Stewart Fraser
Education Coordinator, Kilmarnock
I deliver and ESOL and Employability project to refugees who have been relocated to North Ayrshire. I have taught English as a second and foreign language for many years and living in other countries where English is not widely spoken has given me empathy with our learners who arrive in the UK with little or no English.
I love that no day is the same and that my learners feel confident to ask questions and to tailor their learning towards their personal goals. It’s a pilot project so we don’t have a rule book, there’s no prescribed formula which gives us an opportunity to deliver the best possible provision for our learners.
Our learners are refugees, mainly from Syria and Afghanistan. There is potential for our learners from Sudan to be included in our project. They have a range of literacy abilities and are keen to use. I appreciate their drive to succeed and the progress they have made in becoming “New Scots”. I don’t feel that I’ve changed anyone's life for the better since it’s part of my role, I believe they do this themselves with my support. Many of our learners arrived in the UK with little or no English and I can hear them using language delivered in our class in real life situations. This language will hopefully better equip them for life and work in the UK.
My vision is to support individuals into sustainable employment which is of personal interest to them and makes them feel further integrated in the UK. I see our learners becoming more employable in the UK and I see residents of North Ayrshire embracing our learners which will raise awareness of the benefits of equality and diversity. My hope is for autonomous reflective learners who have built up their English skills through their determination to succeed.
Contact details
WEA Scotland, c/o Ardrossan Employability Hub, 82-84 Glasgow Street, Ardrossan, KA22 8EH, Tel: 07879 888 920, Email: [email protected]