Local colleges also offer a wide range of courses. Many are part-time evening classes and so it is possible to undertake training without hampering your job seeking efforts.
If you know the area of work which interests you and are sure about the possibility of gaining employment after training, it might be worth exploring the opportunities that career development loans offer.
Finally, if you are happy with your range and level of skill, it might be worth undertaking specific training in making good job applications. Your local job club can help you there. Contact the Job centre for more information.
Training and Enterprise Councils
Every area has its own Training and Enterprise Council (TEC). In Scotland they are known as Local Enterprise Companies (LECs). They are responsible for ensuring that work-related training in each area is relevant to local need and that there is an appropriate level and quality of training on offer. TECs and LECs devote considerable effort to liaising with colleges, local business organizations and training providers so they have a good grasp of the local scene.
In particular, they should be able to offer information on Youth Training opportunities, adult training opportunities, and business and enterprise training. Your local TEC may also be able to direct you towards retraining schemes for the long-term unemployed and updating courses for women returners linked to schemes which offer an allowance for childcare. Local colleges and employers are usually represented on management committees so the activities of each TEC should have a high level of local relevance.
Many TECs have local names and so it isn't always easy to find them in the telephone book unless you know what you are looking for. If you experience any difficulty in making contact, your town or county hall should be able to help you. Alternatively, ask your local education authority, the careers office or Job centre, the library or your local college of further education.
Transferable skills
Many jobs require remarkably similar skills. Each job demands a level of technical ability but, beyond that, the skills required in one job may be almost identical to those required in another. These skills are known as 'transferable' skills: you learn them as you move from job to job and they are always valuable no matter what job you do. When you are trying to get a job, think about the similarities between the job you are hoping to get and the jobs you have already done. What skills did previous jobs require? Are any of these skills required in the new job?
Have you, for example, developed a good telephone manner and are you able to take messages accurately and ensure that they reach the right person? Can you drive or use a keyboard? In the new job, will you be required to manage staff or deal with customers? Will you have to handle difficult situations, negotiate agreements, or account for money or stock? Will you be required to make presentations or write reports? If you have done any of these things previously, you should have few problems in applying them to your new situation. Different companies may have different styles and approaches but your transferable skills should give you a head start.
Transferable skills aren't necessarily learned or practiced solely in the workplace. You may have developed a strong organizational ability through voluntary, charitable or sporting activities. It doesn't matter where or how you developed them as long as you recognize your strengths and make sure that potential employers are aware of them too.
When you apply for a job, look carefully at the job description and try to visualize the day-to-day reality of the job. Break down the responsibilities into a list of tasks and try to identify which skills will be required to handle each task. According to a job description, for example, the successful candidate may be 'responsible for arranging regular meetings between management and union officials, minuting meetings, and producing resulting reports and action plans'. Anyone tackling a job such as that would certainly need some organizational ability, some skill with people, and an ability to write reports, memos and minutes, as well as tact and discretion. All these skills could have been learned previously - transferred from another workplace or gained elsewhere.
List your transferable skills and you'll be pleasantly surprised by your range of abilities. For each skill you list, think of evidence you could offer to support your claim to be skilled in that area. Think of incidents which you have handled and tasks you have successfully completed in your life so far. Think also of pieces of work which you particularly enjoyed and try to analyze why they were so satisfying. What skills were required of you? Transferable skills are often over-looked in favor of technical knowledge, but they are equally important and you owe it to yourself to ensure that they are recognized.
Transport
When you are considering applying for a job, think about the transport arrangements you may need to make and the costs which you will incur. Distant jobs may pay more but the cost of transport may make a local job more attractive.
A car, motorbike or even a pedal cycle can sometimes be of great benefit, especially where shift work is involved. If you can get yourself to a 6 am to 2 pm shift, before the buses start running, or if you can provide your own transport in order to work in a 24-hour motorway service station, you have a distinct advantage over many other jobseekers.
