Milton Keynes College Group, Santander, The Open University and Milton Keynes City Council have joined forces to provide training courses to help people in the city learn new skills.
Together, they’ve launched a new website giving access to a host of courses, covering sustainability, digital and leadership and management skills; the combined offer aims to boost people’s employability with knowledge that will be relevant to any workplace as well as specialised skills applicable to specific careers.
There are also face-to-face courses which will be held at various venues around the city, and many will be free.
“This alliance is all about helping to tackle the skills gaps across the city, and we’re very proud to be working with our illustrious partners to achieve that,” said Caroline Indge, Head of Partnerships and Innovation at Milton Keynes College Group.
“We’ve gone to great lengths to match the training on offer with the knowledge that most employers say they’re in need of, so taking these courses could significantly impact people’s chances of finding work. In such a fast-changing world, lifelong learning is becoming ever more important for all of us to keep up.”
Andrew Wilson, Director of Communications, Marketing and Responsible Banking at Santander UK said: “At Santander, for almost three decades we have been working to support education, skills and employability - and over that time, have learnt the importance of joining forces with educators and experts like MK College, Open University and MK City Council to share insights and drive real change.
"Skill Up MK is a fantastic new initiative to provide the people of Milton Keynes with the vital skills that many businesses are lacking or looking for in today’s world of work. Digital, sustainability and leadership skills are essential to the future of the economy and helping businesses to thrive.”
The project has the support of the city’s MPs, including Chris Curtis, MP for Milton Keynes North.
"This is a fantastic initiative and really highlights the collaborative nature of our city, with the public and private sectors coming together to give people in Milton Keynes the new skills they need to thrive in their working lives," Chris said, "I’d encourage businesses and organisations across the city to get involved."
Milton Keynes is being used as a pilot location for the scheme, and if successful it is hoped to make it more widely available.
For more information about the Skill Up: MK initiative, visit skillupmk.co.uk
