As we head into Adult Learners’ Week, the Families Learning Together team at Cardiff and Vale College has won a prestigious Inspire! Award for the positive impact they have had on communities across the Capital Region.
Families Learning Together offers a wide range of courses to adults, parents and carers in more than 80 schools across Cardiff and the Vale Glamorgan and have helped thousands of families over recent years.
Designed to help parents and carers support their child’s learning, the courses are activity based and provide them with the tools to develop their own learning as well. Each course is tailored to the needs of the family cohort and supports the development of Literacy, Numeracy, Welsh, Speaking and Listening, Science, Digital Skills and English as a Second Language (ESOL).
In recognition of its incredible work with families across Cardiff and the Vale, the Families Learning Together team has been awarded the ‘Hywel Francis Award for Community Impact’ at this year’s Inspire! Awards. The awards are co-ordinated by the Learning and Work Institute with support from the Welsh Government.
Each course offered by Families Learning Together runs for ten weeks, with approximately three hours of learning each week, and classes are held in-person within school settings. This enables the building of positive relationships with the school and provides a structured programme of joint learning between adult and child.
CAVC Head of Widening Participation Wayne Carter said: “It has been a humbling experience to listen to learners sharing stories of the impact learning has had on them, their children and their families.
“In our Families Learning Together sessions, many of the adult learners talk about the hope that they feel, the sense of belonging they have found, and their excitement about their futures. It’s fantastic to be a part of something that champions adults being proud of their achievements while providing a positive future for their children.”
Claire Gurton and her son Mackenzie started attending Families Learning Together sessions a few years ago after Claire had to leave her job due to ongoing health issues.
She said: “I always thought I wouldn’t be able to do the same activities the other parents can do. Now I know I can, I’m much more confident and independent. I’ve made new friends and improved my own basic skills. I’m proud of what Mackenzie and I have been able to achieve.”
Cardiff and Vale College Principal Sharon James said: “Congratulations to CAVC Families Learning Together for winning this Inspire! Award – it’s truly well deserved. Families Learning together have worked with thousands of families over the last few years and have made such a difference to so many people.
“At CAVC we aim to be at the very heart of the communities we serve and the fantastic work that Families Learning Together does embodies that commitment. Well done to the team! We’re all very proud of you.”
From the period September 2022 to December 2022, Families Learning Together has delivered 57 courses in 46 schools across Cardiff and the Vale, with 435 adult learners developing new skills, 890 children and adults engaged and a 100% positive learner satisfaction response.
Adult Learners’ Week is the biggest celebration of lifelong learning in Wales with over 10,000 adults taking part each year. The campaign is coordinated by Learning and Work Institute in partnership with the Welsh Government and other partners.
The campaign aims to inspire more people to discover a passion for learning and develop skills for work and throughout life. Adult Learners’ Week will signpost hundreds of courses, events, tasters, open days, and learning resources that are free and accessible to all.