Skills help and support for individuals
We have got something for everyone in our wide range of courses - whether you want to boost your job prospects or learn a new skill, we have a course for you.
You can meet new people and make friends with our face-to-face courses with locations across the county and starting throughout the year, there is sure to be something to suit you.
If you are 19+ (19 prior to the 1st of August 2023) and unemployed or receiving low wage, the following course are available fully funded for you.
Course starting dates and times
Location | Course title | Start date | End date | Times |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bishop Auckland Town Hall, | Level 2 Customer Service | Wednesday 18 October 2023 | Friday 20 October 2023 | 9.00am to 4.00pm |
Bishop Auckland Town Hall, | Food Safety | Friday 27 October 2023 | Friday 27 October 2023 | 9.00am to 3.00pm |
St Catherines CC, | Level 1 Health & Safety in a Construction Environment (CSCS) | Wednesday 1 November 2023 | Monday 6 November 2023 | 9.00am to 4.00pm |
St Catherines CC, | Level 1 Health & Safety in a Construction Environment (CSCS) | Thursday 14 December 2023 | Tuesday 19 December 2023 | 9.00am to 4.00pm |
Bishop Auckland Town Hall, | English for Speakers of Other Languages (E3) Writing | 9 January 2024 Every Tuesday and Thursday | 28 March 2024 | 9.30am to 12.30pm |
Bishop Auckland Town Council, | English for Speakers of Other Languages (E1) Writing | 9 January 2024 Every Tuesday and Thursday | 28 March 2024 | 9.30am to 12.30pm |
Bishop Auckland Town Hall, | English for Speakers of Other Languages (E3) Speaking & Listening | 16 April 2024 Every Tuesday and Wednesday | 19 July 2024 | 9.30am to 12.30pm |
Bishop Auckland Town Council, | English for Speakers of Other Languages (E1) Speaking & Listening | 16 April 2024 Every Tuesday and Wednesday | 19 July 2024 | 9.30am to 12.30pm |
Other funded courses available
Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Excellence in Customer Service for Hospitality
This qualification is for learners who work or want to work in customer service in the hospitality, leisure, travel, or tourism sector.
This allows learners to learn, develop and practise the skills required for employment and/or career progression in the customer service sector.
Delivered over 20 days, this can be once a week, twice a week or every day for four weeks.
Level 2 Certificate in Employability Skills (sector specific)
Employability Skills qualifications are designed to support an individual successfully gaining a job, progressing in a chosen field, and preparing the individual for further study.
Aimed to support anyone who wants to live a more independent life, progress in education and/or their employment prospects; get into a job, as they progress along the career ladder.
Delivered over 14 days, flexible with the delivery model.
Level 1 Certificate in Employability (sector specific)
Courses are aimed at developing skills for getting into Construction, Customer Service, Retail, Hospitality, Child Minding and more.
Delivered flexibly over 13 days.
Entry Level 3 Extended Award in Employability (sector specific)
Courses are aimed at developing skills for Construction, Customer Service, Retail, Hospitality, Child Minding and more.
Delivered flexibly over 10 days.
Level 2 Award Customer Service in Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism
This qualification is for learners who work or want to work in customer service sector and covers the importance of providing excellent customer service, the role of the individual in providing excellent customer service, the importance of customers' needs and expectations.
One and half day course.
Level 1 Award Health & Safety in Construction Environment
This qualification is for learners wishing to apply for the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) Green Card. The CSCS Green Card is for those working in labouring occupations only.
CSCS introduced a requirement for applicants to achieve a formal knowledge-based qualification, the 'Health and Safety in a Construction Environment' Award. Achievement demonstrates the applicant's understanding of key issues affecting safe working practices on UK construction sites.
Delivered over three and a half days plus tests (half a day).
Level 2 Award in Health and Safety in the Workplace
This course is designed to ensure that everyone is aware of their own safety and the safety of customers, contractors and the public when working for an employer.
This course can be tailored to individual needs to make the learning experience relevant and fit for purpose.
Includes:
- know the principles of health and safety and accident prevention
- contribute to any health and safety management system
- recognise the importance of risk assessment
- responsibilities placed on employers and employees
- hazard, risk and main causes of harm to workers
- the importance of following systems, procedures and rules
- able to take individual action to reduce risks to health and safety
- how workplace equipment and task design affect health and safety
Delivered over one day.
