Lord Mayor officially opens Pathway Skillzone

Lord Mayor officially opens Pathway Skillzone

Last Friday was a momentous day in Bradford as Pathway Skillzone was officially opened by Lord Mayor Councillor Martin Love.

The Lord Mayor kindly toured the facility, had a chat with some of the learners and spoke at length with Pathway Group team about the Skillzone training programs. The new Skillzone is the first foray for Pathway Group into Yorkshire, and it is no coincidence Bradford was chosen to be the main hub.

Wendy Daire, Delivery Manager for West Yorkshire said ‘’We are so excited to be opening in Bradford. It’s such a Multicultural and diverse city and the community here is so supportive. We are not just a training organisation; we are looking to really change lives through improving skills but also getting people onto a career ladder they can be proud of. We are hoping this will be the first of many Pathway Skillzones in West Yorkshire.’’

A sentiment echoed by the Chairman of Pathway Group, Alan Hill and Chief Operating Officer, Sajad Ali who attended in support of Wendy & her team. ‘’This Skillzone is a very important step for Pathway Group’’ said Alan ‘’and we are confident we can make a real difference here’’.  They were joined by Heather Sheldon, Head of Commercial and Peter McCreery, Head of Employability. All in attendance at the launch.  

The atmosphere was buzzing as more guests arrived to offer support, including Tony Tokunbo Fernandez, Founder of Africa4U Association. Who was invited to meet with Pathway Group to discuss how they could work together to promote diversity through inclusive training and career development for the local community.

Representatives from Job Centre Plus, Bradford Council, Several Community Centres & Charities, Employers and Potential Learners all attended to view the facilities and speak to current learners, tutors and successful learners about the programs on offer.

Sally Cook, Health & Social Care Tutor said ‘’I think the important thing here is that we are not simply training people. We spend a lot of time educating people about the different job roles as well, so they can get a strong idea of what options are open to them. The training we deliver is preferred by employers, so we know they are in a good place to start their careers from it. Plus, we also offer CV help, Interview Preparation and we work with employers as well. Basically, we do everything we can to get people the job they want’’Pathway Skillzone is currently offering a full Health & Social Care Training Program, Functional Skills Maths & English Qualifications and Digital Skills Qualifications from absolute beginner through to Marketing and IT Qualifications. To get in touch you can email them WestYorkshire@pathwaygroup.co.uk or request a call back by going to

www.pathwaygroup.co.uk/westyorkshire