City College Plymouth Tackles Unemployment Head On

City College Plymouth is working with a range of partners across the city to help people back into work. The College has dedicated its city centre venue in Union Street to help adults improve their work skills, training and confidence.

The city centre venue, PACE (Plymouth Advice Centre for Employment), is offering a FREE programme which includes a wide variety of courses aimed at improving individual’s employability prospects.

Head of Skills for Life at the College, Joanna Dennison, said: “There are so many excellent training opportunities and support networks going on in the city. The aim of PACE is to provide a one-stop shop to direct adults to the best advice and training for them. City College Plymouth, local employers, work clubs, training providers and community groups are all working together to join-up the offer for those that are out of work and make it happen!

“The unique strength of this initiative is all agencies working together so people know where to go for help, and have the best opportunities that Plymouth can offer to get them into work.”

Current PACE client, Bill, who has been out of work for three years, said: “This is a great thing for me - it’s really upsetting to apply for jobs and not even hear back! The staff at PACE are really friendly and helpful.

“The best thing is that I’m getting really confident using a computer and I am hoping to do a welding course over the summer. So far, I’ve brushed up my skills in maths, feel more confident and I’ve got a much better CV to send out. It’s really helped me use my time to stay positive and get some extra training at a difficult time.”

Alison Lewis, Acting Director of Employer Engagement at the College, added: “In Plymouth, latest figures show that unemployment is at approximately 6,700. We need to act now to address this issue and provide those looking for work with every opportunity available.

“Often individuals are not sure of the best way to get a job or if their qualifications are up-to-date. We believe that our programme, the dedicated PACE team, and the strength of our relationships with local employers, will give people the best chance possible of finding a pathway to employment. We are confident that the services on offer will help people get jobs, or find training opportunities which will lead to jobs and make a real difference to their lives.”

College Principal, Phil Davies, said: “Plymouth’s labour market continues to mirror the national picture with relatively high unemployment. The work that the College is doing to reduce youth unemployment has been very successful and is highly regarded locally. Working in partnership with a range of great partner organisations I believe that PACE is exactly what the City needs and I am confident that it will make a significant contribution to combatting long term adult unemployment in Plymouth.”

PACE is open Monday to Friday between 9.00am and 4.00pm. Drop into a free open session to ‘have a go’ at some of the workshops, or call 01752 305300 for advice and guidance on what’s available.