Curriculum Strategy 2025-2029
Future Proofing the Curriculum
This strategic plan, for the period 2025-2029, will outline the clear direction and unashamed ambition we have to deliver the vision of the college and its underpinning strategic aims.
It is firmly driven by our college mission; we are City of Bristol College, we will deliver transformative education in dynamic learning environments. In this plan we set out how we will carefully develop curriculum provision via our Sector Forums and in collaboration with leading industry partners to ensure that we deliver a co-created, responsive, relevant and rigorous and high-quality curriculum to meet the aspirations of our students, employers and communities.
1 2 Introduction Mission,Vision and Values
Our Mission
We are City of Bristol College, we will deliver transformative education in dynamic learning environments.
Our Vision
Through educational excellence, we will underpin the economic growth and productivity of Bristol and the wider West of England region.
Our Values
Boldness
We will innovate and take risks for the benefit of our students, communities and employer stakeholders.
Respect
We will work and learn in an environment of mutual respect, valuing diversity.
Inclusion
We will be ambitious for all of our students, colleagues and stakeholders.
Sustainability
We will commit to sustainable practices and green skills delivery.
Teamwork
We will work collaboratively and our team will deliver high performance.
Openness
We will be open to new ideas, perspectives, cultures and learning experiences, creating an inclusive and welcoming environment.
Learning
We commit to lifelong learning, continuously striving for knowledge, skills and innovation.
3National, regional and local strategic drivers – we are a place-based college
The strategy has been developed taking account of a range of relevant educational and economic policy initiatives and drivers including (but not limited to):
Improving Bristol Post 16
Bristol City Council – Bristol Employment, skills and lifelong learning plan 24-30
Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP – Bristol)
Skills for jobs: Lifelong learning for opportunities and growth – FE white paper
Ofsted Education Inspection Framework
Review of post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below in England
Augar Report
Labour’s 5 missions – Mission-driven government – The Labour Party
LSIP Business West
WECA Employability and skills Plan 2023
WECA Adult Education Budget Output and Outcome Targets
WECA LMI and Skills Connect
WECA Green Skills report
WECA Horizon Scanning: Post-16 Education and Skills Infrastructure
WECA Adult Skills Fund Commissioning Plan 2024/25
West of England LSIP Trailblazer
DfE – Working Futures 2017-2027
ESFA Apprenticeship Accountability framework
One City Bristol Plan 1
City Leap 2
WECA ASF Road Map to 2026/27 and beyond
The college will continue to take full account of any modifications to national priorities and will respond to these wherever possible. The strategy draws on up-to-date labour market information.
1 About the One City Plan - Bristol One City
2 About - Bristol City Leap
4Key data points
4.1 Bristol
4.1.1 Bristol population is estimated to be 483,000 (mid-2023). It is the 8th largest city in England and Wales outside of London. Over the last decade Bristol’s population has increased by 10% and it was the second fastest growing of all the Core Cities in England and Wales after Manchester.3
4.1.2 The college’s student population reflects Bristol’s diversity; there are now more than 287 different ethnic groups in the city, more than 185 countries of birth represented, at least 45 religions and more than 90 languages spoken.3
4.1.3 16-18 growth demographic for City of Bristol College is predicted to rise by +290 over the next 10 years.5
4.1.4 Areas of deprivation: Bristol has 41 Small neighbourhood areas ranked among the most deprived 10% in England for Multiple Deprivation, with three falling within the most deprived 1%. At the ward level, the highest levels of deprivation in Bristol are found in Hartcliffe & Withywood, Lawrence Hill, and Hengrove & Whitchurch Park.6
4.1.5 City Leap. In 2018 Bristol City Council was the first local authority in the UK to declare a Climate Emergency, with the UK parliament following in 2019. Bristol City Leap7 is a partnership between Bristol City Council and Ameresco UK with the intention of accelerating green energy investment in Bristol and progress towards decarbonising the whole city.
The college plays a vital role in both consciousness raising and empowering individual agency in relation to climate action; while also collaborating with city and regional partners to develop the skilled workforce essential for advancing the City Leap project and accelerating the transition to decarbonisation.
