Essex residents offered free training to close employment skills gap

Essex residents are being given access to new free training courses which will help them develop new skills, including software development, data science and cyber security.

It's to help bridge a skills gap in the county, which many believe to have widened as a result of the pandemic, that's left some employers unable to hire people, as they haven't got candidates with the necessary skillsets.

Councillor Lesley Wagland OBE is Chair of The North Essex Economic Board which is funding the courses: “The Board has already put in place fully-funded business support, but we recognise how important it is for our residents to find jobs – and for companies to be able to recruit people with the right skills.

“While there is a lot of work going on to ensure that skills balance is right long-term, these three programmes are more immediate ways for people to get the right training, and support, into work.”

The courses available are as follows:

• Tech Talent, delivered by the Tech Talent Academy - a course to upskill and re-train people who are unemployed or looking for their next challenge, which focuses on cloud computing, software development, data science and cyber security.

• Essential IT skills, delivered by We Are Digital - provides remote training for residents who require help with basic computer skills, from getting online to online banking – and also includes provision of a tablet and data connection to get people online.

• Employment support, delivered by Shaw Trust - helps people onto the right path with tailored training and bespoke support, including coaching, mentoring and mental health.

• Cllr Wagland explains why they picked these topics: "We've looked at what we think are growth areas for Essex, in terms of jobs, in the future.

• "We've talked to 600 businesses who've told us what skills they're looking for, so it's really driven by the business community."

• The North Essex Economic Board is a partnership of Braintree, Maldon, Tendring and Uttlesford district, Colchester Borough, Chelmsford City and Essex County councils – and residents from these areas can take up places on the programmes.

• {{news}}

• essex council