Lord Mayor supports Sheffield student celebration of employability skills

Around 200 Sheffield College students have been congratulated for their employability course achievements at a celebration event. The group of adult learners have completed a 14-week English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) employability course run in partnership with Jobcentre Plus.
Master Cutler Kenneth Cooke and Lord Mayor Councillor Anne Murphy with studentsMaster Cutler Kenneth Cooke and Lord Mayor Councillor Anne Murphy with students
Master Cutler Kenneth Cooke and Lord Mayor Councillor Anne Murphy with students

The Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Councillor Anne Murphy, and Master Cutler, Kenneth Cooke, attended the event and presented students with their course certificates at the College’s Employability Centre on Matilda Street on November 24.

Sughra Begum, Director of ESOL, Employability and Foundation Learning, The Sheffield College, said: “We are very proud of our students’ success and delighted that the Lord Mayor of Sheffield and Master Cutler lent their support to our certificate presentation. Progression from these courses helps our students get the employability skills they need to progress into work and onto further or higher education. ”

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The College is the largest provider of ESOL courses in the city. Around 2,000 students studied ESOL courses during the last academic year. They are aimed at learners who have moved to the country and whose first language is not English. ESOL assesses the four skills of speaking, writing, listening and reading. The topics and tasks covered relate to everyday work, study, community and social situations.

The students originate from more than 30 countries. They include Afghanistan, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Pakistan, China, Sudan, Bangladesh, Algeria, Turkey, Burma, Sierra Leone, Bhutan, and European countries such as Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, Greece, Czech Republic, Poland, Georgia, Italy, France and Spain.

Some learners have been highly educated in their home countries and have strong spoken English but need to improve their literacy skills in order to gain the qualification, as they aspire to progress to university or work. For more information on ESOL courses, visit http://www.sheffcol.ac.uk/courses/esol or call 0114 2602600.