Whether you are thinking about a new career, looking for a lifestyle change, or want to learn new skills and access education or training, there are lots to choose from in Plymouth.
Below are some of the latest opportunities – including some great events that you can attend for free! If anything catches your eye, simply get in touch by emailing skillslaunchpad@plymouth.gov.uk, or texting Emma on
07917 264736.
Upcoming events
Early Careers Fair
Hosted at Plymouth Argyle, this free event offers a great opportunity to discover the fantastic career and job opportunities available in the construction and built environment and manufacturing and engineering sectors. Not only will you be able to meet recruiting local employers, but can also try your hand at taster activities, check out sample products and chat with apprentices and graduates already working within the growing sectors.
When and where:
Saturday 9 July, 10am-2pm, at Home Park
Childcare Careers Event
Thinking about starting a career in childcare, or looking to refresh your skills to re-join the sector? Look no further.
This is a great chance to explore both paid and volunteering roles, by speaking to representatives from:
Pixieland Day Nurseries for Plymouth and Saltash
Bambinos Day Nurseries
Flying Start Nurseries
Barnardos.
Staff from Achievement Training, TLC training and City College Plymouth will also be on hand to discuss the various training routes available, from full and part-time courses to apprenticeships and traineeships.
When and where:
Monday 11 July, 12-3pm, Skills Launchpad Plymouth, first floor Barclays, city centre
Higher Education Drop-in
City College Plymouth is hosting a higher education drop-in for anyone looking to explore university-level study in a college environment. The College offers a variety of high-quality university courses – including degrees – that are delivered in partnership with the University of Plymouth or Plymouth Marjon University.
Explore university-level qualifications including HNC/Ds (level 4); Foundation Degrees (level 5); or Bachelor’s degrees (level 6).
When and where:
Wednesday 13 July, 6-8pm, City College Plymouth, Kings Road, Devonport
Health and Care Jobs Fair
Are you caring, friendly and reliable and looking for a flexible and rewarding job? If so, come and meet Plymouth City Council’s care providers – they’re recruiting now!! You can chat to people about accessing training and education too.
When and where:
Saturday 30 July, 11am-3pm, Place de Brest (outside Barclays Bank)
Community Roadshow
This summer, join us for activities, entertainment, local community groups, education, training and employment, and lots more at these free community events that are popping up place across the city every Wednesday in August, between 11am-2pm.
When and where:
Wednesday 3 August at the Foyer
Wednesday 10 August at Marine Academy
Wednesday 24 August at Market Hall in Devonport
Wednesday 31 August at the YMCA.
Coffee and Careers
This weekly drop-in session focuses on supporting those in the mid-point in their careers. This is a great opportunity to find out about:
changing your career completely – even if you’re not sure on your next steps
learning something new or upskilling yourself within your chosen career path
getting back into the job market
talking to someone about how to construct an attractive CV or understand how to identify your existing transferable skills
gaining the confidence to move forward in a new direction.
Whatever your situation, the team can offer the support and guidance you need.
When and where:
Every Monday, 10am-12noon, Skills Launchpad Plymouth in Barclays, city centre
Military Tuesday
Calling all military service leavers, veterans, those serving and their families with information – this weekly service is designed to connect you with the latest opportunities for skills, training, education, careers and jobs in Plymouth. Key delivery partners for this event include DWP Armed Forces Champions, Career Transition Partnership (CTP), and RFEA – The Forces Employment Charity, along with a number of other organisations. No need to book, just turn up.
When and where:
Every Tuesday, 10am-4pm, Skills Launchpad Plymouth in Barclays, city centre
Building Plymouth Job Shop
Whether you are highly skilled and experienced, or thinking about a career change and looking to explore where you fit in, your first stop should be the Building Plymouth Job Shop.
When and where:
Every Tuesday, 12-2pm, Skills Launchpad Plymouth in Barclays, city centre
Health and Care Job Shop
Whether you have a background in care or a feeling that you may be good at it, dropping into this weekly job shop is a great starting point.
When and where:
Every Thursday, 12-2pm, Skills Launchpad Plymouth in Barclays, city centre
Access pre-employability support
We work with some great organisations that support adults to prepare for work or changing careers, so if you would like some impartial careers advice and guidance, support with your CV, cover letters and/or interview prep, we can help.
