East Sussex College’s £1million pledge reaches 1,000 students

East Sussex College has reached a milestone achievement after helping 1,000 people to gain new skills and qualifications since the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The college launched their £1million training pledge earlier this year to help the economic recovery of Sussex.

Over 1,000 individuals have now enrolled onto free courses such as Understanding Autism, Digital Skills for Work, and Understanding Mental Health First Aid, to help them boost their CVs and be better equipped to emerge from the challenges of Covid-19 with confidence.

Stephen Burkes said, “I am very proud that we have been able to help 1,000 people develop new skills and achieve new qualifications in these difficult times. Our training courses have been specifically designed to help individuals and businesses recover from the challenges that Covid-19 has presented.

“We were able to quickly respond to the Covid-19 outbreak by significantly growing our provision online. We worked with key organisations and partners such a Sussex Chamber of Commerce to design our offer to meet the changing needs of employers.

“So far, we have been able to help people who have been furloughed or made redundant, we have worked with local GP surgeries to provide digital skills so their staff can cope with increased demand for their services, and we have set up virtual Care training for those wishing to enter the care sector.

“Looking ahead, we are adding more training courses and expanding our successful Sector Based Work Academies directly linked to job roles with employers. We’ll also be developing re-training opportunities for adults who want to learn from home, and need to change careers in light of the changing labour market.”

Courses are available to study online and are fully funded for those who are 19 years old and over, and lived in the UK for three years or more.