WAES Opens £30,000 IT Suite at The Abbey Centre

On 18 February 2008, Westminster Adult Education Service (WAES), in partnership with Abbey Community Association, are launching the new purpose built IT suite at The Abbey Centre in Great Smith Street, SW1. The Lord Mayor of Westminster will officially open the event.

Having spent £30,000 to install the new IT suite at The Abbey Centre, WAES hopes the new facilities will encourage people out of work and those in the community who may not have access or knowledge of computers to develop their computer skills and personal and gain work skills and qualifications.

The IT suite now comes complete with laptops, wireless internet, four smart boards and other IT equipment spread over five rooms which will increase training courses and allow a variety of computer based courses together with WAES’ Employability Award and the Citizenship Test Preparation to run.

Through the NLDC (Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities), WAES has been working with and organising courses at The Abbey Centre for over ten years. Together they have been providing further education and training to local residents and their families living in South Westminster and the wards of Churchill, St. James, Tachbrook, Vincent Square.

The NLDC Project Manager Alex Daher said the project will meet the needs of the beneficiaries by offering community learning and training for employment programmes in familiar local community locations.

“We are hoping to attract a range of learners whose aim is to get back into the workforce after an absence. We also aim to attract learners who wish to improve their job prospects by offering courses at the local centre for learners where as traditionally they would have had to travel to a nearby college,” Alex Daher said.

John Ryan, Chief Executive of Abbey Community Association, added, “Learning has always been at the heart of our 60 year history. Long may it continue with the help of this new IT facility.”