Hackney,
05
September
2017
|
15:06
Europe/London

Integrated Communities programme set to support migrants in Hackney

ESOL_5

Hackney Council has received £431,000 in funding from the Department for Communities and Local Government to deliver a new Integrated Communities programme. Which aims to improve the support on offer for migrants, empowering migrants through training, language and employment support and helping them settle into the community.

The programme will provide advice, signposting, engagement, employment training and English lessons for migrants, enabling those involved to contribute to their communities, while increasing their confidence and independence.

One of the main aims of the programme is to increase the awareness of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses. ESOL classes in Hackney are free and take place on a weekly basis at venues across the borough including children’s centres, primary schools, a library and the museum. Hundreds of residents attended ESOL courses every year, which helps people access further education and improve prospects for employment.

Alongside a programme directed at migrants, some of the funding will also be made available to train Council staff and those in the voluntary sector, and to improve their understanding of support available. This will make better use of services on offer for migrants, and appoint a single point of contact in the Council who can provide advice on issues that affect migrants.

 

 

Cllr Carole Williams, Cabinet Member for Employment, Skills and Human Resources
Hackney has a long history of welcoming new arrivals to Britain from across the world, and it’s this legacy that makes the borough the welcoming place it is today. We know that migrants do very well, but there are also those whose voices are not heard. We want to ensure all migrants have the support they need to prosper and contribute to community life, and so Hackney is very pleased to have secured this much needed additional resource. It will help us enhance the work we are already doing with our partners.
Cllr Carole Williams, Cabinet Member for Employment, Skills and Human Resources

The funding has been made available through the Department for Communities and Local Government, to help support wider community cohesion and the integration of recent migrants.

To join an ESOL class, potential students need to attend an ESOL advice session, where an adviser will check their level of English before helping them find a class which will best suit their needs. Advice sessions take place regularly at five venues across Hackney. For more information call 020 8820 7043, email esol@learningtrust.co.uk or visit www.learningtrust.co.uk/esol.