4.2 West of England
4.2.1 The West of England population is estimated to be over 980,000 with a regional economy worth over £43.2bn. Between 2024 and 2040 11% growth in the population is expected. This includes a 9% increase in the working-age population.8
4.2.2 Housing affordability and related infrastructure are major challenges in Bristol where house prices are increasing more rapidly than the national average and outpacing income growth. Bristol City Council has reported a serious shortage of affordable housing in the city.9
The City is undertaking a series of major infrastructure projects over the next five to ten years. These include the largescale regeneration of the area around Bristol Temple Meads railway station, aiming to deliver up to 10,000 new homes, approximately 22,000 new jobs, and
3 Population of Bristol – Bristol City Council
5 Vector RCU Data
6 JSNA Health and Wellbeing Profile 24/25: Areas of Deprivation – Bristol City Council
7 Bristol City Leap
8 Regional Evidence Report: State of the West of England in 2024 - West of England Combined Authority
9 JSNA Health and Wellbeing Profile 24/25: Housing – Bristol City Council
transform the area into a hub for business and innovation. The YTL Bristol Arena project will create a 19,000-capacity entertainment and cultural center as part of the broader Brabazon Development at Filton Airfield, which also includes thousands of new homes, shops, businesses, and a railway station. The college has a pivotal strategic role in supporting the success of these initiatives by providing the skilled workforce necessary for their development; encompassing construction, engineering, project management, and more. Furthermore, the college will underpin the long-term success of these projects by equipping individuals with expertise in areas such as maintenance, retail, entertainment, culinary arts, leadership and management, and event planning.
4.2.3 As of September 2022, there were 47,900 people not working in the region who would like to be in work.10 In this group there are significant inequalities in employment levels for those with disabilities, from ethic minority groups and for those who are lower skilled. 18% of the WECA population are identified as at ‘retirement’ risk. The college and its subsidiaries will continue to work closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to deliver robust and responsive pathways into work for those who would like to be in work as well as those who are able to be in work but do not yet feel work ready.
In response to this demand all college programmes for students who are developing their English skills (ESOL) will have clear and defined pathways into employment and a relentless focus on rapid progression via regulated qualifications. ESOL into work pathways will be developed in partnership with local and regional employers.
4.2.4 55.5% of Bristol residents have a higher education qualification. 6% of 16-17 year olds are not in education, employment or training (NEET). As of March 2021, there were between 102,600 and 153,900 jobs paying less than the Real Living Wage.10
The college recognises its strategically significant role in collaborating closely with Bristol City Council and other City and regional partners to deliver targeted, in-year provision aimed at reducing NEET rates across the City.
4.2.5 The regional transport network holds back growth and hinders educational engagement for some: WECA have identified that too few people can easily reach job, training and leisure opportunities. Public transport usage is increasing but remains below pre-covid levels, and congestion reportedly remains a challenge in our towns and cities.12
4.3 Skills for life
4.3.1 The region is seeing a growing polarisation between higher and lower skilled occupations, with employers seeking increasingly higher skills levels. However, significantly fewer young people in Bristol go on to Higher Education (31.6%), this drops to 22.3% in South Bristol, compared to 42.2% in England.13 South Bristol has 3 of the 5 lowest performing areas in England; Hartcliffe (8.7%, lowest in England), Highridge and Withywood. 88% of new jobs by 2035 will be at graduate level.14
4.3.2 Employers in the West of England have more vacancies and find it harder to recruit than the national average, particularly for higher skills occupations.10
There is a strategic need to ensure clear progression pathways through all relevant curriculum pathways to Level 4+. In collaboration with local higher education institutions, efforts will focus on raising student aspirations, with particular emphasis on students from South Bristol.
4.3.3 Employers all need their staff to have Maths, English and Digital skills and those with higher level qualifications will need to re-train to access jobs in areas where there
are skills shortages and opportunities (e.g. green skills, emerging digital roles etc).16
4.3.4 The Digital Skills gap is estimated to cost the UK economy £63 billion per year. In 2023 the annual Consumer Digital Index found that 7.5 million people, or 18% of UK adults, lacked the essential digital skills that are needed for the workplace.17
All Sectors report essential digital skills gaps however people who work in construction have the lowest levels of Essential Digital Skills, with only 25% able to do all 20 work tasks outlined in the FutureDotNow Essential Digital Skills Framework.18
Digital poverty is a significant challenge for both the current and future workforce. For many individuals, limited access to essential IT and digital equipment, such as desktop computers or laptops, serves as the primary barrier to acquiring the crucial IT and digital skills that employers have identified as necessary.19
The college will meet this challenge through the delivery of a digitally responsive and enabled curriculum and workplace. Utilising technology, we will enhance collaboration, improve practice, meet regional skills needs, save time and reduce our carbon footprint (Strategic objective 8).
