[F]urness College has teamed up with a local organisation to tackle unemployment in South Cumbria.
Working with groundsworks company Works4You and Job Centre Plus, Furness College hosted a sector-based work academy to recruit candidates to Works4You’s grounds maintenance programme.
The sector-based work academy involved a week of intensive employability training, delivered by expert tutors at Furness College’s Channelside campus, combined with work experience at Combe House and Mill Lane Centre on Walney.
At the end of the week, ten candidates took part in an interview with Works4You, with three successfully securing positions with the company.
Lorraine Irving, Managing Director of Works4You, said: “A sector-based work academy was the ideal way for us to make contact with potential workers and build relationships to support future needs. Furness College listened and just ‘got’ what we needed right away.
“The week of training ran very smoothly and achieved a great deal in terms of formal training, employability support and interview preparation. This supported the interview process significantly and allowed us to recruit three excellent workers.
“I am very grateful to the support and expertise provided by Furness College, particularly Neil Mathers in the Business & Employment Support Team, and I won’t hesitate to use the College in the future.”
Luci Ord, Head of Business Development at Furness College, added: “We were pleased to support Works4You with their recruitment programme, and are delighted that our sector-based work academy has enabled them to employ three new workers to deliver their local contracts.
“Sector-based work academies are a proven way to help meet employers’ recruitment needs and recruit a workforce with the right skills to sustain and grow their business.
“With the support of our Business & Employment Support Team and the training delivered by our tutors, we’re confident that sector-based work academies will help large numbers of employers in the area to grow and develop.”
To find out more about sector-based work academies at Furness College, contact Neil Mathers in the Business & Employment Support Team on 01229 844829.
