Welcome to the Access Southampton Events & Opportunities Calendar
Below is a summary of the latest careers events, training courses, employment opportunities and open days that are coming up in Southampton. These opportunities will give you the chance to develop new and existing skills, meet employers face to face, or find out about local colleges and training providers. Please note, this is not an exhaustive list and times/locations may be subject to change – always contact the training provider to find out more information.
Submit details of your own training course or careers event
Level 1 Award in Warehousing 
When: Monday 16th September – Friday 27th September 2019
Where: City College Southampton, St Mary St, Southampton, SO14 1AR
This short warehousing course is designed to support you in your journey back into employment or to change careers. It covers a range of employability and work skills topics for warehousing and storage roles including picking and packing, goods in and recycling. The course aims to build confidence in the workplace and personal development skills.
Successful completion of the course guarantees you an interview for a permanent role at the Lidl Regional Distribution Centre in Nursling across a range of shift patterns.
What you will learn:
You will complete 5 units:
- Health and safety at work
- Pick goods in logistic environment
- Maintain hygiene standards in handling and storing of goods in a logistical environment
- Sort goods and materials for recycling or disposing in a logistical environment
- Make an effective contribution to a business sin the logistics sector
To apply for this course, please visit: https://www.southampton-city.ac.uk/courses/warehousing-p2981819-b0298/
Saints Works Employability Programme
When: Starts Monday 16th September for 12 weeks
Where: Southampton
Please contact David Warnes should you be interested in the programme: dwarnes@saintsfoundation.co.uk
Knowing Your Community
When: Starts Monday 16th September at 9:30
Where: Clovelly Centre, Southampton
This course will provide basic English skills and cover aspects of UK culture to build confidence and enable better communication in day to day situations. This course is aimed at Pre Entry students.
9:30am beginning 16th September 2019
22 classes. Each class is 2 hours
Course fee £157.50
If you receive certain benefits you may be entitled to a free course.
To enrol please quote the course reference C3744741 either online at wea.org.uk or by ringing 0300 303 3464
Prince’s Trust Fairbridge Programme
When: Starts Monday 16th September 2019
Where: Southampton
An in depth personal development programme which can be tailored to the individual which lasts for up to 3 months. Fortnightly intake for Fairbridge.
For more information please contact solentoutreach@princes-trust.org.uk
CMI Certificate in First Line Management (Level 4)
When: Starting Tuesday 17th September, and run for 9 weeks
Where: City College Southampton, St Mary St, Southampton, SO14 1AR
City college are running the leadership and Management level 4 qualification, starting in September
If you would like to apply for the course please see below link
https://www.southampton-city.ac.uk/courses/cmi-certificate-in-leadership-management-p4641819-b0464/
Full Time Football and Education Programme 16-18 Year Olds
When: Starts Wednesday 18th September 2019
Where:Wynter Road Playing Field, Wynter Road, Bitterne, Southampton, SO18 6NX
Learn Arabic
When: Starts Monday 23rd September 2019 at 9:30am
Where: Clovelly Centre, Southampton
This course is for beginners and improvers who want to learn Arabic and will touch on Arabic culture. You will learn the basics of Arabic grammar in order to have a simple conversation, read and write basic letters and words.
9:30am beginning 23rd September 2019
10 classes. Each class is 2 hours
Course fee £70.00
If you receive certain benefits you may be entitled to a free course.
To enrol please quote the course reference C3744849 either online at wea.org.uk or by ringing 0300 303 3464
Community Interpreting Initial Assessment
When: Tuesday 24th September 2019 12pm-3pm
Where: Clovelly Centre, Southampton
Interested in becoming a Community Interpreter? Come along to this initial assessment session and complete an assessment activity to enable you to enrol on to a Community Interpreting course in October 2019.
12.00pm-3.00pm on Tuesday 24th Sept 2019
The class is 3 hours
Course fee FREE
To enrol please call 023 8063 0483 and quote the course reference C3744791
Prince’s Trust Team Programme
When: Starts Monday 30th September 2019
Where: Redbridge Fire Station, Southampton
The team programme is a free 12-week course for young adults aged 16 to 24 who are not currently in employment, training or education.
Throughout the course they will gain a variety of new experiences suitable to add to any CV, improve their social skills, gain confidence, and achieve a certified qualification in Employment, Teamwork and Community Skills.
