Entry 3)

Digital skills are increasingly in demand in modern society. Picking up essential digital skills can help you go about your everyday life, as well as open doors to employment opportunities. This course starts at the beginning and covers everything from using a digital device to getting started on social media and making videos. This Entry-level 3 digital skills course is aimed at complete beginners- so don’t worry if this is new to you. If you want to learn digital skills for everyday life or improve your job prospects, this course is ideal for you. It's also suitable for people reentering the workforce after a long break.
Dates:
Tue 29/04/2025 -
Tue 15/07/2025
Times:
10:00am - 2:30pm
Duration:
11 sessions
Location:
Trinity Church (Shrewsbury)
Church Road, Meole Brace
Shrewsbury
SY3 9HF
Tutor:
Tabitha Allsop
Course code:
Q00022000
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
5 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £207.90

Using Canvas to Learn

Studying online is a fun and effective way to learn. This course will teach you to use Canvas so that you can get the most out of WEA courses. You’ll learn digital skills to support you to study WEA online courses. This Canvas course is ideal for you if you’re considering taking a WEA course but feel unsure of your digital skills. It’s appropriate for complete beginners, so don’t worry if this is new to you.
Dates:
Wed 30/04/2025 -
Thu 01/05/2025
Times:
10:00am - 2:00pm
Duration:
2 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Kailash Parekh
Course code:
Q00016994
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £14.80

WEA Membership

WEA membership is changing: more information is coming soon!

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

Level 1 Digital Skills

Become a tech-whizz and gain confidence with a variety of online tools. This Advanced Digital Skills training will help you feel comfortable with new technologies and in control of digital spaces. This advanced course is for anyone wanting to further develop their digital skills. You will learn skills for employment and everyday life in this digital skills course. This digital training aims to teach you advanced digital skills for everyday life. It can also help you progress to job roles that require digital skills.
Dates:
Wed 30/04/2025 -
Wed 09/07/2025
Times:
12:30pm - 2:30pm
Duration:
11 sessions
Location:
WEA (Leicester)
101 Hinckley Road
Leicester
LE3 0TD
Tutor:
Chantal Ngounou
Course code:
Q00017246
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
5 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £100.80

Pre-Entry Digital Skills: Advanced

This course is for women only. It will be held at the Dolphin Women's Centre, Washwood Heath, Birmingham and is an ESOL course for learners at Entry Level 1. The course will help you to develop your basic speaking and listening, skills in English. This is an English course aimed at adults for whom English is not their first language. You will get lots of opportuntities to practice your new English skills in groups and individually, you will also be given homework tasks so you can continue to practice at home.. If you are suipporting someone to find an English class you have come to the right place. This course is funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority.
Dates:
Wed 30/04/2025 -
Wed 16/07/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:30pm
Duration:
11 sessions
Location:
Watch Charity Ltd (Coventry)
10-12 Victoria Street
Coventry
CV1 5LZ
Tutor:
Shirley Bate
Course code:
Q00015621
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £42.00

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.
Dates:
Wed 30/04/2025 -
Wed 11/06/2025
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

Understanding the Role of a Community Interpreter

Are you bilingual? Ever thought about using your language skills to help out in the community? Did you know you can get many jobs with languages? If you speak English and another language fluently, you could make a great community interpreter. This community interpreter course gives you an introduction to the language and interpreting skills needed for this type of work. It can teach you foundational concepts to test your community interpreting skills informally with family or friends. This course can prepare you to help members of your family or community to overcome language barriers in their everyday lives. It can also help you decide if you’re interested in pursuing community interpreting jobs.
Dates:
Wed 30/04/2025 -
Wed 23/07/2025
Times:
1:30pm - 3:30pm
Duration:
12 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Maja Konkolewska
Course code:
Q00018943
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
4 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £100.80

Award in Preparation for Work in Community Interpreting Level 2

The role of the community interpreter is an integral part of our changing communities and increasingly important. The interpreter acts as a bridge between communities and enables people to access the services they need and approach situations which otherwise would not be possible. The Level 2 Certificate in Preparing for the Community Interpreting Role enables learners who are speakers of other languages to develop the language and skills necessary to go on and train as Community Interpreters at Level 3 and Level 4. This is the ideal qualification for anyone who wants to enter the interpreting profession and become a paid interpreter or volunteer in the UK.
Dates:
Wed 30/04/2025 -
Wed 30/07/2025
Times:
9:30am - 11:30am
Duration:
24 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Nilofar Latifi
Course code:
Q00020529
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
3 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £300.00

Helping with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Do you help out at a school, community centre, or charity? If so, it’s important to be aware of the range of special needs you can encounter when dealing with others. Special needs education courses can help you understand what to expect and how to support all learning needs. This special educational needs (SEN) course is ideal if you want to learn how to provide inclusive support to learners in a variety of informal settings. During this course, you will become familiar with the range of special educational needs and disabilities you may find in a classroom, community hub, or volunteering environment.
Dates:
Wed 30/04/2025 -
Wed 09/07/2025
Times:
10:00am - 2:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Gale Hollis
Course code:
Q00021771
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
4 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £148.00