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Adult Bite-size

If you would like to explore your interests, try something new or just want to meet new people and have fun Boston College offers a wide and varied range of Adult Bite Size courses.

Our Adult Bite Size courses are fun, practical non-accredited courses, which can run from a couple of hours during a single day to a few sessions over a number of weeks. The courses cost no more than ÂŁ60, with some being FREE.

Some of the Adult Bite Size courses are funded by the Lincolnshire County Council - for more information, please read their Learner Handbook.

Location Key
BC | Boston Campus (Rochford)
PPPC | Peter Paine Performance Centre
SC | Spalding Campus
HC | Horncastle Campus

April 2024

This course is designed for people of all abilities and ages (19+), who want to take part in the growing game of walking football. This is about having fun and looking after your health, whilst taking part in a great game.

These will be coached sessions, including a warm up and cool down, ensuring your body is well looked after, but don’t worry there will be plenty of game time!

Attendance: Introduction to Walking Football will take you 16 hours to complete over 8 sessions. Starting Tuesday 30th April  2024, 4:00pm – 6:00pm at our Peter Paine Performance Centre, Boston

You will learn a range of decorative techniques that can be applied to any textile project.

  • Week 1 Shadow applique and reverse applique
  • Week 2 Fabric manipulation techniques.
  • Week 3 3D fabric flowers. Designing a cushion
  • Week 4 Apply decoration to a cushion front.
  • Week 5 Apply a zip or buttons and complete the cushion.

YOU WILL NEED TO BRING your own sewing machine, thread, fabric scissors and thread snips/scissors, pins and needles, plus fabric, zip and interfacing for the cushion.

Attendance: Creative Textiles will take you 10 hours to complete over 5 weeks. Starting Monday 15th April 2024, 10:00am - 12:00pm at our Spalding Campus.

The Confidence and Stress course will help you understand the impact and benefits of being confident and identify the factors that affect people’s confidence and self-esteem. The course will also show you what is stress to the individual and the possible causes of stress, and is the cause within our control?

Attendance: Understanding Confidence and Stress will take you 1 session to complete, and is available at our Boston(Rochford), Spalding and Horncastle campuses, on the below dates:

Boston (Rochford)
Monday 29th April 2024

Spalding
Monday 22nd April 2024

Horncastle
Monday 15th April 2024

This course is designed by a Holistic therapist- channelling knowledge of multiple techniques used to positively impact Mental Health in areas such as anxiety, stress and pain. This course will explore various strategies that can help you, such as Mindfulness, guided meditation, discussion around CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), art therapies and more.

Attendance: Mindfulness and Meditation for Relaxation will take you 2 sessions to complete. Starting Monday 29th April 2024, 10:00am – 1:00pm at our Boston Campus (Rochford)

Introduction to British Sign Language can be taken without any previous BSL experience and will allow learners to gain basic skills and confidence in the two areas of production and reception.

This qualification is for people who wish to communicate simple conversations with Deaf People, want to progress onto higher levels, enter or progress their employment or are family, friends or colleagues of deaf people.

Attendance: Introduction to British Sign Language will take you 4 sessions to complete. Starting Wednesday 24th April 2024, 6:00pm - 8:00pm at our Boston Campus (Rochford)

May 2024

This course provides an introduction to wellness and wellbeing including essential nutrition, planning your food, stress management strategies and how wellness links to motivation and productivity in the workplace and in your personal life.

Attendance: Re-Energize yourself will take you 3 hours to complete over 1 session. This course will run on Friday 3rd May 2024, 4:00pm – 7:00pm at Peter Paine Performance Centre, Boston.

Designed to cater for the safety needs of women, this course is intended to empower women physically and psychologically with the necessary skills to protect themselves from potentially dangerous situations.

You will cover the following:
- Basic self-defence techniques
- How to diffuse potentially dangerous situations
- Know your legal rights and policies that protect you
- Gains lots of hands-on practice
- Develop your self-confidence.

Attendance: Self Defence and Personal Safety for Women, will take you 6 hours to complete over 3 sessions. Starting Tuesday 7th May 2024, 6:00pm – 8:00pm at our Peter Paine Performance Centre, Boston

Do you have a practical curiosity to learn how to harness, store and use solar energy?
Do you just want to discover how this can save you money or live “off grid”?

