The £3m Accelerate project is looking to support nearly 900 of Coventry and Warwickshire’s most disadvantaged people to tackle the barriers preventing them from entering work or self-employment.
Part of ‘Building Better Opportunities’ - a programme funded by the Big Lottery Fund and the European Social Fund, it brings together 23 local partners to provide each participant with a single access point to confidence building, work experience and skills enhancement, including training on IT, Literacy, Numeracy and Enterprise.
Since October 2016 Sky Blues in the Community have helped 19 adults access work and training opportunities related to their personal interests, goals and ambitions and we are proud to announce that each Accelerate participant has gained a Level 1 Qualification in Sports Leadership.
Andrew Hopcroft, Sky Blues in the Community’s Training & Skills Officer, said: “Apart from learning new skills, people on the course demonstrate a new-found confidence and motivation to achieve. Developing social skills is also a huge part; this is helped by the diverse experiences and backgrounds people bring to the programme. A real togetherness is formed in the group and everyone supports each other through the programme which is what we envisioned.”
Ron and Alwyn, Accelerate participants (and now two good friends) from the first cohort are now seeking more experience and will be utilising their new-found skills assisting on the project.
Ron commented: “I struggled with some of the work at the start but the confidence and encouragement Sky Blues in the Community showed in me helped me through. The programme has given me the confidence to achieve my goals. I have now been accepted to volunteer for SBitC and I am really looking forward to it.”
Tamy Matanky, who is leading the Accelerate Project said: “I’m delighted to see that 19 people have already completed the qualification run by Sky Blues in the Community. The feedback I’ve been given has been very positive, with everyone enjoying the interactive nature of the training and feeling they are in a better position to go out and find work,”
“We already have two success stories from the first Sky Blues cohort, with one person volunteering at the Coventry and Warwickshire Recovery Partnership and another securing part-time employment. This is great news and so early on in the life of the project.”
The next dates for Accelerate courses in 2017 are: 5th September – 12th October 2017 and 7th November – 14th December 2017.
To find out more about the Accelerate project, please contact Training and Skills Officer, Andrew Hopcroft via telephone: 024 7678 6349 or email: andrew.hopcroft@ccfc.co.uk
