Education, training and events at the Job Shop

Armed Forces Community: Coffee morning (9:30am until 12:30pm)

This event is open to members of the Armed Forces community, including serving personnel, veterans, reservists, and military families.

The session will begin with an introduction to the Coventry Forces to Future Programme, a veteran-led initiative designed to support members of the Armed Forces community in Coventry into meaningful and sustainable employment. Participants will learn about the range of support available through the programme, including mentoring, employability workshops, networking opportunities, one-to-one coaching, and wellbeing support.

Following the introduction, attendees will have the opportunity to take part in an initial assessment to help identify their existing skills, experience, aspirations, and any barriers to employment. This assessment will enable the programme team to provide tailored support and develop a personalised pathway towards employment and career progression.

The programme works in partnership with local employers and organisations to help veterans and other members of the Armed Forces community translate military skills into civilian careers, build confidence, improve employability, and navigate recruitment processes successfully. Where additional support needs are identified, participants will also be signposted to the Connect to Work programme and other relevant services to ensure they receive the right support at the right time.

Join us for an informal and welcoming session over coffee, where you can learn more about the opportunities available

NCS Interview Workshop: Do you know how to impress an employer? - Thursday 11 June, from 10.30am to 12.30pm

Want to understand Interviews, the hints and tips that will genuinely make a difference at Interview? The interview Skills workshop run by National Careers Service is a fantastic opportunity to learn from someone who actively recruits who will walk you through the ‘secrets’ of interview and what techniques to employ to impress those employers!

NCS 50+ Interview Skills workshop - Thursday 18 June, from 2pm to 4pm

NCS will be delivering the 50+ Interview Skills workshop monthly at the Job Shop!

Purpose of session

This session provides the guidance and support to help you succeed at job interviews.

• Understand the different types of interview
• Learn how to prepare effectively for an interview
• Be able to identify key questions
• How to anticipate, prepare and give positive answers
• Using the STAR method to succeed in competency interviews
• Know how to present yourself effectively

AES: Tailored Support 3 Day Programme (Sprint Ahead) Awareness Event - Tuesday 16 June, from 10am to 12pm

Are you Job ready and just need a ‘refresher’ or ‘last step’ support to give you the practical skills and confidence to succeed.

This 3-day course will cover Communication, Time Management, Teamwork, Your current and future Journey, Equality & Diversity, and CV writing with interview tips. Throughout the course you will gain valuable insights and hands-on job support.

If you are looking to boost your employability opportunities, this programme offers a supportive environment and expert guidance.

Humanise Solutions - Work Ready Programme June Cohort - Starting from Tuesday 16 June

Humanise Solutions, understand the unique challenges young adults face when preparing for the workplace. They have created programmes designed to equip young adults with the confidence, skills, and mindset needed to successfully enter the workforce, pursue further training or improve their personal mental state and well-being.

Age 18 to 24 only.

What they offer:

• Personal Action Plans & Self-Discovery
• Workplace Readiness Training
• Mental Health & Wellbeing Focus
• Tailored Coaching & Support
• Job Search Support

The programmes use a combination of interactive learning and reflective exercises, including SWOB (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Barriers) assessments and personal action plans. These activities encourage participants to take ownership of their personal and professional development.

They continuously monitor progress through regular feedback, enabling us to adapt the programme to meet the evolving needs of participants. This data-driven approach ensures that each learner receives the support and guidance they need to succeed.

NCS CV Workshop: What Employers REALLY Look For in a CV? - Wednesday 17 June, from 10am to 12pm

ATS? Applicant Tracking? A.I? If all these are terms that are blowing your mind, then book in to the CV workshop by the National Careers Service where you will gain confidence in how to ‘beat’ applicant systems in 2026! This comprehensive groupwork covers how to write a CV but heavily focuses on upskilling knowledge around Applicant Tracking Systems and the use of A.I when writing and managing your CV.

AES: Money Matters and Budgeting Session - Thursday 25 June, from 11am to 1pm

Feeling stretched, stressed, or like your money just isn’t going far enough?

Money Matters is here to help you take back control—one simple, practical step at a time. In this course we’ll break things down in a way that’s easy to understand and genuinely useful.

 You’ll learn how to get a clear picture of where your money is going, set goals that actually feel achievable, and create a budget that works with your life, not against it. We’ll also explore everyday tools and apps that can make managing money less overwhelming—whether that’s tracking your spending, keeping on top of bills, or finding small ways to save without feeling the pinch.

 You’ll pick up straightforward tips for saving money, spotting better deals, and making smarter choices with things you pay for regularly—like food, travel, bills, and subscriptions. 

 We’ll also talk about the support you might be entitled to through UK benefits and local organisations, plus simple guidance on banking, credit, and staying safe from scams.

 Everything is explained in a friendly, non-judgemental way, focused on real life, real challenges, and real solutions.

