New life skills programme for Ashfield residents

Ashfield residents can take advantage of free life skills training funded by Ashfield District Council’s £3.2million UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The Essential Skills for Life Programme, delivered by Futures (a not-for-profit social enterprise based in Nottingham) on behalf of Ashfield District Council, will help unemployed residents develop key life skills such as confidence, budgeting, basic digital skills, and motivation to help them gain employment.

Residents will be able to access in-person workshops, giving them the opportunity to mix and connect with other residents, whilst gaining support from dedicated Skills Tutors, and receiving one-to-one mentoring and guidance.

Workshops are now available across Ashfield in the following areas:

• Sutton Central & Leamington

• Stanton Hill & Skegby

• Kirkby Central (covering Greenwood and Summit)

• East Kirkby (covering Sutton Junction, Harlow Wood, Kingsway, and Abbey Hill)

• Selston

• Hucknall Westville

Cllr Matthew Relf, Ashfield District Council Executive Lead Member for Growth, Regeneration and Local Planning said “It is fantastic that we are able to fund projects like this, that have a real benefit to residents. Part of the Council’s ambitions is to upskill residents and to improve employability. This programme will help residents develop those key skills needed to help them get into work.”

Jennie Willock, Chief Executive Officer at Futures, said:

"We’re really excited about supporting the residents of Ashfield through the Essential Skills for Life Programme. We have a fantastic team of Skills Tutors and Community Engagement Officers who are ready to help people develop the skills they need to progress into further training or finding sustainable employment locally.

“We see this is a great starting point to introduce local residents to further training opportunities, helping them to continue developing their skills through programmes such as Multiply, which supports participants with numeracy skills and money management, and the Adult Education Budget, which can support residents to gain qualifications and take their first steps into sustainable employment."

For further information about how to access this support, please contact:

• website: https://www.futuresforyou.com/essential-skills-for-life-ashfield.html
• email: [email protected]
• telephone: 0800 0858520

Funding for the programme has been awarded from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) - a government fund with the primary goal of building pride in local communities and increasing life chances as part of the Levelling Up agenda. The fund aims to improve health outcomes, support high quality skills training, and increase pay, employment, and business growth in local areas.