If so, our new Solar Battery Course is a great place to start. You will learn in a very
hands-on way from Lincolnshire resident, author and you-tuber Andy Reynolds how
to integrate solar battery systems into your home and reduce the reliance on conventional grid or off grid generation.

The course covers how to build a basic system and how to use the power in a variety of different situations. It is practically based with small excursions into theory. It
covers solar panels, wiring, batteries, charge controllers, and both island and UPS
inverters. Ample time is allowed for questions and discussion.

Attendance: Using Solar Power for the Home will take you a total of 8 hours to complete over 4 sessions. Starting Tuesday 14th May 2024, 6:00pm - 8:00pm at our Boston Campus (Rochford)

Cost: ÂŁ60 per person

Our Basic IT Skills course is designed to cover the basics of IT, help build your confidence and develop your skills for employment. During the Basic IT Skills course, you will study Basic IT including –

-Word processing & producing documents
-Saving and printing
-E-mails including uploading documents
-Using the internet (including search engines)

Attendance: Basic ICT will take you 2 sessions to complete, and is available on the below dates.

Boston Campus (Rochford)
Tuesday 14th May 2024, 9:30am - 4:00pm

Spalding Campus
Tuesday 14th May 2024, 9:30am - 4:00pm

Horncastle Campus
Monday 13th May 2024, 9:30am – 4:00pm

This Introduction to the role of a Teaching Assistant course is aimed at those interested in a career in becoming a teaching assistant or learning support in an educational setting. You may be volunteering or starting to work in schools or even just considering this professional pathway.

Completion of this course will give you a deeper understanding of the role of a teaching assistant or learning support and will encourage you to consider what the role entails. You will have fun, hands on activities and it may help you progress to a career in Supporting Teaching & Learning.

Attendance: Introduction to the Role of a Teaching Assistant will take you 1 session to complete and will be available at our Boston (Rochford), Spalding and Horncastle Campuses on the below dates:

Boston (Rochford)
Thursday 9th May 2024, 5:00pm – 8:00pm

Spalding
Monday 20th May 2024, 5:00pm – 8:00pm

During this course you will cover an introduction to the basics of Computer Aided Design (CAD) by using our Solidworks software. You will be based in our new Engineering facility in our designated CAD suite.
You will explore the basic functions and commands that will allow you to model and design something and take this all the way to be 3D printed, leaving with your own printed model at the end of the course.

Attendance: Introduction to Computer Aided Design will take you 2 sessions to complete. Starting Thursday 16th May 2024, 9:00am – 4:00pm at out Boston Campus (Rochford)

IT Skills is designed to cover the basics of IT, help build your confidence and develop your skills for employment.
The course will cover a variety of Level 1 IT Skills units to help you improve your computing and IT knowledge including:

-Word Processing Level 1 – Using MS Word
-Spreadsheets Level 1- Using MS Excel
-Using the Internet Level 1 - Using Search Engines
-Using Emails Level 1- Using Email platforms
-Presentation Skills Level 1 – Using PowerPoint

Attendance: IT in the Workplace will take you 1 session to complete and is available on the below dates and times:

Boston Campus (Rochford)
Thursday 16th May 2024 - 9:30am - 4:00pm

Spalding Campus
Thursday 16th May 2024 - 9:30am - 4:00pm

June 2024

This Technical Language for Accounting course is being offered free, to help with the terminology that you may come across on the Level 2 Foundation Certificate in Accounting.

Technical Language for Level 2 Accounting will particularly suit those who have had no accounting experience and have no qualifications in Maths or English. It would also suit those learners who have English as a second language and need more support. This course would also suit those learners who have completed any of the Level 1 AAT courses and are looking to progress further with the AAT.

This qualification may interest those who are wishing to begin a self-employed career or are thinking about a career change into the business/finance field.

Attendance: Introduction to Technical Language for Accounting will take you 2 sessions to complete starting on the below dates:

Boston(Rochford)
Friday 21st June 2024, 10:00am – 4:00pm , 2 Sessions

Horncastle
Thursday 20th June 2024, 10:00am – 4:00pm, 2 Sessions

Attendance: Effective use of technology in relation to job searching will take you 1 session to complete, and is available at our Boston(Rochford), Spalding and Horncastle campuses, on the below dates:

Boston(Rochford)
Monday 17th June 2024, 9:30am – 4:00pm

Spalding
Monday 3rd June 2024, 9:30am – 4:00pm

Horncastle
Monday 10th June 2024, 9:30am – 4:00pm

On this course you will learn how to make new things from old.  We will make a sewing machine cover out of old jeans/trousers and learn how to upcycle a jumper into a cardigan jacket. You have the option of adding a collar and embellishments.

