Courses to build life skills

Learn life skills with the largest charitable provider of adult education in England and Scotland. Adult learning isn’t like school. Everyone belongs at the WEA. You’ll get meaningful, and tailored support, so you can reach your full potential. Our classes are friendly and fun, designed for adults like you. We won’t talk down to you and you’ll learn skills that you’ll use in everyday life.

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What are life skills?

Simply put, they are skills that make everyday life easier. Life skills include cooking, budgeting, communicating with others, health, well-being and managing emotions. Sometimes this means learning new things, and sometimes it means building on things you already know.

Sometimes adulting can be hard. These courses can help make it feel just that bit easier, make you feel more independent and empower you to face the future ahead.

Small steps to larger goals

You don’t have to have big goals in mind. Just take small steps towards boosting your skills and improving your wellbeing. Whether it is learning to budget better or cook healthier food. Building your confidence or gaining independence. There is a course for you.

When you study with us, you will:

  • Build your confidence
  • Learn new life skills
  • Improve your everyday life and wellbeing

Take a look at our great range of courses and start making a positive change today.

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Personal Development: Next Steps Developing Confidence to Sign

This is a fun and interactive course, ideal to follow on from the Beginners BSL. The intention of this course is to develop skills in BSL for community engagement, further learning and possibly employment in a school/work setting. The course will run for 14 guided learning hours and will be taught face to face at St Marys Community Centre in Pontefract. Learners will be fully supported in achieving the learning outcomes for the course and the intention is that the course will help them to further develop their confidence in order for them to engage in signed conversations with their peers.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 06/03/2025 -
Thu 22/05/2025
Times:
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
St Marys Community Centre (PONTEFRACT)
The Circle
Chequerfield
PONTEFRACT
WF8 2AY
Tutor:
Caroline Cleghorn
Course code:
Q00019980
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

Fitness and Exercise: International Women’s Day – Yoga for female pelvic health

Celebrate International Women’s Day by joining our special Yoga for Female Pelvic Health course. This class focuses on yoga practices that promote pelvic health, tailored specifically for women. Through a combination of gentle postures, breathing exercises, and guided relaxation, you will learn techniques to strengthen and support your pelvic floor muscles. This course is designed to enhance your overall well-being, helping to alleviate pelvic discomfort and improve stability. Open to all women, regardless of yoga experience, you will be encouraged to listen to your body and adapt movements to meet your individual needs in a supportive and nurturing environment.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 06/03/2025 -
Thu 06/03/2025
Times:
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Nicola Bailey
Course code:
Q00018233
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
7 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £7.40

Multiply: Maths for Construction Workers

This Maths course is funded for learners who are already employed or who are on a vocational programme working towards employment in a specific sector. This course is for West Midlands Combined Authority residents. This Multiply Maths for Construction Workers course builds essential numeracy skills tailored for those in or aspiring to join the construction sector. Spanning six 2-hour sessions, this course covers practical applications such as measurement conversions, area and perimeter calculations, and mixing ratios, all within a construction context. By focusing on real-world examples, learners gain confidence using maths to enhance accuracy and efficiency in their work. This course is funded by West Midlands Combined Authority.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 06/03/2025 -
Thu 27/03/2025
Times:
12:30pm - 2:30pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Andy Dowd
Course code:
Q00019675
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

Multiply: Maths for the Care Workers

This Maths course is funded for learners who are already employed or who are on a vocational programme working towards employment in a specific sector. This course is for West Midlands Combined Authority residents. This Multiply Maths for Care Workers course introduces key numeracy skills needed in the care sector. Over six 2-hour sessions, learners will cover practical applications, including medication dosages, unit conversions, reading charts, and managing time effectively, helping participants apply maths confidently in routine care tasks. This course is funded by West Midlands Combined Authority.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 06/03/2025 -
Thu 27/03/2025
Times:
4:00pm - 6:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Andy Dowd
Course code:
Q00019680
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

WEA Membership

WEA membership is changing: more information is coming soon!