By the end of the course, you’ll leave feeling more confident, more informed, and more able to make decisions that support your financial wellbeing. Small, manageable changes can make a big difference—and this course shows you exactly where to start.

In Work Benefit Calculation -  Every Thursday, from 10.30am to 2pm

This session is most effective for customers who are engaging reliably with their Coach and are ready to use the calculation to help narrow and shape their job search.

Connect to Work participants will be given priority, Laura will provide tailored better off calculations to show the customer how moving into work will affect benefit entitlement, and how much better off they are likely to be overall.

Clear illustrations will be provided for:

• Full-time work
• Different part-time scenarios        
• Eligibility to help with childcare costs and/or free hours
• Changes they would see to their rent contributions and Council Tax liability

 These will be clearly compared with their current income from benefits, so that they can see the financial difference in real terms.

What to bring

For an accurate, personalised calculation, customers will need proof of their current benefit entitlement. This can be:

• A recent Universal Credit payment statement from their online account, or
• An entitlement letter if they do not have an online claim.

AES: Essential Skills Assessment: Maths, English and Digital, know your level - every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9.30am to 11.30am

Are you interested in improving functional skills - Maths, English and Digital?

What is an initial assessment in English, Maths and digital?

An initial assessment is a way to check what you already know and what you need to learn before starting a new course or training.

1. Purpose: To find out your current knowledge and skills.
2. Methods: A number of questions taken on a computer.
3. Benefits: Helps tutors create a learning plan just for you.

Coventry City Council Job Application Workshop - every Thursday from 11.30am to 1.30pm

An informal workshop with a presentation designed to help customers complete Coventry City Council applications.

Working together in a small group, we will provide a focused and supportive environment for candidates to learn about how an application form should be completed for Coventry City Council. This also includes Coventry City Council Values.  

We will provide feedback, hints and tips on how to complete a good application form.  We recognise that job hunting can be a lonely environment.  Group members can share their own experiences and will be encouraged and motivated to feel confident in themselves in upcoming interviews. 

This workshop is suitable for candidates looking to either currently applying or are ready to apply for jobs in Coventry City Council.  

AES: CV writing and job searching support (Digital Skills) - every Thursday from 1pm to 3pm

The purpose of the CV Writing & Job Searching Session is to support you in your journey into work, study or further training.

The Essential Skills team can facilitate sessions on accessing the internet, sending and receiving emails, creating CVs and carrying out online job searches.

It is recommended by Adult Education, to get maximum benefit of the support available and work towards a qualification, you are encouraged to attend 2 consecutive sessions where possible. 

Please choose the timeslot i.e. 1pm to 2pm or 2pm to 3pm, only 4 people will be allowed for each timeslot.

Coventry City Council: Recruitment Team Drop-in Session - every Wednesday from 10am to 2pm

The council's recruitment team will be here in The Job Shop every Wednesday from 10AM to 2PM to talk about the available vacancies, application process and how it's like to work for Coventry City Council, etc. If you're interested to work for the council, please come in to speak to the recruitment team!

50+ MOT - every Thursday from 11.30am to 1pm

What to expect from this workshop:

• Pensions and future planning
• Health & Wellbeing
• Work skills and Training

St Francis Employability 1 to 1 appointment - Fortnightly on Wednesdays from 9.30am to 2.30pm 

St Francis Employability will be in the Job Shop fortnightly on Wednesdays to offer 1:1 appointments for customers interested in the courses they provide, including:

• Customer Service
• Driving Theory
• ESOL Employability
• Food Hygiene
• Health & Safety
• IT

RISE Resilience, Insight, Social skills and Emotional Regulation Awareness Event - TBC

The RISE workshops will cover the important topics of Resilience, Insight, Social Skills, and Emotional regulation as they relate to gaining employment and staying in employment.

The aims of these workshops are as follows:

• to increase resilience in a challenging employment landscape
• to gain insight into one’s automatic pattern of thoughts, feelings, behaviours that may be self-sabotaging and maladaptive, and to facilitate changes that are more in keeping with a growth mindset (as opposed to fixed mindset)
• to enhance one’s social skills so one can navigate the workplace and other social situations

To understand the importance of emotional regulation and ways of reframing and managing aversive (negative) emotions in a more positive and 

After the workshops, the anticipated outcomes are:

• immediate use of psychological tools that can be used to enhance resilience, insight, social skills, and emotional regulation
• facilitate increased cognitive flexibility and adaptability in a rapidly changing employment market, and to understand that one has a lot more agency and control than they think
• Understanding the importance of habit, attention, focus, and goal setting
• to instil a sense of optimism and confidence amongst attendees so they can proceed with further training, courses, and apply for jobs with more confidence, all via the job shop

How to apply or enquire:

Please visit the Job Shop to book or email jobshop@coventry.gov.uk

Advanced booking is required. Please speak with our employment coach to book on.