COVID-19 will have a huge impact on everyday life for a large number of the population and we want to help get people back on their feet as quickly and efficiently as possible, this is why we are introducing our range of SkillUP back to work training qualifications and programmes.
A number of people will have been forced into unemployment within the last few months due to the uncertainty caused by COVID-19. We want to help newly unemployed people, and those getting back to work after long term unemployment, in their first steps back into the world of work. Our SkillUP back to work package is designed to support people with their job search, impress potential employers and get back into work, whether this be full-time or part-time, within a new career or upskilling their current knowledge.
We pride ourselves on the flexibility of our qualifications for Learners and Centres to reach the best possible outcome for both. SkillUP makes the most of the flexibility of existing qualifications and units to create coherent programmes designed to allow Centres to meet their local needs as quickly and easily as possible.
Around 7.6 million jobs, or 24 percent of the UK workforce, are at risk because of COVID-19-related lockdowns. People and places with the lowest incomes are the most vulnerable.
McKinsey & Company
SkillUP Sectors
SkillUP focuses on areas that will have the greatest opportunities for employment following the COVID-19 pandemic and sectors will be added to meet the needs as the situation continues to develop.
The first sectors to be available are:
- Care Services
- Construction
- Digital and Creative Industries
- Early Years Education and Childcare
- Health and Science
- Logistics
Who is SkillUP for?
SkillUP is designed to support learners who:
- need a short intervention or pre-employment training to support their return to work as quickly as possible,
or - are choosing to refocus or restart their career with longer qualifications.
These learners may need
- For those who are undecided: Taster units across/within sectors, or more general employability/confidence building units according to individual needs.
- For those who are clear on their future career direction: A more focussed progression route map gives direction both for those who wish to change career or for those who wish to further their opportunities within their chosen sector or career.
How to use SkillUP
SkillUp has three offers designed to enable Centres to easily choose the option best suited to their needs, their learners’ needs and the needs of their local area.
- Off-the-shelf programmes of pre-selected units
- Bespoke programmes created with units from our extensive unit bank
- Full qualifications from our range of vocational and professional development qualifications
The unit library uses units from our existing range of qualifications and relevant employability, digital skills and vocational units can be viewed on each sector page.
Taking advantage of this flexible approach, centres are able to use our SkillUP offer in two different ways:
- Programmes will be most suitable for learners who are undecided, centres are able to combine taster units across or within sectors, or more general employability or confidence building units according to individual learner needs.
- Qualifications – For those who are clear on their future career direction, a more focussed progression route map gives direction both for those who wish to change career, or for those who wish to further their opportunities within their chosen sector or career.
Career Maps
Within SkillUP, we also want to provide a realistic view of where the qualifications that learners achieve will be able to take them on the employment ladder. We have created career maps to show the progression that learners can take through our portfolio. We have split the maps for those who want to get started in a new sector, those who want to further their careers in their current sector and the full picture career map. These career maps can be viewed on each sector page.