THE fast-moving world of information technology has been opened up to 128 Wyre Forest people who, between them, have gained 255 awards from the Stourport Training Centre.

The learners were introduced to computers and the internet at the centre through courses run in the first half of the 2003/04 year.

They took part in a variety of courses and the vast majority had no previous experience of computers.

Among those awarded certificates was Bewdley town clerk, David Flack, who said: "I was becoming increasingly conscious that computers were the future and that I really needed to get up to speed with e-mail, spreadsheets and the internet.

"At the same time, my wife, Valerie, had expressed an interest, so we signed up together for a course. It was good fun and we learnt a lot."

The centre is run in partnership with Kidderminster College and is based in offices above Tesco in Lombard Street, Stourport.

It runs a variety of courses for beginners, intermediate and more advanced levels and they are available during the day and in the evening.

As the college funds the centre, the courses are normally free of charge and this includes the provision of training manuals and the cost of City and Guilds awards.