Skills People Group Blog

So, it's Friday already, and we've had a whole week of diverse learners wanting and achieving different things in their lives and their careers, and it's a big thanks to the support that is given at Worksop Skills Academy that has helped them to succeed on their journeys thus far. As one of our smaller and newer academies, WSA has gradually become a recognised and established adult education facility in the Worksop area. Offering Introduction to Construction 'Green CSCS Card' courses and Skills Bootcamps in Plastering and/or Brickwork programmes, which help kickstart our learners' careers within the Construction industry. There are also the Digital Business Administration courses that WSA delivers, preparing the learner for the office environment and helping them get to grips with digital technology, whilst providing a broad business perspective, exposure to a variety of disciplines, and multiple career pathways.  From Tom Ward, who scouts the local areas for re...

While we were at Worksop Skills Academy, we caught up with one of our longtime learners, Robyn Nelthorpe, who we spoke to initially back in early August. After discovering how much she enjoyed bricklaying at Rotherham Skills Academy on the multi-trade course. Robyn went back to Worksop Skills Academy to undertake our new 4-week Level 2 Skills Bootcamp in Bricklaying course and loved it! Robyn was then supposed to progress onto the Skills Bootcamp in Painting and Decorating programme, but was unable to attend after falling unwell. However, she's currently undertaking our Skills Bootcamp in Plastering course and is really enjoying the physical aspect of this programme.  Robyn told us: "I want to understand as much about home improvement as possible, which is why I've been continuing my journey with the academies. When I finally leave here [she laughs] I want to get even more experience working as a site labourer, where I can be hands on doing lots of varied work. Eventually,...

Say hello to Harmony Moralis, who is an absolute breath of fresh air! Harmony enrolled onto our Introduction to Construction (ITC) programme when she discovered that she'd be able to brush up on new health and safety practices within the construction industry, and to renew her CSCS card for free, as she'd always paid for her CSCS cards in the past. Harmony started off her construction career in scaffolding, then roofing, with a spot of bricklaying here and there, although her heart lies with digging. Currently, she's working in groundworks and highway maintenance, whilst undertaking her RSMA course for groundworks.  She informed us: There's only 100 or so people that have got it, and the units I'm taking will provide me with a Level 2 NVQ diploma. The course covers the reinstatement of tarmac, and gaining an understanding of gas, electric and water treatment. It's really hard but it ticks all the boxes for me to get back into working on dumper trucks and excavat...

Day 2 of 'a Week of Worksop Skills Academy' focuses on Jospeh  [who does not wish to have his surname disclosed for personal reasons]  and his amazing learning  journey  at our Worksop training facility. Jospeh, who recently passed his ITC course, is currently undertaking the 4-week Skills Bootcamp in Plastering course at WSA, and is planning to move on the Skills Bootcamp in Bricklaying programme, spoke to us about how our academy has changed his life entirely... Joseph, who admits that he's spent time in prison over the years, was a full-time carer to his father from 2018 until recently, when his father passed away. After finding himself on the streets, sleeping rough in Nottingham, he was eventually placed into a homeless hostel. It was there he realised that he really wanted to do something with his time and proceeded to enrol onto our Introduction to Construction course. Joseph said: "Adam [WSA's Lead Tutor] goes above and beyond. He's helped me with my pe...

A short while ago, we spoke to a handful of learners at each of our skills academies to find out how they were getting on with their training, and what outcomes they were hoping for at the end of their learning journey's. This week we're concentrating on our Worksop Academy, where we're now running our Skills Bootcamps in Plastering, and in Bricklaying, alongside the Introduction to Construction (ITC) and Digital Business Administration (DBA) courses. The first person we spoke to was Philip Upchurch, who we caught up with in one of Worksop's dedicated  classrooms...  Philip used to be an engineer by trade, but after a change in his circumstances, which also involved moving out of his previous home, Philip made the decision to enrol onto our construction programmes, which are delivered around the corner from where he now lives. After undertaking the ICT course, Philip passed his CSCS test and decided to push his skills further by signing up to the Plastering course. Afte...

After spending the morning at Derby Skills Academy yesterday, it was was on to Nottingham Skills Academy in the afternoon to see how how the new Skills Bootcamps in Construction courses were progressing. As bright and welcoming as ever, the academy was bustling with learners, many of them located in the classrooms undertaking the theoretical side of the learning.  Two of the academies current learners, Jonathan Shea and Mark Campbell, started on our two-week introduction to construction course and have since moved on to the four-week Skills Bootcamp in Painting and Decorating course. They were keen to explain how valuable their learning has been this far, and here is a snapshot  of their feedback. Mark Campbell (right): "I'd been attending the job centre every two weeks for quite some time and nothing was coming my way that suited my skillset. I was with my advisor a few months back, however, and he showed me the Nottingham Skills Academy flyer. The course, which allows you to...

  There may be an “I” in Academies, but it’s certainly not the ethos portrayed by the individuals within them. Much more of an all-inclusive “WE” philosophy. Already, the learners at Derby Skills Academy have succumbed to this collaborative culture, which was highly apparent after this morning’s visit to our newest learning facility. The academy is rapidly taking on its new form. As you step inside, painting and decorating bays sit proudly to the right of the workshop (image 1). The remaining L-shaped area is being ingeniously moulded to host the ITC blockwork, and plastering and joinery areas. While above, the landing wall (image 2) will be knocked through to make way for a second classroom that will sit plumb above the blockwork area at the back left of the workshop (image 3). Despite the drilling, cutting and remodeling that’s going off around our Digital Business Administration cohorts, they were learning focused and happy to comment on their experience at the academy to date. ...