Thursday
29 November
09.00hrs
Over the last six
months firefighters working on the retained duty system at Keynsham
Fire Station have been improving their Maths, English and IT
skills.
The eight-strong
group have had to work around shouts, changing shift patterns and
family life in a bid to gain Skills for Life (SfL)
qualifications.
Their three months
of weekly sessions at Keynsham Fire Station have now paid off with
all achieving Level 2 passes in the subjects. And the group have
given their IT skills a boost as a result of the online training
and additional opportunities to follow tailored computing
courses.
Almost £65,000 was
awarded to Firing Up – Learning for Retained Firefighters, a
project set up to promote lifelong learning opportunities across
Avon and Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Services.
Initiated by the
Fire Brigades Union (FBU), the project, which includes
representatives from both Avon and Gloucestershire, successfully
bid for funding from Learning Works for All (LWfA), a partnership
managed by South West TUC.
The project will
be rolled out to around six retained fire stations within the
AF&RS area by the time the pilot ends in 2008.
Trudi Cox, the
Learning Project Worker for ‘Firing Up’, is delighted with the
results of the Keynsham pilot.
She said: “For
those who got an O Level all those years ago it is a chance to
update their qualifications in Maths and English, or gain a
national qualification if they have missed out on getting that all
important certificate at school. Some have simply enjoyed
having a go.
“The courses have
certainly helped them gain confidence – and it serves as a reminder
about what they can do.”
This sentiment is
shared by Keynsham firefighter Rob Williams, who was keen to see
the courses brought to his station.
Rob said: “I left school without any qualifications – and wasn’t
even entered for the Maths exam, so when it was announced that
these courses would be taking place at my station I jumped at the
opportunity.
“I have taken
other courses in the past and those, like the one I have just
completed with AF&RS, have helped build my confidence. For me,
studying now is completely different from when I was at school and
I find that I understand things in a different way. And in fact
I’ve found that the level I have been working at is better than I
thought!
“The problem is
that what you are told at school tends to follow you through into
later life and it can seriously knock your confidence.
Fortunately this course has helped me learn a bit about myself and
my capabilities.
“Sometimes it can be hard
for people to admit if they have a weakness in certain areas. If
you’re great at Maths and English then that’s fine, but if you’re
not then this is a chance to improve your skills. I know that this
training is beneficial to me and the people I work with. For me
this has been a good opportunity – and I welcome it with open
arms.”