Telford College has been recognised for its dedication to improving the prospects of young jobseekers across the West Midlands.
The pre-employment team is the first organisation to receive a social impact certificate from YMCA in Birmingham, and has also been crowned its first ever ‘Gold Client’.
The Telford College team has been delivering programmes for Birmingham Jobcentres at the city’s Chris Bryant YMCA Centre since 2017, helping hundreds of young people to develop work-ready skills.
They have included warehouse forklift truck courses, leading to job opportunities with organisations such as Best Connection and Syncreon – the logistics partner for Jaguar Land Rover.
The college has also delivered successful HGV sector-based work academies, helping would-be drivers to gain nationally recognised vocational qualifications and receive funding towards gaining Category C/Class 2 driving licences.
Graham Reynolds, business programme manager at the college, said: “The team at YMCA Birmingham have been a great support to our staff and, most importantly, our learners.
“Working with jobseekers, our courses aim to empower individuals with the qualifications and attitudes to excel in the world of work, improving employment prospects and transforming lives.
“These courses have seen a high level of demand, and their continued success in turn helps promote the charitable work of the YMCA.”
He added: “With a driver shortage nationally estimated around 40,000, the HGV programme has proved particularly popular.
“Working with our training partners at Specialised Training Services, Dulson Training and CRH Training, the college has been able to open up doorways for students who would usually be unable to access training – with success stories coming through monthly.”
Laurence Chilver, social enterprise director at YMCA Conferencing, thanked the college for its commitment to ‘empowering young people to reach their full potential, thus creating a better future for all’.
“We look forward to an ongoing successful relationship with Telford College,” he said.
Graham added: “It is rewarding to know that our hard work in Birmingham has had a positive contributory effect on the important services that YMCA Birmingham provides to the community.
“Since day one, Emma Rhymes and her team at YMCA Birmingham have been hugely supportive of our programme and its aims, ensuring we have the very best facilities in the area for our training.
“Their customer service and attitude towards our learners is second-to-none.”
Emma said: “We cannot say thank-you enough. The whole team – from tutors, organisers and admin staff – are fantastic at Telford College, making them such a pleasure to work with.
