Cheshire College provides free English courses to Ukrainian refugees

Cheshire College – South & West has offered fully funded English classes to Ukrainian adults and their family members before welcoming them back in the new academic year in September.

To help them settle into life in the UK, the College’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) team have provided classes to approximately 50 Ukrainian refugees during the remaining weeks of the academic term to help those signed up to improve their reading, writing and listening, and gain a nationally recognised qualification.

As part of an enhanced package, Cheshire College are also providing free transport to the Campus and meals whilst they are on Campus.

The programme has also provided a safe space for the new students and their families and introduced them to fellow Ukrainians who have found themselves in a similar position.

Two ESOL students at the College, Yuliana and Arvind, are married and left the Ukraine with their daughter. Commenting on the course at the College, they said: “We are very happy to be here, and we want to say thank you so much to the UK Government and British people for the opportunity to improve our English and learn something new.”

Gareth Edwards, Assistant Director of ESOL at Cheshire College, says: “We could see that there was a great interest in our ESOL course starting in September from Ukrainian adults and their families, but we wanted to help as soon as we could and provide tools that will help them integrate with UK culture and the community.

“It has been incredibly rewarding to teach these new students, learn more about their stories and offer our support where we can.”

Principal and CEO of Cheshire College, Dhesi, added: “We’ve been completely inspired by the resilience, commitment, and positivity the Ukrainian students have demonstrated and we’re looking forward to helping them further as they build on their qualifications and explore career opportunities in the UK."

Cheshire College welcome students of all ages and offer ESOL courses for those wishing to improve their English through writing, reading, speaking and listening. To find out more about this course, visit:

www.ccsw.ac.uk

• Cheshire College is the largest provider of post-16 education in the region offering exciting opportunities to 11,000 learners and 1,000 Apprentices.   
• Their modern Campuses across Cheshire in Crewe, Ellesmere Port and Chester have world-class facilities which are the result of a £140m investment in the latest technology and real work environments.  
• The College provides learners with the skills, experience and qualifications that will prepare them for their future career or higher-level study and encourage them to become confident individuals who will make valuable contributions to businesses and the local economy.   
• With extremely important values which guide the way they work with each other, their partners and within communities, Cheshire College empower individuals and nurture talent, taking the time to listen, help and care, whilst always acting with honesty, integrity and trust.    
• Cheshire College offers a range of courses from Entry Level to Level 7 in: A Levels; Full-time courses; Apprenticeships; Part-time courses for adults; Access and Higher Education courses; bespoke training for employers; Maths, English, IT and ESOL courses for adults; programmes for International learners; Futures Programme for learners aspiring to progress to university.    
• They are also the only Further Education College in Cheshire to have been selected by the Government to offer a new two-year qualification, T Levels, from September 2021.    
• Cheshire College works with key stakeholders and leads on initiatives to provide high-quality education for all ages in Crewe, Ellesmere Port and Chester.   
• They also work with employers, industries and organisations to drive economic growth through the development of future e-focused skills.   
• Cheshire College is on a mission to develop digital across the community with their new five-year project, ‘The Digital Hub’, which is part of a £5m investment made by Cheshire and Warrington LEP. The Digital Hub aims to deliver skills and career pathways in additive manufacturing and Virtual and Augmented Reality, as well as improve Advanced Manufacturing Skills to expand digital infrastructures in existing workforces and facilitate access to technology within community organisations.   
• The College has strong links with local businesses of all sizes and work with many major employers such as Bentley, Brownlow Furniture, Ecolab, Vauxhall Motors, Scottish Power, Unilever, Brunning and Price and National Grid.   
• Cheshire College are an approved Apprenticeship provider and can support local employers who are using the Levy system to recruit and train Apprentices within their business.