When customers walk into Morwell Library on a Thursday, they are met with Berry Street Neighbourhood Learning Links Coordinator Den Lim’s bright smile.
Den is working out of the library to help connect members of the public with the adult education and job services in the region.
Morwell is the only town in Latrobe City that doesn’t have a community learning program or Learn Local Network... until now.
In other towns, Traralgon, Moe, Churchill and Yinnar, the local neighbourhood house often has comprehensive programs to engage adult learners and job seekers. Morwell does not.
“It’s not reinventing the wheel,” Den said, “There are a lot of courses out there; we are just linking them together.”
The partnership between Morwell Library and Berry Street grew organically, starting out as a oneoff computer literacy program in February this year. It quickly grew into an informal meeting space for people wanting to complete training programs or develop their skills in an informal manner.
Den said the program was about taking the scariness out of learning and making it fun.
Summer Lakeman, a client turned mentor, said she loved coming in to volunteer every week and interacting with the growing mix of people, whether they be enhancing their computer literacy or improving their English skills.
“People are staying later,” Summer said, “they rock up at 10.30am and stay until 3pm.”
The program officially runs from 10 am to 1 pm with staff from leader organisations Berry Street, GEST, Quantum and DHS along with volunteers assisting learners with their efforts.
A Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways Certificate II course was offered to young learners earlier this year, it will be opened up to mature students in the second half of the year.
There are plans to convert the temporary training room used into a more permanent facility, with services recently increased.