A TEACHER and tradesman is hoping he can provide people with the skills they need to get in to the jobs market after opening his own training academy.
Simon Cole decided to start the Redhill Training Academy in December last year after leaving his teaching post at East Surrey College.
A carpenter and joiner by trade, Mr Cole said he had always wanted to run his own centre and had seen an opportunity to help those who were struggling to find the courses they wanted.
The centre, currently running with six students out of premises at Redhill Aerodrome in South Nutfield, will offer courses to anyone aged 16 or over in construction, brick work, tiling, plumbing, electrical work, and health and safety.
Mr Cole is also planning to provide catering and hospitality courses in the future and is negotiating with the council to offer courses for partially-sighted pupils.
With nine years of teaching behind him, the former tutor is confident he will be able to offer a flexible learning approach and pass on the trade skills he thinks are missing from a depleted jobs market.
"I think I'm able to offer more – the bigger colleges are stuck in their ways," said Mr Cole at an official opening of the academy on Saturday last week. "I've been in the building trade all my life and I've been teaching for nine years. But I always wanted to have my own teaching centre.
"Even before I became a teacher I always fancied it.
"It's good to have been with them [students] and see them then go on their own, and you can see they've picked up what you've been saying."
He added: "I've got one student who was rejected from another college because he got an E grade – why reject him because of that? We'll be here to give them a chance.
"I've got another guy doing floor tiling. He's been trying to get a college place but has been told they don't do a course like he wants. These colleges can't adapt for students, but we can. Even if it's doing one-to-one tuition, I'll do that."
Mr Cole is now hoping to secure funding to allow him to expand his centre.