National Careers Service
For help preparing for jobs, you may like to get started by booking a free appointment with the local National Careers Service team. Barbora works from Skills Launchpad Plymouth to provide face-to-face support for anyone 19+. She can help you to make decisions on learning, training and work at ALL stages of your career and best of all… it’s FREE!
Argyle’s SCORE programme
Looking to build your confidence and employability? Argyle Community Trust's SCORE programme is completely free and covers:
emotional Intelligence
resilience
confidence building
being the best you can be
mental health awareness
CV/cover letter writing
interview skills
applying for jobs.
There are also great perks to joining the programme such as:
getting a free Argyle branded t-shirt
free Argyle branded bag and stationery
gaining a Level 1 Award in Behaviours, Attitudes and Attributes Required for Employment
a free visit to Dartmoor Zoo
a reduced membership fee to join Brickfields Sports Centre for two months.
Upskill through training or education
It’s never too late to learn new skills. Whether your motivation is to get a job or start a hobby, Plymouth has lots of providers offering adult education - and the courses are quite often free.
Courses range from business and coding to hair and beauty, animal care, sport and fitness, cooking, and more. Some can even help you to access university-level study.
Training delivered in person:
To get started take a look at short courses with Achievement Training, City College Plymouth, On Course South West, and South Devon College, as these are just a few of the providers delivering courses face-to-face throughout the year – including vital English and maths lessons. You can also gain essential digital skills, support with money-saving and even try hands-on courses like carpentry for beginners. Shekinah also offers free drop-in courses weekly.
Training delivered online:
A number of our partners offer free online courses, so why not use gain a new qualification or skill from the comfort of your own home?
Courses range from computer essentials, professional development, and digital design and marketing; to business admin, specialist care courses, and interview skills.
Get started with the links below:
MART Skills – fully funded courses
Apply for jobs
There are many reasons why you might be looking for a new job at the moment, but the great news is that there are 3,000 jobs available, right now, in Plymouth.
For advice on where to apply and things to consider, click here.
Explore self-employment
Always dreamt of starting your own business? It can be both an exciting adventure and daunting, especially if you have additional barriers to overcome, such as disability or being long-term unemployed.
Outset offers start-up support to include and support everyone, working with people from a range of different backgrounds, and often with different needs. Check out their current webinar listing here.
We have added lots of information and links to support you in setting up your own business in our Resource Bank here.
A number of our local partners also have upcoming courses that can help you with starting your own business:
Apply for Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are real jobs with training. They start all year round and are not just for school leavers!
Apprenticeships are a great way to earn while you learn, gain a nationally recognised qualification, and study from Level 2 right up to degree-level, depending on the role you are working towards.
If you are worried about the financial side of an Apprenticeship salary, you could be entitled to claim universal credit to top you up, so don’t rule it out as an option.
In the latest edition of Plymouth’s exclusive apprenticeship bulletin, there are more than 200 apprenticeship vacancies, so there are lots to choose from. Click here to see what’s available.
Volunteer
Volunteering is a fantastic way to test out different jobs to find out what you prefer, as well as helping you to gain experience and develop soft skills that are useful in all careers. You may also choose to volunteer as a way to give back and share your skills and experience with others.
There are lots of opportunities to volunteer in Plymouth, whether that’s supporting a one-day charity event as a marshall, being a phone friend to help combat loneliness and isolation for the elderly, or caring for animals. To explore and apply for local opportunities, click here for the One Plymouth website. Alternatively, click here for more links via the Plymouth Online Directory.
Access mental health support or boost your confidence
Wellness Through Nature - Opportunity for veterans at Dartmoor Zoo
Funded and supported in partnership with The Armed Forces Covenant Find Trust and Dartmoor Zoo, the Wellness Through Nature programme is running once a week for 12 weeks with a choice of days available. It's aimed at providing veterans with an opportunity to escape into nature, whatever your stage in life, to learn new skills, have fun, enjoy camaraderie, feel a sense of purpose and establish new friendships, in a unique outdoor setting.
Project areas and tasks included in the programme are:
gardening and maintenance including building homes for wildlife
animal enrichment including creating toys for the monkeys and big cats
learning and development
creativity in nature including painting and photography.
