Edinburgh College is providing businesses across Edinburgh and the Lothians an opportunity to access training aimed at promoting positive mental health among all employees.
Recent research conducted by the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH), published last week, shows that 50% of people with mental health problems have reported their mental health has been worse in the last few weeks than at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
And while this statistic cannot be solely attributed to the isolation caused by the mass shift to home and remote working, employers do have a responsibility to ensure their teams have a work environment which is healthy for all.
Indeed, a recent study carried out in the United States by FlexJobs and Mental Health America (MHA) found that 75% of workers have experienced burnout in 2020, with 40% citing it as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic with ongoing remote working appearing to be a contributing factor.
Edinburgh College’s Training and Development team is utilising financial support from the Scottish Government to offer free Mental Health and Resilience courses to businesses across Edinburgh and the Lothians to support their employees’ mental health – both inside and outside of the workplace.
Through the Flexible Workforce Development Fund, staff of all levels from firms of varying sizes can participate in courses including: Mental Health Awareness; Mental Health for Managers; Building Resilience; Understanding Depression and Anxiety, among many others. Bespoke training packages comprising elements from various courses can also be created to meet clients’ needs.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, these courses would have been delivered on campus or at client offices, however the College’s Training and Development team has adapted to deliver courses via Zoom and Microsoft Teams – following the launch of its Virtual Professional Training Prospectus.
Edinburgh College has delivered 200 mental health training sessions in 2020. Since the start of term 2020/21 – August 2020 – 765 students have enrolled on mental health courses.
Edinburgh College Head of Commercial Jane Grant said: “Positive mental health is vital in all settings, including the workplace.
“Our team of expert trainers and lecturers are here to deliver training to support employers and employees in maintaining positive mental health across the organisation, particularly in the current times where teams and individuals are working in new and remote circumstances.”
Find out more about the Flexible Workforce Development Fund
Edinburgh College’s Training and Development team is holding an event to showcase the free training and development opportunities available to thousands of businesses across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
The virtual event will give businesses an introduction to the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) – a fund which apprenticeship levy-paying businesses across the public, private and third sectors, can access to secure a wide range of training courses to help them to upskill and reskill their staff.
The event, which is taking place online via Zoom, is being held on Tuesday 1 December 2020 from 8.30-9.15am.
The College’s Training and Development team will deliver a short presentation on the fund before engaging in a question and answer session. Delegates will also hear from Kelly Cunningham of East Lothian Care and Accommodation Project (ELCAP) who will talk about her experience of utilising the FWDF to upskill and reskill her team.
Through the FWDF, businesses can apply for varying levels of funding towards training for their employees – up to £15k for apprenticeship levy-payers, and up to £5k for SMEs. This funding can be used by businesses of all different types.
Register your place for the Virtual Flexible Workforce Development Fund event here:
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