Published: 15/04/2020
Copeland residents are continuing their learning and boosting their employment prospects, despite the health crisis.
The Copeland Work and Skills Partnership's latest work academy is arming participants with the skills needed to enter the leisure sector. Better Bodies, which is leading the training, has been delivering the learning online so people can still follow government guidelines on social distancing.
Copeland Council's Work and Skills Programme Officer, Chris Pickles, said: "Better Bodies has worked really hard against all the odds to keep the academy programme running, by adapting delivery to meet guidelines for public safety during the health crisis.
"While at home the participants have completed their level 2 Customer Service and Professional Development, level 2 Fitness and Physical Activity and level 2 in Nutrition for Performance and Healthy Eating."
The group will also learn about health and safety, safeguarding and first aid for mental health. Each participant will receive an interview for a position with Better.
Mr Pickles added: "All this has been achieved through an online interactive classroom, hosted by Better Bodies. We not only applaud Better Bodies, but also the group, who have adapted to this new way of working."
Better Bodies Director, Claire Bull, said: "It went a lot better than expected and all six learners are very enthusiastic to complete the course, which is great.”
Successful learners will be qualified as assistants, and also have the opportunity to train further as lifeguards or fitness instructors.
The course is the latest in a series of work academies arranged by the Copeland Work and Skills Partnership, each based on a different sector of the workplace. Unemployed residents are referred on to the academy by the Department for Work and Pensions and other members of the partnership.
The Copeland Work and Skills programme is jointly funded by Copeland Community Fund and Sellafield Ltd. The sector based work academies are part of its employment support workstream. Other workstreams include subsidies to support apprenticeships, specific support to key sectors and wage subsidies. For more information, contact Copeland’s Work and Skills Programme Officer, Chris Pickles, at Chris.Pickles@copeland.gov.uk.
Better is the brand name for GLL, Copeland Council's leisure provider. It is a national non-profit social enterprise running more than 250 leisure facilities and libraries on behalf of local authorities.