In addition to these fantastic projects, those taking part also get a free lunch voucher each day, a free 12-month zoo entry pass on completion and an invitation to a bi-annual celebratory event at the zoo.
Devon Mind
Do you struggle with anxiety? If so, why not sign up to take part in a session to help with understanding anxiety and to learn tips and tools for managing anxiety with Devon Mind? Do you juggle raising a family and keeping up a home whilst suffering from depression? There is a range of short Zoom workshops on offer that can help you prioritise your mental health. Click here to see what’s coming up.
Art, Craft and Laughter
Life can sometimes be overwhelming and having a space to be able to go, take timeout and breathe might just be what you need.
Art, craft and laughter are offering mental health, wellbeing art and craft groups.
Search ‘Art, craft and laughter' on Facebook or Instagram.
For more information on accessing mental health support in Plymouth, click here.
Shekinah
There is so much to get involved in with Shekinah. Drop-in and see them at 24 Stonehouse Street to find out more about their short courses:
Thinking about Thinking
Doing the Right Thing
Decision-making: Are we rational?
Spoon Carving for Beginners
Guitar for Beginners
Still Life Drawing/Painting
Becoming a tutor – how to prepare and run a workshop
Vegan Cooking on a Budget
Foraging Walk
Spray-Art for Non-Artists
Theatre Royal - Our Space
Our Space is a creative programme for anyone looking to build confidence whilst learning theatre skills in a fun and supportive environment. Our Space works with those with lived experience of homelessness, mental health issues, substance misuse, offending, or people who feel socially isolated for other reasons.
Those taking part have access to:
drama for confidence workshops
opportunities to see shows
transport to and from workshops
refreshments
volunteering and training opportunities
social opportunities.
Who? Anyone aged 25+
When? Ongoing
POP Community Groups
Have you heard of POP? Their purpose is to build strong grassroots organisations, charities and social enterprises by supporting them to work together and take a lead role in creating change – and they run groups, workshops and activities that you can get involved in.
Groups for men:
activities for 50+ men
exercise groups
mental health support
Groups for women:
art and crafts
writing
exercise
dance
Craft groups:
knitting
art
crafts
Other interests:
gardening
photography
model building
games
Gifted Women
Women across the UK can be caught up in a cycle of addiction, homelessness and crime, with a lack of opportunities and often a complex history of trauma and abuse at the foundation. Even when working hard to break the cycle, women can struggle to find work and support to reach their full potential. Gifted Women works to help women break this cycle, recognising meaningful employment, training and further education as key factors in lasting change.
Through weekly group work sessions, learn about all aspects of employability, from recruitment to resilience in the workplace and everything in between. With a significant focus on life skills, confidence building, exploring passions and ambitions and discovering the value you have to offer.
Get in touch to mind out more about this programme.
Opportunities in construction
The construction industry is booming. Whether you are highly skilled and experienced, or thinking about a career change and looking to explore where you fit in, your first stop should be the Building Plymouth Job Shop. Based in Barclays, Armada Way, the Job Shop is open to anyone, just drop in on a Tuesday between 12-2pm.
You may also like to look at upcoming short courses and accreditations for new and experienced tradespeople with:
New to construction? Why not check out Greenlight Training or CTSW’s two-week pre-employment courses. Both will give you a great opportunity to develop your skills and get a feel for what you enjoy.
Alternatively, the Sherford Training Programme can help you gain a week’s onsite training and experience, and the chance to gain your CSCS card.
Opportunities in health and care
There has never been a more important time for the health and social care sector, and there continues to be a shortage of workers, particularly in the home care sector.
Whether you have a background in care or a feeling that you may be good at it, there are lots of ways to find out more.
People of all ages can drop into our Health and Social Care Job Shop, every Thursday between 12-2pm in Barclays, Armada Way.
Check out the Council’s Home Care Assistant campaign here and register your interest for a callback.
Explore the jobs and volunteering opportunities available with Livewell South West here.
It’s also worth exploring the e-learning section above, as there are lots of free online courses you can do to develop skills for the health and social care sector.
Find out more…
For information about any of our partner programmes, simply e-mail skillslaunchpad@plymouth.gov.uk, or click here to sign up as a member.
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