Milton Keynes College Group, Santander, The Open University and Milton Keynes City Council are joining forces to provide a host of training courses to help people in the city learn new skills. 

Together, they’ve launched a new website at skillupmk.co.uk giving access to a host of courses, many of them free.  The courses cover sustainability, digital and leadership and management skills; the combined offer aims to boost people’s employability with knowledge that will be relevant to any workplace as well as specialised skills applicable to specific careers.  Along with online courses there are face-to-face ones, many of which will be held at various venues around the city. 

Caroline Indge, Head of Partnerships and Innovation at Milton Keynes College Group, says, “This alliance is all about helping to tackle the skills gaps across the city, and we’re very proud to be working with our illustrious partners to achieve that.  We’ve gone to great lengths to match the training on offer with the knowledge that most employers say they’re in need of, so taking these courses could significantly impact people’s chances of finding work.  In such a fast-changing world, lifelong learning is becoming ever more important for all of us to keep up.” 

A recent survey of employers conducted by The Open University showed 74% of decision makers believe adopting new technologies would positively impact the productivity of their organisations, but that there is a need for employees to have the right skills. 

Andrew Wilson, Director of Communications, Marketing and Responsible Banking at Santander UK says, “At Santander, for almost three decades we have been working to support education, skills and employability – and over that time, have learnt the importance of joining forces with educators and experts like MK College, Open University and MK City Council to share insights and drive real change. Skill Up MK is a fantastic new initiative to provide the people of Milton Keynes with the vital skills that many businesses are lacking or looking for in today’s world of work. Digital, sustainability and leadership skills are essential to the future of the economy and helping businesses to thrive.” 

Phil Kenmore, Director of Employers and Partnerships at The Open University, says, “Like the rest of the UK, skills shortages in Milton Keynes such as leadership and management, digital and sustainability threaten the future of business growth and efficient public services. The Open University has a proven track record of developing the skills needed by employers in a flexible way. SkillUp:MK brings our expertise in delivering online learning to the people of Milton Keynes – free-of-charge – so they can develop in-demand skills. The Open University is proud to call Milton Keynes its home and together with our SkillUp:MK partners, we hope this initiative provides much needed support for both employers and local people.” 

Cabinet Member for Planning and Placemaking at Milton Keynes City Council, Cllr Shanika Mahendran, says, “By working together, we’re providing real opportunities for our young people to gain the skills they need for the jobs of the future. It reflects our strong commitment to planned, sustainable growth that delivers prosperity and good jobs for local people.” 

The project has the enthusiastic support of the city’s MPs.  Chris Curtis, MP for Milton Keynes North says, “This is a fantastic initiative and really highlights the collaborative nature of our city, with the public and private sectors coming together to give people in Milton Keynes the new skills they need to thrive in their working lives. I’d encourage businesses and organisations across the city to get involved.”  

Emily Darlington, MP for Milton Keynes Central agrees, saying, “If we want to continue to be the city for entrepreneurs and start-up businesses, we need to make sure our young people have the right skillsets. This partnership will help unlock opportunities for the next generation in Milton Keynes and keep us on the cutting edge of innovation – just like we always are.” 

People taking the online courses in particular have the benefit of being able to take as much time as they need to complete them.   

Milton Keynes is being used as a pilot location for the scheme, and if it’s successful it’s hoped to make it more widely available. 

Santander is also teaming up with Milton Keynes College Group to provide bursaries for training courses to upskill people on digital, leadership and sustainability skills. This includes courses at the Green Skills Centre for qualified individuals to update their expertise by learning how to install energy storage systems, electric car charge points and solar panels.  

To find out more about the Skill Up: MK initiative, visit skillupmk.co.uk | Providing lifelong learning to the people of Milton Keynes