Skills for life

Skills for Life - Free Employability & Skills Courses

Develop the skills you need to participate fully in modern life, make progress at work and express yourself with confidence.

Whether you are a cleaner or a junior manager, office or construction worker, beginner or advanced level, our courses will help you develop the most in-demand workplace skills and at same time improve your general communication, English, ESOL, Data Literacy, Maths and Digital Skills. Our courses will also improve your skills and competences for life outside work from going to the doctors and filling out forms to talking about politics and discussing art.

Inside and outside work, in all types of jobs, at all levels, adults need to be problem-solvers, analysers, decision-makers, team-players, to see the bigger picture and be detail-oriented. Join our courses, online or face-to-face, and develop these universal essentials skills with our motivating, innovative and professional tutors.

What is the best course for me?

You need to do a pre-course assessment. You can also do it online, but a face-to-face assessment is best. 

  • Online assessment - click ‘Start Assessment’ on the course page
  • Or book a face-to-face assessment - call 0204 582 0423 or contact us by email at universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk for an appointment. You can also come without an appointment.

Times:

  • Every Monday 12- 2pm
  • Every Wednesday 6-8pm
  • Every Friday 11am-1pm (23rd August – 6th October)

Our in-person digital and computer skills pre-course advice and assessment sessions are every Monday 11am-1pm. We also have advice sessions on:

04/09/2023        Mon      11am – 1pm
06/09/2023        Wed      5pm – 7pm
08/09/2023        Fri          11am – 5pm
11/09/2023        Mon      11am – 1pm
13/09/2023        Wed      5pm – 7pm

 

Most of our courses are FREE if you are on a low income or claiming benefits. You will also usually need to do a pre-course assessment. For more details contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk or click the links below.

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  1. Creative maths: sewing, craftwork and photography (entry 1-entry 2)
    Course start date:  Tue 3 Oct 2023

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Do you love making things? Do you struggle with everyday numbers and maths? Then this course is for you. We will help you with the maths, numbers and shapes all around us and do this through crafting. We will take photographs around the college and London, hand sew, macramé, knit, use wood, and create objects and collages using recycled materials and objects. We will make things to give as presents, for times of the year and create presentations. At the same time, we will see how much maths is involved in making and creating things. We will look at whole numbers, adding, subtracting, dividing and multiplying, decimals, percentages and fractions as well as solving problems involving time, money and measurement. You will keep a maths journal, where you will show what you have learned, and also show how you have used maths in your crafts.



    By the end of the course, you will be much more aware of how much maths there is in everyday life and how maths can help you when crafting and creating things. This course will be fun for everyone!



    You need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page.



    Free course: This is a Multiply course. Multiply is a new government programme to help adults improve their numeracy skills. This course is free for Londoners aged 19 or over if you don’t have a GCSE in maths at grade 4/C or equivalent.
    Full fee £0.00 Senior fee £0.00 Concession £0.00
  2. Communication skills for business: how to be clear, concise and organised in your writing (level 2)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 4 Oct 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    You can have the most amazing business ideas, but if you cannot communicate them, they will be of very little use. Join this course and explore how clear writing leads to clear thinking. You will develop the key skills needed to share information and ideas effectively inside and outside your company whether writing internal memos, emails to line managers, communications to customers, business proposals or reports, By the end of the course, you will be able to organise your business writings to suit the reader, convey ideas clearly, concisely and coherently and be confident you can express complex matters simply and effectively.



    Do you manage a team? Are you taking part in work meetings feeling your voice isn't heard? Do you need to give presentations, make sales pitches, or persuade others to follow your proposals? If so, then this course will help you. You will learn different techniques used in drama to enable you to create an effect. You will practise how respond to others so that they engage with you. You will focus on how to manipulate your voice, how to project and how to focus on the emphasising the meaning of what you want to say.



    You need to do a pre-course assessment activity to make sure this is the right course for you. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 to book a face-to-face appointment. Or click the Start Assessment button on this page.



