WEA courses

This Entry 1 English course is for speakers of other languages. It will help you learn basic English to study, work, and live in the UK. Learners have to be enrolled and assessed in person. This course is funded by the Greater London Authority and is only available to residents living within the Greater London Authority area.

The first session of this course will be online and the second session will be at Tate Britain. Join a creative writing online workshop writing poems about Tate Britain artworks, then visit Tate Britain to find your artworks and for more poetic inspiration with a published poet as your guide. You will meet up with those you met online on the morning before and respond to more art with further inspired writing. Ekphrastic poetry has come to mean poetry about works of art. You could describe the scene in a painting, what happened before, what happens after it and what is going on outside the frame; or write a monologue for the sitter in a portrait, or for the painter; or make a sculpture come to life. You will meet up with likeminded people and come away from this course with several inspired poems.

Participants consider skills you already have, how they can be transferred onto new job opportunities and steps you can take to make it happen.

Participants consider skills you already have, how they can be transferred onto new job opportunities and steps you can take to make it happen.

Take some time for yourself and embrace the changing season with this calming and restorative course. Healthy Living: Summer Retreat offers a gentle, supportive space to help you relax, recharge, and focus on your wellbeing. As the seasons change, it’s a great opportunity to slow down and reflect. In this friendly and welcoming course, you will explore simple techniques to help manage stress, improve your wellbeing, and feel more balanced in everyday life. Through a mix of discussion and practical activities, you will learn ways to calm the body and mind, including relaxation techniques, mindful movement, and self-care practices that you can continue at home.

This course is funded by the North East Combined Authority and only available to residents living within the North East Combined Authority area.

This 60 GLH course supports adults to start or progress a career in construction. It begins with an initial assessment to identify each learner’s strengths, goals, and any barriers to learning or employment. From this, an individual learning plan is created with clear, achievable targets and agreed support. Learners will gain an introduction to construction, exploring the skills, knowledge, and job roles available. Employability skills such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving are embedded and linked to real employer vacancies. The course includes the Ascentis Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment, a nationally recognised qualification required to work safely on site and apply for a CSCS card. Learners receive full support to prepare for and pass the CSCS test. In addition, learners will gain an understanding of the requirements of the National Plant Operators Registration Scheme and how to gain the NPORS Red Card. Finally, learners receive one-to-one employment support, including coaching, CV and application help, mock interviews, and careers advice, helping them move confidently into construction jobs or further training. On successful completion of modules learners will also be awarded a Digital Badge to evidence their learning, for use on CVs and social media.

Encourage participants to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals and track progress with worksheets.

This course is funded by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and is only available to residents living within the Greater Manchester Combined Authority area. English for Learning and Life is a pre‑entry course designed to help learners build the early language, confidence and study skills needed for everyday life in the UK and for progression to the Get Ready for ESOL course. Learners develop essential skills such as recognising familiar words, understanding simple classroom language, and using basic English to communicate needs in routine situations. The course introduces simple reading and writing tasks, supports learners to build confidence in group activities and helps them develop early learning habits. It provides a supportive first step for learners who are new to English or new to learning.

This course is funded by the Department for Education and only open to residents living in non devolved authorities.  This course will help you understand what positive workplace behaviour looks like and why it is important. You will explore everyday situations that can cause problems at work, such as making a mistake, not understanding instructions or needing help. You will learn how to stay calm and communicate respectfully. You will practise responding to problems in a positive way. The course ends with a supportive workplace scenario, allowing you to demonstrate your learning and build confidence for starting or returning to work.