Maidenhead & Windsor

Education is for everyone. That’s the message from the Maidenhead Royal Borough in the run up to Adult Learners’ Week 2007, which aims to highlight the numerous learning and educational opportunities available in the local area.

Running from May 19 to 25, this special Maidenhead week is supported by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education for England & Wales (NIACE) and it highlights that learning doesn’t need to end when people leave school – with full and part-time courses on offer for subjects as wide ranging as first aid for dog owners, ornamental pond design, IT skills and keep fit.

From Monday May 21 the council’s lifelong learning team will be focusing on adult learning opportunities with a special display in the reception area of the Town Hall, Maidenhead. There will be examples of how local people have benefited from embracing new learning opportunities and leaflets about the courses and learning centres available in the Maidenhead Royal Borough. The council will also be staging a competition for its employees, offering a 10-minute holistic shoulder massage for just £1 to lucky winners to raise awareness about the importance of work-life balance.

Watch out for national Learning at Work Day on Thursday May 24, when employers across the country will be staging fun and business-related learning activities to help their staff learn new skills they can subsequently put into action at work.

Prospectuses for local Maidenhead colleges will soon be available for enrolments in September 2007 but in the meantime there are summer courses on offer at Berkshire College of Agriculture (BCA), Burchetts Green, with places still available for Floristry, Summer Flowers, Plant Identification, Wildflower Identification, First Aid for Dog Owners, Ornamental Pond Design, Brickwork for Beginners, Practical Paving Skills, ‘Making Good’ Techniques Around the Home and Dressage. For further information call freephone 0800 071 1666.

Summer courses are also available at East Berkshire College, Windsor. Call 0845 373 2500 for further information.

Courses in Improvers’ Microsoft Word and Excel as well as Keep Fit are available in the daytime at Windsor’s Broom Farm Community Learning Centre. For further information and for general information on lifelong learning opportunities for adults in the borough, contact Parwati Mistry in the council’s lifelong learning team on 01628 796584 or visit the Royal Borough’s website at www.rbwm.gov.uk

Information and advice on careers and training are available at the Centre for Developing Connections in Maidenhead Library. Call 01628 796621 to arrange a confidential appointment.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead