As Croydon and the rest of the UK begins to reopen, many people will be returning to a very different world.
Many employees will have been furloughed at some point in the past year, worked on reduced hours and pay, and had their careers paused, or stopped completely and will be looking to retrain or upskill. Our young people also face some difficult decisions about their next steps into further education, higher education or whether to go straight into employment.
The good news is that the Croydon College Group is ready to help Croydon residents of all ages to find their next steps into employment or education in the post-COVID world.
The College group – Croydon College, Coulsdon Sixth Form College and Croydon University Centre – offers a wealth of options for anyone aged 16 and over through a progressive programme that starts with A Levels and BTECs alongside online and short courses and vocational learning.
Croydon University Centre offers opportunities to study at a higher level in programmes that cover everything from Business, Criminology and Early Childhood studies, through to Teacher Training and Adult Nursing. There really is something for everyone at any age at any point in their career journey and most importantly, funding is available to support many of these opportunities.
In addition, Croydon College has recently launched the World of Work programme which brings together employment and skills opportunities, many now funded through government-backed programmes such as the Kickstart Programme that provides work placements to 16 – 24-year-olds on Universal Credit. The College can also assist employers and businesses looking to enhance their workforce, giving young people a chance to learn new skills and kickstart their careers. The College works hand-in-hand with organisations to hire the right people and ensure a six-month job placement is created.
As the largest provider of apprenticeships in south London, the College also offers an ongoing programme of vacancies for apprenticeship at all levels – see the vacancy section on the website for more details – and employers can now take advantage of the £3,000 apprenticeship funding recently announced.
There really is a new world of opportunities available so if you are looking to start, restart or kickstart your career, Croydon College can help and would be delighted to advise and guide you on your journey. Visit www.croydon.ac.uk to find more or email admissions@croydon.ac.uk for more information.