It's your future...

Discover skills, training and career support in the West of England to help you get to where you want to be.

Choose a category to find out more

  • Apprenticeships
  • Career Guidance
  • Disability & Other Support Needs
  • Getting into Work
  • Mental Health & Wellbeing
  • Training & Upskilling
  • Volunteering
  • Workforce Development & Support

Can’t find what you’re looking for or unsure of where to start? Speak to one of our expert advisors

About us

Find your next step

Skills Connect empowers people of all ages and career stages to find skills, training, and career support in the region.

We’ve showcased what’s available in a simple and accessible way, so you can find success – whatever that means for you.

If you need extra help, contact one of our dedicated advisors who can assist you to navigate the support options and find something suitable for you.

Contact an advisor

Smiling person talking

Our campaigns

Future Bright: Free career coaching

Future Bright offers free career coaching to help you move forward.

Feel stuck, need a change, or don’t know how to progress?

Future Bright is here to help people who work and want to learn new skills, take the next step in their career, gain confidence or earn more money.

Join Future Bright

Our campaigns

Redundancy support

Being at risk of, or being made redundant, can be an extremely stressful and worrying time, however it can also present exciting new opportunities.  We can help you navigate support and identify new opportunities. 

Find out more

Two men talking at work

Our campaigns

Skills Bootcamps

Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with an employer.

If you’re aged 19 and over and looking to change sectors or progress in your current industry, a Skills Bootcamp could be your next step to a better job with more job security and higher wages over time.

Find a relevant Skills Bootcamp

People sat at a table laughing

Our campaigns

Apprenticeships: Share to support

Are you a large employer with unspent apprenticeship levy?

You can stop the money being lost from the region by pledging your unspent levy to a local small business, helping to create jobs and support progression in work.

Learn more about share to support

Three people working on a project
Image credit: IDPS, University of Bath

Our Campaigns

Careers in Retrofit

Retrofitting is a growing industry driven by the need for low-carbon, energy-efficient buildings. Explore our retrofit careers insights pages to learn about opportunities in this rewarding field, including entry-level pathways, upskilling options for professionals, and how transferable skills benefit career changers.

Find out more

image
Image credit: Weston College

Apprenticeships

Earn and learn on the job

Apprenticeships are becoming increasingly popular – and for good reason. They offer many pathways to work, earn and train with options available for people of all ages, backgrounds and career stages.

An apprenticeship could be your opportunity to explore a career and gain a qualification in an area you didn't know was possible.

Find out more

Events

What’s on

Find a range of skills, training and career support events happening near you or virtually.

Whether it's information sessions, jobs fairs or networking, discover what's available and sign up today.

International Communities Employment Programme- Thornbury Library

It is a drop-in event for Refugees and those on Resettlement programmes who are unemployed and looking for support to gain paid employment.

Session 10:30am-1pm

Category: Career Guidance, Getting into Work

Organizer: South Gloucestershire Council

Address: Thornbury Library, St Mary St, Thornbury, Bristol BS35 2AA

South Gloucestershire Date:16 Apr 2025 Time:10:30 am

Employability Day

Run by the Opportunity North Somerset team and Refugees Welcome North Somerset, with regular partner support from Community Learning, Read Easy, DWP, as well as recruitment agencies and employers from a variety of sectors.

Session runs every Wednesday from 11:30-2:30pm

Category: Career Guidance, Getting into Work

Organizer: Opportunity North Somerset

Address: Weston Library, Town Hall, Weston Super Mare, BS23 1UJ

North Somerset Date:16 Apr 2025 Time:11:30 am

Drop-in community support and integration hub

At our advice drop ins our team are ready to help you with:

  • Housing, benefit and employment support
  • Information about services in South Gloucestershire
  • Advice on how to access healthcare, wellbeing support and education
  • Understanding life in the UK

We also offer:

  • Basic English practice and wellbeing activities
  • Opportunities to socialise and join in with trips and events

Advice sessions Tuesdays 10am-12pm and Wednesday 2:30pm – 4pm

Category: Career Guidance, Disability Support, Getting into Work, Mental Health & Wellbeing, Training & Upskilling

Organizer: ACH

Address: North Patchway Hall, Gloucester Road, Patchway, BS34 6ND

South Gloucestershire Date:16 Apr 2025 Time:2:30 pm
People at a careers stand

Career Insights

Job market insights

Unsure about which career to choose? It can be tricky to know where to begin.

Find the perfect job match – uncover ideas and career pathways informed by the latest labour market information.

Find out more

  • building 46,000+ Businesses
  • image 630,000+ Employee jobs
  • £30,000 Average wage per annum

Partnerships

Local authority partners

image
image
image