Telford College to launch a new Prince’s Trust training programme

Telford College is launching a new Prince’s Trust programme designed to maximise young people’s chances of moving into employment, education or training.

The ‘Achieve’ programme is a free course which has been specifically designed to help students build their social skills, boost confidence, and make new friends.

It is aimed at secondary school leavers aged between 16 and 19, and starts with a pilot project on February 7.

Telford College staff have been undergoing training from The Prince’s Trust since September to build their knowledge of the programme, and create what is described as an ‘exciting’ curriculum.

Every student who successfully completes the programme will receive a Prince’s Trust Personal Development and Employability Skills qualification, which is recognised by exams body Ofqual.

Sarah Jones, head of high needs at Telford College, said:

“We are very excited to be launching this new initiative for students who leave secondary school without the academic or social skills to progress to the next level.

“It gives them a platform to try new things, develop new skills or improve existing ones, and build their self-esteem and self-belief while gaining a valuable qualification.”

She added: “This one-year programme also gives students chance to develop their maths and English skills, so they can progress to a choice of next steps.

“It is the perfect chance for someone who may have been struggling with their studies – or possibly feels their current programme is not quite right for them – to explore new opportunities and find a passion for what they are good at, and what they enjoy.”

Parents and prospective students are being invited to attend a special evening with staff at the college on January 25 to complete the enrolment process, and hear an overview of the programme and potential progression routes.

Sarah said: “It is very important to us that students have the support of their families before embarking on the Prince’s Trust journey so that we all share the high expectations we have for students.”

More details of the Prince’s Trust programme will be available at the next Telford College open event, on February 15. To register, see www.telfordcollege.ac.uk/event/open-event-february-2023/