Ground-breaking centre opens in Brixton to give real-life workplace skills to get people into jobs

A4e has officially opened its Brixton Vox Centre to help local people train and prepare to enter employment.

Vox Centres are an innovative way to help those excluded by the education system, offering people the chance to train across a variety of vocational occupations – and work toward recognised qualifications, including City & Guilds, OCR and the Construction Award Alliance.  

All Vox Centres are fully working venues, making use of real facilities – from cafes to hair salons and construction sites – to train people in a work-based environment.  Supplemented by individual mentoring and positive role-models, Vox Centres are focused on delivering a personally tailored approach.  2009/2010 figures show a 92% student retention rate, with 75% moving on into employment or further education.

The Brixton Vox is A4e’s eighth centre in England and the first in London.  The Brixton Centre is also the first to pilot an ‘all-age’ scheme.

At the launch of the new Brixton Vox Centre Emma Harrison, Chairman of A4e, said:

“Vox Centres have already proven effective and popular, offering a fresh chance for thousands of people to engage with skills training that is both practical and person-focused.

“We have invested heavily in this new project because we firmly believe it’s needed and it works.  During these economically troubled times we need to make sure all people have access to high quality training and – in particular – to make sure we avoid our younger generation being lost to unemployment.

“We have already started to establish strong links with local organisations and businesses, to make sure this new centre brings benefit to not just employers and potential employees, but the whole community.”