Some short courses take just a few hours to complete, but their benefits can last a lifetime, truly supporting career redirection or a return to work. They provide so many obvious benefits as well as those that are often overlooked.
Many people are unaware of the considerable range of free training courses available to study within the UK. When I say free, what I mean is fully funded by the Government, so you have already paid for them via your taxes. Even better, is that many of them are distance learning, allowing the learner to study at home, in their own time and crucially at a pace that suits them best. When integrated into a rehabilitation programme or supporting people back into work, they offer a fantastic return on an investment that is often restricted to time and energy.
What courses are available?
Many of the short courses offer a Level 1 or 2 qualification, and you can discover what these levels equate to via the Government website here. There are a wide range of subjects available across a diverse choice of categories, including.
- Accounting and finance
- Health, social care and wellbeing
- Retail and hospitality
- Business leadership and management
- Childcare and education
- Digital
- Health and fitness
- Health and safety
- Mental development
- Sustainability
Most of these categories have a selection of courses to choose from, covering more specific subjects that may be of interest to the learner. The courses are often broken down into a set number of units, each containing several sections based on the subject. Many of the providers permit these units and sections to be viewed prior to the course, allowing for a better understanding of the course content.
What are the benefits?
They provide an opportunity to learn new skills that support career redirection, progression or a return to work. These skills can be a great addition to a CV, application form, or cover letter, in addition to discussions at interview stage. Furthermore, developing new or existing skills can build self-confidence at a time when people are often anxious about returning to work, or their value to the working environment.
It is normal for people to be worried about having a gap in their employment history, but having a gap itself is itself normal. These can be for a variety of reasons including redundancy, health, family, travel, education, personal choice, or a period in prison custody. Developing confidence in discussing or writing about these periods, is a key employability skill. Often volunteering, work experience, family activities, personal achievements or other positive experiences are used to great effect. Upskilling by completing a short training course can complement any of these, providing further insight into the individual.
Re-establishing a work-based routine can be challenging, and doing so gradually prior to a return to work can assist with that transition back into employment. Developing a study timetable, with realistic timings and goals, can help to incorporate a new activity into a weekly schedule. This can be scaled up with additional or longer courses closer to the return for those who are enjoying the learning or process.
Some of the short courses are delivered as part of a group, or allow access to learning forums, where people can discuss their learning, ask questions or share experiences. Being part of these may help an individual to develop their social skills and confidence prior to returning to a work environment, which may be busier than they have become accustomed. Some examples of how short courses have supported our clients include.
- Jennifer had a background in hospitality and business ownership. A workplace injury resulted in her undertaking career redirection. She completed several short courses to develop her administration skills and confidence, supporting her application for roles that were new to her.
- As part of his return to work, Paul was keen to better understand changes he could make that would improve his health and ability to sustain work. He completed his Level 2 in Understanding Nutrition and Health to gain a greater understanding and develop his self-confidence.
- Having not been in paid employment for over 10 years for family reasons, Kirsty was concerned that she would not be able to secure a role she enjoys. Having always been interested in cleaning, she completed her Level 2 in Cleaning Principles. This gave her the correct qualification to commence evening work for an office cleaning company, which fitted around her family needs.
Managing time and energy?
It is important not to over commit at an early stage, instead allowing the time and patience to gain better understanding of capability and the realistic time availability. It is easy to become excited by the prospect of studying and the courses available. Start with just the one course, ideally one which is likely to be enjoyable. Starting out with a positive experience will help the course to compete with other more exiting activities and increase the likelihood of completion. This in turn will help to fuel the enthusiasm and skills required for any further courses.
Develop a timetable that sets aside specific periods for study. Do this for a length of time and frequency that is both realistic and comfortable. This will help to prevent fatigue or avoidance. If possible, do study at a time when you are typically at your most alert and energetic. An example would be 10:00 to 11:00 on a Tuesday and Friday morning for someone who has children in school and is typically more active on a morning.
What about people with additional learning needs?
Many of the course providers outline what support is available for those with additional learning needs. Where is this information is found can be inconsistent. For some it is clearly highlighted within the course information page, for others it can be found in the frequently asked questions section. If you cannot find the required information, it is a good idea to contact the provider to discuss this in person. As well as explaining the support that would be of benefit, it would be good to suggest for them to make this information more clearly available on their website.
Searching for short courses
These courses are widely available from many education and training providers, including colleges and private companies. Carrying out an internet search for Level 1 or 2 courses will help to them explore them, but also including your chosen sector can help get more specific results. For example, typing “free level 2 course business management” into your search engine. Most providers permit you to view the course contents, allowing you to compare providers to ensure it covers the subjects that are important to you. Additionally, there are a few providers that offer non-accredited courses, and often charge either a small fee or charge only for the certificate.
Highlighting qualifications
There are several ways in which these qualifications can be highlighted for potential employers, including on documents that are used to apply for roles. Within a CV, or application form, they can be mentioned in the qualifications section or as evidence of relevant skills. They could also be included in the personal profile if they relate directly to the role. As previously mentioned, they are also a fantastic way to cover a period without paid employment in the career section.
For regular users of professional media such as LinkedIn, these could also be uploaded to a profile and shared across a newsfeed if desired. This can strengthen a profile and they are visible to potential employers who access these platforms.
At interview stage, it can be good idea to take any certificates that relate to the role, or a list of those held. However, the process of completing the training and developing the skills can also be evident in the increased self-confidence and subject knowledge that the interviewee demonstrates.
Article written by Stuart Miller
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