JOBSEEKERS are being offered a free three-week programme to gain skills sought by employers.

City College Brighton and Hove’s flexible Opening Doors programme runs throughout the year and is open to anyone aged 19 and up who is unemployed, claiming benefits and seeking work.

The course provides training in areas such as Microsoft Office IT, self-development, employability, CV-writing and interview techniques.

In a recent survey, 80% of participants said the course had improved their job prospects and local employers such as Prime Care have regularly taken on Opening Doors students as full-time employees.

Christine Preece, Prime Care’s Brighton and Hove team leader, said: “Students who come from Opening Doors courses have much better knowledge about the work before they start, are more focused at the interview stage and understand what’s important in care work.

“Most importantly, this preparation has meant that the students we’ve then employed from the course are all really reliable and have stayed with us and all are now excellent employees.”

Courses run throughout the year, so for more details on Opening Doors see www.ccb.ac.uk/public/courses/opening-doors, contact 01273 667712 or email openingdoors@ccb.ac.uk.