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Looking for free training in Ashfield

If you are looking into boosting your career, you may first have to explore the skills that you need to reach your goals. You can develop these skills by accessing local training courses that are free within the Ashfield district.

Looking for Free Training courses?

Find out below the top 10 skills that local employers were looking for in their job postings in 2024.

Top 10 Specialised Skills:

  1. Auditing
  2. Warehousing
  3. Continuous Improvement Processes
  4. Mental Health
  5. Machinery
  6. Finance
  7. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
  8. Personal Care
  9. Invoicing
  10. Risk Analysis

Top 10 Common Skills:

  1. Communication
  2. Management
  3. Customer Service
  4. Detail-Oriented
  5. Teaching
  6. Sales
  7. Planning
  8. Leadership
  9. Problem Solving
  10. Organisational Skills

Free training opportunities for Ashfield residents

Ashfield Transform your Future programme

As part of Ashfield District Council’s allocation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), a new programme is available to support residents that are not currently seeking work, but would like support in sharpening up their skills in order to fulfil their potential. This programme is now available for communities within the Ashfield district.

The Futures Group will be delivering the programme (with support from local voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations), with the aim of supporting residents to acquire some employability-related skills in order to prepare them to work in the future.

Basic and Life Skills courses - Adult Skills Fund

As part of East Midlands Combined County Authority allocation of the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), basic and life skills courses are available for communities within the Ashfield district.

AEB funding aims to engage adults aged 19+ in learning and provide them with opportunities to help attain new skills and knowledge to gain employment, progress in work, or to further their education.

Through ASF, basic and life skills courses needed for the workplace are available, including English, Maths, Information Technology, confidence building, budgeting skills, and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

Local providers that deliver ASF funded courses include:

 

  • closes: 31 July 2025

Enterprising Ashfield Short Courses

Enterprising Ashfield is a Towns Fund project created in partnership with Nottingham Trent University that provides free training courses to Ashfield residents living in Kirkby in Ashfield and Sutton in Ashfield.

The courses take place in person at the Summit Centre, in Kirkby in Ashfield. They are held once a week and take around 2 to 5 weeks to complete.

Here are some examples below of courses and their start dates in 2025.

  • AI for Product Service and Innovation and Data Analytics - starts 1 May 2025
  • Inclusive Leadership - starts 1 May 2025
  • Video Production for Marketing using SmartPhones - starts 5 May 2025
  • Women as Purpose Driven Leaders - starts 6 May 2025
  • Climate Literacy Training - starts 7 May 2025
  • Automating your Business with AI - starts 8 May 2025
  • Administration Skills for New Professionals - starts 12 May 2025
  • Quality Management and Internal Auditing - starts 12 May 2025
  • Mental Health First Aid - starts 14 May 2025
  • Project Management - starts 20 May 2025

More information about how to enrol on the courses is available on Nottingham Trent University's website:

Free Courses for Jobs

Free Courses for Jobs is a funding stream which sits within the Adult Skills Fund but is managed as a distinct delegated allocation and is part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee.

The funding is aimed at enabling those without a level 3 qualification or higher to achieve a recognised qualification fully funded. Those who already hold a level 3 but earn below the national
living wage, and those who are unemployed are also eligible for FCFJ.

Local providers that deliver Free Courses for Jobs include:

 

  • closes: 31 July 2025

Skills Bootcamps

Skills Bootcamps has free flexible courses of up to 16 weeks for people looking for a new role or job opportunity.

The fully-funded courses that are currently available in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire are:

  • Construction and the Built Environment
  • Digital Skills
  • Engineering and Manufacturing
  • Management
  • Sales, Marketing, and Procurement

Visit the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) Skills Bootcamps website and find the right course for you:

Local providers that deliver Skills Bootcamps include:

Van Elle Construction Training Centre

Van Elle has a purpose-built training facility in Kirkby in Ashfield, offering a wide range of construction training and courses to support, enhance learning and develop skills.

Van Elle can deliver training courses in the following areas:

  • Plant – CPCS, NPORS
  • Civils – NRSWA
  • Construction equipment
  • Site safety
  • Vocational qualifications
  • Bespoke training courses

Page last updated: 14 April 2025