learn something new
We can help you discover your learning needs and find out what support is available.

The nextstep information and advice service can help you get on the road to improving your career prospects by learning new skills, retraining or gaining new qualifications. We offer free information on learning and work to anyone aged 20 and over. Nextstep can also offer you free face-to-face advice if you have less than 5 GCSEs or have not yet achieved an NVQ level 2 qualification.

What is nextstep?

nextstep promotes learning and work to all adults aged 20 and over. Whether you want to improve your career prospects, get a qualification or just make the most of your job, our services are available throughout England.

Our aim

Wherever you are on the Island your nextstep service will provide the same high quality service, giving you access to information and advice about learning and work.

We aim to:

• be accessible and visible
  
• be professional and knowledgeable
  
• connect our services effectively
  
• target our services to your needs
  
• meet all your needs by offering a range of services
  
• offer unbiased information and advice to help you make informed decisions
  
• reflect your present and future needs in the services we offer
  
• be friendly and welcoming
  
• encourage and support you into learning
  
• make you aware of all the services that are useful to you

Our responsibilities

What information is available?

We can give you:

• printed information, such as leaflets
  
• audio-visual materials, such as videos
  
• information on CD-ROM
  
• verbal information through face-to-face meetings or telephone helplines

We can give you information about:

• how and where to access further information
  
• work and learning opportunities available locally
  
• practical ways to get ahead, such as how to apply for jobs and how to plan a career
  
• where to go next for information about benefits, transport and free services for learning and work

What advice is available?

Our advice services will be tailored to your particular needs.

We will (subject to eligibility):

• give you personalised information, which may mean referring you to other services
  
• help you use decision-making tools
  
• help you link your personal interests and skills to your own job or career needs
  
• identify the skills you may need and refer you to other sources of help if you need to improve your reading, writing and maths
  
• help you understand information about the job market
  
• give you advice about financial support available
  
• give you basic advice about the services available to you during redundancy, including how to access them and where to go
  
• give you advice on ways to search and apply for jobs, such as writing a CV and interview skills
  
• give you advice on ways to progress in a career
  
• advise you on what is and is not available, and discuss alternatives
  

We're here to help

Just about everyone needs help with learning, skills and work at some time in their lives. We offer information that's designed to help you make decisions about your future. We also tell you about the resources and facilities we have to offer. Our aim is to help you identify where you need a bit of advice and skill support and give practical assistance to help you achieve your goals. Our help is available in three areas: Learning, Skills, Work.

Learning: We can help you take a good look at your learning needs and see where we can be of real assistance, offering you a range of information - printed and electronic. For example, a lot of people find they're not in the job they want because they don't feel confident about things like reading, writing or maths. Well, we don't think that should be a problem. In fact, this is an area where where we can really lend a hand. Not just by pointing you in the right direction, but advising you on what financial support is available.

Skills: Gain the skills you need. As well helping you to identify your learning needs and what areas you would like to improve, we will also give you help with writing a CV that gets results. We'll also help you to prepare for job interviews. We have advisers who can show you the techniques that work best in interviews, so that you come across well.

Work: We work for you. Whether you're looking for a first job or looking to retrain for a different job, nextstep can make a real difference. Your CV is your main tool to get yourself noticed. A bad CV won't get you an interview. You can't change your employment record, but you can make sure it's presented positively. We can work on it together. If you're rusty at being interviewed or find it a challenge, there are certain skills that can really improve your chances of getting the job. We can work on ways to make you more successful. If you want to change jobs, we can work on identifying your skills and show you how the things you've learnt in one job can be valuable in another. We will also help you find out more about the job market, realistically and in depth, advising you on what is and is not available and discuss alternatives.