Gloucestershire College branches out to Bristol

Published by

Nicky Godding

Gloucestershire College is opening a new Bristol Training venue, where it will deliver a range of courses designed to help people to get back into work.

Out of the iconic Castlemead Bristol building, which boasts excellent accessibility and 360-degree views across Bristol, the award-winning training provider will offer courses covering IT, skills for job seekers, care, office administration and hospitality and retail, starting from October 2019.

Thanks to funding awarded by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), each course is available free of charge to adults in receipt of certain benefits, or those who are employed and earning less than £16,009.50.

The two-part IT Skills course will provide an opportunity for those with little or no computer experience to understand the basics of software such as Word, Excel and Powerpoint, as well as the internet and emails. While Skills for Job Seekers aims to develop confidence in online job applications, CVs and interviews.

The Course 2 Career series will provide learners with a range of qualifications (Levels 1 to 3) to support them in careers across the care, office administration and hospitality and retail industries, such as the Award in Health and Safety in the Workplace, the Level 1 Award in Customer Service and the Award in Emergency First Aid in the Workplace.

Andy Bates, Chief Financial Officer at Gloucestershire College, said: “We’re excited to be extending our community outreach and pre-employability offer further afield, particularly at such an iconic building as Castlemead Bristol.

“With support from WECA, we are able to prepare adults with the skills and qualifications needed for work, apprenticeships and further learning, as well as daily life. Our course offer is inclusive and tailored to meet the needs of the West of England Combined Authority area, which will ultimately benefit both residents and businesses.

“The building itself takes prime position in central Bristol; it’s the tallest in the city and exceptionally well connected by foot, car, bus or train – plus it’s just a minute’s walk from Cabot Circus. We look forward to welcoming learners at our new Bristol home.”

The College is accepting applications now for courses starting in October. Call our JobSmart Team on 01452 563278 for more information or visit www.gloscol.ac.uk/jobsmart to apply.

Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe. After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts. She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.