FE Community - Further Education, Skills & Employability Communication Network

February 2010 Press Releases (61)

Croydon College leaders in Apprenticeship challenge

Pipe bending, compression joints and pressure testing may all be skills unfamiliar to the general public but they became a reality this week for senior managers at Croydon College.

This week the London Apprenticeship Academy, which is part of Croydon College, celebrated its provision of Apprenticeships by hosting a “Back to the Floor” competition by challenging senior managers at the college to compete against each other on a variety of plumbing…

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Added by Holly Patton on February 5, 2010 at 15:30 — No Comments

Technology workforce will boost UK’s economic recovery

Employment in the UK’s technology workforce has continued to increase, despite the recession - but continued investment in technology and technology skills are crucial to help the…

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Added by Louise Yarrall on February 5, 2010 at 12:25 — No Comments

Croydon College signs for top London football clubs

Jobs with top football clubs are not easy to come by but thanks to a groundbreaking deal between Croydon College and six London clubs, young people are about to get the opportunity to be signed to a club under the Government's ‘Future Jobs’ scheme.…

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Added by Holly Patton on February 5, 2010 at 11:16 — No Comments

National Journalism award for City College

For the second year in succession, City College Brighton and Hove’s journalism department is celebrating the announcement by the NCTJ awarding body that it runs the best performing magazine journalism course in the country.

Andy Green, the College's Head of 14-19 Learning, Marketing and Strategic Planning, says:

"It is a considerable achievement to have success rates on this course that are significantly above the national average but to win this award for the second year… Continue

Added by Brian Bell on February 4, 2010 at 15:18 — No Comments

Calling all Union Learning Representatives working in Further Education

Diplomas and the 14-19 Agenda

As a union learning representative, what would you give to find out more about Diplomas and 14-19 learning?

How about one day of your time? You can join a free 14-19 briefing workshop where you will receive an up-to-date electronic toolkit of information, strategies and support resources to use in your work with further education colleagues.

Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK), alongside the University and College Union (UCU), the Association of Teachers and… Continue

Added by Anne Harper on February 4, 2010 at 13:08 — No Comments

Trainers to benefit from new CWDC disability awareness training website

The Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) is calling for all trainers in England who provide disability awareness training to register their details on a new website.

The new website will benefit training providers by making it easier for employers from social care, social work, early years and young people’s workforce to access disability awareness training locally for their staff.

All trainers in England who offer relevant training are encouraged to enter their… Continue

Added by Melissa Loughran on February 4, 2010 at 12:15 — No Comments

Principal gets taste for learning - COLLEGE CHIEF TURNS CHEF FOR APPRENTICESHIP WEEK

Apprentices at a Tyneside college were served up a treat during National Apprenticeship Week

as their principal rolled up his sleeves for a cookery lesson.

The heat was on for Gateshead College’s principal, Richard Thorold, who donned an apron and chef’s hat to go ‘back to the floor’ for a bite-sized cooking session to mark the importance of hands-on learning.

National Apprenticeship Week (February 1 - 5) takes place every year to… Continue

Added by Andy Bruce on February 4, 2010 at 10:11 — No Comments

Nisai Virtual Academy Shortlisted for Learning Impact Awards

Harrow, UK, 4th February 2010

The Nisai Virtual Academy (NVA) has been named by the IMS Global Learning Consortium as a finalist for the 2010 Learning Impact Awards. The NVA is a unique online learning community that provides education to marginalised, vulnerable and hard-to-reach young people throughout the UK and abroad.

The Awards are presented in recognition of outstanding applications of technology that address the most significant challenges facing the global… Continue

Added by Simon Nadin on February 4, 2010 at 9:50 — No Comments

People1st achieves outstanding 2 star status in best companies accreditation

People 1st, the sector skills council for the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industry, has achieved a 2 star rating in the Best Companies to Work For 2010 accreditation. Nearly 1,100 UK companies entered the Best Companies accreditation this year, representing more than 270,000 employees from the private and public sectors. Only 18% of organisations received the top 3 star (exemplary) and 2 star (outstanding) rankings.

Brian Wisdom, chief executive officer of People 1st,… Continue

Added by oksana higglesden on February 3, 2010 at 10:36 — No Comments

Young people take their message to the streets in Southampton

MORE than 20 young people took to the streets of Southampton today (February 2) to campaign for more companies to take on apprentices.

The team of 16 to 18 year-olds, who are all on Southampton City College’s City Horizons programme, caused a stir as they waved placards reading ‘Ready to Work’ and ‘Pick Me’. Their aim was to get businesses to take on apprentices so that more young people had the opportunity to get into employment and training.

Chloe Bloomer, 17, said:… Continue

Added by Laura Downton on February 2, 2010 at 17:58 — No Comments

New Career Skills offers rescue package for stranded students

New Career Skills, which helps career-changers train and find jobs as plumbers, electricians and renewable energy engineers, has prepared a rescue package for students left stranded as a result of the collapse of Access 2 Trade Skills.

