Project: Work Solutions, Liverpool

Starting from the very beginning: pre-entry Basic Skills and ESOL

Work Solutions provides pre-entry basic skills and pre-ESOL support to participants who are unemployed and resident in Merseyside.





Project interviews

Select an interview to load using the movie icons, then press play.

Peter 1 (loaded)

Peter teaches a number of ESOL classes at Work Solutions and finds it rewarding when participants improve their language and employability skills.

Peter 2 (loaded)

Listen to Peter explain that participants are held back in the world of work on account of their language skills.

Sarah 1 (loaded)

Listen to Sarah introduce herself and describe her background before she became an ESOL tutor.

Sarah 2 (loaded)

Sarah explains the benefit of having small ESOL classes at Work Solutions.




Project feature

Work Solutions Liverpool provides a range of classes to support participants from a variety of backgrounds and abilities. Many of the participants are newly arrived in this country from different countries of origin and are seeking to improve both their language and employability skills. ICT support is also offered alongside jobsearch skills appropriate for the language and literacy levels of the participants. Employability can be a longer-term aim if the levels of language are very basic, although the project sees value in its approach of finding work within the language communities of the participants, often in catering, as a first step into paid employment.

Both ESOL and Basic Skills classes have two levels in order to accommodate language and multicultural needs. ESF funding enables the project to keep classes to reasonably small numbers, allowing the delivery of provision that is bespoke and tailored to meet individual need. Laptops are also used within sessions, giving people an opportunity to improve their ICT skills. Peer support is very important and can provide a motivating force in keeping people on course.

Field trips into the community to see plays, visits to museums, and days out to nearby towns form part of the programme and help to integrate participants into British society – an important adjunct to the more goal-oriented learning and jobsearch elements.

Other barriers to learning and employability can also be addressed, and participants might be referred to other support agencies for information relating to housing or benefits. The programme lasts for 26 weeks, after which individuals can be referred on to other programmes such as those run by Working Links or they may choose to continue their journey of learning through Liverpool Community College.




Contact details

Jocelynne Acky,
Liverpool Community College
Room 9, 2nd Floor, Gostins Building, 32–34 Hanover St, Liverpool , L1 4LN
(0151) 709 3517




Key project message

There are people who require assistance with their language and employability skills, for work and everyday life. These include people newly arrived in the country with little command of English, or those who for a variety of reasons have not acquired the basic literacy and/or numeracy skills that are a starting point for employability. Recognising their particular needs, working flexibly and avoiding stigma, can bring such participants into the first steps towards employability.




Project impact

The project aims to recruit 5-18 learners per month (an average of 12), most of which are referrals from Jobcentre Plus, with a further aim, to find work for 2 individuals per month. The project impact is to have better equipped those customers, who predominantly live in the most disadvantaged areas, by supporting them to acquire the language and basic skills they need to lay the foundations for further progress into employment related training and skills. This in turn will enhance job prospects and improve their overall quality of life. The project aims to support 375 customers during the life of the programme and achieve a job outcome target of 75%.




Key data

  • Region: North West
  • Sub-regions: Merseyside
  • Objective: Competitiveness and employment
  • Priority area: 2: Developing a skilled and adaptable workforce
  • Themes:
    • Not applicable
  • Co-financer: Department for Work and Pensions
  • Lead partner: Liverpool Community College
  • Partner organisations: Liverpool Community College, Groundwork, Working Links Ltd
  • Key sectors:
    • Across sectors
  • Activities:
  • Key target groups:
    • Unemployed
    • No or low qualifications
    • Economically inactive
  • Funding: £999,975
  • Start date: 01/07/2008
  • End date: 30/06/2011
  • Project web site: http://www.work-solutions.org.uk