European Social Fund in England

"I'm really enjoying working and learning at the same time"

Iok Seng Lai, 51, arrived in Britain from China with his teenage daughter three years ago.

But despite having more than 30 years of experience in the plumbing trade, his lack of English and advancing age proved to be real barriers in finding work here.

Iok Seng, whose first language is Cantonese, was referred to the Wai Yin Chinese community centre by a friend in June 2008 in a bid to improve his English language skills and ultimately find a job.

He began volunteering at Wai Yin, where he was able to communicate with some of the other learners and carry out valuable research work for the teaching team.

Within six months, Iok Seng was ready to begin the Working Links Intervention 4 Pre-ESOL(English for speakers of other languages), programme.

The course takes work-seekers with minimal English language up to a point where they are able to benefit from other forms of training, such as IT. Participants are taught job interview skills and are shown how to complete a CV, conduct job searches and fill out job applications.

The international learning environment helped Iok Seng feel at ease and he settled into the group well.

On one occasion, the class leader returned to the learning room to find Iok Seng teaching the group Tai Chi.

She hadn’t known he had this skill and hit upon the idea of getting him some paid teaching.

The Wai Yin mental health team asked Iok Seng to go with them as a volunteer to Styal Prison, Cheshire, to teach Tai Chi to inmates. His classes proved very popular and he was soon being paid for his work.

Now Mr Lai has been able to transfer his skills to Cheetham Community School, where he teaches Tai Chi to 11-14-year-olds twice a week.

When he is not teaching at the school, Mr Lai works as a driver at Wai Yin, picking up elderly people from their homes and making sure they are returned safely.

Sheila Standard, Education Training and Employment Services Co-ordinator at Wai Yin said: “There is no way that Mr Lai would have had the confidence, or the language skills to teach in Cheetham Community School to 100% non-Chinese students without the Working Links Pre-ESOL course.

“Through a combination of support and volunteering outside the Chinese community Mr Lai is going from strength to strength.

“He is also a great ambassador for Chinese culture which helps contribute to community cohesion.”

She added: “His health and well-being have improved and he continues to volunteer on his days off – he shows great commitment and enthusiasm for people-centred work.

“Feeling like a useful member of society has improved his self-esteem and feelings of self-worth.”

Mr Lai, who lives in Sale, Greater Manchester, said he is continuing to improve his English and is looking forward to learning new skills in the future.

“I’m really enjoying working and learning at the same time,” he said. “And it’s great being able to share my Tai Chi.”

Project notes

Established more than 20 years ago, the Wai Yin is one of the largest Chinese community centres in the UK, providing education, training, health and employment services to the Chinese and other BME communities.

Participants on the Working Links pre-ESOL programme learn for 15 hours a week, for 13 weeks.

It is suitable for jobseekers with a beginner’s level of written and spoken English.

As well as improving language skills, participants are assisted in writing a CV, practising interview technique and learning job-search skills, including how to fill out a detailed application.

There is a six-week drop-in class once a week following the course to keep learners practising speaking and listening English, and finding work.

As a community centre and a voluntary organisation, the Wai Yin promotes volunteering as a way into work. As a Chinese organisation, it is able to ensure that the Chinese community can access services.

The target groups for the pre-ESOL project at Wai Yin include anyone eligible to work – including refugees in the Trafford, Manchester and Salford area.

Referrals come through the Job Centre via Working Links and other agencies.

The work is sub-contracted through Working Links’ contract, A Range of Targeted Interventions, which received £10,663,000 from the ESF.

The co-financing organisation for A Range of Targeted Interventions is the Department for Work and Pensions.