New Career Skills has prepared a low-cost solution to help students who need to finish their training in order to get into work. Each package will be tailored to a student’s individual situation.

Steven Wines, CEO of New Career Skills,… Continue

Added by Steven Smith on February 2, 2010 at 16:45 — No Comments

Gateshead College wins bus and coach manufacturing company training contract

Photo caption

Just the ticket: (l-r) Optare’s Mick Raynor, Bernard Hindle and Brian Barker with NAC’s Chris Parry-Jones and Rob Robinson from Gateshead College on the top deck of a bus in production at bus manufacturer’s Blackburn plant.

Gateshead College and its strategic partner NAC Group plc has won a major training contract, which has led to tens of thousands of pounds in savings for one of the UK’s leading bus and coach producers.

The contract… Continue

Added by Andy Bruce on February 2, 2010 at 16:12 — No Comments

Impact of Sector Skills Councils is twenty times the investment received

Impact of Sector Skills Councils is twenty times the investment received

2 February 2010 – A report published today shows that Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) can achieve as much as twenty times the amount of funding they receive.

The report, by Baker Tilly, sampled four out of 25 licensed SSCs, all of which represent the needs of different industries. Jim Clifford, head of Charity and Education Advisory Services at Baker Tilly, and author of the report, said: “The… Continue

Added by Jack Rich on February 2, 2010 at 12:54 — No Comments

Croydon College celebrates National Apprenticeship Week

This week marks National Apprenticeship Week, which celebrates the talent and skills of Apprentices throughout the UK. The week provides the perfect backdrop for Apprentices, employers, providers and wider stakeholders to experience the benefits of Apprenticeship programmes. During this week national and regional activities take place across the UK to focus on the skills of an Apprentice.

On Thursday 4th February 2010 the London… Continue

Added by Holly Patton on February 2, 2010 at 12:27 — No Comments

Industry bid for National Academy for Travel and Tourism

People 1st, in partnership with leading employers in travel and tourism including Hoseasons Holidays, TUI UK, Thomas Cook, Co-operative Travel Group, Advantage Travel, ABTA The Travel Association, and The Institute of Travel and Tourism, has submitted a bid for over £2 million of government investment to create the first National Skills Academy for Travel and Tourism.

This follows overwhelming industry support for a dedicated body to benchmark excellence in training and… Continue

Added by oksana higglesden on February 2, 2010 at 11:21 — No Comments

Apprentices more productive than new staff say employers

Hospitality employers believe that apprentices are head and shoulders above new staff when it comes to performance and productivity, a new industry survey from People 1st reveals today (1 February 2010).

The sector skills council for hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism, found that employers significantly viewed apprentices as a catalyst for galvanising their fellow workers into raising their game and stepping up their performance.

Four in ten employers surveyed (41%)… Continue

Added by oksana higglesden on February 2, 2010 at 11:17 — No Comments

SEEDA chairman goes 'back to the floor' with Southampton City College

The South East England Development Agency’s (SEEDA) Chairman, Rob Douglas, became an apprentice for the day on Monday 1 February in support of National Apprenticeship Week (1 – 5 February).

SEEDA, as part of the national Regional Development Agency (RDA) network, is committed to creating economic prosperity through developing and harnessing the skills sets required to give the UK an international competitive advantage. National Apprenticeship Week is organised by the National… Continue

Added by Laura Downton on February 1, 2010 at 17:24 — No Comments

Horses for apprenticeship courses: Former student becomes one of the top dressage riders in the UK

When you think of apprenticeships most people probably think of engineering or hairdressing. But Essex’s largest provider of apprenticeships, The Nova Partnership for Apprenticeships and Skills, offers a massive range of areas that include the above but also cover everything from Technical Theatre to Graphic Design.

One former student of Nova partner, Badgeshurst Training Ltd in Orsett, who has shown what can be achieved by gaining an… Continue

Added by Dean Newman on February 1, 2010 at 16:11 — No Comments

From Call Centre to camshafts: Demi is motoring ahead on her Heavy Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Apprenticeship

Demi Ward, from Wickford, used to be sat answering phones behind a desk for a living, but now the 18 year old from Wickford has swapped the life of the call centre for one of camshafts and carburettors on her Apprenticeship in Heavy Vehicle Maintenance and Repair at South Essex College of Further & Higher Education.

The College is the lead partner of The Nova Partnership for Apprenticeships and Skills, Essex’s largest provider of… Continue

Added by Dean Newman on February 1, 2010 at 15:57 — No Comments

LSN continues strategic growth and acquires Connections (Oxford)

Leading education organisation LSN has acquired Connections (Oxford), a training and consultancy firm specialising in leadership and people development in a wide range of sectors. Established in 1993, Connections has an excellent reputation for offering clients bespoke management solutions that directly connect to their business strategies.

The acquisition combines LSN’s 25-year track record of offering services to the education and training sector, with Connection’s experience of… Continue

Added by Elizabeth Marshall on February 1, 2010 at 12:08 — No Comments