Learning - Information, Advice, Learning and Skills Service

The service is free, impartial and confidential.  Whether you want to improve your career prospects, get a qualification or just make the most of your job, the service can help you.

The service can help you to get back into learning, develop your skills and improve your career prospects.  We can:

• give advice on ways to search for and apply for jobs, e.g.  interview skills, CV workshop, completing applications forms, basic IT skills.
• help link your personal interests and skills to your job or career;
• give advice on ways to progress in a career;
• identify the skills you may need and refer you to other support (if necessary) to help you to improve your reading, writing and maths skills;
• refer you to other support available; 
• help you understand the job market;
• give advice about financial support available;
• give advice about services available during redundancy, including how to access services;
• give advice about what is and is not available, and discuss alternatives.

We also:

• help prepare schools' and colleges' staff, learners and parents by providing advice on how learners can search and apply for courses, eg accessing the Greater Manchester area-wide prospectus and completing the electronic application form.  For details see link opposite. 
• work towards creating and providing the right environment for learners to study by helping to develop new centres of learning and new learning programmes.
• provide an ongoing curriculum support for parents and young people that need to access mainstream and alternative educational routes.
• work with our partners across Greater Manchester to provide better services in the areas of information and advice, learning and skills.
• are leading on the creation of a framework for Raising the Participation Age (RPA) across Wigan and sub-region of Greater Manchester and in providing progression routes into FE and HE.
• provide support for young people who are exposed to domestic violence by offering professional counselling services, advocacy, emotional and practical support.
• work with teenage parents and vulnerable young women offering support through access to drop-in sessions, help lines and parenting classes.
• support children in care as a corporate parent to gain access to employment or training opportunities.
• will look to break the cycle of offending behaviour by providing an enhanced resettlement package for young people leaving custody which provides secure accommodation and an offer of education, employment or training.
• provide a series of progression pathways from age 14 to 19 for young people at risk of or who have already disengaged from learning and who are not in employment, education or training (NEET).

The service offers a range of personal, family and community development activities, which:

• are flexible - delivered at a time, place and pace to meet your particular circumstances
• are delivered in a supportive, non-threatening environment without the pressure of accreditation, e.g. in informal small group or family settings, in schools, Sure Start centres, libraries and other accessible venues in the community
• raise the self-esteem, confidence and aspirations of people in the community, thereby helping you to explore, exploit and fulfil your full potential and take an active part in their community or workplace
• provide enjoyment, entertainment, interest, inspiration and stimulation
• provide a 'first step' to progress to college courses and achieve accredited further and higher education.

The aim is to promote neighbourhood renewal and social inclusion, and build a bridge between communities, and formal accredited learning within local colleges.

Our partners

• Wigan High Schools
• Wigan FE Colleges 
• Wigan and Leigh College Family Learning Team
• Wigan Vocational Network
• Greater Manchester Councils

Contact Details