Information, Advice & Guidance (IAG)

The provision of IAG by qualified advisers runs through all of our services; Community Systems is Matrix accredited. Impartial IAG has to be the bedrock of our relationship with customers so they can make informed decisions about their own progression and development.
As a Nextstep provider, IAG is formalised within a national careers service for all adults. One-to-one discussions with customers provide an opportunity to assess their current situation, look at their aspirations and develop an action plan that divides progression routes into achievable time-bound steps. Follow-up session to work of specific skills such as CV building or interview techniques can also be provided under this service.

Employer Led Pipelines

These pipelines marry up a recruitment service to employers with a pre-employment course to help the unemployed back into sustained work.
Currently delivered as part of the Work Programme and Skills Support for Redundancy, these courses and our employer links have developed over 10 years in partnership with councils, DWP, the Skills Funding Agency and, of course, employers. The relationship with employers is clearly the key to the success of these programmes:

• By involving employers in the design of the programme we can focus on skill and behavioural areas they prioritise.
• By involving the employers in the training the candidates better appreciate employer expectations and opportunities for advancement before entering the formal recruitment process.

Employability

For many of our customers the concept of EVER achieving employment seems remote at their point of entry to our employability programmes.  Yet for more than 40% of them this becomes a reality within 6 months.

By running employability focussed training, geared specifically to helping the long-term unemployed to change their attitude, behaviour and skills sets towards something needed by employers, we achieve exceptional results.

Our holistic approach combines unique customised training with the achievement of a recognised City & Guilds qualification and support to change both attitudes and barriers to employment.

Through close liaison and partnership working with local employers we can offer: a real insight into the local labour market, opportunities for work trials and placements and the chance for our learners to access the un-advertised jobs market.

ESOL

There are over ½ a million adults in the UK whose first language is not English and for whom this represents a total barrier to interaction and communication.    There are many times this number who cannot engage or integrate fully into British society and employment because their lack of basic English skills (speaking & listening, reading and writing) compromises communication.

Over the last 10 years Community Systems has helped thousands of ESOL learners to learn real, practical English that will help them in their daily lives.  Almost all of them work towards and achieve a formal qualification, for many their only formal recognition of achievement.

We work from below entry level (with those for whom saying or understanding anything in English is impossible) up to Level 2 (where progression to a college course or even university entrance is not uncommon).

We are happy to create customised programmes to meet the needs of individuals or their employers, including English for Special Purposes such as medical, engineering or construction workers.

Basic Skills

Basic skills are the fundamental building bricks of learning and are often pivotal to achieving both employment and community integration.  They impact in a real way on people’s everyday lives.

Yet, 1 in 5 adults in the UK have a literacy level lower than that expected for an 11 year old.  For Numeracy the figure is even more depressing – with almost half of adults with poor or very poor ability to deal with numbers.

We have developed a range of programmes and interventions to help adults gain confidence and competence with words and numbers and move them towards achieving nationally recognised qualifications at Entry level or Levels 1 & 2 of the national core curriculum.

In real terms this means enabling adults to use language and numbers with confidence in their everyday lives: at work, while shopping, dealing with government agencies, educating their children etc.

ICT Skills

Computers are now a part of everyday life.  But for many, acquiring the skills that enable them to benefit from technology is in itself a barrier.

We run both long and short course programmes designed to equip learners with ICT skills at every level.  This may be basic level introductory programmes in word processing, email, spreadsheets etc through to more advanced functionality.

We offer a range of formal qualifications including ECDL and are happy to create customised training programmes to meet individual need.

Custom & Other Training

We relish the opportunity to develop bespoke training to suit the needs of a specific employer. We will happily adapt existing provision – or design it from the bottom upwards! We want to be sure it is fit-for-purpose and effective in delivery.