A new community learning centre funded by ScottishPower to help the unemployed find work officially opens in Alloa today (Friday).

ScottishPower Learning - a unique partnership between the company and the trade unions - is donating £25,000 worth of computing equipment and start-up funding to the Alloa Learning Terminal as part of a wider programme to help combat unemployment and encourage lifelong learning through support of community-based projects.

The company's contribution has enabled the Alloa Women's Technology Centre - who will run the Alloa Learning Terminal within their premises in Glasshouse Loan - to open their doors to the wider community.

Around 50 people have already registered for courses following a recent advertising campaign. These are free and largely IT-focused, aimed at people seeking to improve their employment prospects, though there will be a small range of recreational topics available as well. Learners will work at their own pace, and assistance will be given if required.

The computing equipment the company is providing includes high quality hardware and training packages used within its own in-house Open Learning schemes, while the centre's full-time computing skills courses and part-time guidance courses for women, funded through Clackmannanshire Council and the European Social Fund, help around 70 per cent of graduates find full time employment.

Support at the Alloa Learning Terminal will be provided by staff and by tutors sponsored by Clackmannanshire Council, Clackmannan College, Living and Learning in Clackmannanshire and the Workers' Educational Association.

It is hoped that the day-time, evening and weekend opening hours will convenient for the unemployed, including women seeking to return to work.

Pam Courtney, Director of Alloa Women's Technology Centre, said: "ScottishPower has been very helpful in giving us computers and we have a large room where people can use them or talk through their problems with the tutors.

"ScottishPower's input allied to the expertise of the Alloa Women's Technology Centre, which holds an Investor in People Award and is recognised as a provider of high quality training, has equipped Clachmannan with a valuable IT training resource for combatting unemployment.", she added.

Managing Director of ScottishPower Learning Jack Kelly said:" We are very much behind the objective of the new Alloa Learning Terminal to widen public access new technology. ScottishPower has a wide programme of its own to help equip people with the IT skills often essential for employment success today. This includes giving the public access to our Open Learning centres under the government's IT for All initiative.

"These will be based on ScottishPower's own in-house Open Learning facilities, which are used for career and personal development by the workforce," Jack Kelly added.

Further Information:
Gordon Laidlaw,               ScottishPower Press Office               0141 248 8200
Pam Courtney,            Alloa Women's Technology Centre           01259 211180