4.3.5 Emerging Technologies; The UK technology sector continues to expand, making it the third country in the world – after the USA and China – to surpass a $1 trillion valuation. Additionally, the UK leads Europe in AI investment. Employers across the country are increasingly highlighting skills shortages related to emerging technologies, with AI, cloud computing, and automation being the most commonly cited areas of demand.19
The Gravity Smart Battery plan offers strategically important opportunities for the college to work collaboratively with neighbouring providers to deliver the required skills to drive the project.
4.3.6 Barriers to specific workforce groups: The disability employment rates, in the UK, were 53.0% in the second quarter of 2024, compared to 81.6% for non-disabled people.21 The charity Scope has identified that disabled people are almost twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people, and 3 times as likely to be economically inactive.22
In response to this there will be a relentless focus through our Sector Forum work on supporting positive employment outcomes for those with disabilities as well as working closely with employers around the region and Business West to champion inclusive workplaces to meet business skills gaps. (Strategic objective 2).
5Potential key disruptions and macrotrend risks to the labour market and skills landscape
5.1 Reverse migration and post-Brexit impact. This could have an impact on sectors such as Construction, Childcare and Health. Currently nearly half of specialist medical practitioners were born outside of the UK.23 Ongoing post-Brexit uncertainly has dampened business investment in the short-term and is likely to play an important factor in people’s employment decisions. Separately, in the face of increasing competition from developing economies, a key long-term challenge for the UK Government will be to lift productivity, especially in the southern members of the Eurozone, and boost competitiveness.24
5.2 Employees’ changing values and ongoing funding and pay inequalities in the future education sector. Generation Y and Z have an increased focus on flexibility and corporate social responsibilities. This changing focus could be of potential benefit for a sector that dominantly places a high priority of its social and corporate responsibilities as well as a priority on a People First culture. The Association of Colleges has highlighted the 6000+ job vacancies in England college’s as the highest in over 20 years,25 teachers in schools are currently paid over £9,000 more than college lecturers on average. The recruitment and retention crisis in colleges has been exacerbated by a decade of cuts, and endless reform.
5.3 AI, technological advancement, increasing levels of automation, robotics. 26 The Fourth Industrial Revolution has accelerated the pace of adoption of technologies. A 2021 UK Government horizon scanning report found that automation is likely to be spread unevenly across different industries and occupations, leading to varying effects across sectors, locations and demographic groups. Evidence suggests that young people, low earners, women, and individuals with lower levels of education are likely to be disproportionately disadvantaged by automation.27
Agriculture technologies, digital platforms and apps, e-commerce and digital trade, and AI are all expected to result in significant labour market disruption, with substantial proportions of companies globally forecasting job displacement in their organisations, offset by job growth elsewhere to result in a net positive. Generative AI has received particular attention recently, with claims that 19% of the workforce could have over 50% of their tasks automated by AI, while others expect the technology to enhance jobs.28
In response to these rapid changes, we will deliver a digitally responsive and enabled curriculum and workplace. Utilising technology, we aim to enhance collaboration, improve practice, meet regional skills needs, save time and reduce our carbon footprint (Strategic Objective 8).
23 Migration and the labour market, England and Wales – Office for National Statistics
24 Working Futures 2017-2027: Long-run Labour Market and Skills Projections for the UK – Department for Education
25 Worst staffing crisis in two decades in England's colleges – Association of Colleges
26 UKCES
27 How technology is accelerating changes in the way we work – parliament.uk
28 Future of Jobs Report – WEF
5.4 Aging workforce and population changes. In 2022 19% of the population was aged 65 or over in the UK, by 2072 this could rise to 27% of the population. In contrast, in 1972, only 13% of the population was 65 or over.
