For many people in Birmingham, the New Year will be a time to focus on losing a few pounds. But the Learning and Skills Council is doing the exact opposite by helping people add a few pounds, to their bank balances, through the Adult Learning Grant (ALG).
ALG can offer up to £30 per week to adults aged 19 and over, who go back into learning and training, to help out with those extra costs - from travel and books to materials and childcare – and one mum-of-five from West Heath is all set to “cut it” in a new career in hairdressing thanks to the grant.
Jayne Green, aged 37, worked in a bank for a short time after leaving school but gave up work when she was 18 to become a full-time mum.
“I met my husband Stephen when I was 17 and was happy to be a mum and concentrate on my family,” she said.
When their youngest child, Georgia, now aged nine, was settled at school, Jayne wanted to work in a creative environment but realised that she needed training after being out of the workplace for nearly 20 years.
Her niece recommended a hairdressing course at Bournville College and Jayne enrolled two years ago. She completed an NVQ Level 2 and is now working towards Level 3.
Jayne said: “It was daunting to go back into education after such a long time because my life had all been about my family and I was also conscious that some of the other students in my group were the same age as two of my children.
“But it’s been a very positive experience. The younger students look on me as a mother figure and there are more mature students as well.
“Going back to college has given me the confidence to have a new social life with new friends and the feeling of being a person in my own right - more than “just a mum”.
“The £30 ALG during term time is great – it goes towards course equipment and my travel expenses. The college also helped to access some extra money that helped to pay for Georgia’s after school care and I wouldn’t be able to attend college without that.”
Jayne has proved to be an exceptional student. Although she plans to become a self-employed hairdresser after finishing her course next summer, her tutors are so impressed with her work that they have suggested she become an assessor and teacher of hairdressing.
She added that Stephen, a self-employed car valeter, and their three sons and two daughters have all been very supportive.
Asked what advice she would offer others who would like to return to learning, but are nervous about doing it, she said: “It’s the best thing I could have done - I’ve no regrets at all. I’ve learned new skills and gained so much confidence and a new social life.”
Jerome Boothe, Learner Support Fund Co-ordinator at Bournville College, said: “It is very gratifying to know that the advice and support provided by the Student Funding Team is appreciated and is playing such an integral role in enabling learners like Jayne to overcome potential barriers to re-entering education and pursue goals, which due to a lack of finances, they may have previously thought were not achievable.
“Since the introduction of ALG in 2006-07, the College has encouraged and helped close to 400 learners take advantage of the scheme, helping those who might not have succeeded in their initial education gain the qualifications needed for their future careers.”
You can use ALG to study for a wide range of qualifications, including BTECs, NVQs, GSCEs and A-levels across a huge range of subject areas: from business to construction, science to hairdressing and childcare to publishing. Wherever you want to be in life, you can find the course for you.
Since the national roll out of ALG in September 2007, more than 72,000 people have benefited from the grant.
So if you are thinking about improving your skills by going back into learning in 2010, now is a good time to start looking at your options and find out if ALG could really help you too.
Julie Robson, Deputy Regional Director for the Learning and Skills Council in the West Midlands, said: “Whatever you want to do, having the right qualifications can give you a real head start. People who go back to learning later in life often find that they’re more focused and determined than they were the first time around, and tend to have a clearer idea of what they want to study.
“However, costs for things like books, materials, transport and childcare can discourage them from taking that first step. The Adult Learning Grant, of up to £30 a week, is a great way of making learning more affordable and helps people focus on getting where they want to be in life.”
To find out if you could be eligible for the Adult Learning Grant, visit www.direct.gov.uk/alg or call the learner support line on 0800 121 8989.
