Lincolnshire ESOL Forum

Lincoln College hosts the Lincolnshire ESOL Forum on Thursday 22 October, from 4:00 to 6:00pm. It's run by the Migrant English Support Hub (MESH), and the whole point is to bring together ESOL providers from across Lincolnshire to network and share practice face-to-face. The afternoon mixes regional and local updates, training and funding opportunities, and a wider discussion on the state of ESOL in the county.

At the heart of that discussion are the big changes the sector is facing. From September 2027, ESOL Skills for Life qualifications are being withdrawn and replaced by Functional Skills English, and the funding shifts around them are hitting learners and migrants. Lincolnshire is the first area to confront these changes, which brings up a question NATECLA has been asking: how the country-wide ESOL sector can support the county, and whether an East Midlands branch of NATECLA should be established. It's the kind of conversation that's usually tucked away in policy papers, but here it's being hashed out in person.

Jonathan Smith from ESB UK speaks at 5:10pm, so if you're coming specifically for his part, you'll know exactly when to be in the room. Refreshments are provided, and the forum is held in the Gibney Building (G002) on Monks Road, Lincoln LN2 5HQ. Tickets are free, though you'll need to register in advance.