The Office for National Statistics projects that by the mid-2030s, annual deaths will outnumber births, making migration the sole driver of population growth. These demographic shifts will impact services such as healthcare, housing, and education, increasing demand on those who provide them.29
The west of England is reporting an ageing population but not as fast as elsewhere.30
5.5 Demographic changes. The Office for National Statistics UK Population Estimate for July 2020 reports that a falling birth rate since 2012 means that the number of 10-year-olds will fall by 18ppt between 2023 to 2030. At the same time the number of 18-year-old will peak in 2030.31
The Association of Colleges has reported that the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) calculates that the core school population (those aged between 5 and 16) will fall by 2ppt in the next three years and points out that the Treasury expects departments like Department for Education to make savings to meet wider fiscal targets. The 16-18 population is due to rise by 5ppt in the next three years.
We will work ambitiously with partners across the City and region to deliver a flexible and responsive educational model that delivers high quality educational.
5.6 Ongoing curriculum reform and uncertainty at Level 2 and Level 3. The previous Conservative Government had identified that funding will be removed from all overlapping Level 3 qualifications from 2023, and all academic and technical qualifications deemed superfluous to the new system will be defunded by 2025/26.32
In December 2024 the new Labour Government announced the outcomes of a review of the qualification reforms at level 3 which included the continued defunding of some previously announced qualifications that had been identified for de-funding, the de-funding of some qualifications that had not previously been identified and the continuation of other even though there is overlap.33
While the government has stated that it is seeking a more pragmatic approach to qualification reforms the lack of consultation in relation the short pause and review, and the lack of any current long-term reform outline, in addition to a new Curriculum and Assessment Review, adds to ongoing instability and landscape uncertainty.
5.7 September 2024 the government announced a new growth and skills levy which will replace the existing apprenticeship levy and include new foundation apprenticeships. Apprenticeship funding has seen limited real-term increase which has hampered deliver viability in some areas. There are both potential opportunities and delivery risks with the changes to the levy, when the planned detail is released, the college will move rapidly to assess the impact on growth and delivery.
In addition, the government launched Skills England in July to help identify local and national skills needs. The government has identified that Skills England will play a crucial role in determining which types of training will be eligible for the expanded growth and skills levy.34 Skills England is currently in shadow form.
29 The UK’s changing population – parliament.uk
30 State of the West of England: Emerging Evidence – West of England Combined Authority
31 Chart of the Week: School-age Demographic Change – ICAEW
32 Level 3 Qualifications Reform: What’s happening to BTECs? – parliament.uk
33 The outcomes of the Review of Qualifications Reform at Level 3 in England – gov.uk
34
5.8 Funding streams
5.8.1 16-18 funding has seen a real term cut of 11% in 24-25 from 14 years ago in 201011. The impact of reduced funding is on the college's ability to fill its skills recruitment gaps and puts pressure on its ability of offer the depth of enrichment and pastoral support required to deliver the workforce of the future.
5.8.2 Adult funding has suffered a 40% cut in real-term funding 24/25 v’s 2010/11. Particular regional pressures (WECA), due to growth in population since devolution and the high proportion of ESOL and deprived regions, has resulted in long waiting list for ESOL delivery and therefore slower progression into the workforce for many.
5.8.3 Commercial income has reduced having been significantly impacted by the cost-ofliving crisis. This income strand remains a priority development area for the college.
5.8.4 The reclassification of FE colleges by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) as part of the public sector has significantly altered financial and borrowing arrangements. The college can no longer independently secure loans from commercial lenders, limiting our ability to finance major capital works. This may have an impact on the college’s ability to respond to future growth challenges particularly in relation to our city centre campus College Green. Through proactive strategic planning the college will be able to effectively navigate these challenges. By leveraging alternative funding sources, engaging in sector-wide advocacy, and optimising capital planning, the college will be able to deliver responsively to fluctuating capacity demands and meet the needs of demographic growth.
6Priority Sectors
6.1 The college has outlined its priority sector areas in its published Accountability Agreement. Curriculum priority sectors are informed through ongoing engagement with the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) as well as by other relevant local market intelligence data including RCU Market analysis.
West of England LSIP Priority Findings
Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering
Agriculture, Agri-Tech and Land Management
Automotive
Construction
Creative Industries
Digital Industries
Health, Social Care and Life Sciences
National Skills priorities:
Construction
Manufacturing
Digital and Technology
Health and Social Care
Haulage and Logistics
Engineering
Science and mathematics
6.2 In July 2023, in response to the LSIP and national priorities, the college established a range of Sector Forums. The broad remit of the forums is to provide clear pathways of communication with employers in priority sectors, drive innovation and growth in response to sector need, to support skills / job gap reductions, and increase progression and widening participation.
