GOL-funded student wins Learner Award

Andrew was recognised for making a difference to his life and the lives of others through learning following a period of homelessness. The award was presented to Andrew by Jim Burns, Government Office for London's European Unit ESF Objective 3 Programme Manager, and John A Bird founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Big Issue.

The ESF programmes is managed by GOL.

Andrew says that, in the past, he believed that homeless people had just given up on life. He was in work and earning a good salary, and the last thing he expected was to find himself on the other side of the tracks. But involvement with drugs led to a custodial sentence and the loss of his job and his home. He found himself living in a hostel.

The City Lit Inside Knowledge project, funded by the Learning and Skills Council Pan London European Social Fund Programme 1, gave him the opportunity to break this vicious cycle. It enabled him to gain the City & Guilds level 2 certificate in supporting homeless people’s needs, and to complete a work placement at an alcohol support project in Camden. He has now been shortlisted for a training co-ordinator post at St Mungo’s.

“My views on homeless people have changed,” Andrew admits, “The course helped me understand the difficulties I had when faced with homeless people. I was able to empathise with the situation of the vulnerable person, which I’d never had to do before.”

Rachel Thomson, Senior Campaigns Officer at NIACE, says, “Every year our Adult Learners’ Week Awards highlight the creativity, imagination and energy adults – young and old – bring to their learning. Learners have to address many challenges, overcome struggles and carve out time for learning from crowded lives. But one thing is common to all our winners, they have recognised the passion learning can unlock – the way it opens doors, transforms your life and the lives of those around you.”