Jobseeker training courses in Blyth to be extended thanks to Newcastle Building Society support

Blyth Resource & Initiative Centre (BRIC) provides a wide range of training courses and employability services with the aim of helping them gain the skills and knowledge needed to enter the world of work.

The charity, which celebrates its 40th anniversary next year, launched a new functional skills project last autumn after being accredited to deliver courses in maths and English.

The course, which takes around four months to complete and involves online and in-person sessions, has so far been successfully completed by 14 people, with several others at different stages of their studies.

And with more 20 people on its waiting list, BRIC is now using a £2,250 grant from the Newcastle Building Society’s Community Fund at the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland to extend its provision of the courses, with the next ones due to start in September.

Each part of the five-stage course is passed by taking an exam, with students allowed to work at their own pace with the support of a tutor and able to decide when they’re ready to take the exams.

Job interviews, paid employment and volunteering roles have already been secured by several of the first students to complete the course.

Centre manager Sharron Fawcett said: “Our aim is to upskill local people who don’t have any qualifications, which is around one third of Blyth’s population, so that they have a better chance of catching a potential employer’s eye and getting on their interview list.

“With the first stage of the interview process often being streamlined down to an online assessment, candidates without formal qualifications often don’t get a look in, no matter how well suited they might be.

“Any funding is invaluable for a small charity like ours, but in this case, we simply wouldn’t be able to be running this course without Newcastle Building Society’s generous support.”

Stephen Burt, manager at Newcastle Building Society’s Station Road branch in Ashington, added: “It’s great for us to be able to support their inspiring work.”