Welcome to Islington Information Advice and Guidance.
You'll find lots of information and advice to help you plan your next steps by looking through the sessions on this page. If you're not sure about your direction or you're negotiating a career change you may benefit from a 1-1 confidential session with our qualified adviser to give you some guidance on finding your direction and planning goals. You can book by emailing Alison Moore at alison.moore@islington.gov.uk or go to our website https://adultlearning.islington.gov.uk to apply. Sessions are currently on MS Teams or face to face at First Steps Learning Centre.
There are 3 main areas you need to look at when starting to look for work or apply for courses or training. They are:
English
Maths
Digital Skills
If you don't know what your level is for any of these areas you can come along to our assessment afternoons every Monday during term time from 1.00 - 3.00pm at: First Steps Learning Centre, 2nd Floor, Central Library, 2 Fieldway Crescent, N5 1PF. Once you know what your level is you can get on the right course if you need to improve. Most employers are looking for Level 2 in these areas but you can still find work if you're working towards this.
You can then also build on your skills by taking a Vocational or Employability Skills course to help you get the job you want. You can get advice about which course is right for you at the assessment afternoons.
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Click on the link to see details about our Summer Enrolment Days 2025
You may be looking for work or training or wondering how you can make the best of the the situation you are in. Have a look at the links below for advice on skills and qualifications. If you want help with maximising your current income contact:
Islington Council’s IMAX team
The income maximisation (IMAX) team works to help and advise you on getting the most money possible in your circumstances. They give you advice and support with your benefits and tax credits, and advice with benefit changes like Universal Credit to ensure you get the correct money.
Contact the team on 020 7527 8600 or email claimit@islington.gov.uk.
If you're not sure what kind of job you're suited to have a look at the National Careers Service Website. Here you can do a skills assessment to help you assess your strengths and match you with suitable careers and jobs. You can also look at their database of different jobs which tells you what skills you need to do the job, what kind of training and / or qualifications you need and what to expect once you've started.
If you're new to the UK and gained your qualifications abroad, you may need to apply to the National Recognition Information Centre to get an equivalency certificate to find out how an employer or training provider would view them. Click on the link above to go to the UK ENIC (formally known as NARIC) website.
This link will take you to Prospects - this website offers lots of advice on how to apply to university, as well as careers advice and job and work experience opportunities for graduates.
Here at Islington Adult Learning we can help you start out with our range of courses to help you build the skills you need. You may want to continue your studies after you time with us and in this section you can find links to local Further Education College websites to help you find out what is available from entry to degree level and beyond. There is a course out there for everyone and with a little determination you can find the right one for you. You can also have a look at different kinds of qualifications, what they consist of, and the National Qualifications Framework to see what the different levels are and how the levels work.
Follow this link to find out about the different types of Accredited Qualifications you can get in the UK. These include Entry Level, GCSEs A and AS Level, Functional Skills, Diplomas, Vocational Qualifications and Higher Education qualifications such as degrees, Masters Degree and Doctorates.
Have a look at how your qualification level compares to the national framework. Click on the link to open the document.
Click on the link to see all the courses on offer at City and Islington College
Click on this link to find out about all the courses on offer at Camden Working Men's College
Click on the link to find out about courses available at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London - previously known as the College of North East London
Click on the link to find out what courses are available at New City College - previously known as Hackney Community College.
Click on the link to find out what courses are available at Westminster Kingsway College
Once you've decided on the kind of work you want to do you can find out what sort of training you need. Sometimes employers will provide on the job training for their employees through in-house courses or apprenticeships but you can improve your chances of getting a job by going on a training course yourself.
Click on the link to find out about local training opportunities
Apprenticeships are for people who would like to learn new skills and work at the same time. You can do an Apprenticeship in a range of different areas including Accounting, Business, Construction, Engineering, HR, IT, Law, the Media, Nursing, Sales and Transport. Learning generally takes place in the classroom with an approved college or provider and at your place of work. Apprenticeships have traditionally been for young people who are just starting out but there are opportunities for adults too. You generally won't get paid as much as a skilled person, but you will earn at least the minimum wage, and have the opportunity to gain a qualification and valuable experience to help you on your career path.
You can study from intermediate (GCSE level) to degree level and apprenticeships last from between 1 and 6 years.
Click on this link to find out more about what an Apprenticeship is and how it works.
Find an apprenticeship to suit you on the Governments Apprenticeship web page.
Click on the link to go to the Reed website and find an Apprenticeship vacancy for you.
