WEA wins Centre of Excellence Award

WEA NI Head Office Small Logo

The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) and their learners are celebrating having been recognised as an Essential Skills Centre of Excellence by CCEA (Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment).

Essential Skills learners

Essential Skills learners
(Click image to enlarge)

Centre of Excellence

The WEA provides Essentials Skills courses in both literacy and numeracy designed to help people improve and enhance their reading, writing and maths. The courses are offered free of charge through funding from the Department of Employment and Learning.

The CCEA panel stated that the WEA presented

“a very strong submission for a centre of excellence in Essential Skills. The evidence provided indicated that there was significant value added learner attainment. The centre is clearly committed to quality assurance and self evaluation and goes to considerable lengths to improve the quality of provision. A centre of excellence award is well deserved.”

600 adults using Essential Skills courses per year

Last year almost 600 adults took part in Essential Skills courses provided by the WEA in learning centres across Northern Ireland. One group of such learners who joined the WEA in their celebrations are from the Northern Ireland Civil Service. They are part of the Workplace 2010 scheme organised by ANIC. They face changes in their employment including privatisation and possible change of employer. Their Essential Skills qualification will help them to secure a job with a different employer or change to a new role within the Civil Service.

WEA Director, Stevie Johnston commented, “We are absolutely delighted to win this award. It is recognition of the excellent work done by the WEA development staff and tutors in our Essential Skills programme.

WEA Director, Stevie Johnston commented,

"We are absolutely delighted to win this award. It is recognition of the excellent work done by the WEA development staff and tutors in our Essential Skills programme.

"We welcome the Minister Sir Reg Empey’s support for Essential Skills and would encourage anyone who wants to improve on their Essential Skills to sign up for a free course. With the New Year coming there couldn’t be a better time."


WEA NI Head Office | Clare Oliver | 14 Jan 2008
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