Sunderland Software City

Everyone who lives or works in or around Sunderland is invited to apply for free IT training vouchers provided through the Microsoft Britain Works Challenge.

Sunderland received £10 million worth of Microsoft computer training vouchers after winning a national competition to find the local authority demonstrating the most use of technology to help address unemployment and increase people's access to improving their digital skills.

The vouchers are now available to anyone living or working in or around Sunderland.

Cabinet Member for Resources Cllr Dave Allan said; "We are determined to work with our training and employment partners across the city to help everyone make best use of this fantastic opportunity to learn and develop new and existing skills.

" Almost 80% of all jobs advertised now call for some kind of IT skills, and we want to make sure everyone, whether they have been unemployed for a while or have only recently been made redundant, can use these vouchers to access training and upskill to compete in the jobs market and find employment. 

"You can either access the training via the computers at one of the 54 centres provided across the city such as the Jubilee Centre and Sunderland College, or at home."

"While the focus of this challenge is obviously on employment and training, everyone should also remember that the training vouchers are also there to help people of all ages make better use of their computers and develop new skills and interests."

Anyone who would like to register for their free individual Microsoft IT training package should visit www.sunderland.gov.uk/smile or call Sunderland City Council on 0191 520 5518 for details of the nearest community venue providing free computer access.

Job Linkage and Job Centre Plus were both part of Sunderland City Council's winning bid for Microsoft UK's Britain Works Challenge in partnership with the Local Strategic Partnership, Sunderland Software City, Sunderland University, City of Sunderland College, and Unison