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Working together to give young people hard and soft skills for the workplacePioneering courses to prepare young people for the world of work received a boost today (February 19, 2010) at Stephenson College with the signing of an agreement to promote skills and learning in the workplace.
The protocol between the college and unionlearn, the TUC's learning and skills organisation, was signed by Nigel Leigh, principal of the college, and Mary Alys, unionlearn Regional Manager. The partnership will:
Stephenson College is pioneering a new learning opportunity to introduce young learners to brickwork, carpentry & joinery, painting & decorating and plumbing, whilst improving their literacy, numeracy and IT skill on an 18-week programme. It will also prepare the students for the world of work by focusing on their personal and social development. This includes learning about dress codes, timekeeping and attendance, how to write job applications and tips on interview techniques. There will be a strong emphasis on health & safety on the programme. The present recession has hit young people hard and this course will give its students a competitive edge when applying for work and by completing the course they will be able to demonstrate that they are ready to take up an apprenticeship.
The college is working with unionlearn and local companies to provide the students with work experience and interview opportunities for apprentice employment. The course will prepare the students to apply for apprenticeships, where they will receive payment and on-the-job training. The protocol will ensure that students will learn about the advantages of being a union member, including support with their future training needs. Unionlearn has trained more than 23,000 union learning reps since 1999 who provide advice and support to their colleagues on training and learning and act as mentors to apprentices. Unionlearn also brokers agreements with managers to provide employees time off work to do courses and improve their qualifications and skills. Mary Alys said: ' I am delighted to be signing this protocol which affirms a strong commitment to partnership working between the college, unionlearn and trade unions to open up learning and skills opportunities for those at or entering the world of work.' Nigel Leigh, Principal, said 'Stephenson College is proud to work with unionlearn. We believe our partnership will improve the employability and life chances of trade union members and support the interests of employers.' Steve Craig, National Project Worker for the construction industry union UCATT, said: 'The partnership network established between UCATT, unionlearn and Stephenson College to support the new Pre-Apprenticeship Course will enable learners to benefit from an impressive mix of resources provided by the partners. This will contribute to learners' academic and personal development whilst locating the training in the 'real world' context of the modern construction industry.' Stephenson College, Coalville, Leicester, ( www.stephensoncoll.ac.uk ) provides a full range of courses, including accounting, beauty therapy, motor vehicle, engineering, construction, Skills for Life* and travel and tourism.
Download Partnership Agreement between unionlearn and
NOTES TO EDITORS: Picture captions: Apprenticeship students at Stephenson College All unionlearn press releases can be found at www.unionlearn.org.uk Media enquiries: Press release (600 words) issued 19 Feb 2010  Green Skills Learning at Work Day 2010 - South West Right to request time to train: Call for evidence |
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unionlearn Telephone 020 7079 6920 |
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