You will need:
An old pair of jeans/trousers.
A jumper.
Trims, embellishments of which can be discussed in the first class.
Pattern paper.
Tape measure, pencil, eraser.
Sewing machine and general sewing items.

Attendance: Recycling/Upcycling your old Clothes will take you 12 hours to complete over 4 sessions. Starting Wednesday 26th June 2024, 5:00pm – 8:00pm at our Spalding Campus.

This Introduction to the role of a Teaching Assistant course is aimed at those interested in a career in becoming a teaching assistant or learning support in an educational setting. You may be volunteering or starting to work in schools or even just considering this professional pathway.

Completion of this course will give you a deeper understanding of the role of a teaching assistant or learning support and will encourage you to consider what the role entails. You will have fun, hands on activities and it may help you progress to a career in Supporting Teaching & Learning.

Attendance: Introduction to the Role of a Teaching Assistant will take you 1 session to complete and will be available at our Horncastle Campuses on the below dates:

Horncastle
Monday 10th June 2024, 5:00pm – 8:00pm

The beginners machine embroidery course is a six week course where you will:

  • Look at fabrics and stabilisers used for machine embroidery.
  • Build confidence using the hoop and movements.
  • Create a sample of a basic stitched outline picture.
  • Look at thread sketching with the machine.
  • Create wired 3D lace flowers.
  • Create a textured picture using the techniques learnt

You will need to bring the following with you for the course:

  • Your own sewing machine.
  • Paper and fabric scissors
  • Crystal organza fabric ½ metre in 3 different colours
  • Thread, pins and any other general sewing items.

You will also need an open toe machine embroidery foot and if your machine does not have a drop feed dog switch, a plastic cover to go over the feed dogs.

Attendance: Machine Embroidery for Beginners will take you 6 sessions to complete. Starting Wednesday 12th June 2024, 10:0am – 12:00pm at our Spalding Campus

Cost: ÂŁ9.50

'Throughout the workshop, participants will engage in hands-on activities, live demonstrations, and group discussions to deepen their understanding of turning processes and techniques. The course will be facilitated by experienced instructors with expertise in machining and turning, providing practical insights and guidance to participants throughout the learning journey.

Attendance: Introduction to Basic Engineering will take you 2 sessions to complete. Staring Thursday 6th June 2024, 9:00am – 4:00pm at our Boston Campus (Rochford)

July 2024

This course will provide individuals with an introduction in understanding of the skills and mindset required to be successful as an entrepreneur. You will learn how to assess your strengths and weaknesses, identify opportunities, and develop a business plan. Secondly, the course can help you to understand the legal and financial aspects of starting a business, including taxes, accounting, and funding. This can help prevent costly mistakes and provide a solid foundation for future growth. Additionally, taking this course in self-employment could provide you with access to a network of like-minded individuals, along with the ability to network, which can be invaluable in your entrepreneurial journey.

During this course you will produce your own SWOT analysis and look at how you may develop or improve a business plan. You will look at the different types of ownership, allowing you to decide on how to structure your business. You will also complete some work on basic accounting using excel and Xero.

Attendance: Introduction to Self-Employment, will take you 1 session to complete on Wednesday 10th July 2024, 9:30am – 4:00pm, at our Boston(Rochford) Campus.

Employment and Skills Training

If you are aged 19 or over, have recently been made redundant or have been out of employment for some time, Boston College can offer you advice and support. Depending on your work situation, we offer a range of FREE courses to help you gain new skills, build your confidence and get you into employment. Visit our 'Employment and Skills Training' page for a full list of courses available.

Adult Bite Size courses include Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness and Meditation and Understanding Confidence and Stress.

Lincolnshire County Council Logo - with

Funded in Partnership with Lincolnshire County Council.


Need some more advice?

If you are unsure about which course is right for you, Boston College Careers Advisers are here to help. The Career Advisers offer FREE impartial Career Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) and are available before you start to college, whilst you are studying at college and when you are ready to take the next step.

If you would like to make an appointment with one of the College's Careers Advisers, they are available by appointment at both the Boston and Spalding campuses, by either calling the College's Information Line on 01205 313218 or by email.

You can download our course guide

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