Click here to find out about Apprenticeships at Islington Council
Volunteering can be an enjoyable and effective way of gaining valuable work experience and on the job training, especially if you're just starting out or have been out of the job market for a while.
You'll find links here to lots of volunteering opportunities but don't forget you can always approach organisations yourself if there is one you're particularly interested in.
Click here to find current voluntary opportunities with Islington's voluntary and community sector.
Click here to find out more about Voluntary Action Islington and the opportunities they have.
There are lots of useful links to find job vacancies in the general section above but if you need some help with job search, writing or tailoring your CV, filling out application forms or building your confidence at job interviews, you can enrol onto ACL's Employment Support drop in. You can also enrol on our Effective CV Writing Course or Boost Your Interview Skills course for extra help.
Sign up for Islington Council's Jobs e-bulletin by cutting and pasting the link below into your browser.
https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKISLINGTON/subscriber/new?topic_id=UKISLINGTON_91
Click on this link to look at current Job Vacancies on the Government's Find a Job Website
Click on this link for jobs in local government or what as sometimes known as the public sector. The public sector essentially provides all public services in the UK. They're responsible for emergency services and healthcare, education, housing, refuse collection, and social care. These organisations focus on serving the population by delivering free or subsidised services to the public. Jobs in local government are funded from the public purse, which comes from taxes.
Follow this link to find jobs working in the voluntary sector. The voluntary sector is independent from local and national government, and distinct from the private sector. It's aim is to create social impact and is sometimes referred as the Third Sector or the Not for Profit Sector. Charities are the largest single category within the voluntary sector. The voluntary sector is not to be confused with voluntary work, although you may find voluntary work within it.
Click on this link to go to the Reed website. Reed are a recruitment agency and the jobs they advertise may be from the Private, Public or Voluntary Sector. Private sector firms are set up by individuals, entrepreneurs who seek to make profit from their business activities. They are financed by individuals and by the profits they generate .
Click on this link to go to CV Library. CV Library is one of a host of Job Search Websites such as Indeed, Total Jobs, Monster Jobs where you can post your CV and search through 1000s of vacancies. There are lots of vacancies but there is also a lot of competition and vacancies are not always the most current.
Proud
to Care London has grown out of Proud to Care North London which was set
up to aid recruitment and retention in the local Health and Care sector. This
partnership now extends across all London boroughs, and our work will support
the efforts to tackle Covid-19 by all local Councils, Clinical Commissioning
Groups, NHS Trusts, GP practices and independent care providers.
As well as the information below Islington Adult Community Learning is running courses to help people to start their own business.
Find out more at our website at: https://adultlearning.islington.gov.uk/
Click here to find out about new business ideas, practical information on running a business, sources of support and finance, and a legal library covering laws and regulations affecting small businesses. You can also apply to go on an e-learning course run by HMRC on the financial implications of starting a business and find out about starting a business online.
Innovating for Growth supports London businesses who want to scale up, expand, start exporting or launch something new. They provide free tailored workshops and one-to-one advice from leading business experts on everything from marketing and branding to finance and product innovation.
Special needs can range from people with autism, Asperger syndrome, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, dyslexia, dyspraxia, blindness, deafness, ADHD, and cystic fibrosis. They can also include cleft lips and missing limbs.
Click on this link if you need help and support because you or someone you know is hearing or sight impaired.
Click on this link to take you to the Islington Directory's webpage for information about organisations that offer help and support for people and familys with special needs.
Employability is central to Shaw Trust. Supporting people into the workplace, especially those with complex needs is a vital service – valuable to individuals, families, communities, businesses and the economy. Careers support helps people improve their life chances as they enter and sustain meaningful work and tackle in-work poverty.
Click on the link to find out more about Access To Work - a government funded grant to help people with disabilities or long term health problems to stay in work.
Follow this link to the website of Help on Your Doorstep who provide help to those who are vulnerable or isolated in the community such as the Good Neighbours Scheme
This link will take you to the Islington Directory webpage which lists most of the faith and community groups in Islington who offer a wide variety of help ranging from health, social issues and education.
Click on this link for Mind the charity that supports those with a range of mental health needs.
Follow this link to the Islington Directory's Emotional Wellbeing webpage where you can find a list of related services.
If you'd like to go further in looking at Careers there are lots of good publications you can purchase and useful information available free online.
Have a look at the resources below to get you started.
This link will take you to the website of Dick Bolles, author of one of the best selling books on career choice - What Colour is Your Parachute?
This link will take you to Career Companion - an impartial and independant portal to careers information on the internet.
