The Adult and Community Learning service provides learning opportunities for adults and families in the Dudley borough.
We have courses that are designed to help you to get a job or gain new skills for work. Other courses offer opportunities to improve your health and mental wellbeing, and we have family learning to help you support your children with their schoolwork.
We pride ourselves on our personal and caring approach, and our focus is to help our learners progress and achieve success.
Ofsted says that...
… learners experience a welcoming and inclusive learning environment. January 2024
Choosing the right course for you will help you achieve your goals. We will work with you to help you plan a personal programme of learning which will meet your individual needs, aims and aspirations. To help with your planning we can offer you an Information, Advice and Guidance interview with a qualified advisor at any of our learning centres. This will help you to make the right course choice and to plan your learning.
We have a wide range of courses on offer including English and maths, computers, arts and crafts and health and well-being. Our courses provide the opportunity to learn a new skill, meet people, gain a qualification, further your career, or learn new skills.
We also have a team of people dedicated to helping you get the skills needed to find a job. Whether it’s your first job or getting back into work we can help you to: • search for a job • write your CV / application • improve your interview skills • find the right course for you
We offer an employability support package for residents and businesses and one-to-one support for those seeking long or short-term employment or volunteering.
Our adult and community learning team are here to help with the following support:
Job and careers information, advice and guidance
Support to set up and manage a Universal Credit account
Help with completing online jobs applications/registrations
Job matching service
Setting up an email account for online job applications
Help compiling your CV and covering letters
Interview techniques
Advice on appropriate training and learning courses
Have a look through our brochure or online courses or speak to one of our members of staff to help you choose the right learning programme for you and to secure a place on the course. To book a place please call 01384 818143 or call into one of our learning centres, or book with our online course finder.
For some courses, mainly English, maths and ESOL, you may need to do an initial assessment to check which level you are working at before you enrol.
We can offer you additional support to help you succeed in your learning, including:
• practical help for learners with a disability • specialised equipment such as ICT software and adjustable desks • information and resources supplied in alternative formats on the courses
Talk to us if you think that you may need some extra help with your learning.
Protecting your privacy is our top priority as you engage with our services. We only collect necessary information from learners based on mandated requirements or identified business needs, such as enrolment, assessment and service improvement purposes.
Your information may be shared with external entities like the Education and Skills Funding Agency and the West Midlands Combined Authority, as well as examination boards for specific exam purposes. Additionally, we may share your information with other council departments when required to address service requests, complaints, or to facilitate actions agreed upon with you to enhance Dudley Council’s services and activities.
We adhere to strict data retention policies, retaining personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes stated, and securely disposing of it when no longer needed, in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Rest assured, we employ robust data security measures, including encryption, access controls, and regular security audits, to safeguard your personal information.
As a user, you have rights regarding your personal data, including the right to access, rectify, and erase your data. To exercise these rights or for any inquiries or concerns regarding data privacy you can contact our Data Protection Officer by email.
For a detailed understanding of how we handle your data you can request the full privacy notice from any member of our Adult and Community Learning team. Dudley Council’s comprehensive privacy notice is available on our website.
Safeguarding Dudley Adult and Community Learning has a legal responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all our learners, volunteers, staff, and visitors. We provide a safe learning environment that protects individual rights and keeps learners free from harm, abuse, and neglect.
We seek to safeguard learners by:
valuing learners and listening to them
adopting safeguarding guidelines and procedures
enabling learners to enjoy a safe learning environment
recruiting staff safely
have inclusive learning provision
If you are a learner and have any concerns, you can contact a safeguarding officer confidentially on 01384 818070 or email ACL safeguarding.
For more information about how to stay safe in your community visit Dudley Safeguarding.
