TO mark National Careers Week (6-12 March 2023), adult education provider ACL Essex, part of Essex County Council (ECC), is highlighting the career support on offer for people of Harlow. The adult learning provider offers a range of courses, qualifications, apprenticeships and support to help learners achieve their career goals.

Qualifications on offer at ACL Essex include Access to Higher Education (HE) and GCSE, and the learning provider also offers a range of apprenticeships in different sectors as well as free online employability workshops, giving advice to learners about their next career move.

Starting in September 2023, ACL Essex is offering Access to HE qualifications in Social Science, Science, Medicine & Medical Sciences, and Forensics & Criminology. Prospective learners can also attend taster sessions in April, May, June and July to assess their readiness for the courses. ACL Essex also offers the opportunity to gain a GCSE for free if learners do not already hold a GCSE grade C/4 or above. The learning provider offers GCSE English, GCSE Maths, GCSEs in Biology and Chemistry, and more.

Championing ACL Essex’s career support is Lisa Jarentowski, ACL Essex Principal. She said, “We offer a wide range of support for people who’d like to progress in their current role or make a career switch. There may even be a pathway into the career of your dreams that you didn’t know was possible, for example through our apprenticeships, which are for everyone, not just school leavers. So, why not visit one of our centres and see what support is available for you?”

The learning provider is also highlighting its wide apprenticeship offering, with a variety of apprenticeships available in different sectors: Business School; Health, Science & Care; Early Years & Education; and IT & Digital. Holly McLoughlin now works at Impamark in Burnham-on-Crouch and was an apprentice with ACL Essex.

She said, “I did two apprenticeships with ACL Essex and it helped boost my confidence in the workplace. I applied what I learnt on my course to my job role, and it was easier to learn the theory when I was putting it into practice. Now, I help train up new apprentices, my responsibilities have grown and I’m very happy in my career.”

The learning provider is also putting on free workshops to develop learners’ interview skills, show how to carry out a proactive job search, and help people see how they can switch careers using their current skillset.

As well as employees and those looking to progress in their career, ACL Essex also offers a range of support for employers, helping them to recruit new and upskill current staff, and show them how apprenticeships can be beneficial for the growth of their organisation.

To find out more about the careers and pathways support at ACL Essex, visit www.aclessex.com/career-support.