We are excited to announce the launch of our training programme aimed at single parents who live in Berkshire and can access our training facilities at 84 Queens Road.
Training will start in the second half of October 2022 and will run from 9.30am to 2pm, Monday to Friday, for two weeks. Trainees will be provided with a £5 daily lunch allowance and reasonable travel expenses.
We are currently collecting expressions of interest in the programme so either click on this link to access our online application form or scroll down to complete it on our website.
Why a Pilot?
We have learned, over our first 10 months in business, that each cohort of individuals has different training needs so we want to make sure that the training programmes we have divided work well with each (hence the need for a pilot).
We have chosen to run this first pilot with single parents as, between the pandemic and now the cost of living crisis, they are one of the social demographics in very great need of work.
What will the Pilot cover?
The Pilot will mostly focus on our CORE course, which is based on the government’s Essential Digital Skills Framework, and will include selected modules from our (Virtual) Administrative Assistant Training Programme.
We intend to deliver the course through hybrid learning including self-study, role play and discussion groups.
There will be some focus groups to have a feel of how useful the training is, as well as a few specific questions to make sure everyone has taken the most from the programme itself.
What is the progression route from this training course?
Those who show an interest and capacity to have Virtual Assistant work experience with us will be given the opportunity to apply for our work experience-based (Virtual) Administrative Assistant Training Programme.
We are hoping to raise enough funds to allow anyone else, to receive one-to-one support from Graft Thames Valley (our partner Charity).
What does the (Virtual) Administrative Assistant Training Programme cover?
The Administrative Assistant Training Programme is a minimum 2 months (full-time), maximum one year (part-time) programme which covers all Office/Google software as well as desktop design packages such as Canva, and website management with CMS platforms like WordPress.
What happens if we do not reach our funding goal?
We are applying for funding from a number of sources and are happy to part fund it should we need to. So the course will run regardless of how much funding we raise. The more we raise, the more we will be able to do.
If you feel like supporting us with a fundraiser, for instance, get in touch and let us know how we can help.
About Time Gained
Time Gained is a functioning Virtual Assistant company that also provides work opportunities for people facing obstacles to finding employment (such as disability, autism, mental health issues, and/or other social problems).
Recognising that to enter a modern workforce means acquiring digital and employability skills, we have devised a digital and administrative skills training programme we would like your help in piloting.
It is estimated that the cost of each supported-employee to Time Gained ranges between £800pcm and £2,000pcm, gradually diminishing as they become more independent and need less supervision. The fact that they are paid employees on a journey of self-development, is essential to the project. It is this realisation that led us to devise a more structured training programme which will benefit both supported-employees and Time Gained alike.