One of the great things about living in Plymouth is that there are lots of opportunities for young people to develop new skills, different training and education options, and lots of ways to gain experience to find your dream job or career. Whether you are just about to sit your exams, or have been looking for the right next step for you, we want to help.
We’ve pulled together the latest opportunities in one place – 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 our Youth Hub Coordinator, Rhianne on 07876396982. Upcoming Events City College Plymouth Open Day
This event will be an opportunity to immerse yourself and enjoy some hands-on experience among state-of-the-art facilities. There will be local employers offering the perfect opportunity to begin networking, and finding out about the companies you might one day wish to join. You can also learn more about the various courses in these areas.
You will also be able to find out about Apprenticeships, Access to Higher Education, university-level study, student support services, funding, careers and more.
When: Saturday 13 May
Where: Kings Road, Devonport
Time: 10am-1pm
Greenlight Training Open Day
Open Days are back! Greenlight Training LTD are hosting an open day as a chance for people to come along, pick up some tools, and learn about trades within the construction industry. It’s a good opportunity to discuss their current apprenticeship offer too!
When: Saturday 13 May Where: Unit 9, Dark Lake View, Plymouth, PL67FB Time: 10am-1pm Discovery College Open Day
Explore Discovery College’s post-16 education offer with courses including, business, childcare, health and social care, public services, performing arts, sports, travel and tourism.
When: Wednesday 17 May
Where: YMCA, Honicknowle
Time: 4.30pm-6pm
Free webinar: Spotlight on supported internships
The National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi) is hosting a free webinar for parents and carers of young people preparing for adult life around supported internships and how they can benefit young people with special educational needs and disabilities. When: Thursday 18 May
Where: Online – link to book here Time: 10.30am-12noon Training and Apprenticeship Drop-in
Come along to this monthly event to meet with local training and apprenticeship providers to see what opportunities are on offer within the city. Already confirmed for Mays event are representatives from City College Plymouth, Military Preparation College for Training (MPCT), Cheynes Training and Discovery College.
When: Wednesday 24 May and Wednesday 28 June
Where: Skills Launchpad Plymouth, first floor of Barclays, city centre
Time: 10am-2pm
Our Efford Community Event
Following on from the success of last years “Our Efford” community event, this June sees it return, for more fun and entertainment as it promotes health and well-being, education, training and employment opportunities across the city. When: Thursday 1 June Where: High View School, PL3 6JQ
Time: 11am-3pm
16-19 Jobs and Volunteering Support Session
During this free event and with support from CSW Group, the Skills Launchpad Plymouth team will be offering appointments to review the CVs of 16 to 19-year-olds, with a view to helping them gain summer jobs or volunteering opportunities.
When: Saturday 10 June
Where: Online – link to book here
Time: 11am-1pm
Booking is essential. Please register here, specifying your preferred time slot and someone will be in touch to confirm the booking.
Military Employment Showcase
In collaboration with both Career Transition Partnership (CTP) and the Forces Employment Charity, we will be hosting an event to specifically support service leavers and their families’ to access current and upcoming job vacancies and career opportunities from 15 to 20 Plymouth-based employers. When: Wednesday 21 June
Where: Stonehouse Barracks (booking is essential for security access) – link to book here Time: 2-6pm Arts University Plymouth Open Day
Explore the campus, visit nearby affordable student accommodation and speak with academics and course leaders. You’ll even have the chance to hop on a bus and have a tour of the city!
When: Saturday 24 June
Where: Arts University Plymouth, Tavistock Place – link to book here
Time: 9am-1pm
Building Plymouth Job Shop
Interested in joining construction and the built environment but not sure where to start? Drop into the weekly Building Plymouth Job Shop and find out about the latest skills, training, education, apprenticeships and jobs available locally, and how we can help connect you with local construction sites. When and where:
Every Tuesday, 12-2pm, Skills Launchpad Plymouth in Barclays, city centre
Military Tuesday
Calling all service leavers, this fortnightly session is all about connecting you with local opportunities for your fresh start. In addition to hosting our sector specialists (see dates and details below), we will also be joined by representatives from The Forces Employment Charity, Armed Forces Champion Mo, and our Skills Launchpad Plymouth team who will be available for a chat and signposting support between 10am-2pm.
What, where and when:
Construction and built environment takeover – Tuesday 13 June, 12-2pm
Health and care takeover – Tuesday 23 and 27 June, 12-2pm
Where: Skills Launchpad Plymouth on the first floor of Barclays, city centre.
Find Your Future
If you are a care experienced young person, or someone aged 16-19 and seeking opportunities for jobs, training or education, this drop-in session is for you. With support from the Barnardos Care Journeys team and other local training providers and organisations, each week you can drop in for tea, cake, a chat and free advice. When and where: Every Thursday, 12-3pm, Skills Launchpad Plymouth on the first floor of Barclays in the 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
Apply for a traineeship
Have you ever thought that you’d like to try out some different work environments before committing to a job or apprenticeship? Traineeships are designed to help young people aged 16 to 24-year-olds gain skills and experience in a particular work area. In just six to 12 weeks, you will gain experience that will help you move closer to figuring out your next steps – and they can often be extended if you are loving it.
There are local traineeship opportunities available in construction, business, barbering, hairdressing, childcare, beauty, catering, customer service, hospitality, health and care and youth work.
