College open night to focus on apprenticeships

Staff at South Tyneside College’s Westoe campus in St George’s Avenue, South Shields, will be on hand tomorrow night to showcase a range of courses designed to help people into employment in skilled and sought after professions.

The college has expanded and refined its provision in line with the government’s new skills agenda, which aims to create an additional three million apprenticeships by 2020.

It has also developed traineeships, shorter training programmes of up to six months that get people work ready.

Highly targeted and effective, they can help persuade employers of the merits of taking on school-leavers and other youngsters who have completed them.

Alison Maynard, principal of the college’s professional and vocational college, said: “Apprenticeships are a hugely important part of the modern world of work, and our provision is wide and of extremely high quality.

“The college is playing an important part in providing apprenticeships for the North East labour market, supporting the government’s ambitious target as we go.

“We are flexible in our approach, with courses starting at various times during the year. A growing number of employers are very positive about the benefits apprenticeships bring.

“Our high quality traineeships offers students an alternative route into further education via a full apprenticeship, or into employment.

“The open night is a great way for people seeking new training or employment opportunities to take their first step towards attaining their goal.”

The college’s adult apprenticeships mix on-the-job training with strong support from college experts.

Its general apprenticeship provision includes electrical and mechanical engineering, marketing, IT, hairdressing and beauty therapy, business administration, customer services, hospitality and catering, and barbering.

Traineeships, a collaboration between the college and employers, guarantee six weeks of work experience.

They are run in subjects including engineering, hairdressing, and hospitality and catering.

The open night is from 5pm to 7pm .

More information is available by calling 0191 427 3500 or by visiting www.stc.ac.uk