First Aid
This course is designed for individuals who wish to have the knowledge and skills needed to give safe, prompt, and effective first aid in emergency situations.
Covers:
- the roles and responsibilities of an emergency first aider
- assessing an incident and managing an unresponsive casualty
- CPR, defibrillation and the recovery position
- choking, seizures, shock
- wounds and bleeding
- minor injuries
Delivered over one day.
Paediatric First Aid
Would you know what to do if a child in your care needed first aid?
This course has been designed to meet the needs of anyone who has a non-professional involvement with infants and children, such as parents, grandparents and want to learn key paediatric first aid skills.
Covers:
- assessing an emergency situation
- dealing with an unresponsive infant or child
- recovery position, CPR and defibrillation
- choking
- head, neck and back injuries
- fractures
- anaphylaxis and allergic reactions
- meningitis
- asthma
- febrile convulsions
- seizures
- diabetic emergencies
- poisoning
- burns and scalds
- electric shock
- external bleeding
- eye, ear and nose conditions
- bites and stings
Delivered over two days.
Safeguarding Awareness Raising
The aim of this training is to develop learner's understanding of their role and responsibilities, in line with current guidelines, when safeguarding and protecting children, young people and adults at risk.
This course is for people who are working with children, young people, and adults at risk. This includes those in voluntary or unpaid positions.
Covers:
- understand the key safeguarding legislation and guidelines
- how legislation applies to their role
- what to do if a child or adult discloses information
- the signs and symptoms of abuse, neglect, or exploitation
- an overview of designated responsibilities for different safeguarding roles
- the role of the designated safeguarding officer
- how to deal effectively with safeguarding concerns
- increased knowledge of multi-agency work and relationships
- increased understanding of the key legislation underpinning multi-agency working
Delivered over a half day.
Food Safety
This course will provide learners with a strong understanding of the importance of food safety, including correct food handling practices and measures to reduce the risk of contamination.
Covers
- the importance of food safety including food safety laws and the responsibilities of food handlers
- types of contamination and the associated risks including bacteriology, food poisoning, foodborne illnesses
- an introduction to the management of food including personal hygiene, workflow, work surfaces and equipment
- importance of cleaning and disinfection, waste disposal, pest control
- safe food handling practices including time and temperature controls
Delivered over one day.
Digital inclusion
This course will provide learners with the opportunity to learn new skills in searching the Internet, setting up an email account, able to create a CV (or similar document) and use a spreadsheet to help with personal finance and budgeting.
Delivered flexibly over three days.
Positive Woman
The Positive Woman course is designed to improve self-esteem and confidence to develop a positive mindset and to improve options to progress towards employment.
Covers:
- self-esteem
- confidence building and stress management
- increasing personal effectiveness
- recognise conflict strategies
- build on existing communication skills
- money management
Delivered flexibly over four days.
Positive Man
The Positive Man course is designed to improve self-esteem and confidence to develop a positive mindset and to improve options to progress towards employment.
Covers:
- managing a work and life balance
- build on existing communication skills
- recognise conflict strategies
- managing personal finance
Delivered flexibly over four days.
Go Green
Being 'green' means living in a way that is not harmful to the environment. This way of life is becoming increasingly important, as we need to protect our planet from man-made damage. There are many ways that we can make sustainable changes in order to lessen the negative effect that our daily lives contribute to.
Covers environmental sustainability in the UK, around the home, how we travel, what we wear, what we eat, at work.
Delivered flexibly over four days.
Multiply - Confidence with Numbers
Do you want to improve your understanding and confidence with Maths? Do you need help with family budgeting? Do you look at your child's homework and feel like you cannot help?
Our short courses are fully funded, delivered in your local area by our experienced tutors (primary teachers and parents themselves) who understand the importance of working with the resources and methods that you need.
Delivered flexibly over either 1.5 days or three half days.





In partnership with
- Matrix
- NCFE
- City and Guilds
- Durham Employment and Skills
- Qual Safe Awards
- Durham Employment and Skills Service
- DES@durham.gov.uk
- 03000 266 644