COLLEGES and schools in Huddersfield are helping boost student confidence – especially for teenage mums.

The Kirklees Collegiates have been running courses in Kirklees, to help people gain qualifications – and more besides.

The Learning & Skills Council commissioned the Kirklees Collegiates – a partnership made up of the 25 high schools, the colleges and the work-based providers in Kirklees who work together on the Government’s 14-19 agenda.

They took on 35 young parents and ran short courses for them in Denby Dale, Thornhill, Cleckheaton and Rawthorpe.

One course was for young mothers aged 16-18 years old who were helped to improve their qualifications, their confidence and to further their learning or progression into employment.

The skills gained can then be used in the home, in further learning or in employment.

A second course for the Rawthorpe Homestart learners consisted of 12 girls. They studied first aid, health and safety, food hygiene, parenting skills, cooking and literacy.

During the 10-week programme the girls had the opportunity to choose which parts of the training they wished to attend and several achieved at least five certificates – all of which can help them in the jobs market.

Learner Charlie Foster commented: “It was a fantastic course. I met new people and gained lots of qualifications that are useful to me; I would recommend this type of course to other young mums.”

Project manager David Toulcher said: “This has been quite an achievement for us, the girls and the LSC.

“We hit all our targets, 35 learners signed up, they all had very good attendance throughout, the girls on all the courses got a lot out of the programme and, of course, they gained qualifications that they can use in the home or at work”.