Our community partners offer a variety of courses and learning opportunities for all age ranges across Wigan borough.
Wigan and Leigh Pensioners Link
Running “Keeping up with technology” drop-in sessions twice a week and offering computer and internet access. All services are free for over 50’s.
Wigan Council Skills and Learning team
Supporting adults and families to access courses on career building, health and wellbeing, mental health, crafts and leisure.
Functional skills in Maths and English from Entry Level to Level 2 are available. Learners notice a positive impact on their confidence, social relationships and outlook on life.
Wigan STEAM
An innovative lottery funded project offering young people in Wigan opportunities to access the very latest in technology, arts and digital development.
Holiday workshops for children and young people, Saturday afternoon digital art sessions and Wednesday evening Maker Classes are available.
Abram Ward Community Cooperative
- Offering 3D printing facilities within our Men’s Sheds and Women’s Sheds makerspaces, a place for informal learning and sharing skills
- Supporting a Community Business Café on site that utilises digital and 3D printing to make packaging for their products
- Developed a ‘Made in Wigan’ brand to encourage local people to learn how to make items to sell at local markets, online or at our new shop in the Galleries Shopping Centre
- Supporting anyone in Wigan Borough looking to set up their own Digital Community Business.
All these services are hosted at Platt Bridge Community Zone, the Boroughs first Community Business hub.
The Blair Project
The Blair Project runs a vocational training centre called DigiFutures at Central Park to help learners of all abilities and ages gain the skills they need to work in a variety of digital sector roles, including cyber security, computer aided design (CAD), rapid prototyping and manufacture using 3D printers (CAM), and web and app development.
DigiFutures is also home to a MakerShed, a place of skills-sharing and informal learning, where people of all ages and abilities can try their hand at making things, and master new creative skills in a safe, friendly and supportive environment.
We also run the UK's first additive manufacturing apprenticeship working with partners such as Manchester Metropolitan University, the Knowledge Transfer Network and the Manufacturing Technology Centre.
Joining Communities
The aim of Joining Communities is to encourage the residents of Wigan borough to participate actively in their community. This includes digital learning and development activities to help them get into sustainable employment or other work related activity. At the centre people learn at their pace and in their time, in a place where they are valued and respected and where inclusion and diversity are practiced.
The vision is to create a place where people can learn and develop skills and become inspired to choose a life of work as opposed to one of benefits.
The staff at Joining Communities have all benefitted from the service, volunteered to support the service and are now employed. They have first-hand experience of the needs of our learners.
Wigan Digital Learning CIC
Wigan Digital Learning provide computer and work skills courses for all levels and abilities, including a beginners computer course (16 hours) and computer skills for work course (16 hours).
Google Digital Garage
Based in Manchester (just a short bus or train ride away) Google offer free courses in digital skills, for everyone.
Choose from 16 courses, ranging from step-by-step support for people new to digital through to CV-building, interview techniques, small business workshops and intro to coding.