We've had a fantastic time seeing you all on our free Festival of Learning taster sessions.

It's been wonderful to hear your feedback

"Thank you for another interesting and informative afternoon walk. So good to find facts out about an area you live in and meet some lovely people of a like mind...Many thanks again you have the ability to make people feel at ease"

"I have found this session so helpful and will use these activities in the future to help me."

We'd love to see any photographs that you have taken of your experiences on courses with us or things that you've made. If you have any photos that you'd like to share with us, please email them to daces.comms@derbyshire.gov.uk.

It was great celebrating with so many staff and learners in person and online at our first hybrid event.

Learners and staff joined us at Alfreton Adult Community Education Centre, whilst others joined the event, hosted by Head of Service Mark Homer, online.

Winners and nominees were awarded certificates for the achievements that they have made this year. We celebrated staff for their contributions to learning and praised learners for making significant progress in their learning journeys.

We will send certificates and prizes to nominees and winners who couldn't join us in person.

We awarded some very deserving learners in the below themes:

• Learnt new skills for personal or professional development
• Achieved something they never thought was possible
• Transformed their lives or the lives of those around them 

We are also pleased to announce the staff winners:

• Tutor of the year - Joint winners Jayne Conquest and Linda Woodroffe 
• Member of staff that has helped me in my learning journey - Mark Hinchcliffe
• Learning Support Assistant of the year- Rob Eatherden

We would once again like to congratulate all of our nominees. The judging panel had a very tough time deciding between the very worthy candidates and stories of achievement against adversity.

Thank you also to those who took the time to recognise others by submitting a nomination.

Do you live in Derbyshire and need to update your digital skills? We have options starting throughout the year, from short taster courses to full digital skills qualifications.

Step into digital skills

Our step into digital skills course develops your digital skills and knowledge, whether you are new to computers or have a bit more confidence. 

The EDSQ course offers you the opportunity to gain skills on specific tasks such as accessing the internet or email to take a digital skills qualification at Beginners Entry-level or at Level 1. All qualifications are fully funded and FREE.

All learners are invited to a 'making choices - step into learning' session before starting to find out your level of ability and help you decide on the options available to you.

If you'd like to find out more, email making.choices@daces.derbyshire.gov.uk with the subject line' digital skills'. When you email, please give us details of what you would like to learn and whether you have done any ICT training before.  Also let us know a contact number and where abouts in Derbyshire you live so we can look at locating your nearest centre.

These options are all for learners aged 19 and over. For anyone under this age, please enquire and we can talk through options and check eligibility.

The Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers (AMUSF) Level 1 and 2 at Ashbourne Adult Community Education Centre received their moderation visit on Monday 11 July.

Learners on the course have worked incredibly hard to produce some outstanding work. All learners have achieved a distinction and are to progress onto the next level of the qualification.

Moderator, Steve Chapman was able to feedback to the learners at the end of his visit. He praised all of them on the incredibly high standard of their work, he said that it had been extremely difficult to find any faults at all and that it was some of the best work he had ever moderated. He also took the time to congratulate tutor Tony Dickin who has been instrumental in delivery of learning, success of the course and inspiring and supporting all learners to achieve.

If you are interested in Upholstery, there are a couple of spaces on the new Level 1 starting in September – please contact Ashbourne.Ace@derbyshire.gov.uk for more details.

The Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers qualifications are based on acquiring good practical and relevant skills. These qualifications may lead to employment within the industry or with additional practice may lead to you starting your own small business.

Help us to improve and you could WIN an iPad!

If you complete the online End of Course Evaluation form given to you by your tutor you could win an iPad! The more courses you've been on, the more chances you get.

Open to anyone that has completed the End of Course evaluation form between 1 March and 31 July.

After the closing date, a random winner will be selected.

The more courses you've been on, the more chances you have to win the iPad!

Use this link https://forms.office.com/r/ax28utfvsA to share your thoughts on your learning experience with us.

Terms and conditions 

Chesterfield library has a selection of fiction in a variety of languages other than English:

German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Czech, Turkish, Urdu, Gujarati, Chinese and Pashtun.

Books can be sent to your local library branch for you to borrow.

For more information, ring 01629 533444 or contact ask.library@derbyshire.gov.uk

Plastic Free July® is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and communities.

We’re encouraging colleagues to be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics.

The campaign has some useful resources and ideas. Join over 100 million people worldwide who take part.

• sign up for the Plastic Free July Challenge the get bags of encouragement in weekly emails throughout the month
• get a daily idea from the 31 days of tips calendar
• share messages on social media @plasticfreejuly
• take the Pesky Plastics Quiz to help their research
• and much more.
• Take a look at our single use plastics policy 

Learners display

Our Full Time Study Programme based at Clay Cross Adult Community Education Centre have created this display as part of their learning around Plastic Free July. 

Learners have been looking at plastic pollution and recycling statistics in their Maths sessions and did some mindfulness colouring and collage creation in their Wellbeing sessions. They put it all together to create this colourful under-sea themed display full of information, facts, and ideas for reducing plastic consumption.  

The display promotes taking smaller steps every day to reduce plastic consumption through re-using and refilling plastic containers and how we can save and recycle soft plastic wrappings through local collection points in addition to the usual items we put in our recycling bins. 

Find out more about our Study Programmes.

Location:

Glossop Community Education Centre

Reference:

JOB/22/03455

Salary details:

Grade 9 £26,204 - £28,113 per annum £15,772.40 - £16,867.80 pro rata)

Job term:

Fixed term – covering for secondment until 31 December

Hours

22 hours 12 minutes per week (3 days)

Closing Date:

07 August 2022

Location:

Glossop Community Education Centre

Reference:

JOB/22/03486

Salary details:

Grade 9 £26,204 - £28,113 per annum (£10,481.64 - £11,245.20 pro rata)

Job term:

Permanent

Hours

14 hours and 48 minutes per week (2 days)

Closing Date:

28 August 2022