Reading College’s Employability Hub supports local people to upskill and get jobs

Reading College is helping the local unemployed and underemployed to get new jobs and gain new skills through their Employability Hub. 

Activate Learning received £88,000 from the Berkshire LEP to fund a space for the unemployed and underemployed to gain new skills and knowledge, grow in confidence, search and apply for jobs and have one-to-one meetings with a job coach. The money was awarded through the Government’s Getting Building Fund. 

The hub is located in the library at the college on King’s Road. The facilities include two one-to-one training rooms, four desktop PCs and a bank of laptops which can be used for training and job searching. It is a flexible space which can also be used for first aid training and a member of staff is on-hand all the time to assist. 

Individuals are referred to the hub by the Jobcentre Plus and other groups including Fedcap Employment. They can also contact the college directly.  

Participants can also be referred to courses such as GCSE English and maths. 

Rebecca Illey, Head of Operations at Activate Learning, said:

“We are really excited about our Employability Hub at Reading College, providing us with a dedicated space to work with the unemployed and underemployed building their confidence, help them learn new skills and secure future employment.” 

Alison Webster, Chief Executive of the Berkshire LEP said:

“We are delighted to have invested £88,000 of our Skills Capital Getting Building Fund into Reading College’s Employability Hub, which addresses the LEP’s Recovery and Renewal Plan ambition to grow a more inclusive Berkshire, which this project addresses by reducing inequality and supporting the development of skills.  

“We’re thrilled that Reading College has invested in a dedicated delivery space to ensure the delivery of employability support for citizens in and around Reading, at a time that is most needed.”