Career Connect’s Quality and Workforce (QWS) team is no more – it is now known as Training and Development.
The new name reflects the growing range of courses that the team designs and delivers to organisations and individuals across the country – and its ambitious plans to grow in both reach and impact.
The Training and Development Team has worked with clients in education, public and private sectors, third sector, corporate, health, housing and more.
Their external course delivery falls into three categories:
Courses for current and aspiring careers professionals
Careers-related qualifications including the OCR Level 4 Diploma in Careers Information and Advice, and the OCR Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance and Development – the ‘go to’ qualifications for careers advisers.
The team is also marking its fifth year as a provider of the Level 6 Careers Leaders programme (funded by the Careers and Enterprise Company). Careers Leaders can select Career Connect as their chosen provider and could be eligible for a bursary from the CEC.
View the full Careers Leaders course programme here
Courses to develop skills to support people with information, advice, and guidance
Courses for people in public facing roles, where they are required to provide general information, advice or guidance.
This could be in any context – such as charity, public or third sector, corporate, housing, education, community, or customer service.
The team delivers Advice and Guidance qualifications from Levels 2 to 4, as well as coaching level 2. The team can also design and deliver bespoke courses for organisations to meet a particular training need (CPD or accredited through Open Awards).
The team can also design and deliver bespoke courses for organisations to meet a particular training need (CPD or Open Award).
Preparing people for life and work
The Training and Development Team can also help organisations and businesses to support their clients or customers with courses in Preparation for Life and Work.
These are courses aimed at supporting individuals with personal development and employability, such as Coping with Change, Managing Anger and Preparation for Work.
These range from entry level to Level 2 and are accredited through Open Awards.
Commercial Director Gemma Grady heads up the nine-strong team.
Rachel Lyon has recently joined the team in a new role as Sales and Marketing Co-ordinator and will play a significant part in building links with new learners and raising the external profile of the team.
The team will also continue to play a key role in Career Connect’s internal quality standards. The team champions the maintenance of the Matrix standard and ISO 9001 standard across our charity, conducts internal audits, and maintains our policies and procedures. They also uphold national qualification and occupational standards, promoting the Gatsby Benchmarks with Careers Leaders and our in-school careers advisers.
Gemma Grady said: “Career Connect differs to many other training providers. Driven by our charity’s mission to create better futures, our course delivery reflects our passion to make a difference to both the learner and the people that they will go on to support.
“Our team of expert trainers have had decades of experience in frontline roles where people skills, and excellence in advice and guidance and is vital.
“We are a people-focused charity, and that is seen in the way we interact with our learners, the way we build strong relationships, being flexible and ensuring any needs are met. We are proud of the consistently excellent feedback we receive.”
Career Connect is an assessment centre and is accredited to deliver courses through four awarding bodies: OCR, City & Guilds, ILM and Open Awards.
If you wish to contact the Training and Development team about their services, please email [email protected] or phone 0151 600 7780.