If you have any young people who fall into this bracket that you would like to refer, please submit a referral form
Prince’s Trust Fairbridge Programme
When: Starts Monday 30th September 2019
Where: Southampton
An in depth personal development programme which can be tailored to the individual which lasts for up to 3 months. Fortnightly intake for Fairbridge.
For more information please contact solentoutreach@princes-trust.org.uk
Upcoming Employability Courses with Quickstart
When: September 2019
Where: Quickstart, Basepoint Enterprise Centre, 34 Andersons Rd, Southampton, SO14 5FE
If you would like more information or to book a customer onto the information sessions for these courses please phone 02380 682571
MAKING THE PLAY – Creating possibilities through Theatre writing for young people aged 16-25
When: September 2019 – January 2020
Where: Southampton
Playwriting and performance course with young people from the Southampton area led by playwright Zoe Lewis, for PhD research Drama and Education Field Study at the University of Winchester in association with The Mayflower Theatre.
The research
“An exploration in to the effectiveness of playwriting for increasing long-term self-esteem in hard to reach young people and whether partnership learning between mentor and student is key in teaching them to write well. “
I am pursuing a PhD exploring the research question above, that by treating young people as partners in the teaching process and investing the creative power into their hands, may be an effective way of increasing self-esteem and confidence in their own ability long-term.
The project
This project will run for approximately three months with a group of between five and nine students with the age range 16-25. Gender balance would be an aim but will not be an influencing factor in the study.
The group would meet every week (2/3 hours maximum) at the Mayflower theatre. The group will write a short play (Individually or as a group) which will be performed in front of an invited audience at the end of the project.
The plays will be written either individually or in a group or improvised.
The teaching requires a specific and hands-off method of practice by the teacher/mentor coupled with a professional -industry led approach to linking study to real time career.
Dates
We would like the course to run from late September 2019 to Late January 2020. With the showcase held at the Mayflower in Late January *
(*Please note these dates/venue for meetings may change subject to availability)
The students
The course participants/students will ideally be young people who are either disillusioned with education or have been excluded from the mainstream education system or simply not been able to gain access to the type of study that they might need or want due to lack of opportunity due to coming through the care system, the CJS or denied through cultural barriers.
They must want to be in the room and willing to try something new.
The idea will be to engage the students in to learning through playwriting.
The conclusions and evaluation
As this course will form the field-work for my research degree all participants will have to consent to be part of this research (which will be anonymous) and the course will be subject to a full ethics checklist. The evaluation will comprise of interview both at the beginning and end of the course and completion of questionnaires by the students about my performance and feedback through the course and at the end of the course. I will then see if the group want to continue to self -sustain and also will require an interview with participants a year after completing the course.
Mentoring – I will offer my services as a mentor (or engage another professional mentor) for any student who wanted that for two years after the field work has ended.
Contact lewis_zoe@hotmail.com for more information about this opportunity.
Level 1 Award in Retail
When: Monday 7th October – Friday 11th October 2019
Where: City College Southampton, St Mary St, Southampton, SO14 1AR
This short retail course is designed to support you back into employment or to develop your skills and knowledge if you are already employed. The course covers a range of employability skills and aims to build your confidence in the workplace and your personal development skills.
Topics include customer service, business, health and safety, selling, stock replenishment and team work.
Successful completion of the course guarantees you an interview for a permanent role at a variety of Lidl Retail stores in the Southampton and Portsmouth areas.
What you will learn:
- Understand the business of retail
- Understanding customer service in the retail sector
- Understanding the control and replenishment system in retail
- Understanding how individual and teams contribute to the effectiveness of a retail business
To apply for this course please visit: https://www.southampton-city.ac.uk/courses/retail-p0581819-b0058/
Prince’s Trust Get Started with Boat Building
When: Starts Monday 7th October 2019
Where: Isle of Wight
Age group:16-25
A week long Engagement programme on the Isle of Wight focusing on personal development.
For more information please contact solentoutreach@princes-trust.org.uk
Evaluating Youth Arts Projects
When: 8th October 2019, 10 am- 4.15 pm
Where: Artswork, Southampton
Special rate fee: £90pp (standard fee £150pp)
Evaluation can sometimes seem like a daunting task, but taking the time to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of your work with young people is the best way to achieve greater outcomes for future projects. Designed to help you cultivate meaningful and beneficial modes of evaluating creative projects with young people, this course will guide you through creative examples and useful case studies as you prepare to develop and review your own evaluation processes and models.
