Learners in Merthyr Tydfil have been growing in confidence and ambition with their employment prospects and career opportunities, thanks to a partnership between Adult Learning Wales and Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. Thanks to this partnership, learners have been returning to the classroom through specialised Teaching and Learning courses focusing on Autism, ADHD, and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

While these courses provide vital professional skills, their true impact is best measured by the lives they have fundamentally transformed. Here are the stories of five learners who found their voices, their passions, and their futures through community-based learning.

Learner A

Learner A is a qualified nurse who has been out of employment for 13 years while raising her family. Through attending informal Community Focused Schools (CFS) activities, including coffee mornings and play sessions, she gradually built positive relationships with school staff and became more engaged in school life.

During conversations with CFS staff, she expressed a desire to return to work but required a role that would fit around her family commitments. She was encouraged to enrol on the Teaching Assistant course and subsequently completed a range of additional adult learning opportunities.

Following the course, Learner A volunteered extensively within both primary and secondary school settings, exceeding the required placement hours. This experience enabled her to gain confidence, develop current workplace skills, and build relevant experience.

She subsequently registered with a supply agency and has secured several long-term placements, continuing to work regularly through the agency. During school holidays, she also supported the delivery of the local secondary school’s Food and Fun programme.

Learner A continues to engage in lifelong learning, completing additional courses such as British Sign Language (BSL). Her journey culminated in her speaking at a Community Focused Schools conference, sharing with headteachers, local authority officers and Welsh Government representatives the significant positive impact that CFS engagement and adult learning had on both her financial circumstances and mental wellbeing.

Learner B

Learner B left school at 16 and had become disengaged from education. After becoming a parent at a young age, she undertook several temporary jobs but struggled to establish a long-term career pathway.

Through engagement with Community Focused Schools activities, she developed a trusting relationship with staff and agreed to enrol on the Teaching Assistant course. Alongside the course, she participated in a range of additional learning opportunities and completed a volunteer placement within a primary school.

Although Learner B did not pursue employment as a teaching assistant, the experience reignited her passion for learning and helped her recognise her potential. She is now completing her first year at university, studying Law, and has chosen to specialise in Family Law.

Her increased confidence and commitment to supporting others are further demonstrated through her involvement as a volunteer befriender, for which she recently received a positive reference. Her journey highlights how adult learning can function as a catalyst for broader educational aspirations and long-term personal development.

Learner C

Learner C was initially a very shy and reserved individual who had participated in some Community Focused Schools activities. Recognising her potential, school staff encouraged her to enrol on the Teaching Assistant course delivered at her child’s school.

She successfully completed the course and participated in a range of additional learning opportunities. Following her placement, she began volunteering within the school and, two years later, continues to volunteer several times each week.

During this period, Learner C has also become a published children’s author, bringing a wealth of skills and experiences that benefit pupils and the wider school community. Whilst she is not currently seeking paid employment, she remains a highly valued volunteer and continues to participate in Adult Learning Wales courses.

The opportunity to engage in learning, volunteering and school life has significantly increased her confidence, self-esteem, and sense of belonging within her community

Learner D

Learner D had been out of employment for a considerable period, having previously relied on her husband’s income as the family’s primary source of financial support. Following her husband’s ill health and early retirement, she found herself needing to return to work but lacked confidence and knowledge about how to do so.

Already known to the Community Focused Schools team through family activities, she enrolled on the Teaching Assistant course. Despite being unable to drive, she demonstrated exceptional commitment by travelling by train each week to attend the sessions.

She completed her volunteer placement within her children’s local school and has since registered with a supply agency. Although transport limitations continue to restrict the range of opportunities available to her, she has successfully taken on a variety of meaningful roles within her local school community.

Learner D now runs a weekly after-school craft club, supports additional reading interventions, and provides administrative assistance within the school office. Her journey demonstrates how community-based learning can rebuild confidence and create pathways into volunteering and employment.

Learner E

Learner E had never been employed. Both she and her husband were unemployed and raising two young children.

She enrolled on the recent Teaching Assistant course and actively participated in a range of additional learning opportunities. Following completion of the course, she began volunteering weekly within the local secondary school and continued to engage in further training, including British Sign Language (BSL).

Learner E has registered with a supply agency and is currently awaiting completion of her DBS clearance before commencing work. Alongside her employment aspirations, the course has reignited her enthusiasm for learning and personal development.

As a result of her positive experience, she has now enrolled on a part-time college course, demonstrating increased confidence, ambition, and commitment to improving opportunities for herself and her family.

These stories are a testament to the partnership between Adult Learning Wales and Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council in creating local Community Focused Schools that provide long-term opportunities in the teaching and education sector.

The paths these five learners have taken back into education illustrate that community-led adult education has a positive impact on individual learners and on those they support in their local community, be it their families, employers, or wider society. It is not just about what the learners take away from the classroom in terms of skills; it is the personal growth in confidence, ambition and belief that shines through with these learners.