Profile: Sara-Jane Watkins As a mum of two teenagers, Sara-Jane Watkins definitely knows her audience when it comes to her day job! Last September, Sara-Jane was appointed CEO and Principal of WCG (Warwickshire College Group) – which has six campuses across the two counties of Warwickshire and Worcestershire, supporting more than 10,000 students on more than 500 different courses. It’s the latest chapter in a career in Further Education (FE) that has spanned a quarter of a century. And while Sara-Jane can call upon a wealth of experiences through her professional life, she has also got plenty of knowledge from her home life that she can draw upon when it comes to knowing what might make students tick. “I've got two teenage children,” she said. “One is in the final year of a degree, the other is in the first year of a degree, and, as it’s gone past midday, I am hoping that they're both studying, but I’d say they are probably still in bed at the moment!” All jokes aside, however, Sara-Jane has seen first-hand the effects that Covid has had on a generation of young people who were home-schooled, with many resorting to a ‘camera off’ approach even when classes were online. Social and soft skills that were already lacking, according to businesses, have been hampered even further. Sara-Jane has also seen the positive impact that sport can have on her own children and the lives of her students, and that is something that has seen her driving a big change at WCG in the short space of time that she has been at the helm. From September 2025 (one year on from her arrival) a new sports academy will be launched and available to students to develop in a sport of their choice alongside an academic or vocational course. A student could, for example, be part of the college’s football academy while taking a course in construction. “When we work with employers, they are really interested in our sports academy concept because research has shown that individuals that play sport are better at working in teams,” said Sara-Jane.
Next generation of workforce given a sporting chance C&W In Business caught up with the recently appointed CEO and Principal of WCG who explained how sport is being used as one of the tools to help create more rounded individuals for the workplace. 20
“They have more motivation and greater communication. They have a fantastic work ethic. And those are the qualities our employers are absolutely seeking for their workforce. “We have amazing facilities, especially at our Moreton Morrell and at our Pershore campuses, where we are going to be offering sports academies from the new academic years. So, you can come and study any of our courses, say construction, agriculture, health & social care, art & design but then also have an opportunity to participate in one of our sports academies. “This coming September we will be offering basketball, football, rugby and tennis. So, in addition to your full-time course, we'll also be supporting those individuals who love those sports or who are interested in progressing professionally with the view that if they don't quite make it, they will have achieved a qualification in another area. “At the moment, we are certainly looking at those individuals who are either playing for their local representative side, or at a county level, without discounting anybody. For some individuals, they might have a passion for football – for example – but they've never actually had trials so may have a hidden talent. “Sport can also be that fundamental tool in developing those softer skills that employers say are missing.
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