Cheshire East Skills and Lifelong Learning team
Employment skills and community learning
We fund, deliver and work with local organisations to create learning opportunities, courses and classes. Our own team of tutors deliver maths, English and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses.
Learn English for free
Cheshire East Skills and Lifelong Learning (S&LL) runs classes for non-English speakers aged 19 years and over to gain accredited qualifications in ESOL .
The ESOL Skills for Life qualifications are designed to prepare learners for the world of work or citizenship. The primary aim is to assist you in becoming independent of others (such as interpreters or translators; be they professionals, family, or friends) when talking with native English-speakers, both in a work environment and elsewhere. By improving your English, you will also improve your chances of gaining employment and accessing information from service provides such as libraries, children’s centres, and local attractions.
S&LL use the Ascentis ESOL Skills for Life qualification suite which ranges from Entry Level 1 to Level 1. Each level is made up of three units:
- Reading
- Writing
- Speaking and Listening
Each unit is offered as a separate qualification.
Contact us on Skills and Lifelong Learning for more information.
Our Partners
Through our commissioned partners we are able to offer deliver a wide range of funded (for the vast majority free) courses from accredited vocational programmes to practical life skills courses that widen participation in learning. See the Education and Skills Funding Agency to find out more about how we fund these courses.
Below are details from our partner agencies with regards to their provisions.
Our partners include:
- Cheshire Learning Partnership (Springboard) - Run 'Work Hubs' for those seeking employment, as well as qualifications and courses on topics such as Essential Digital Skills for Work (EDSW), International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL), Completing Application Forms and Interview Skills.
- Create and Develop Career Solutions Facebook page - Deliver a range of courses accredited qualifications including Customer Service, Food Safety in Catering, Warehousing and Storage Skills and Construction (CSCS card) as well as Introduction to Emergency First Aid session in the local community.
- East Cheshire Training (Springboard) - Deliver different levels of English and Maths Functional Skills Qualifications. They run English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes and deliver training and qualifications in Health & Safety in Construction (CSCS)
- Macclesfield Disability Information Bureau - Deliver courses and qualifications such as Using a computer keyboard, Using the internet, Word Processing Software.
- SUSO (Speaking Up Speaking Out) - Deliver a wide range of accessible training for adults with learning disabilities and additional needs to improve skills, opportunities, and well-being for all.
- The Skills Network - Deliver a wide range of accredited qualifications including Prevention and Control of Infection, Mental Health, Preparing to Work in Adult Social Care and Team Leading to name but a few.
The council uses sub-contracted delivery as its main method of delivering adult education. Below is our policy that applies to all sub-contractors paid for by the Education and Skills Funding Agency Adult Education Budget that the council manages on its behalf, as well as the previous year's position statement.
Safeguarding
The Skills and Lifelong Learning (S&LL) team are committed to safeguarding all involved in the learning it funds. The S&LL current Safeguarding policy can be accessed via the below link and was designed in conjunction with the Safeguarding Children in Education team and the Cheshire East Safeguarding Adults Board. For further information please contact Giles Sowden our Safeguarding lead via email giles.sowden@cheshireeast.gov.uk
Information, Advice & Guidance
To further support our learners our partner Create and Develop Career Solutions provides our learners with Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) based on local knowledge and links that they have gathered by attending local business meetings, speaking with local employers, liaising with Job Centres and meeting with local training providers.
Work Hubs
If you need support to develop your employment prospects then why not join us at one of the East Cheshire Work Hubs? Work Hubs are located across Cheshire East in the following towns:
For more information about days and times please either click on the town name above or contact our partner Cheshire Learning Partnership (Springboard).
Privacy notice
ESFA privacy notice
Induction booklet
Learner induction handbook 23-24 (PDF, 310KB)
Contact Cheshire East Skills and Lifelong Learning team
email: adultandfamilylearning@cheshireeast.gov.uk
Page last reviewed: 21 February 2024
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