Leicestershire residents looking to learn new skills or take up a new hobby can save 20% on fees for hundreds of part-time day, evening and weekend courses, as the discount deadline has been extended to February 28.
The courses are open for enrolment from GoLearn, Leicestershire County Council’s Adult Learning Service and include a wide range of digital skills classes as well as Italian, Spanish, British Sign Language and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). There are also courses on online safety, first aid, pottery, Indian cookery, astronomy, yoga, drawing & painting, stained glass, textiles and much more.
GoLearn also offers some free courses including help with CV writing, interview skills and online job application support. Other free courses include some aimed at supporting and maintaining good mental health, and courses supported by Leicestershire County Council’s Love Food, Hate Waste team including Healthy Cooking – Zero Waste and Healthy Vegan Cookery.
For people who are looking to gain essential qualifications in English and maths, GoLearn offers free GCSE and Functional Skills qualifications to anyone who has never previously achieved a grade 4 or above (grade C in the old system). GCSE courses begin in September and Functional Skills courses can be joined throughout the year. Fast-track courses are available for people looking to achieve their qualifications quickly, with Pre-GCSE and Skills Builder courses available for anyone wanting to boost their confidence with English and maths ahead of joining an accredited course
GoLearn is also offering an Essential Digital Skills Qualification – a free course aimed at complete IT beginners and which offers a route to more advanced IT courses and qualifications.
The discount is applied to all fee-paying courses for anyone who enrols by 28 February, on top of the 70% reduced fee, which is available to learners on certain benefits (e.g. Universal Credit, JSA, etc.) and for those on a low household income.
The courses are being run in venues across the county, both online and in the classroom to allow learners to fit study around life and work. All learners will receive expert help and support, with tutors on hand to provide help and guidance.
The GoLearn courses can make a real difference to people’s lives. There are courses designed to help learners get back into the job market, improve their maths and English, support their children’s learning and improve their health and wellbeing.
The 20% early bird discount on course fees is a great opportunity to try something different and learn a new skill and now that it has been extended until 28 February, there is even more opportunity for people to reach their learning goals in 2022. I would encourage people to look at the courses on offer and enrol before the deadline to make sure they don’t miss out.
Person:Councillor Christine Radford, cabinet member for heritage, leisure and artsAll courses can be searched online at www.leicestershire.gov.uk/golearn. Learners can also call GoLearn on freephone 0800 988 0308 (lines open Monday – Friday 8.30am-7pm) and speak to a member of the team to find out more about the courses, fees or paying by instalments.