Central Bedfordshire College is one of the main places in the local area where you can enrol on a course to build on your skills and knowledge to meet the demands of the local economy and fill the skills gaps that our local businesses have and are finding it hard to recruit into.
Central Bedfordshire College works at the heart of the community to raise employability, education and skills in the local area. To do this we work closely with these employers across the sectors and our local enterprise partnership (SEMLEP).
We speak to many people who are unsure what they would like to do as a career or what course they should study to put them in the best possible position to gain employment. We have pulled together some key facts that may help you consider which sectors have skills gaps in the local area and where you might be interested in concentrating your efforts.
Interesting facts about the local area can be found below that may help you understand which area to seek work in and at which level.
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Skills required by employers |
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Key employability Skills |
Those specific to a job, technical and practical skills, digital/advanced IT and customer service |
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Core Competencies |
Communication, confidence, initiative, planning and organisational, problem solving, resilience, team work and basic IT (spreadsheets and word processing) |
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Basic Skills |
Literacy, numeracy and English |
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Sectors reporting the most difficulty in filling vacancies |
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Retail & Wholesale Construction Accommodation & Food Business & Financial Manufacturing & High Performance Technology |
2015 Business Survey, South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership, BMG Research, September 2015 (SEMLEP)
2017 Business Survey, Public Perspectives (SEMLEP)
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Average National Vocational Qualification levels of this in employment (ages 16-64) |
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Local Area |
England |
Top local Areas |
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NVQ 4+ |
39.0% |
43.2% |
Aylesbury Vale, Bedford |
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NVQ 3 (equiv 3 x A Levels) |
17.6% |
17.4% |
Northamptonshire |
|
Apprenticeships |
3.8% |
3.3% |
Northamptonshire |
|
NVQ 2 (equiv 5 x GCSEs) |
16.2% |
14.9% |
Central Bedfordshire |
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NVQ1 |
12.2% |
10.0% |
Bedford |
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Other qualifications |
6.5% |
6.7% |
Northamptonshire |
|
No Qualifications |
4.7% |
4.5% |
Luton & Milton Keynes |
For the full report please see https://www.semlep.com
How can this data help me?
This information can you help you make clearer decisions about potential careers paths and jobs that will be available in the local area where employers are finding it hard to recruit.
We offer a range of courses across all sectors and levels. Contact us if you would like a discussion about your options on what courses would suit your needs. We offer:
- Apprenticeships
- Commercial Courses
- Distant Learning Courses
- Evening Courses
- Full & Part Time Courses
- Higher Level Courses
- Remote Learning Courses
- Traineeships
- Work Based Learning Courses
Having an understanding of where the skills gaps are in the local area is the key to successfully identifying opportunities to create a fantastic career for yourself. We have a dedicated Careers team on site to support you with any guidance you need to take that first step on the career ladder.
