New Hartlepool project to make steps towards employment

Steps into Employment is a free Hartlepool Adult Education-run course that will enable people aged 16+ to gain a recognised City and Guilds Qualification over five weekly training sessions.

Participants must be unemployed and seeking employment or training and everyone who successfully completes the course is guaranteed an interview with an employer or recruitment agency.

The latest Government figures show there were 3,820 jobless benefit claimants in the town in November, which is 6.6% of the working age population, and a rise of 70 from the previous month.

The new course is being launched in three venues, Hartlepool Borough Council’s Community Hubs in the north, centre and south of the town.

Weekly training sessions will take place at the Community Hub North in Miers Avenue on Mondays, 1pm to 3.30pm, at the Community Hub Centre in York Road on Wednesdays from 10am to 12.30pm, and at Community Hub South in Wynyard Road on Mondays from 9.30am to noon.

During the sessions, trainees will learn about building a CV which stands out, using on-line job search websites, what employers are looking for from prospective employees, interview skills, finding jobs on company websites and online application forms.

Olwen Maddison, from Hartlepool Adult Education, said: “People don’t need any special skills to get involved, just a desire and willingness to improve their job prospects.

“Everyone will begin by completing an initial assessment so that we can support them in achieving the best possible outcome.

“Following attendance on this course, people have the option of progressing onto other courses that can also help boost their employment prospects, including English, maths or IT.

“Hartlepool Adult Education has a range of vocational courses to choose from and offers recognised qualifications at various levels which are particularly sought after by employers.”

Anyone interested in taking part in Steps into Employment should contact Hartlepool Adult Education on (01429) 868616 or simply attend one of the sessions and talk to the tutor.

Further information is available at www.haded.org.uk or on Facebook at HartlepoolAdultEducation.