Ideal for:
• Individuals and organisations developing and delivering projects with young people that want to discover new, creative approaches to evaluation.
You will gain:
• The confidence to evaluate existing and future creative projects with children and young people
• Knowledge of creative tools and techniques for evaluating work
• Support in developing a model of evaluation that suits you
• Advice on how to structure your evaluation reports
• Evaluation presentation ideas
• Knowledge of different approaches to evaluation through case study exploration
To find out more and book a place visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/measuring-impact-evaluating-projects-with-for-and-by-young-people-tickets-61232455924, or contact a member of the Professional Development Team via: 02380 332491 / training@artswork.org.uk.
LifeWorks
When: 14th – 18th October 2019
Where: The Royal British Legion Pop In Centre, 104 Above Bar Street, Southampton, SO14 7DT
South Coast Engineering & Tech Careers Fair 2019
When: Wednesday 16th October, 12pm to 4pm
Where: Solent University
Webpage: bit.ly/SouthCoast2019ExhibitorPage
Register: South Coast Engineering & Tech Careers Fair 2019 Wed 16 Oct 2019
Ever considered a career in engineering or technology? Looking for some opportunities for when you finish school or college? Or, perhaps you are already in your career and are looking for a change? We also welcome group registrations from schools, colleges and academies.
Our exhibitors will be ready and waiting to tell you all about what it is like to work for them and what you can expect from pursuing a career with them. We will also have some training providers and educational establishments to talk about how they will support you alongside employers.
EqualEngineers connects inclusive employers with diverse talent in engineering and technology.
We want to increase social mobility within the engineering and technology profession. EqualEngineers specifically targets female; ethnic minority; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+); and disabled engineers, and other underrepresented groups in the profession.
Come along and find out about apprenticeships, placements, internships, graduate and returnship opportunities from engineering and technology employers.
Get Into South Western Railway
When: Starts Monday 21st October 2019
Where: Hampshire
Age Group: 16-30
4 week work ready programme based around customer service in the railway with industry with work placements around Hampshire.
For more information please contact solentoutreach@princes-trust.org.uk
Work Skills Course
When: Monday 4th November – Friday 8th November 2019
Where: City College Southampton, St Mary St, Southampton, SO14 1AR
This work skills course is designed to offer you the opportunity to access a short course to support you back into employment or to develop your existing employability skills and to prepare you for work.
The course aims to build your confidence in the workplace and your personal development skills.
What you will learn:
- Produce a CV
- Interviewing skills
- Rights and responsibilities at work
- Money management
- Career progression
To apply for this course please visit: https://www.southampton-city.ac.uk/courses/work-skills-p3491920-b0349/
Ongoing Opportunities
TEEM Work Clubs
Southampton City Council’s Employment Support Team runs several work clubs across Southampton every week as part of their TEEM Project (Training, Education, Employment, Motivation). The works clubs are open to Council Tenants and two of the work clubs (Central and Bitterne) are open to everyone. The work clubs are an opportunity to gain employment advice and support from the Employment Support Team’s dedicated employment officers. For more information contact Francesca on 023 8091 7585 or Francesca.prior@southampton.gov.uk
When: Every Week
Mondays – Bitterne Library, SO18 5EG, 10am-12pm
Mondays – Weston Community Library, 1pm-3pm
Tuesdays – Maybush Local Housing Office, 43-45 Irving Road, SO16 4EG, 10am-12pm
Wednesdays – Northam Community Centre, Kent Street, SO14 5SP, 10am-12pm
Thursdays – Central Library, SO14 7LR, 3pm-5pm
Self-Employment Support
Who is the Self-Employment Project for?
People aged 18 and over
You might have an idea for a business, be in the process of getting started, or you may want support with your existing business
People living in Southampton Council Housing
Must live under the Southampton City Council Boundaries
What can the project offer?
IAG to help you start your own business
Advice on how to access funding and training
One-to-one support
Access to Work Clubs around the city
Signposting and referral to any other appropriate provison
How can I refer?
To make a referral, you can either drop in to a work club or download a referral form and send it to Francesca Prior, Senior Employment Officer: francesca.prior@southampton.gov.uk
What happens next?
You will be allocated to one of 3 employment officers working on TEEM
You will be directly contacted to arrange an initial meeting
What happens in the first meeting?