Get in touch to find out how to get started!
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.
Access Pre-Employability Support
If you’re looking to get a job, we work with some great organisations who can help you to prepare for work. Whether you would like some impartial careers advice and guidance, support with your CV, cover letters and/or interview prep, we can help.
CSW Group
If you are aged 16-19 and seeking opportunities for jobs, training or education, the CSW team can help. The fantastic local team help with CV support, and impartial advice, and can point you in the right direction for all the support available to you. CSW Advisors join us at Skills Launchpad Plymouth every Wednesday and Thursday and offer face-to-face appointments.
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 supports the Skills Launchpad Plymouth team in providing 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!
Young Devon
The team at Young Devon can support you with 1:1 mentoring, or a 12-week employability course that will help you to develop team and leadership skills, earn qualifications, and make friends for life! They also reimburse you for any travel on public transport. These courses are a great stepping stone back into education, accessing higher level qualifications and employment. The next programme starts from the end of May so contact us now to get booked in.
Experience Works and Empowering Enterprise programmes
If you’re aged 15-24 and need additional help to get into work, training or education; or if you need support to stick with school or college, we work with a number of partners who may be able to help you including, Battling On and Groundworks South. They can help you with 1:1 mentoring, as well as accessing financial support to move forward into training or a job.
The Prince’s Trust
From a five-day employability course to 12-week team programmes, how to start your own business and more, if you are aged 16-30 and not in full-time training or employment, the Prince’s Trust can help.
Latest opportunities include:
Get Started with Photography – Taster Day 11 May. Course dates are 15-19 May. For further information, email mark.rhead@princes-trust.org.uk
Enterprise Programme - Do you have a business idea that with some support could be the start of something? The next course is running online from Tuesday 23 to Thursday 25 May. More details here.
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 thousands of 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 and we also suggest checking out the upcoming courses with SMART Skills, the National Careers Service, On Course South West, the Prince’s Trust and City College Plymouth that can help you with starting your own business.
Access mental health support or boost your confidence
Kooth and Qwell
Kooth and Qwell are free digital mental health and wellbeing services that are available for free to people living in Plymouth.
Both aim to help people manage their own emotional health and wellbeing through anonymous and confidential support, Kooth supports anyone aged 11 -19 and Qwell is for everyone aged 18+.
These safe online spaces, help people to access therapeutic activities, with a peer support community, self-help articles and forums and discussion boards moderated by qualified practitioners. Users can also keep an online journal and monitor their wellbeing via an interactive goal tracker. This will be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is also a one-on-one live text chat and messaging counselling service with a team of qualified practitioners. See for yourself, click here for Kooth, or click here for Qwell.
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.
Shekinah
If you are aged 18+ there is so much to get involved in with Shekinah. They can help with short courses around personal development, handling stress and anger, mentoring and coaching, mental health, sexual health, as well as more employability related skills such as English, maths and using computers.
To find out more about their Learning Exchange Programmes, click here. Alternatively, for a safe and friendly place to find out about jobs, courses, and benefits you can drop in and see the team at Bath Street every Friday, 12.30pm-3.30pm
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.
Brush up on your English and maths
You may be fed up with being asked about whether you have your English and maths GCSEs, or a functional skill in numeracy and literacy, but the fact is, these skills matter and can really help you to get better jobs and earn more money in the long run. Here in Plymouth there are a number of training providers who can help. Many build it into a full-time study programme, or help you do it alongside an apprenticeship or traineeship, but you can also do your English and/or maths as a standalone course.
If it is maths you need help with, you may have heard of the Multiply project. Across Plymouth through this funding, providers such as The Focus Training Group, Real Ideas, and On Course South West and others are delivering practical maths courses to make maths more fun.
Get into training or education
It’s never too late to learn new skills. Whether you didn’t quite get your C/4 grades in your English and/or maths at school, or if you want to take your existing qualifications to the next level, Plymouth has lots of providers offering education - and the courses are quite often free.
Courses range from business and coding to hair and beauty, animal care, sport and fitness, military preparation, cooking, and more. Many can even help you to access university-level study.
Your choices at 16 – click here
Your choices at 18 – click here
We work with a wide range of local training providers, and there’s bound to be one very close to where you live, so get in touch if you’d like to discuss all the options available to you.
Training delivered online A number of our partners also 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: National Careers Service online courses
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 Go Volunteering website. Alternatively, click here for more links via our resource bank.
On our news and events page, you will also see regular posts about opportunities we have been made aware of. Right now we are promoting opportunities with YMCA Plymouth and the Natural Grid team
Opportunities in Construction
The construction industry is booming. If you want to find out about the latest skills, training, education, apprenticeships and jobs available locally, 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. Or for a slightly longer on-site experience, anyone 19-24 can join Vistry Partnerships Routeway 2 Construction eight-week course.
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.
Drop into our Health and Social Care Job Shop, every Thursday between 12-2pm in Barclays, Armada Way.
The Health and Social Care Skills Accelerator Programme (HASSAP) offers free and flexible courses from entry-level to level 5 which are delivered in Plymouth by City College and On Course South West. Choose from online and face-to-face courses including Understanding Autism, Medication Training, Safeguarding Vulnerable People and Counselling Skills.
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 visit http://www.skillslaunchpadplym.co.uk to sign up as a member and one of the team will contact you.
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