WS Training to open a post-16 education centre in Haverhill
A new training centre for students who have left school and need to gain further qualifications to enable them to move on to the next stage in their lives is to open in Haverhill.
The new education centre for 16 to 18 year olds (or up to 24 if they have an educational health care plan) opens on September 18 at the Clements Community Centre, in Leiston Road.
Operated by Ipswich-based private training provider, WS Training, it will be open Wednesday to Friday, from 9.30am to 3.30pm each day in term time and be managed by Jacqui Singleton, who will take on the role after leaving her job as careers practitioner at Samuel Ward Academy in Haverhill.
Chloe Barnett, head of education at WS Training’s, which has centres in Ipswich and Lowestoft, has been working closely with Haverhill Town Council’s youth skills and family manager, Karen Chapple, and youth support worker Madaline Day, to get the project off the ground.
WS Training opened in 2014 in Ipswich and has continued to grow. It is now under the leadership of CEO Kirstie Wright and executive chair Jane Wood.
Chloe said: “We decided to come to Haverhill because Karen (Chapple) contacted ourselves begging for provision for level two learners.”
Level two learners are those that would be NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) if they can’t get into a provision.
Karen explained more about the need for the provision in Haverhill.
“If a child has not quite achieved their five GCSEs they can’t get an education in Haverhill between 16 and 18 and now the Government has said they have to have an education from 16 to 18, so they have to go to Bury St Edmunds or Cambridge to get that level of education.
“Not many people have to do a 40 mile round trip just to get their education and that’s what they have to do.”
Chloe added: “We recognised that absolute need. We could have opened up a centre anywhere in the county but we really wanted to respond to the area that has a need.”
The centre will offer vocational studies- a broad course around employability that includes work experience placements.
It will also offer functional skills in maths and English, taking students to the equivalent of GCSE passes in both subjects, making the step to further education, employment or apprenticeships possible.
Careers advice will be embedded in the courses and there will be enterprise projects for the students, from which they can raise money.
For more details email applications@wstraining.co.uk or call 01473 604260.
