Adults across Liverpool city region are being offered free course across a range of work skills by the City of Liverpool College under the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee. Tony McDonough reports
Free courses in areas such as engineering, health, digital, construction and accountancy and being offered to adults of all ages across the Liverpool city region.
The City of Liverpool College is offering the course as part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee, announced by the Prime Minister last year. It aims to equip people with the skills they need to progress in employment.
Adults over the age of 24 would usually need a loan or be self-funding to enrol on the Level 3 courses. But they are now fully funded and available to adults of any age without an existing full qualification at Level 3 (A-level equivalent).
Designed to help the country build back better after the COVID-19 pandemic, the qualifications in this offer have been carefully chosen to help adults improve their career prospects and meet the needs of the economy. They will be reviewed regularly so the courses offered can be updated as the economy changes.
Courses available at The City of Liverpool College from April range from courses in coding, cyber security and uniformed public services, to plastering, carpentry and engineering.
Elaine Bowker, principal at The City of Liverpool College, said: “The past year has brought with it significant challenges for people across the country who have found themselves either unemployed or in jobs that are not secure as a result of the pandemic.
“Through schemes such as this, we can help adults across the Liverpool city region make real, lasting change and provide them with a rare opportunity to gain in-demand skills. these courses are incredibly diverse and are open to adults of any age who are looking to re-train, upskill or change careers, without having to take out a loan and get into debt.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to anyone who wants to improve their employability and give themselves the best possible chance for a successful career.”
The offer is backed by £95 million from the £2.5 billion National Skills Fund, which is financing programmes that both support the immediate economic recovery and help meet future skills needs.
Alongside the new Level 3 offer, the Lifetime Skill Guarantee will also include a Lifelong Loan Entitlement which will allow adults and young people to space out their study across their lifetimes and take high-quality courses in both further education colleges and universities.