    This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click here



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £75.00
  3. Grammar in practice: advanced (level 2+)
    Course start date:  Wed 4 Oct 2023 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Is your grammar holding you back? Learn how to communicate more effectively by analysing, discussing and experimenting with English grammar. This course will help you realise that grammar is really about meaning: understanding better the meaning of what someone is saying and expressing yourself more meaningfully.



    You need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name). The course runs over three terms (though you may start any term, places allowing).



    This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click here



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £90.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  4. Core management skills: leading and building teams (introduction)
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 7 Oct 2023

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Are you a leader, manager or both? What is the difference between the two roles? On this course, part of a three-part series on core management skills, you will discover the differences and focus on how leadership involves innovating, developing others and focusing on people rather than systems. You will examine what it means to lead and build a team, how to develop goals and visions and influence behaviours. You will focus on how to build greater self-awareness and develop a leadership style. You will work on how to give critical feedback effectively, how to motivate others, show recognition and encourage team-members to participate in decision-making and find solutions to challenges. You will examine how to communicate in a transparent manner and understand the process of change.



    You need to do a short pre-course activity to make sure this course is right for you. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).



    This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click here
    Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £90.00
  5. Creative Numbers
    Course start date:  Mon 9 Oct 2023

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street





    Free course: This is a Multiply course. Multiply is a new government programme to help adults improve their numeracy skills. This course is free for Londoners aged 19 or over if you don’t have a GCSE in maths at grade 4/C or equivalent.
    Full fee £0.00 Senior fee £0.00 Concession £0.00
  6. English for professionals: C1 Advanced (Cambridge English Advanced, CAE)
    Course start date:  Tue 10 Oct 2023 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Do you need proof of your ability to use English to study at graduate level or to work in a professional environment? Do you want to show yourself that you have reached a high level of competency in your new language? Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) is an internationally recognised in-depth test of English language skill for people with ESOL Level 2 (C1) or above. This course will develop your language skills as well as prepare you for the test and enable you to communicate at a very high level of English either in the UK or abroad.



    You need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).
    Full fee £549.00 Senior fee £549.00 Concession £549.00
  7. Communication skills: develop your English for social media - blogs, vlogs and TikTok (level 1-level 2)
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 14 Oct 2023

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Are you new to blogging, vlogging and TikTok? Would you like to develop your social media communication skills? Are you looking to develop your written and spoken communication skills in general? This course will help you learn the key aspects of good communication such as how to be concise and engaging andget your point across effectively, fluently and creatively.



    You need to do a pre-course activity to make sure this is the right course for you. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for information and to book a pre-course assessment. Or you can click the Start Assessment button on this page.



    This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click here
    Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £65.00
  8. Maths skills for life and work - getting ready for functional skills (pathway 1)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 17 Oct 2023 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Do you need to improve your everyday maths so you become more confident when making calculations with money, interpreting figures, charts and graphs in newspapers or measuring rooms? Do you want to achieve a functional skills qualification but are not yet ready? This course will help you with the essential maths you need to participate fully in society, make progress at work and solve everyday problems. You will work on tasks commonly completed inside and outside the workplace, which require the use of whole numbers, decimals and fractions as well as solving problems involving time, money and measurement. You will discover the properties of 2D and 3D shapes, how to read, interpret and comment on information in tables and charts. By the end of the course, you will be much more aware of how much maths there is in everyday life and how maths can help you.



    You need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).



    Free course: This is a Multiply course. Multiply is a new government programme to help adults improve their numeracy skills. This course is free for Londoners aged 19 or over if you don’t have a GCSE in maths at grade 4/C or equivalent.
    Full fee £0.00 Senior fee £0.00 Concession £0.00
  9. Develop your confidence in writing: sentences, grammar and punctuation in everyday writing (level 1-2)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 19 Oct 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Would you like to be more confident in the way you write whether emails or reports at work or messages to friends? Do you want to work on how you form sentences, understand grammar and use punctuation so your writing is more creative? Do you want to learn how to create meaning in your writing?. This course will help you be more secure in your professional, academic or creative writing skills and help you improve some of your weak areas around forming and punctuating sentences with appropriate grammatical form. You will develop your confidence in the most essential areas of writing including different sentence structures, writing paragraphs, using punctuation effectively, using active and passive voices and proofreading.