City of Bristol College Sector Forums:
Creative, IT and Digital
Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing, Motor Vehicle, and Logistics
Construction
Health and Care
Tourism, Sport and Service Industries
ESOL and Foundation Skills inc High Needs Learning
6.3 Challenge-led Innovation Sectors
6.3.1 Innovate UK and WECA, in the West of England Local Action Plan Feb 2024,35 outlined a regional focus on challenge-led innovation. This involves connecting knowledge and insights from various disciplines and industries to foster essential change. This approach is built on the understanding that some of the most exciting and useful innovations emerge when pursuing other goals.
6.3.2 The key cluster and technology strengths identified in the West of England have clear overlaps with Innovate UK’s domains of Net Zero, Healthy Living & Agriculture and Digital & Technologies:
Cluster strengths
Immersive creative
Advanced engineering
Health sciences
Sustainable fintech
Technology strengths
Artificial intelligence, digital & future communications
Quantum
Robotics & smart machines
Advanced materials & manufacturing
Energy & environmental technologies
6.3.3 The region boasts a significant concentration of innovation clusters, with a strong presence of Innovate UK’s Catapult centres, including the National Composites Centre, Digital Catapult, and Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult. Key hubs such as the South Gloucestershire Tech Arc, Bristol’s Temple Quarter, the Bath Creative Quarter, and the Bristol and Bath Science Park provide cutting-edge facilities for engineering, technology, and creative industries. Additionally, the region's festival and events economy contribute approximately £1 billion, with music tourism in the South West increasing by 33% in recent years.
6.3.4 The region’s clean energy and environmental technologies cluster has over a thousand enterprises, employing upwards of 10,000 people. The region is a centre for tidal technology development and energy from waste schemes.35
6.3.5 Innovate UK and WECA have identified hydrogen as a key technology area for the West of England, with the National Composites Centre exploring innovation in the design and development of hydrogen pressure vessels, pipes, and cryogenic tanks to develop sustainable solutions.
6.3.6 The West of England is a hub for innovation in AI, digital technologies, and future communications, including FinTech and LegalTech. The region's immersive creative sector adds £2 billion to the local economy, supported by nearly 7,000 businesses. This includes industries such as video game and metaverse development, digital media, animation, experiential marketing, and companies specializing in haptics and bringing digital environments to life, such as Ultraleap, Groundwaves, and Beat Blocks.
6.3.7 Bristol Robotics Laboratory is one of the most comprehensive centres for multi-disciplinary robotics research in the UK, and world leading in current thinking on service robotics, agritech, intelligent autonomous systems and bioengineering.
A key strategic priority for the college is to collaboratively develop curriculum and assessment frameworks that engage employers, communities, universities, and partners. This approach ensures that course content and skill development align with the changing needs of the sector. The Sector Forums will drive this effort, working closely with subsidiary partners and the College Business Development team. Green and digital technologies continue to be central to the strategic focus, ensuring that students gain the skills needed to succeed in an increasingly technology-driven economy.
7Beyond the Curriculum
7.1 The college curriculum offer will go beyond skills and knowledge development to ensure all our students are prepared with the robust and relevant employability skills to progress positively into work, or further training. This will permeate the entire student experience and be driven though collaboration between curriculum and the Student Experience Directorate to deliver the following key strategic objectives:
Strategic Objective 1.4: Craft and implement a curriculum and enrichment offer that fully responds to the specific needs of communities around our campuses and tackles relevant real-world issues.
Strategic Objective 6.3: Develop the curriculum to allow students to understand and manage their impact on the economy.
Strategic Objective 6.4: Embed sustainability into the curriculum in an industry relevant way and measure its impact.
7.1 As outlined in college strategic aim 2, Equity and Inclusion: We will deliver an inclusive and equitable education and work environment at City of Bristol College that actively addresses and eliminates barriers hindering access to work and learning opportunities. The college will work with employers and/or other local, regional partners to support them to be well prepared to meet their skills and /or jobs gaps through the utilisation of the widest possible workforce available to them, with a specific focus on positive workplace inclusion for those with disabilities and/or neurodivergence.
