TransQual - Bedfordshire and Luton
The project built on the work undertaken by a pilot project run during 2006/07 targeted specifically at members of the community who have studied and achieved qualifications overseas. TransQual provided a qualification conversion service for people with overseas qualifications and piloted pre-ESOL courses delivered by tutors who speak the first language of the learners. A Living and Working in the UK event was also organised in Bedford aimed at meeting the information needs of the Polish migrant community.
The project aimed to help people living and working in the UK to make better use of any qualifications awarded overseas and any skills they have which are currently going unrecognised. This is to assist the individual to obtain suitable employment and to help employers understand the true value of their employees or potential employees and the contribution they could make to their organisations.
The project also aimed to enable a group of recently arrived workers from eastern Europe to gain an understanding of UK structures, systems and culture and to develop their English language skills to the point where they felt confident about accessing ESOL courses available through mainstream learning providers. Project beneficiaries were evenly divided between the north and the south of the project area.
Migrant workers from eastern Europe were particularly targeted by the project due to the high numbers arriving in the project area in recent years.
Qualification conversions were carried out based upon two interviews per client with an embedded IAG session at the second interview.
Pre-ESOL courses for Polish learners run in the offices of Access Europe HR. Courses delivered by a tutor who could speak fluent Polish as well as English.
Beneficiaries originated from 28 different countries. 134 clients were engaged and 128 Qualification conversions were completed. 3 Pre-ESOL courses were ran, 35 people enrolled and started a course and 28 successfully completed. Over 130 Polish people attended the ‘Living and Working in the UK’ event.
Partners in the Project:
Access Europe HR
Learning for Life Beds & Luton
Luton Rights
Protech Training Services Ltd.
Contact for this project is:
Vic Graves
Learning in Action
Unit L.17 MK: TWO Business Centre
Barton Road
Water Eaton
Milton Keynes
MK2 3HU
Tel: 01908 821117
Email: vic@transqual.co.uk
