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. Grammar in practice: advanced (level 2+)
    Course start date:  Wed 24 Apr 2024

    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 you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. 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
  2. Communication skills: developing your writing, speaking and digital skills through creating a radio programme (ESOL level 1-2)
    Course start date:  Thu 25 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Do you want to develop your writing and speaking skills? Would you also like to improve your digital skills? On this course you will work on writing, enacting and recording short radio programmes about news items, arts, hobbies, and other areas of interest. By doing this, you will improve your communication skills including emphasising meaning, choosing the right words, speaking and writing concisely with the right tone and creating emotions. You will also focus on your pronunciation and fluency. You will work on how to edit and put together a programme. We hope we can distribute your programme to friendly listeners!



    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 you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
    Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £111.00
  3. English pronunciation: stage 1
    Last Few Places, Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 20 Apr 2024 (and 3 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  David John Gwillim
    Are you a non-native fluent speaker who wants to improve your pronunciation of English and to speak the language more clearly and confidently? Work on clear formation of vowel and consonant sounds including the English neutral vowel and the distinction between voiced and unvoiced sounds. This term the course will be taught in the college.
    Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00
    Rating:
    97% of 100
  4. Develop your confidence in writing: sentence formation, grammar and punctuation in everyday writing (level 1-2)
    Course start date:  Wed 1 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    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 you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £75.00
  5. Business English communication skills: communicating, managing, selling (level 2)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 6 May 2024

    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 be confident in your communication skills and that you have the right language to manage others and engage in sales. You will focus on tasks typically associated with management and sales including conducting meetings, writing formally, creating plans, building rapport, identifying needs, presenting solutions, answering objections and closing the sale.



    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 you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. 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
  6. Bitesize maths: becoming confident with shapes, space and measuring (level 1-2)
    Course start date:  Thu 9 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    We measure so much we forget how important it is. Time is a measurement - how many seconds does it take to read this? We measure how much data we use on our phone. We measure our success in maths by counting how many marks we get in a test. There is all the measuring we do when cooking, decorating, making things, weighing things and people, using liquids. And think of all the different shapes in the world, 2D and 3D. And how we use these shapes in sewing, baking, gardening so on. This course will provide you with all the skills and understanding you need to be confident you can measure accurately and make the calculations you need.



    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. For more information Click here
    Full fee £0.00 Senior fee £0.00 Concession £0.00
  7. ESOL and making podcasts: pronunciation, presentation, expression (level 1-2)
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sun 12 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Do you want to improve your pronunciation, learn more about how you sound when you speak English and develop your speaking? A podcast is a digital recording, which can be used in a very practical way to help develop your English. On this course, you will discover how to make and edit a podcast to record yourself as well as what to say and how to say it. You will be able to practise speaking on your own and interviewing others as well as learn how to prepare what to say and how to say it. Podcasting is a fantastic way of improving your pronunciation, your vocabulary, your spoken accuracy, and your fluency.



    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).



    Please note you will need to download the free Audacity software and have a headset with mic to do this course.



    This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
    Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £65.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  8. Workplace communication skills: how to write a successful CV and be confident in interviews (entry 3-level 1)
    Course start date:  Wed 15 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Do you want to learn how to write a CV that will attract an employer's attention and get you an interview? Do you want to learn how to prepare for that interview and answer the questions confidently when you are there? This course will help you do that. By the end of the course you will be confident you have all the skills you need to write a job application that meets the criteria the employer is looking for, in language that impresses them, and that you will perform well in any job interview.



    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 you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
    Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £15.00
  9. Communication skills: develop your English for social media - podcasting (level 1-level 2)
    Course start date:  Thu 16 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Are you new to podcasting? Would you like to start podcasting but unsure you have the communication skills? Or are you looking to improve your general speaking skills? This course will provide you with the skills you need. You will work on the key features needed to sound fluent and engaging. You will practise how to reduce your hesitations, sounding natural while also being controlled. You will develop techniques for changing and adapting your volume, tone, pitch and pace as well as breathing and pausing. You will work on how to prepare for speaking on a public platform whether through questioning or longer monologues and on how to create suitable scripts. Whether you are wanting to become a professional podcaster, produce family podcasts or simply improve your overall communication skills, this course will provide you with the tools you need.



    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 you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
    Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £65.00
  10. Preparing for maths GCSE
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 4 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Do you want to gain a Maths GCSE but are not ready yet to achieve this in a single year? Do you need to test your abilities before attempting the qualification course? Then this Preparing for Maths GCSE is the course for you. It will prepare you for the accreditation and familiarise you with its content, level and expectation. You will need to complete and pass an initial assessment before starting this course to demonstrate at least a Level 1 Functional Skills level of Maths.



    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. 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 £0.00 Senior fee £0.00 Concession £0.00
  11. Learn English - discover London, its history, culture and people (level 1-level 2)
    Course start date:  Mon 8 Jul 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Do you want to improve your English and learn about London, its history, culture and people at the same time? On this course, you will visit places of interest and learn about the history of these places especially about the different people and cultures who have lived there, and about important events which have shaped the city. You will do your own research and so improve your reading and writing skills as well as your speaking and listening. In addition, you will feel more at home in London and able to participate in its rich and diverse 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 you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
    Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £35.00
    Rating:
    87% of 100
  12. Learn English - learn about London (entry 2-entry 3)
    Course start date:  Tue 9 Jul 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Do you want to improve your English and learn about London at the same time? This course will help you feel more confident about living in London and using your English. You will visit interesting places and learn about the history of the city and the people who live there. You will also learn about important events in the city in the past and now. You will improve your speaking, listening, reading and writing. You will learn a lot of new words to describe people and places and how to express yourself fluently and correctly.



    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 you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
    Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £30.00
  13. English pronunciation: stage 1 (intensive)
    Course start date:  Mon 15 Jul 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  David John Gwillim
    Improve your pronunciation of Standard English on this intensive course, each day for one week, which includes detailed study of vowel and consonant sounds, and work on clarity and intonation. This course is for speakers of other languages who are fluent in English. Some homework required.
    Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £167.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  14. English pronunciation: stage 2 (intensive)
    Course start date:  Mon 22 Jul 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  David John Gwillim
    Ideal if you have completed 'English pronunciation: stage 1', the course develops fluency and clarity and explores diphthongs and triphthongs, inflexion and intonation, and the rhythms of standard English.
    Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £167.00
  15. English pronunciation: stage 3
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 23 Apr 2024 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  David John Gwillim
    Designed for fluent non- native students and all who have completed 'English Pronunciation' stages 1 and 2. Conversation and the reading aloud of a variety of texts will help to pinpoint those pronunciation worries still to be addressed.



    This course will be taught online.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £153.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
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