Posted: 03/06/08
Adult Learners Celebrate Together
Last week, over 30 adult learners from West Nottinghamshire College, joined together for an evening of celebration.
In conjunction with National Adult Learners’ Week, the Business Information Technology and Community Education teams held their own recognition ceremony for their adult students whose ages range from 19 to 92. Principal, Asha Khemka introduced the evening and reminded the audience that she had been an adult learner herself, when she completed her formal education in the UK and went on to further education after her own children had commenced school.
We caught up with one award winner, Edith Oxley who at 77 years of age, still can’t get enough of learning! She has been busy on a number of creative card making courses in Mansfield, and catches the bus from Mansfield Woodhouse and never misses a class. “I was really surprised to receive an award for my work, but I really do enjoy it and I am going to enrol on another course soon.” With help from her family, Edith has even turned one of her spare rooms at home into a craft room.
The special award of the evening went to an inspiring group of nine learners who had all enrolled on an Introduction to Front Line Services course in January this year. These students were people who had in their past, been substance mis-users, but had now reached a point in their lives where they had recovered, but wanted to enhance their skills and learning.
Their tutor, Lynne Linacre wanted their top efforts recognised. “The attendance of this group was excellent with students coming to class when in reality they were not always feeling of their best. In the sessions that I delivered I was aware that often the learners were not in the best of health but were determined to attend and carry on with the course. The group have been pulled together through Project Recruit in supporting their individual needs.”
The members of that group who attended the celebration event were absolutely thrilled. “Tonight’s recognition of our hard work on the course has made us proud. This period of study with the College really has been a life changing experience.”
Angela Burton, Associate Director of Learning for Business, Information and Technology presented the awards at the celebration and said, “This evening has been a really heart warming event. It has been fantastic to see so many of our adult learners still grabbing hold of educational opportunities available to them. Their pride and enthusiasm towards learning is obvious, and I am also very proud to have presented awards to them this evening. I want to thank everyone who attended, students, families and friends as well as Louise Pitchford from the College’s Marketing Team who worked very hard to arrange the event and made sure everything ran smoothly.”
