Caroline Lucas MP was the guest of honour recently at the official launch of the brainchild of City College Brighton and Hove; City Skills & Jobs – an innovative new ‘skills shop’ in Brighton. 

The shop has been established by City College Brighton and Hove to be a vibrant and welcoming ‘one stop shop’ to facilitate connections between employers and their potential employees while providing information and support which will help local people to transform their lives through training and education.

In line with the College’s ongoing commitment to boosting local apprenticeships, The Apprenticeship Training Association will also be located within the shop which is on Queens Road, close to the Clock Tower.

The College’s key partners in City Skills & Jobs are BrightonandHoveJobs.com, Albion in the Community’s ‘Want to Work’ project and Brighton & Hove City Council who, as well as providing the location for the shop rent-free for a period of time, will be providing advice sessions from the Youth Employability Service.

The shop, which is part-funded by ERDF via the Interreg 2seas GAPS project, will also be linked closely to Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce, Jobcentre Plus and American Express. Among the many local luminaries who attended the launch event were Council Chief Executive, John Barradell, Chair of Albion in the Community Dick Knight, the new Chair of the Economic Partnerhsip Gary Peters, Executive Director of Brighton & Hove Economic Partnership Tony Mernagh, Argus Editor Michael Beard and Council Leader Bill Randall.

Dr. Lucas said, “These are hugely difficult times financially and against a trend of rising unemployment, amongst young people in particular, this job shop is hugely needed. It’s a fantastic collaboration in the city and is a ‘win-win’ situation for both job-seekers and employers”.

“I’m also reminded of a quote by the Commission on Youth Unemployment that: ‘If the route to university is a well-signposted motorway, the route into work for 16-to-18-year-olds is more like an unmarked field of landmines’. City Skills & Jobs is a much-needed bridge over this “unmarked field of landmines” and I hope is successful for all involved.”

“City Skills & Jobs’ highly visible, accessible location along with its website and social media presence will make it very immediate to young people and I really think they’ll appreciate what a vital resource it can be for them”, said Phil Frier, Principal of City College.

“The City Skills and Jobs shop is filling a vital gap in the local market”, said Gary Peters, CEO of BrightonandHoveJobs.com. “It will not only provide information to anyone looking to improve their careers and working life but it will also provide a ‘face-to-face service’ where local employers can find all the relevant employment information and guidance they require. We’re very proud to be a part of this initiative and wholeheartedly support it.”

Story supplied by Brighton Business