Adults who are considering a career change following the pandemic are being invited to consider a college course to help them gain the skills and qualifications they need to succeed in high-demand job roles. North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC) is preparing for the start of thenew academic year by launching its latest range of part-time courses based at its Wigston Campus and in local workplaces.
Research indicates that three out of five adults are considering a career change after the Covid challenges they faced caused them to re-evaluate their lives. This may have been prompted by health concerns, the impact of lone working, or the desire to relocate or move house to be closer to open spaces or familymembers. Others have re-evaluated their career prospects based on trends for future demand with careers in logistics, the digital and healthcare sectors reporting skills gaps and vacancies.
From September 2021, students will be able to start training in a range of disciplines and put themselves in the best position to snap up job roles across several sectors including:
• Accounting
• Counselling
• Teaching and education
• Marketing
• Healthcare
• Human resources.
In addition, the college is providing access to essential general skills including maths and English, the building blocks for many subject-specific qualifications that enable students to progress on to further and higher education. It is expected that all tuition will take place on campus in classrooms and workshops which have been re-organised to maintain Covid safety standards.
Marion Plant, OBE FCGI, Principal and Chief Executive ofNWSLC said, “With the employment rate rising to 75 per centand gradually returning to pre-pandemic levels, the job market is beginning to look more buoyant. There are encouraging signs of economic recovery within the regional markets we support. Forecasts suggest that the UK economy will grow by more than eight per cent this year, before returning to pre-pandemic levels of around six per cent in 2022. Colleges are leading the way to help reenergise the UK economy and it is our mission to introduce skilled and work-ready individuals to employers across the region.”
As part of its role as the college at the centre of the community, NWSLC responded to the Government’s ‘Plan for Jobs’ by launching its Community Skills Hub last year. This resourceprovides access to all the information, advice and guidance that is available to support adults that want to upskill to progress their careers or retrain in areas reporting skills gaps.