Your employment officer will complete the initial paperwork with you including an assessment form and a consent form
You will work with your employment officer to create an action plan and set goals that you want to achieve
Your employment officer will discuss the support that is available and encourage you to explore different opportunities that are available
Help Getting Online
When: All the time
Where: Across Southampton
With many services moving online including housing benefits, college and apprenticeship applications and even online shopping, it can be very daunting for people who don’t know how to use computers and IT systems. Southampton City Council have put together an interactive IT map which shows information about a wide range of IT facilities, training and free WiFi that is available in Southampton to help support people to get online. The map is designed to be used by advisers, family and friends or a user themselves to find the most appropriate IT training/facilities to suit them.
If you are aware of any other free training or online help we can add to the list, please contact tenant.involvement@southampton.gov.uk
Construction Work Experience on a major development site
When: Ongoing
Where: Major development sites within the Southampton city boundary
This is an exciting opportunity for individuals to gain experience of major development construction sites on a 2 week work placement in Southampton. Placements are agreed locally with the placement organisation and placements are a maximum of 30 hours per week.
Commitment to completing the work experience and an understanding of its value in gaining employment should be clearly demonstrated by the prospective participant. Clarity on which trade / profession within construction they would like work experience of is required.
To access this opportunity, you need to be:
- Aged 18 and over
- Fit for manual work
- Qualified to at least Level 1
- Not currently in paid employment
- A resident of Southampton
- A holder of a current CSCS card or recent pass certificate (within 60 days)
If you are interested in this opportunity, please speak to your adviser or support worker. To make a referral or for more information, please contact Tim on 023 8083 3737 or email tim.naylor@southampton.gov.uk
Prince’s Trust Fairbridge Programme
When: Every 2 weeks from 19th August 2019
Where: Southampton City Centre
Construction Training
When: Ongoing
Where: across the whole of Hampshire
The Construction Skills Fund is new funding that is provided by the Department for Education (DfE), and administered and implemented by CITB. The government recognises there is a shortage of workers in the construction industry and employers will need to recruit skilled and unskilled labour to fill their workforce. The scheme aims to support innovative ways of training new entrants and retraining adults in areas for which public funding is not available.
We will be working collaboratively with JobCentre Plus, local community groups, training providers and through the construction supply chain, to design training programmes and employment opportunities for those wishing to enter the construction industry. The training provides both on and off-site learning and experience focusing on the skills and requirements as stated by employers in the local area. This funding is available across the whole of Hampshire and runs until March 2020.
For more information or queries on the project, training or how you can refer/signpost your customers, please contact Gemma.Conway2@hants.gov.uk or email CSF@hants.gov.uk
Saints Street FC
When: Every Tuesday 1pm-3pm
Where: Goals Soccer Centre, Millbrook, SO15 0JZ
Are you aged 16-25 and not in education, employment or training?
Join Saints Street FC for free Street Football sessions. There will be training, matches, tournaments and employability support.
Street Football is a fast paced four-a-side version of the 11-a-side game. Street Football is easy to learn for players with different amounts of football experience. It’s also exciting to watch and play, with rules favouring the attacking team.
For more information and to sign up, please call 07388 949398 or email dwarnes@saintsfc.co.uk
Earn a Bike scheme
When: 2019
Where: Monty’s Bike Hub, Sholing, Southampton
Through the My Journey to Employment Community Grant scheme, Monty’s Bike Hub (in Sholing) are running an “earn-a-bike” programme for local adults seeking employment.
Participants receive 5 weeks of 2 hour sessions (normally on Weds evening or Thurs afternoon). They start by choosing a bike that suits them from the donations store. They then work on it on a 121 basis with experienced and qualified mechanics over 2-4 sessions learning bike maintenance skills in the process. The remaining weeks include on road cycle training so participants feel confident making journeys in their local area and for journeys they may need to take for work or training. Participants will also receive free accessories such as lights, locks and helmets for their bike.
Eligibility criteria:
18+
Unemployed & seeking work
Resident of Southampton, Hedge End, Totton or Eastleigh
Please signpost any of your clients who may benefit from this scheme to email bikes@montys.org.uk or message https://www.facebook.com/MontysBikeHub/.
Youth Options Individualised Support
When: Ongoing
Where: Southampton
Youth Options offer individualised key worker support for youth people who need assistance returning to employment, education or training.
