Halesowen College has awarded our Recruitment Resourcer Chelsea and Smile Education “SWAP Employer of the Year” in this year’s Employer Awards.

Our SWAP courses have been recognised as they help to support local people into work, and are making a huge difference to the lives of people in the Black Country.

Gary Johnson, Employer Engagement at Halesowen College, said, “Smile Education have been instrumental in helping Halesowen College regain their momentum within Sector Based Work Academy Programmes.

Not only are they our longest running partners with SWAPs, but they’ve also enabled over 50 people to take their first steps into working in education.

The model created with them has allowed us to create SWAPs for people working in all industries, and without their continued support, we wouldn't be able to provide the local community with the skills and opportunities they're looking for”.

We’re immensely proud of Chelsea and everyone involved in our SWAP courses for making such a difference to people looking for work.

What are SWAP courses?

SWAP stands for Sector-based Work Academy Programmes. The programmes help those who are currently unemployed find work in schools near them. 

Our SWAPs are available for jobseekers claiming either Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

We are proud to work with a number of colleges across the West Midlands, Black Country and Staffordshire to provide these courses.

To find out more about what you can achieve after completing a SWAP course, read Ferida’s “Day in the Life” blog by clicking here. 

We’d like to congratulate and thank everyone involved in delivering these courses, as they’re making a huge difference to peoples lives in the Black Country.

Looking for work and want to find our more? Click here to discover how SWAPs can support you, and how you can get involved.