Essential Skills for the Workplace and Everyday Life
Free courses online and in London.
Join Essential Skills and learn the key skills you need to progress in work and participate fully in everyday life.
Our courses develop your communication, decision-making, problem-solving, team-building and analytical skills, at the same time as you improve your English, ESOL, maths, digital skills, and data literacy.
The classes are at all levels from beginner literacy to GCSE English, for new office-workers to experienced managers, from maths for life to data analysis in the workplace.
Join the courses below and develop the skills essential to your job success, well-being, and ability to express yourself in all settings, digitally and face-to-face.
Many of our courses are free to all UK and EU citizens living in London, and most are free if you are:
- on a Low Wage or
- on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance (ESA), or
- receiving other state benefits (including Universal Credit)
To find out more, please read this information pack. You can also apply to our bursary if you need help with fees.
For help or advice, please contact us on 020 7492 2511 or email universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk. Most of our classes are now live online. You will need a computer with a microphone, a camera, and a good internet connection. Some courses are taking place in the City Lit building in London.
- ESOL pronunciation: stage 1 (level 1-2)Course start date: Tue 9 Apr 2024 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tired of people not understanding you? Would you like to sound 'more English'? Do you need to communicate well with people in your work? Then this specialist course will help you. Learn how to make the individual sounds of English, hear the differences between them, and read and write the phonemic script, a special alphabet of sounds. This course is aimed at students with a good level of English - level 1 and 2 (B2-C1). Highly fluent students at level 3 or above should apply to the courses in the drama department.
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 £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £65.00 - English for professionals: C1 Advanced (Cambridge English: Advanced, CAE)Course start date: Tue 16 Apr 2024
Location on this date: Online
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).
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £549.00 Senior fee £549.00 Concession £549.00 - 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. - Grammar in practice: upper intermediate (level 1-2)Course start date: Fri 3 May 2024 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Unsure when to use present perfect or past perfect? Is reported speech still causing you problems? Do you need to practise your conditionals? Join this course and put your grammar into practice in speaking, writing, reading and listening. Gain confidence in using grammar effectively through high level and engaging tasks
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 £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £75.00
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