WEA courses

The postwar period saw a major change in the significance of the short story in the USA and Canada, as it developed into a form for more serious explorations of character and psychology. Each week we will look at two stories by a major North American writer and discuss how they use such techniques as narration, subtext, and imagery to portray complex, layered characters. Featured writers include Ernest Hemingway, Raymond Carver, John Updike, Mavis Gallant, Shirley Jackson, and Elizabeth Strout. In the final two weeks we will look at stories about Christmas in particular.

Do you ever feel unsure of yourself? Perhaps around new people or at job interviews? If so, this self-esteem course can help you build tools to face these situations with confidence. Low self-esteem can hold you back in all areas of life. Whether you’d like to build confidence to step back into education, meet new people, or change jobs, confidence-building courses can teach you essential tools to change your mindset. Learn how to build self-esteem and overcome obstacles that are holding you back. The first step in your journey is believing you can successfully complete this course!

If you’re interested in learning more about mental health issues, this level 1 course can teach you the foundational concepts. You’ll get a view into the nature of mental health work and the issues that face people struggling with it. Level 1 health and social care courses about mental health can teach you the basic principles of mental health care. If you enjoy this course you can continue your learning in this area. Mental health awareness training can help you understand if this area of work interests you.

Begin your journey into the care sector with our Step into Care course. Learn essential skills and knowledge required to provide high-quality care to clients. Ideal for individuals considering a career in care or looking to enhance their caregiving skills.

Begin your journey into the care sector with our Step into Care course. Learn essential skills and knowledge required to provide high-quality care to clients. Ideal for individuals considering a career in care or looking to enhance their caregiving skills.

This short beginner's course is designed to help you to start developing your basic maths skills and applying them to real-life situations. You will explore various methods of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, learning techniques that can simplify your daily tasks. Whether budgeting, shopping, or cooking, you will gain the skills to handle numbers confidently. Through interactive exercises and practical examples, you will discover how fundamental maths relates to everyday life, improving your problem-solving abilities and numerical fluency. Join us to build a solid foundation in maths and make everyday calculations easy!

If you enjoy the buzz of learning environments, this qualification can teach you key skills for employment in a school or college. This government-funded course prepares you for a variety of roles. It provides the basic skills and knowledge necessary to work in admin, technical, or support roles in a learning environment. Studying support work in schools at level 2 can be a first step towards working with kids in teaching positions. It also provides you with the qualifications needed to work in admin at schools. No matter what role you’re interested in, this course can teach you skills for employability in schools and colleges.

Christmas is just the excuse you need to indulge in a creative craft course with the WEA. During this course we will be using a range of techniques and materials to design create and embellish handmade items to decorate our Christmas trees, homes and dining tables ready for the big day. Let's have some fun, meet like minded people, share inspiration and ideas and impress family and guests with our creativity skills and imagination. This course is perfect for anyone who loves the holiday season and enjoys hands-on crafting. Whether you are a beginner looking to learn new skills or a more experienced crafter seeking fresh ideas, this course is for you.

This online pre-employment programme is designed to prepare and support you for a career in Adult Social Care. Following the new adult social care pathway, you’ll gain knowledge about the expected behaviours in the role, the rights of the people you will care for (and your own), and the key skills needed to support individuals. You’ll learn about Dementia, Mental Health, Autism, and Learning Disabilities. Together, we’ll complete the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training and learn how to reduce distress through person-centred practice and Positive Behaviour Support. Over the five weeks, you’ll also work on improving your job application and interview skills, and you’ll be supported to provide a current CV to employers. After completing the course with WEA, our employee engagement officer will arrange a working interview in a social care setting, giving you the chance to experience the working environment firsthand. Classes are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 10.00am - 3.00pm for 5 weeks. There are 25 sessions in total finishing on 20th Dec.

Full of iconic moments, stories that capture everyday and life with great authenticity, Italian cinema has produced film-makers of singular vision and style who have pushed the boundaries of visual storytelling and film form. This course will introduce you to a national cinema that has made a unique contribution to world cinema