Category Skills and employment   Show all

  • Free digital support drop-in sessions

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    To celebrate Get Online Week from 20 to 26 October, Connecting Cheshire are working with local community organisations to run free digital drop-in events in Frodsham and Winsford.

    Get Online Week is a national campaign run by Good Things Foundation, and it’s all about helping people feel more confident using the internet. It’s been going since 2007 and every year thousands of people across the UK take part.

    With everything from banking to benefits now online, not having access or the skills to get online can make life much harder.

    What to expect at the drop-ins

    • Help getting started with devices and Wi-Fi
    • Learn a new digital skill
    • Advice on staying safe online

    Event times and locations

    Get Online Winsford
    Date: 21 October 2025
    Time: 10.30am – 1.30pm
    Location: Winsford Youth and Community Forum, Nixon Drive, Winsford, Cheshire CW7 2HG

    Get Online Frodsham
    Date:     23 October 2025
    Time: 10.00am – 12.00pm
    Location: St Laurence’s Parish Hall, Church Street, Frodsham, WA6 6PN

    For more digital information and for details about upcoming events, visit:

    Digital Inclusion Events - Digital Cheshire

  • Skills and Employment Hubs

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    UPDATE: The Skills and Employment service has now launched their new prospectus, which outlines what services they provide and includes a selection of the types of learning on offer. Check out the new prospectus.
    Skills and Employment Hubs | Cheshire West and Chester Council

    Skills and Employment Hubs (previously called Work Zones) are the ‘front door’ to Skills and Employment services. There are Hubs in Chester, Ellesmere Port, Winsford and Northwich, which you can drop into without an appointment. Or if you’d prefer, support is available over the phone or via Microsoft Teams.

    Skills and Employment Hubs offer a range of services to support you in identifying and developing your job hunting and employability skills.

    It is free to register for Hub support in person (at one of our Skills and Employment Hubs), by telephone or by email. There is no charge for courses if you are unemployed and/or receiving means-tested benefits. You must be aged 19 or above to access this support.

    Some examples of the help on offer:

    • Personal skills analysis and action planning.
    • Confidence building courses.
    • Qualifications to prepare for employment.
    • Refresh your English, maths and IT skills with opportunities to gain qualifications.
    • Free access to computers for job searching and applications.


    Location and contact information for your nearest Hub, plus information about what training is available during May can be found using the link below.

    The page also includes information about employment support for adults with physical and mental health conditions and details about the Supported Employment Service for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism. Plus, what support is available if you’ve been made redundant or are at risk of redundancy, and more…

    Skills and Employment Hubs | Cheshire West and Chester Council

  • Employment Directions

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    Employment Directions is a service that provides all-round employment support to adults with a physical or mental health condition. Helping people to find, stay in, or return to work.

    What support does Employment Directions offer?

    Employment Directions gives people individualised support for up to 12 months to get a good-quality job and thrive in work. The majority of participants have found the service boosted their confidence, their job search capability, and their motivation.

    Employment Directions provides:

    • Regular face-to-face, online or phone appointments with an employment specialist to help individuals find work, continue working, or manage a health condition at work.
    • Help with job applications, CVs, and interview skills.
    • Help with talking to an employer about health needs at work, and support in work if needed.
    • Support with better off in work calculations. This includes guidance with finding support for housing and debt advice and much more.


    For more information, visit: www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/employmentdirections

    To get support from Employment Directions, individuals should speak to their GP or self-refer by emailing: IPS@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

    What customers say about Employment Directions

    ‘My employment specialist helped me to build my confidence and return to work after long term sickness.’

    ‘After struggling to stay in my job due to my health condition, my employment specialist has found me a new job with an employer that is really supportive.’

    ‘My medication has really affected my work over the last 6 months, with help from my employment specialist and support from my employer, I now have reasonable adjustments in place and flexibility around my working day to help me manage my condition.’

    Employment Directions is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions and delivered by Cheshire West and Chester Council with local NHS partners.

  • Learn new skills to kickstart your career with a free, Skills Bootcamp

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    Skills Bootcamps are free flexible courses of up to 16 weeks for people looking for a new role or job opportunity. You could learn new skills in lots of different sectors including digital skills, engineering, construction, transport, and health and social care.

    Skills Bootcamps are open to people who are employed, unemployed, and self-employed. They can help you gain new skills to progress at work or find a new career. For many of the Skills Bootcamps available, you don’t need any prior knowledge about the subject.

    The best bit is that once you complete the course, you’ll be guaranteed a job interview.

    You may be eligible to apply for a Skills Bootcamp if you:

    • are aged 19 or over
    • have the right to work in the UK
    • live in England
    • meet residency requirements – the training provider can check this
    • claim Universal Credit you can apply for a Skills Bootcamp and continue to claim benefits.

    Some Skills Bootcamps have additional eligibility criteria. Contact the training provider to check if you’re eligible and apply for the course.

    You can see a list of Skills Bootcamps running in the North West of England on the government website.
    Find a Skills Bootcamp - North-west - Guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

    There are also some Skills Bootcamps available to view on the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership website.
    Skills Bootcamps - Catalogue - Cheshire and Warrington

    Check out these featured Skills Bootcamps: