Coventry College welcomes Skills England Leaders for insightful visit

Coventry College recently had the privilege of hosting Sarah Maclean, CEO of Skills England, and Sarah Morris, Head of Skills Programme Development, for an engaging and insightful visit to the college.

The visit provided an opportunity for the Skills England leaders to explore the college’s innovative facilities, meet with staff and students, and discuss how Coventry College is equipping learners with the skills needed to thrive in today’s workforce.

The visit began with discussions between the two Sarahs and the Senior Leadership Team at Coventry College. Topics focused on the college’s commitment to delivering industry relevant education, its collaboration with local employers, and its investment in cutting-edge facilities to support skills development across a variety of sectors.

Following the meeting, Sarah Maclean and Sarah Morris were given a guided tour of the college’s facilities, showcasing the diverse and modern learning environments available to students.

During the tour, the Skills England leaders visited an Into Employment class, held in the college’s Virtual Reality (VR) room. Students were using VR headsets to practise scenarios not available to them in a generic classroom, such as interviews with employers and job-specific training exercises, providing an immersive and innovative approach to skills development.

The guests were impressed by how the VR technology is helping students build confidence and prepare for employment in a safe and interactive environment.

Next, the tour moved to the college’s Welding class, a new addition to Coventry College’s curriculum, made possible by the installation of modern welding facilities.

The course is designed to meet the increasing demand for skilled welders in the local and national workforce, providing students with hands-on training and industry standard techniques.

Gemma Knott, Vice Principal Business Growth, Engagement and Partnerships said, “We were delighted to host the Skills England CEO and Sarah Morris from the Department for Education into our College to showcase our significant achievements including our recent Ofsted grade and Outstanding financial grade.

“We were able to highlight how we have utilised Local Skills Improvement Funding to create a Virtual Reality Lab where our Into Employment Adult Social Care learners were using technology to practice their communication modules, both Sarahs were able to have a go with the headsets.

“We then had a brilliant tour of our welding facilities where adult learners, through West Midlands Combined Authority funding, are learning welding skills for the first time to support their progression into jobs where there is a huge welding skills need.”

Sarah Maclean, CEO of Skills England, said “Thank you to Carol and her team for an excellent visit to Coventry College. It was good to learn about the provision at the college and see how technology is being used.”

The visit highlighted Coventry College’s dedication to staying at the forefront of education and training, ensuring students are well-prepared for the demands of modern industries. By fostering partnerships with organisations like Skills England, Coventry College continues to strengthen its position as a hub for skills development and innovation in the region.

Steve Harcourt

President of Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce

As we head into the summer months here in the UK, our thoughts naturally turn to holidays, rest and relaxation. However, it is the unrest across the globe – particularly in the Middle East –which is drawing our attention at the moment as tensions continue to escalate.

How the situation will progress remains to be seen, but in the meantime all we can do is continue to monitor the situation, keep calm and carry on. In Coventry & Warwickshire in particular, I always say that we have an incredibly resilient and diverse business landscape and this is what carries us through challenging economic times.

The results of our latest Quarterly Economic Survey, which Prime Accountants Group proudly partner with the Chamber on, shows cautious optimism. Service sector and manufacturing sales remain above the growth threshold, and both sectors are actively recruiting, with overall business confidence sitting firmly above the allimportant 50 points.

Nationally, the UK is grappling with a more complex landscape. Inflation is easing, but interest rate pressures persist - no surprise as businesses “will need to dig in again” into 2025. Political uncertainty, from budget debates to fiscal pressures, continues to cloud confidence. It’s vital the government remains focused on stabilising the business climate and easing cost burdens, so that our region can forge ahead.

In the recent Comprehensive Spending Review, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced her spending plans to Parliament, which included tens of billions of pounds of investment in transport, infrastructure and new homes, alongside extra money for health and education.

Whilst we very much welcomed the announcements, the Chamber is quite rightly calling for more detail. If this really is a stimulus for growth, then we need to see the spending translate into real ‘business on the books’ for businesses in our region.

At the end of June, I had the pleasure of hosting the Chamber’s Annual President’s Golf Day which took place at the Coventry Hearsall Golf Club and was attended by over 40 keen golfers. In addition to plenty of networking and healthy competition, this was also a chance to help raise vital funds and awareness for Coventry, Warwickshire & Worcestershire Mind – a charity providing expert support on mental health across the region.

My thanks go to Lodders Solicitors who sponsored the golf day, along with support from Azets Coventry and ourselves at Prime Accountants Group, and my congratulations go to Rob Cornford, of My Trusted Wills and Estate Planning, who won the day, and also to Martin Lord, of Talbots Law, who won Longest Drive and Richard Davies, of Addington Ball, who took the nearest the pin award.

I hope you have a great summer.