Welcome to Skillbridge/Avondale ... proud to be an integral (and very important) part of Prescot Oasis.

We at the centre work with young people who are referred to us through the ‘Work Based Learning scheme’, from the collegiate of colleges across the Knowsley district. Our ‘Skills for life’ program is recognised as excellent, and we offer tailored courses to fit the individual and their particular needs.

Courses we offer include Literacy, Numeracy, Mechanics, IT and hairdressing. We also train interview skills, with employer visits such as Jaguar land rover and Aroma chemicals. Coupled with visits to places such as the Lowry Centre in Manchester, our courses and training initiatives provide an introduction to the world of work. We also carry out visits to places of interest and leisure, as part of our Enrichment Program.

As part of our dedication to working in a professional manner, we firmly believe in equality of opportunity. As such, we have females working on our mechanic course and also on our hard landscaping. We do not, however, have any male students in hairdressing (although there’s always a first).

At our Avondale site we have a team of dedicated gardeners who work with students who have opted for the more practical aspect of hard landscaping/horticulture. The work is hard, and when the weather is bad the students will be found in the ‘Poly’ tunnels building walls and paving the floor. At the end of the day they will take the walls down.

Click to view our NuStart department

Click to view our Community Contracts department

Click to view our funders

The work is to a very high standard. So much so that we have a contract with KHT (Knowsley Housing Trust) to design and construct the gardens that surround a sheltered accommodation site. This involved site clearance and the actual building of all walls, paving, and landscaping. We are a professional organisation and we believe that ‘quality is a journey and not a destination.’