Scores of people benefit from life-changing learning

One hundred and thirty nine people have gained new skills through the Learning for Everyone project and will be honoured at a presentation on Friday [4 July]

The students, from 22 towns and villages in North Norfolk and of all ages and from all walks of life, have gained new skills and qualifications thanks to the Cromer-based project and will receive certificates from North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb at the presentation at Sheringham Little Theatre.

The ceremony is at 7pm for a 7.30pm start, and the media are welcome to attend. It would be helpful if you could reply to Nick Manthorpe on 01263 516059 or email nicholas.manthorpe@north-norfolk.gov.uk if you intend to come.

Learning for Everyone started in 2002 as Cromer Learning for Life, but has grown to become the organisation that delivers training and learning on behalf of the North Norfolk Skills Partnership (a group of organisations and people working to identify and overcome local shortcomings in skills and training), and it is now based in Merchants' Place in Cromer, where Friday's 'graduates' took their courses.

The 139 students took courses through two programmes funded by Objective 3 of the European Social Fund: Empower U (which focuses on life skills like literacy and numeracy) and Biz3, a project offering business administration skills at Level 3 (equivalent to A-Level, though Learning for Everyone was able to extend its Biz3 provision to include Levels 1 and 2 as well).

As well as running courses in-house, Learning for Everyone collaborated with Deltic Training, an Aylsham-based company that is accredited by the Institute of Administrative Management to deliver a Level 3 Certificate in Business Administration.

Over the last 20 months of classes, some students gained as many as seven new qualifications.

Denise Treissman, Learning Guidance Manager for Learning for Everyone, said: "For many of our students, this has been a life-changing opportunity. It has given them better prospects and greater confidence, as well as nearly two years of being part of an ambitious group of people. Congratulations to them for embracing the opportunity in the way they have.

"The Learning for Everyone project helps individuals, but it also helps local businesses by giving them a better-skilled pool of labour, making the whole of North Norfolk more competitive."

• For more information about Learning for Everyone, call Denise Treissman or John Morgan on 01263 519454.

ENDS