Job skills for 150
Bedford College has been recognised as a regional success story
for equipping 150 people with the skills to seek jobs.
Out of 18 colleges that participated in a project earlier
in the year, Bedford College persuaded the greatest number of
unemployed men and women at Job Centres in Bedford and Biggleswade
to sign up and succeed in a training programme.
They were given training to help them seek jobs in construction,
security, catering, care and customer service.
To make them even more attractive to employers, and more
confident as applicants, the 'students' were also given life
skills, team work and First Aider training by the College’s
award-winning Student Services team.
“It was a great initiative to take people who were unemployed
and rather than just sending them along to interviews, to coach and
train them towards presenting a better picture of themselves,”
explained Director of Enterprise Sharon Chinneck.
“Earlier in the financial year the Goverment offered £600,000
for this programme, providing the right criteria were met. We
are glad that thanks to the depth and breadth of experience at
Bedford College that we were able to bring some of this money to
potential employees in the area.
“As an award-winning College, which is recognised by employers
and the Government as a key provider of vocational training, we
work all the time to ‘draw down’ funding to support people looking
to skill-up for jobs.”