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

Healthy Living: Auricular therapy

This course is delivered in a relaxed and informative way, where we look at the intriguing science of auricular therapy. Designed equip you the knowledge of how you can work on the acupressure points on your ears to alleviate pain, stress and enhance your life and wellbeing. In a similar way that reflexology is a mirror of the body on the hands and feet, auricular therapy is simply the body mapped on the ear. We will cover basic anatomy, aromatherapy, how to use hopi ear candles and both the practical and theoretical application of how to massage your ears and the correlating areas. Auriculotherapy has shown to have positive effects while associated to conventional treatments of insomnia, chronic and acute pain.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 11/03/2025 -
Tue 15/04/2025
Times:
11:00am - 1:30pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Georgia Daniel
Course code:
Q00020808
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £55.50

Beginners British Sign Language (BSL)

Start, or continue, your BSL journey in this fun and interactive course. You will learn the basics; fingerspelling using the alphabet and numbers as well as a range of vocabulary covering everyday topics. You will be surprised how quickly you progress to holding short, signed conversations using BSL grammar.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 13/03/2025 -
Thu 05/06/2025
Times:
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Bensham Grove (Gateshead)
Sidney Grove
Gateshead
NE8 2XD
Tutor:
Joanne Liddle
Course code:
Q00020189
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
4 places remaining
Status:
Available

Healthy Living: World Sleep Day- Meditation and Guided Yoga Nidra to encourage restful sleep

Celebrate World Sleep Day with our Meditation and Guided Yoga Nidra for Restful Sleep course. This session focuses on practices to improve sleep quality and promote deep relaxation. Through guided meditation and Yoga Nidra, you will learn techniques to unwind, calm the mind, and prepare for restful sleep. Suitable for all levels, this course supports your journey to better sleep and overall well-being.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 13/03/2025 -
Thu 13/03/2025
Times:
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Nicola Bailey
Course code:
Q00018253
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
6 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £7.40

Healthy Living: Gua Sha for Improvers

Are you embarking on a journey through your face for the first time? Do you want to learn how to use a Gua Sha and do facial lymphatic drainage properly? Do you want to Lift and tone all facial and neck muscles for a more defined, youthful look? Would you like plumper lips, and smoother laugh lines? Would you like a more defined jawline, reduce double chin, and toned jowls? We will also learn how to smooth marionette lines and lift drooping mouth corners Are you interested in rejuvenating your neck and balancing facial symmetry? Join me to establish a bulletproof practice that gives you a toned, sculpted face and neck that you've always dreamed of. No more tired looks, sagging skin, and wrinkles. With this consistent practice, you will finally be able to say hello to a glowing, youthful appearance! On a deeper level, this course will help to empower you to take control, helping you create the face you want. Join me to achieve a refreshed, radiant glow that lasts.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 18/03/2025 -
Tue 06/05/2025
Times:
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Lisa Richards
Course code:
Q00016732
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £59.20

SCC Multiply-Numeracy for Work (MPJS)

This course is specifically designed for individuals who are looking to build foundational mathematical skills with a focus on practical applications in the context of employment. Whether it's looking at vacancies, start and end times, pay and general information around workplace vocabulary involving numeracy. This course will help you navigate your way around numeracy for work and teach you how to calculate and understand vacancies and jobs better.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 24/03/2025 -
Mon 31/03/2025
Times:
12:00pm - 3:00pm
Duration:
2 sessions
Location:
Clovelly Centre (Southampton)
60-68 Clovelly Road
Southampton
SO14 0AU
Tutor:
Irma Gough
Course code:
Q00021108
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee:
Free

Ways to Wellbeing - Floral Oils

Join me in a course open to absolute beginners right through to those who have a little experience in the fascinating subject of floral aromatherapy. This course will inform you of a wide range of floral oils, where they grow, what they are good for and a little history of each oil. Comprehensive notes will be provided on Canvas for you to download and refer to. This course encourages individuals to share and discuss your aromatherapy journey. My aim is for you to incorporate oils into your everyday life. You may have your own oils that you can bring to the session, you may want to purchase the range of oils prior to the course but this is not mandatory.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 07/04/2025 -
Mon 30/06/2025
Times:
9:00am - 11:00am
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Georgia Daniel
Course code:
Q00017011
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00