Skills for life and work
We offer a range of courses for you to develop your skills and knowledge for both life and work. You can enjoy a course starting from beginners’ level all the way to advanced level. Build your confidence in reading, writing, mathematics, and digital skills on a short or long course. Our supportive tutors will help you gain the skills and qualifications to achieve your ambitions.
Most of our courses are FREE if you are on a low income or claiming benefits.
How do I apply?
Step 1: Book an appointment for an assessment at our campus so we can offer you the right course.
Step 2: We will mark your assessment in 7 working days and email you with the courses we can offer.
Step 3: Then complete your enrolment by either calling or visiting the college enrolment team.
How to book an appointment for an assessment?
Call 02045820423 or email universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk
Where will the assessment take place?
Initial assessments take place at our City Lit Campus Keeley Street London, WC2B 4BA on the M floor student learning centre.
- Getting Ready for Maths functional skills level 2Course start date: Fri 9 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
You will learn techniques to understand the non-calculator section of the functional skills Level 2 Maths syllabus. You will develop your mathematical skills and knowledge to work with numbers including fractions, percentages, ratio and to work out area and perimeter. This non-accredited course (no exam) will give you the opportunity demonstrate a sound grasp of the underpinning skills and basics of maths appropriate to level 2, and to apply mathematical thinking to solve simple problems in familiar situations. By the end of the course, you will have an inhouse written assessment which will allow your tutor to progress you to the accredited course, where you can get your Functional Skills level 2 Maths qualification.Full fee £0.00 - ESOL and making podcasts: pronunciation, presentation, expression (level 1-2)Course start date: Sun 11 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
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 - Gateway to English Language GCSECourse start date: Mon 27 Apr 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Are you excited by the English language? Do you need to test your abilities before attempting the qualification course? Do you want to give yourself more than a year to achieve the qualification? Then this Preparing for English Language GCSE is the course for you. It will get your ready you for the accreditation and familiarise you with its content, level and expectation.
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 £219.00 - Workplace communication skills: how to get a better job (ESOL entry 3-level 1)Course start date: Mon 12 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Are you looking for a new or better job? Do you feel nervous in interviews? Would you like to learn the English you need to impress an employer? This course will help you with the language you need to do well in interviews, to feel calm and relaxed. You will work on predicting the types of questions an employer will ask you and you will practise answering them. You will work on your pronunciation including stress and you will role play different situations that take place in an interview.
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 £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £25.00 - Gateway to maths GCSECourse start date: Fri 4 Apr 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Unlock your potential with our comprehensive "Gateway to GCSE Maths" course, designed to prepare you for the Maths GCSE exam in May 2026. This course offers:
• In-Depth Lessons: Covering key topics and concepts needed for the exam.
• Interactive Practice: Engage with a variety of exercises and past paper questions to build confidence and ability.
• Expert Guidance: Learn from experienced tutors who provide clear explanations and personalized support.
• Flipped Learning: Access materials online at your own pace on Google classroom and join your tutor for live sessions on a weekly basis.
Join us and take the first step towards achieving your Maths GCSE goals with confidence and ease!
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 £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £105.00 - Learn English - discover London, its history, culture and people (level 1-level 2)Course start date: Mon 7 Jul 2025 (and 2 other dates)
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 - English pronunciation: stage 1 (intensive)Course start date: Mon 21 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David John GwillimImprove your pronunciation of standard English on this intensive course, running each day in the same week, which includes detailed study of vowel and consonant sounds. This course is for speakers of other languages who are fluent in English. Some homework required.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £160.00 - English pronunciation: stage 2 (intensive)Course start date: Mon 28 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David John GwillimIdeal if you have completed 'English Pronunciation: stage 1', this intensive course develops fluency and clarity and explores diphthongs and triphthongs, inflexion and intonation, and the rhythms of standard English.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £160.00 - Getting ready for English Functional Skills (level 1)Course start date: Tue 9 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
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 - Getting ready for English Functional Skills (level 2)Course start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
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 - English communication skills - for life and work (level 1)Course start date: Mon 28 Apr 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Do you want to improve your communication skills and become more confident speaking, listening, reading and writing English? This course will help you develop all your English language skills so you can act confidently in the most important everyday situations inside and outside work. You will become a skilled communicator when writing, using digital resources and in face-to-face interactions. You will develop your active listening skills so you can understand and empathise better. You will work on how to express yourself when speaking in different situations. You will practise your reading so you can see the whole picture and find details, make effective decisions about what you read, and prioritise matters. By the end of this three-term programme, you will be a competent speaker, listener, reader and writer both at work and home and ready to do exams such as Functional Skills Level 2.
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
- English communication skills - for life and work (entry)Course start date: Wed 17 Sep 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Do you want to improve your reading and writing of English and your spoken communication skills? Would you like to practise your computer and digital skills at the same time? Do you need to work on your maths? You can do all of this in this class. On this course you will improve your writing, reading, speaking, listening, your maths and digital skill by discussing important topics,completing creative tasks and visiting places such as the National Portrait Gallery, the Transport Museum, cafes, libraries, and markets. You will learn how to express yourself confidently when talking, writing and using the computer, read and write full sentences in English, fill in forms on paper and on the computer, understand and write important letters and emails land make appointments. You will become confident in your spelling, vocabulary, using capital letters, full stops and expressing your thoughts and feelings. You will practise searching for information on the Internet. And you will learn the maths you need for everyday life such as adding up your shopping costs and calculating your weekly budget. This course will help you learn all the most important skills you need in 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 £189.00 - Develop your writing and language skills (level 1-level 2)Course start date: Thu 8 May 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Have you been learning English for a long time but your writing just doesn’t seem to be improving? Are you quite a fluent speaker but find formal speaking difficult? Do you feel ‘stuck’. This course will release you! You will focus on how to improve the structure of your writing both the whole text, paragraphs and sentences. You will work on understanding the grammar of the language, and the skills you learn to develop your writing will help you improve your more formal speaking whether this is for job interviews, meetings at work or giving presentations. This course is ideal if you have been living in the UK for several years, feel quite comfortable in speaking English as a second language, but lack confidence in your literacy skills.
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 £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £65.00 - First Steps in Reading and WritingCourse start date: Thu 18 Sep 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Blended (learn both online and in-person)
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 £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £90.00 - Maths for life and work (level 1)Course start date: Fri 19 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Online
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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 £259.00
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