Quality Education - UN SDGs

ACH’s vision and mission closely aligns to several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The 17 goals focus mainly on challenges in developing countries, however, most of these challenges also occur here in the UK. Our work with refugees and migrants aims to support their resettlement through labour market and social integration; fitting in with these interconnected global goals for 2030. To raise awareness of how big and small changes across the globe can impact on these goals, and hopefully share some inspiration from the work that ACH is doing, we have created a blog series around the Sustainable Development Goals that link with our work; no poverty, quality education, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities and sustainable cities and communities.

Quality Education

What is the goal?

Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.

Why it matters?

Through education, people can access an improved quality of life and gain higher quality, more sustainable employment. It is the key to achieving many of the other 16 sustainable development goals, as quality education enables people to get themselves out of poverty and access a better standard of living. Education can also result in improved policies and, ultimately, a more equal and peaceful society.

Unfortunately, not everyone has equal access to quality education. Women and girls are at more of a disadvantage in this area; which translates into a lack of access to skills and limited opportunities in the labour market for young women. Making education available to everyone without discrimination is key to the work we do at ACH and Himilo. We offer varying levels of training to members of the community from all genders and backgrounds, including refugees and the long-term unemployed.

How are we working towards this goal?

Himilo – serving the local community

Our training arm, Himilo, was set up in 2014 to deliver short, vocational training courses in Bristol and the West Midlands. All our training starts with an assessment to make sure that learners are given the help they need to get onto the correct career path for them. Our courses range from entry-level short courses to longer, higher-level courses to ensure we cater for the varying needs of our local communities. Our courses are extremely important to refugee learners, who learn vital English language and employability skills to help aid their integration in UK society.

Alongside our courses, we also offer free careers advice to help people with their CVs, interview preparation and job applications. This allows people to get the best possible advice when looking for employment and works efficiently alongside our training provision. We run Job Clubs twice a week as a drop-in session for members of the local community to come and talk with an advisor about training routes they could consider and get general help with their education and employment needs.

Himilo’s work is now getting the recognition it deserves, including winning ‘Best Training Scheme’ at the 24 Housing Awards in October 2018, a prestigious award that recognises the work we do to educate and upskill members of the local community.

Working with businesses

Recently, we have started running bespoke training courses in partnership with businesses who are looking to recruit a more diverse workforce, including Starbucks and First West of England. The training courses are individually planned around the needs of the employer and give learners access to the key skills and attributes they need to work in specific sectors. These courses end with guaranteed interviews for the learners and have led to full-time employment with these large companies.

Education is not just important for those who are unemployed, but for employers and their staff too. Himilo also offers training to businesses who want to upskill their employees, or to help settle diverse staff into their company. This process increases staff retention and improves overall morale as employees become better skilled and more integrated, which can lead to improvements in their job roles and career progression.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are a recent addition to our offering. Traditional training routes do not accommodate all members of society, and whilst many see University as the leading route into a career, Apprenticeships offer students a more hands-on and flexible approach to education. The Apprenticeship approach encourages people to learn skills on-the-job and allows them to get into more practical careers such as building and maintenance.

We now deliver Property Maintenance Apprenticeships in Bristol and the West Midlands, enabling us to share our decade of housing expertise and use this wealth of knowledge to help those who are just starting out in the sector.

What can you do?

• Spread the word about our free Himilo courses in Bristol and the West Midlands
• Ask our government to place education as a priority in both policy and practice
• If you are an employer, consider hiring an apprentice to join your business or work with us to recruit refugee/BAME staff

Find out more about the Sustainable Development Goals here.