Passion Wins Success for North East

The WEA North East Region was presented with a national award for its Whole Organisation Approach to Skills for Life by Bill Rammell MP, Minister of State for Life Long Learning and Further and Higher Education, at a ceremony in Birmingham.

While receiving the award on behalf of the WEA, Mike Rugg, Quality Assurance Manager for the Region, was keen to stress that the award was in recognition of all the hard work staff had carried out across the region. The Approach involves all staff in the WEA in learning about basic skills needs, developing teamwork to ensure that all parts of the organisation are alert to basic skills, and then integrating opportunities to brush up on these needs in a range of courses. KPMG worked closely with WEA on the project.

“Lots of people have gaps in their literacy and number skills for many reasons”, said Mike, “they may have missed schooling, or had turmoil in their life, or just did not get on with a teacher at a critical time in their previous education. Some hold down jobs at management levels and need to accept the support of colleagues and or engage in learning to address skill gaps. Many of the staff at the WEA achieved the national qualification in literacy and or numeracy as part of our involvement in the Whole Organisation Approach project. This raised awareness of the barriers people face.”

Bill Rammell MP (Left) presents a plaque recognising the WEA North East Region's contribution to Skills for Life to Mike Rugg.

“Passionate places, passionate people” was used as a slogan to describe the North East’s commitment to developing and delivering educational opportunities to enable local people to achieve in life and work. Mike, who has battled to overcome his own literacy and maths difficulties due to having dyslexia, shares in this passion.

“I knowfrom my own experience that the biggest barrier to overcoming literacy or numeracy difficulties is the embarrassment or stigma some people feel about coming forward to address these difficulties”, he said. Mike has a Masters Degree in professional development, and achieved a Level 1 qualification in literacy as part of the Whole Organisation Approach process. He said, “this was my first qualification in literacy and I am as proud of this as I am about my MA.”

The WEA offers courses in partnership with other voluntary and community organisations designed to put learners at the heart of the learning experience. These courses range from one to one opportunities in partnership with Skills for Life for the Voluntary and Community Sector to special interest courses such as nail art. They offer the opportunity for learners to identify and improve their literacy and numeracy skills in an informal and supportive atmosphere.

105 WEA learners in the North East have achieved a nationally recognised qualification in literacy or numeracy since August 2005 as part of the Whole Organisation Approach project.