System People create 12 week Teaching Assistant qualification for the unemployed in Cumbria

System People in Carlisle have developed a new funded Level 2 Teaching Assistant course to add to their ever growing portfolio of funded and non-funded courses .  This level 2 Certificate programme has been designed for people that are unemployed, or for people who earn less than £338 a month* and offers an opportunity to study remotely, alongside a one day a week  voluntary placement in a school, over a 12 week period.

Lyndsey Fitheridge, Commercial Director for System People who currently operates a Teaching and TA Supply business in Cumbria explained that “The rise in demand for TA’s in Cumbria has grown steadily over the last 12 months and has increased significantly due to the pandemic. The need for qualified TA cover has never been greater. There has never been a better time to take this course to the marketplace especially in this climate. Once qualified we can look to offer candidates local work on supply in local schools.”

The course will be taught remotely via ZOOM conferencing technology, which is how System People Tutors currently teach their Apprenticeships and other courses. This method allows learners to stay safe and study from the comfort of their own homes. Lyndsey went on to explain that “by tapping into our knowledge and expertise already within the business, our industry specialist Tutors have designed the course curriculum required to  expose learners to the knowledge required to gain a Level 2 qualification. She went on to say “it is an excellent route for people who have recently been made redundant or lost their job due to the Covid-19 pandemic and who have always wanted to become a TA.”

This Level 2 Course is suitable for anyone who is over 18, has an interest in working with children and is unemployed (or falls into the entry criteria set out by the Education and Skills Fund Agency). You must have gained a GCSE grade D/4 or above in Maths and above a grade C/3 in English. System People are offering free maths and English training for learners who are not quite at the required level.

If you, or someone you know is unemployed* and interested in gaining a TA qualification and can commit to 12 weeks of remote learning beginning late February followed by local volunteering once schools reopen, then please get in touch with Lyndsey Fitheridge at System People via email at admin@system-people.co.uk