Training course leads to employment.
Birmingham Metropolitan College’s Black Country Skills Shop has joined forces with local company, Secure Pro, to offer Security Industry Authority (SIA) training courses that have been successful in securing jobs for local unemployed people.
Stourbridge based company, Secure Pro, provides training and security services for entertainment companies, venues and events and has been working with Birmingham Metropolitan College for nearly three years. More recently, 15 local people were referred through Jobcentre Plus in Halesowen and Dudley with all of them securing part time and casual work through Secure Pro.
Richard Cooper, Development Director at Secure Pro, said: “We have a long established partnership with Birmingham Metropolitan College having successfully trained over 350 local people who have achieved the qualification. Everyone who qualifies is offered an opportunity to work with us which not only helps them to build their work experience portfolio but adds to the skills they’ve acquired on the course. We’re always really busy at this time of the year and have supplied qualified staff for music festivals, T in the Park and Sonisphere , the Tour de France in Yorkshire, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and concerts for the Arctic Monkeys and One Direction.”
Kerry Goodall, Employability Co-ordinator at Birmingham Metropolitan College, said: “As well as providing the Security Industry Authority badge through Secure Pro, staff at the Black Country Skills Shop take the candidates through an accredited Level 1 employability qualification which covers customer service, CV writing and personal development, helping to build their confidence and equip them with the right skills to enable them to get back into work.”
Anton Kent, 23 from Netherton, secured the SIA qualification after being referred to the Black Country Skills Shop from Dudley Jobcentre Plus. He said: “I have a National Diploma in Public Services but wanted to add to my qualifications. Having been unemployed for a while I was keen to add to my work experience skills and being able to work on ad hoc jobs with Secure Pro means that I get paid to get experience. Now that I’ve secured my qualification I’ve worked on the doors of a few bars in Cheltenham and am hoping to get a few other jobs under my belt.”
Simon Page, 42 from Old Hill, was referred to the programme through Halesowen Jobcentre Plus. He said: “I’d been unemployed for two years having worked in a bar and as a general assistant at Butlins. This course is a really good stepping stone to finding work and I recently worked at the One Direction concert in Edinburgh which has really boosted my confidence.”
Anyone interested in taking the course should ask for a referral from their Jobcentre Plus Advisor. The Level 2 course is accredited by City & Guilds with four multiple choice exams and one observational assessment based on practical skills. Assistance is on offer for anyone with specialist needs including dyslexia.