    You need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).



    This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click here



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £65.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  10. Workplace communication skills: how to be confident in meetings and in groups (entry 3-level 1)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 19 Oct 2023

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Do you sometimes feel you cannot speak in meetings? Are you shy with customers? In your daily life, do you find it difficult to give your opinions? This course will give you the confidence and skills to express yourself in different situations.







    Our experienced skills tutor, also a trained actor, will help you learn how to stay calm and focused. You will work on increasing your vocabulary, developing your listening skills and expressing your thoughts and opinions clearly in a positive manner.







    You need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).



    This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click here
    Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £50.00
  11. English dialogue: speaking, listening, pronunciation, performance (level 1-2)
    Last Few Places
    Course start date:  Thu 19 Oct 2023

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Do you want to sound ‘more English’ when you speak? Do you want the chance to experiment with becoming expressive in English, playing with how you sound when you speak different dialogues? On this course, you will work on different dialogues from everyday speech and well known plays. And you will also create your own! The chance to work on how to perform and enact this speech will enable you to focus on how to link and ‘chunk’ words, develop your rhythm and stress, work on your fluency and ensure that the meaning of what you are saying becomes expressed. You will also be working with ‘real’ language, not the sometimes artificial language of English course books. Although you will be performing the texts, you do not need to be an actor, just willing to give it a go. By writing your own dialogues, you will also develop your writing skills so by the end of the course you can write and perform together with your classmates your own 5 minute play!.



    You need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).



    This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click here
    Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £111.00 Concession £70.00
  12. Maths for life and work (level 1)
    Course start date:  Fri 20 Oct 2023 (and 3 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Do you want to prepare for Functional Skills Level 2 maths? Do you need to improve your maths to become more confident in problem-solving, analysing and making decisions at work and in your personal life? This course will help you with all of the above and make maths come alive. You will see how mathematics is everywhere and you will develop the maths you need to participate, make progress and express yourself in today's society. You will work on tasks which require you to use whole numbers and decimals, fractions and percentages and recognise the relationships between them. You will work on solving problem involving time, money and measurements, as well learn how to measure confidently and convert between units of measurement. You will be able to state properties of shapes, both 2D and 3D and be better able to interpret, discuss and comment on the graphs, charts and tables you see in newspapers, on the internet and at work.



    You need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).



    Free course: This is a Multiply course. Multiply is a new government programme to help adults improve their numeracy skills. This course is free for Londoners aged 19 or over if you don’t have a GCSE in maths at grade 4/C or equivalent.
    Full fee £0.00 Senior fee £0.00 Concession £0.00
  13. ESOL, maths and digital skills - for life and work (entry 1-entry 2)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 23 Oct 2023 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    For students who can are not complete beginners and can speak and write a little English. On this course you will learn new words and grammar, how to ask and answer questions, how to read and write about yourself, your family, and friends, and how to complete forms and write short emails. You will also learn some simple maths to tell the time, count and learn maths vocabulary.



    You need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).



    Free course: This is a Multiply course. Multiply is a new government programme to help adults improve their numeracy skills. This course is free for Londoners aged 19 or over if you don’t have a GCSE in maths at grade 4/C or equivalent.
    Full fee £0.00 Senior fee £0.00 Concession £0.00
  14. Business English communication skills: from negotiating to report writing to presentations (level 2)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 23 Oct 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Do you want to work in business but lack the confidence? Do you already have a job but feel that your language skills are holding you back? This course will help you improve your business and work English so you can perform the most essential tasks of business: negotiating, report writing and giving presentations. You will work not only on the language you need but also on completing business-world tasks so you are better prepared for your business life.



    You need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).



    This course is FREE if a) you are on a Low Wage or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you want to get a job or progress into a better job and you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit). For more information click here



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £95.00
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