Telford residents urged to sign up to new employment and education skills scheme

The head of the UK’s largest computer science educator is encouraging people in Telford & Wrekin to learn vital new skills to help them get back into education, employment and training.

Manny Athwal, the founder of West Midlands-based School of Coding & AI, said the new ‘skills for your future’ scheme would help address the barriers people face when trying to get back into the workplace.

School of Coding has linked up with Telford & Wrekin Council to deliver this service which aims to support 550 local people secure jobs and/or move closer to employment. 

Manny said learning new employability skills was vital at a time when more and more services are moving online. Lloyds Banking Group recently announced it is to cut about 1,600 jobs across its branch network as part of an overhaul of its services due to more people banking online.

With a particular focus on supporting young people, School of Coding & AI, along with a series of other training providers, will work with individuals in Telford & Wrekin to address barriers such as low confidence, debt, anxiety and lack of employability skills. 

Users of the service will have access to training linked to the local labour market, work placements, interview support, job coaching and skills development. 

Manny said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Telford & Wrekin Council to help people improve their employability skills. 

“We are committed to helping increase access to and provision of in-demand skills and qualifications to enable people and employers to prosper.

“There is a growing digital skills gap created by the rapid technological developments that we have seen in the last few decades. This gap, combined with an increasingly competitive job market, means that it’s more important than ever that people are equipped with the skills they need for the employment market, not just in the future, but now. 

“Our aim is to equip our learners with the necessary digital skills to excel in today’s technology-driven world, whether it be for job hunting, upskilling or seeking inclusion.

“Free advice and guidance for anyone looking to get an apprenticeship or a job will be available through the service.”

If anyone is interested in the scheme or for more information visit here.

School of Coding & AI, which is based in Wolverhampton, teaches over 5,000 students each month, working with major universities and over 150 schools and colleges across the UK.