Team Stadium and Pearson in Practice are celebrating the success of the first site workers to achieve Level 2 qualifications in both Literacy and Numeracy.

Remi St Hilaire and Chris Randall made full use of the on-site Learning Centre, taking advantage of the free facilities, support and guidance on offer.

Remi St Hilaire:

“I didn’t do all that well at school and started working in construction pretty much straight away. After I started working at Team Stadium I found out about the Training Centre in the Welfare Building and thought I’d pop in to see what it was all about.”

“I got talking to David Howell, the tutor there, and he told me that I could get English and Maths training and qualifications. All I had to do was come in to the Centre and David would work with me through the courses. My boss was great, allowing me a bit of time off from work to do my studies at the Centre.”

"At first I wasn’t quite sure what I’d let myself in for, but David explained everything and made it all relevant. I breezed through it! I did all the work necessary and when I was ready David put me forward to sit the end tests. I didn’t expect the tests to be as easy as they were.”

“This is a great place to do qualifications. So quick and easy – it all just fits around my work. I came in on lunch breaks. You can study free of charge, so you might as well go for it and get qualifications.”

Chris Randall

“Currently I’m working towards getting fully qualified as an electrician and I needed to have pass grades in English and Maths. The Training Centre provided just what I needed – a way to get my English and Maths without too much hassle.”

“I found out about the Centre from my supervisor, who suggested I should take a look on one of my breaks. I met with David Howell and did an initial assessment to work out what I needed to do and work on. David enrolled me on the courses and I began coming in to the centre once or twice a week.”

“All in all, it took about four months to complete the courses and take the end tests. I’d come into the Centre and catch up with David. It works better than having to go out to a college and take time out of my social life. It’s all on site so I can drop in to the Centre whenever I need to.”

“The whole thing fitted in with everything I do and I had access to learning whenever I needed it.”

The Team Stadium Learning Centre provides guidance and support to anyone working on site, whether builders, security staff, cleaners or managers. Advice is given to anyone thinking about developing their skills and knowledge.

Lessons can provided on-site, usually for 1 hour a week, at times to suit the learner and their employer. Courses include English, Maths and Information Communication Technology (ICT), as well as English for Speakers of Other Languages.

“Each course is tailored to the learner,” says Skills Tutor, David Howell. “In addition to the GCSE equivalent courses, we also offer short courses and reminder sessions. People can choose to come in to the Centre or I can set them up to do the work at home through distance learning.”