Everything we do at Milton Keynes College Group is focused on Delivering Fairer Futures for our learners, colleagues and wider communities. That’s why we’re committed to supporting as wide a range of learners as possible, from school leavers wanting to progress into their chosen career or further study, to adults looking to upskill or change career, to prison learners in the 30 prisons that we work with across England.  

But in 2023, we realised that there was a group of potential learners who needed a different kind of support and a different approach to their learning, which is when the Skills Academy was launched.  

What is the Skills Academy? 

The Skills Academy at Milton Keynes College is focused on learners who are identified as being at Level 1 or below and need additional support before they can progress onto further study or into the world of work.  

The curriculum includes core areas such as English, maths and digital skills, but also covers personal skills and behaviours, encouraging engagement with education and building students’ confidence. Students also have the unique opportunity to study either a specialist vocational pathway in one of our many vocational specialisms or alternatively study up to three blocks in different vocational specialisms, offering a unique bespoke Study Programme for those needing support to decide on their future career. 

By the time our Skills Academy learners complete their programme with us, they should have the skills needed for further study or employment, as well as the confidence to truly excel in their next steps. 

What roles are available? 

Within our Skills Academy team at Milton Keynes College, there are colleagues working in a variety of roles to ensure that students are supported to achieve and progress onto their next steps. We are looking for talented individuals that can support Students to develop their Employability and Personal Skills in Lecturer and Coach positions, as well as individuals that can teach Maths that have particular strengths in delivering Functional Skills qualifications with some GCSE Maths delivery alongside.  We also have a Student Engagement Mentor role in the team focused on supporting student success and attendance through intervention-based activities and support. 

What skills do I need for a Skills Academy role? 

Staff working in the Skills Academy team need to be passionate about supporting students that have faced educational challenges. They also need to be patient and supportive as our Skills Academy learners can sometimes be challenging to motivate. Level 1 students often have barriers to learning including mental health issues and SEND support needs, so experience of working with learners with similar challenges is helpful. 

What’s it like working in the Skills Academy?  We hope that we’ve shown that working in the Skills Academy at Milton Keynes College is very worthwhile, rewarding and engaging, but don’t just take our word for it! Jen who works as a Course Team Leader in the Milton Keynes College Skills Academy told us that: 

“My role as course team leader entails managing a class of individuals with very unique backgrounds, abilities, and perspectives. Many learners are only here because all other doors have been closed to them so come to us with a lack of enthusiasm for the program. This means student engagement can be hard work and creative thinking is a must.  Our job in Skills Academy is to develop not only students’ academic skills but also the important soft skills required for progression and future employment.  Working in Skills Academy can be very challenging, it takes patience, resilience and a real commitment.  Job satisfaction comes from watching learners step out of their comfort zone and develop the confidence to believe in themselves and their abilities.” 

How do I find out more? 

You can find out more about working for Milton Keynes College and our current vacancies here Working for us – MK College. If you’d like to find out more about a role in our Skills Academy, you can contact the team at skills.academy@mkcollege.ac.uk