They will give one to one support to identify a young person’s needs and design a personalised plan to develop areas such as social and emotional development, skills and qualifications and improve aspirations by sign posting, activity days and group activities.
They can offer support through home visits or by meeting in the community as an individual requires.
For more information, or to refer, please contact sharynpeters@youthoptions.co.uk or call 07917 343846
Skills2Achieve 19+ Functional Skills
When: Ongoing
Where: Southampton
Townhill Helping Hub
When: Tuesdays 10am-12pm
Where: Townhill Park Community Centre, Meggeson Avenue, SO18 2FH
Learning and Skills Solutions
When: Ongoing
Where: Hampshire
Learners can sign up every week and the duration varies, the shortest courses are 3 weeks long, the longest 3 months.
ESOL – 5 levels, intensive 4 week course or once a week 2-3 months
Functional Skills English and Maths 3-15 weeks depending on an initial level
CSCS card with Health & Safety Level 1 – 3 weeks
Contact izabela@learningandskillssolutions.com or call 07786 042128 for more information
www.learningandskillssolutions.com
DA Training and Consultancy Traineeships & Study Programme
When: Ongoing
Where: Hampshire
No Limits SEE for your Future
When: Every Thursday 2-4pm
Where: No Limits Advice Centre, 13 High Street, Southampton, SO14 2DF
The No Limits Work Club is a drop in work club for young people every Thursday.
It delivers practical support to all young people (16 to 25 years old) wanting to get into full time and part time work, apprenticeships, training or voluntary work.
For more information, please visit nolimitshelp.org.uk/get-help/work-club
Level 1 Certificate in Caring for Children 
When: Ongoing (Term time only)
Where: Workshops are run in Poole and Southbourne
Level 1Caring for Children FAQ’s
What does the course involve?
4 days’ a week (Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm), term time only.
3 days’ work experience, one day practical workshop (workshops are run in Poole and Southbourne)
Days/times can be flexible depending on individual circumstances.
How long does the course last?
There is 2 parts to a level 1 qualification and individual requirements and timescales can be varied to suit individual needs. We aim to complete the course between 4 and 9 months depending on how many units you are doing.
Do I have to find my own work experience?
No, we can arrange a work placement for you. Please let us know if you have a particular childcare setting in mind. We consider where you live and your travel and can arrange work placements to suit your needs.
What areas of childcare will I learn about?
We cover a wide range of topics within childcare including, communication, child development, craft activities, music, healthy eating and most importantly how play encourages a child to learn. We also cover interview skills and CV writing to help you when apply for future jobs.
Will there be others on my course?
Yes. The workshops are run in groups.
How do I join the level 1 course?
All you need to do is contact Becky to arrange a chat to discuss your individual requirements and available options
Are there any entry requirements?
No, you do not need any qualifications or previous experience for this course
Do I need a police check (DBS)?
A free DBS check will be provided for you at the start of your course before work experience takes place
When can I start?
Workshops can start straight away but all students must have a returned DBS before starting work experience. You can join the course at any point in the year.
How much will I be paid?
This is a voluntary course so there is no wage involved, however we do offer an attendance bonus which is £50 in the middle of your course if your attendance is above 80% and another £50 on completion
How will I get to the course if I have no money for travel?
We can reimburse your travel costs up to a certain limit depending on how long you are on the course with us. This is usually £104.
What do I need to wear?
We will provide a t-shirt that is to be worn with black trousers and comfortable shoes.
No leggings or flip flops.
Is there opportunity for me to update my English and Maths?
Yes, as part of the level 1 Caring for Children course we provide Maths and English functional skills at a level suitable for each individual.
What can I do once I have finished the level 1?
Throughout your course we will be looking at upcoming vacancies for apprenticeships and working with you to apply or help you move forward into further education, training or employment of your choice.
Out of Area Support
Do you need support finding work but live outside of Southampton? Check out these job clubs and support services from elsewhere in Hampshire
RCS Job Clubs 
When: Various times and days in the week
Where: Basingstoke and Andover
Get free one to one help to find work at one of four RCS Job Clubs
Tuesday: Basingstoke Discovery Centre 9.30am-12.30pm
Wednesday: Longmeadow Centre, Andover 10am-2pm
Wednesday: Basingstoke Discovery Centre 9.30am-3pm
Thursday: Oakridge Hall for All, Basingstoke 9.30am-12.30pm
