SkillWise Awards Ceremony & Class Showcase
September 2026
Adult Learners’ Week is an international festival that aims to celebrate learner success, raise the profile of the Adult Community Education sector and encourage lifelong learning: https://www.aceaotearoa.org.nz/events/adult-learners-week.
SkillWise is a provider of Adult Community Education (ACE) via our learning service – the structured classes and courses that we offer to SkillWise members. These classes are responsive to learner need and aim to build confidence and capacity of learners.
As part of Adult Learners’ Week and in honour of the learners at SkillWise, we hosted an Awards Ceremony & Class Showcase event on Thursday 10th September. This was an opportunity to present certificates to people who had completed a formal course of learning (ASDAN*) via SkillWise classes or self-directed learning.
We presented 108 certificates to 62 learners – covering 21 ASDAN modules, including the following modules:
Citizenship – participants learn about elements of being part of their community, looking at topics such as their rights and responsibilities, how communities work, and being a responsible global citizen.
Independent Living – skills for living away from home - cleaning, using appliances, home-based tasks, personal safety at home and in the community, communication, managing money (paying bills), shopping, using community facilities.
Knowing About Myself / Coping with People / Relationships – participants learn about themselves – likes and dislikes, how to introduce themselves and how to learn about others and about different types of relationships, healthy vs unhealthy relationships, keeping safe online, consent and choice.
Meal Preparation & Cooking
Money Skills
Practical Workshop – learners were supported to complete this module in Model Making classes and activities. Covering topics such as safety in a work area, using tools and materials, and making something.
Using Transport – some learners in the Community Skills class completed this module on how to plan, prepare and undertake different travel (using busses), and what to do if things go wrong.
Work Awareness
*ASDAN is an alternative education programme from the UK and is module-based learning.
It was wonderful to welcome the learners and many family/whānau and friends to the Awards Ceremony to celebrate the achievements of SkillWise members. We had special guest Keith Hannon to hand out certificates. Keith works for Cook Brothers Construction who have been great friends to SkillWise – they co-designed and built the colourful new furniture in the hangout space for us, as well as the deck/ramp at The Shed Gallery for The White Room at Richmond Community Garden. Keith brought along his Regional Manager Jayden and colleague Kristie.
After the Awards Ceremony people had the opportunity to look at some of the work classes have been doing – there were videos playing, wall displays and exhibits around the building. The cooking classes had prepared some delicious kai – cheese rolls and biscuits. And of course, there was a sausage sizzle! Thanks to artist SophiSol for the sausage artwork.
Ka pai to all the learners who completed their learning, and thanks to the whole community for coming out to celebrate and to for supporting this event!
Ngā mihi nui to all our supporters for this event:
