The Skills and Development programme offers training and development opportunities in a variety of formats.
Our week-long Build Your Own Bike courses provide young people who are not engaged in employment, education, or training, the chance to learn how to build a bicycle up from scratch and learn essential maintenance and cycling skills in the process. The aim is that the young people will have increased their confidence, gained a City and Guilds qualification in Cycle Mechanics, and have a means of transport to travel safely around Glasgow – be that to get to job interviews or to keep up social connections.
We also offer week-long schools courses for pupils who would benefit from the opportunity to undergo a practical learning experience. Over the course of 5 days, they can work towards a City and Guilds Cycle Mechanics qualification while also learning maintenance tips and safe cycling skills.
Our Govanhill Gears youth club is available for all young people living in and around our community hub in Govanhill, and provides opportunities for led rides, mountain biking, ‘learn to ride’ sessions, and bike maintenance. Through these sessions, young people can develop their personal skills, increase their connections within their community, and improve their mental and physical health.
Our Spokes Not Blokes programme provides monthly evenings of guided bicycle maintenance for women and all non-binary people, by women and non-binary people.
The Skills and Development team also offer formal and informal support and training to our volunteer team, ensuring that they get the most out of their volunteering experience at Bike for Good.
Who can take part
Our different activities are targeted at different user groups.
- Build Your Own Bike courses – young people aged 16-24 who are not currently engaged in education, employment or training
- Schools courses – pupils from S3-S6 who do not thrive in a traditional academic setting and would therefore benefit from the opportunity to gain additional, practical qualifications
- Govanhill Gears – all young people living in and around our community hub in Govanhill
- Spokes not Blokes – women and all non-binary people
- Volunteering – our volunteering programme is open to everyone aged 16 and over, no previous skills or experience are required
‘I struggled for work. Every course, apprenticeship and college I applied for knocked me back which is why I am so grateful to be given an opportunity such as this to prove myself and better myself as a person. Hopefully this course has steered me in the right direction as I plan on taking courses for mechanics in college in the near future.’
-Build Your Own Bike participant
Why it’s necessary
We work with many individuals who do, or are likely to, face additional barriers to employment or training opportunities. Through our various services, we help people to improve their confidence, gain vital skills and experience, and develop themselves personally. With unemployment rising and the cycling industry going through a time of huge demand, these opportunities are becoming more and more valuable.
As for our Spokes not Blokes programme, cycle mechanics is traditionally a male-dominated field, and feedback has shown us the importance of providing a space where women and non-binary people are made to feel welcome in the workshop, and feel confident to learn and ask questions.
How to get involved
- Build Your Own Bike – full details here
- Schools courses – full details here
- Govanhill Gears – activities run from Tuesday-Thursday 3-5pm from our Glasgow South Community hub, please come along. Or for more information, you can contact hannahmh@bikeforgood.org.uk
- Spokes not Blokes – full details here
- Volunteering programme – full details here
Funders
The activities provided by our Skills and Development team are made possible thanks to funding from Henry Smith, The National Lottery’s Young Start fund, Glasgow City Council, Smarter Choices Smarter Places, the Venture Trust and Awards for All.