Dad's asks college to clear up course confusion

Mark Atter, 44, of Willingdon Avenue, St Leonards, was thrilled to complete his level one City and Guilds qualification in construction skills in May at Sussex Coast College and was looking forward to starting the level two section.

He and his coursemates were told the next section should start within two weeks, but more than four months later they are still waiting.

“I have been on the phone to the college every week since May,” he told the Observer.

“We just get fobbed off and we keep being told different things. We are all stuck in limbo and it has felt like we have been banging our head against a brick wall. We just need to know one way or the other.”

Mr Atter has been out of work for 16 years and got onto the course thanks to a programme supported by AmicusHorizon housing association aimed at helping the long term unemployed.

The first section of the course took place at the old college site in Archery Road, St Leonards, and after a few weeks Mr Atter and his colleagues presumed the wait was down to the move to the new Ore Valley campus in Parker Road. But as the uncertainty continues Mr Atter is getting more desperate for the level two certificate.

“Level one is very basic and because so many people are going for every job employers can afford to be picky, which is why I really want the level two qualification. I have done my health and safety certificate and first aid training in the meantime but I need it sorted,” he said.

But Damon McCollin-Moore, the college’s head of communications, said he hoped the course would go ahead in the near future. He said: “The college understands that communication surrounding the start of this course has not been as clear as it should have been and we are sorry for the difficulties that this has caused some of our students.

“We fully intend to run the course in the coming weeks and are inviting the affected students to meet the head of division to discuss the details of the course and to offer them an interim study programme that will help them to achieve their goals when they start their chosen course.”