Political praise for language lesson

3 January 2006

NEWI’s Social Inclusion Research Unit and Reaching Higher Reaching Wider in conjunction with other agencies have embarked on a project to assess the learning needs of individuals in the North East Wales community who have come to the area from overseas to work.  During 2005 there seems to have been an increase in the number of people working and living in the area who have moved from the countries which are more recent members of the EU like Poland, Czechoslovakia and Portugal and this project aims to identify their needs and help facilitate learning opportunities at the appropriate level whether it be to improve English language skills or job related training.

The first phase of the project has already been completed with a family event held at Caia Park Partnership Ltd in Wrexham.  Interpreters were on hand to assist with any communication difficulties and representatives from various agencies and educational and training establishments attended to offer help and advice. 

Simona Poianu,19, from Romania is currently working as an au pair in Bangor-on-Dee and is one of the individuals who benefited from attending the event.  She desperately wants to improve her English skills but unfortunately Simona is having to send wages back to Romania to an agency to cover her appointment in the UK and hasn’t received the English classes that the agency back home had promised her.  Following the event the Caia Park Partnership has been able to arrange transport for her to attend free English classes which are provided in Caia Park.   

Local MP Ian Lucas and AM Dr John Marek both attended the event and offered their support to the on going work.  Ian Lucas said, “It is very important that economic migrants play a large part in our community.  It is therefore important that they can speak to colleagues in work.  I am pleased that there are opportunities there to learn English, and people will be able to take these up.” John Marek felt that the event was very worthwhile, “People move and change jobs more frequently now than before.  In modern Europe this movement is not confined to any one particular country.  Wrexham people are welcoming, and the event was a step on the way to integrating new workers into the community. “

It is hoped that similar events will be held to develop the project and further identify the needs of migrant communities in Wrexham and the wider North East Wales area.