This area of our work covers training to alleviate poverty issues. The main focus is providing the necessary tools to get people into work or progressing on to further education/training programmes.  OBAC training programmes have been funded by Southwark Council Economic Development Team, Learning and Skills Council (ESF), Government Office for London ESF, London Development Agency, Skills Funding Agency, Big Lottery Fund. 

We have also delivered training in partnership with Action for Blind People (London Development Agency funded project), GHARWEG funded by Learning and Skills Council ESF and Action for Employment A4e funded by the Dept of Works and Pension.  We are currently working in partnership with UKonline and Tinder Foundation to deliver training.

Based on our work and research findings an individual who is blind or partially sighted is at a disadvantage when it comes to employment, more so, labour market research findings state that a disabled person from the black, ethnic minority communities is more likely to experience a multitude of disadvantages trying to move into the labour market. 

OBAC has identified that it is important to expand the awareness of disabled people, in particular visually impaired people from black and ethnic minorities to the diverse occupational areas. OBAC aims to increase the awareness of employers and government agencies of the needs of visually impaired people from ethnic minorities.

OBAC offers accredited training projects that create pathways into employment, further education and training in basic, soft and key skills.

Areas of training and education

ESOL and life in the UK Tests

Digital skills

Functional skills

Financial Literacy skills training

We are currently running ESOL, Skills for Life, Money Management training and IT classes.  If you are interested, please contact the training team for a Registration Form and arrange a diagnostic test and Initial Assessment.

Other key benefits of our training and development projects are:

Training towards an accredited qualification; OCR levels 1, 2 and 3.                                                   

City & Guilds and London Open College Network

Motivation and Orientation

Confidence building

CV preparation

Job Search

Information Communication Technology skills.

Letter Writing

Presentation skills

ESOL

ITQ

Basic Skills — Literacy and numeracy

Access to Learn My Way

To make our provisions more robust we work in partnership with other training providers and offer learners a comprehensive training package geared towards achieving individual goals.

We have a fully equipped resource centre for the use of blind and partially sighted persons.

The Resource Centre is open Monday to Friday from 10am – 4pm.
For an Interview and Initial Needs Assessment, please contact the training team on 020 7735 3400.

Transcription Service

OBAC offers a transcription service to service users and members. Documents are transcribed into Braille, Audiotape and Large Print upon request.  The service offers members and service users who like to keep up to date with current affair issues local, national and international. 

We record the following newspapers and magazines on tape:

The Voice newspaper on tape weekly New African magazine monthly

African Trumpet newspaper

“I’d give OBAC a ten plus, in terms of them employing people who’ve lost their sight.”