7.2 Learning environments and infrastructure play a pivotal role in raising aspirations and setting a culture of high expectations and professionalism. The learning environment is made up of several factors which interact with each other in manifold ways; college culture, behaviours and routines, and the physical environment. As previously highlighted, and as outlined in our strategic objectives (strategic objective 6), we are a digital first organisation and as such place a high strategic priority on ensuring this permeates our estates and resources decision making and focus.
Our college mission describes our physical learning environments as dynamic, and our strategic objectives define them as needing to be flexible and responsive in order to achieve excellence. We are highly focused on making this a reality through rapid, bold, innovate, joined up and collaborative decision-making processes.
7.3 The College Community Campus Leads will take a pivotal role in developing overall campus community cohesion and positive campus environments. Where all site uses will thrive in a respectbased, trauma-informed, community of learning. They will work both internally and externally in and with local communities to ensure college sites are effectively and innovatively utilised as community assets.
8Curriculum 2030
8.1 Education Programmes for Young People priorities
8.1.1 Demographic growth over the next 5 years will require increased capacity across all programme levels and across all areas. Flexible delivery models and environments will support the effective accommodation of increased student numbers.
8.1.2 A-level provision will continue to grow and the college will rapidly evolve a curriculum offer that provides students with a combined academic and vocational qualification package offer.
8.1.3 Increase progression to Level 4 and higher pathways, with a particular emphasis on supporting students from South Bristol. This includes developing aspirational transition activities, and creating clear, accessible routes into higher education and advanced vocational training.
8.1.4 Rapidly deliver digital strategy plans, with ambition and boldness, to include AI, VR and new and emerging technology through engagement with employer partners to deliver a digital first culture. With a focus on the delivery of a digital CV and Digital skills passport as well as a rapid increase in AI assistive technology access for students.
8.1.5 Continue collaborating with local, regional, and national partners to keep the college agile and engaged as the Government advances reforms in the technical education landscape, including T-Level roll out and related Level 3 defunding decisions.
8.1.6 Accelerate the development of clear, trackable, progression pathways into realistic sustainable employment for 16-18 ESOL student.
8.1.7 The college will continue to prioritise its Higher Needs Students (HNS) and Entry 3 (E3) delivery work to help young people make rapid progress in developing their foundation skills. This will enable them to confidently transition to their next steps, whether that be further education, training, or employment.
In addition to core curriculum delivery, the college will continue to enhance its support through enrichment activities, which are specifically designed to raise aspirations and broaden students' horizons. These activities will include the delivery of excellent careers guidance, mentoring, personal development workshops, and engagement with local employers and community leaders, all aimed at building confidence, ambition, and a clear vision for their future. By focusing on holistic development and tailored support, the college will empower students to progress swiftly and successfully onto their chosen pathways.
8.2 Apprenticeship priorities
8.2.1 City of Bristol College apprenticeships provision works with approximately 470 employers, the majority of which are Small, Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Over the next 5 years, in addition to our continued focus on providing excellence to local and regional SME’s we will develop relationships with larger employers in key sector areas; Health, Education and Engineering.
8.2.1 Construction will remain a key focus for the college with development into higher level skills to meet industry demand with an increased focus on green skills including (but not limited to) retrofit, solar power, heat source pumps and the development of electrical technology. The apprenticeship offer will be supported by the delivery of specialist technologies to all apprentices across the Bristol City region and local businesses.
8.2.2 Rapidly deliver digital strategy plans, with ambition and boldness, to include AI, VR and new and emerging technology through engagement with employer partners to deliver a digital first culture. With a focus on the delivery of a digital CV and Digital skills passport as well as a rapid increase in AI assistive technology access for Apprentices.
8.3 Higher Education priorities
8.3.1 Strengthen internal Level 4 and 5 pathways to enhance student retention, academic advancement, and institutional reputation. Develop wellstructured curricula to ensure effective bridging between the college HE offer into level 5+ learning or employment.
8.3.2 Foster entrepreneurship, innovation, and industry collaboration through dedicated incubation spaces and programmes. Through collaboration with businesses partners provide real-world incubation projects and start up support networks and encourage students from different disciplines to work together on innovative solutions.
8.3.3 Enhance flexibility and accessibility through customisable and competency-based modular learning opportunities. Develop the college offer of bite-sized learning modules that can be combined into full degrees or certifications through the development of high-quality online and hybrid courses with interactive and engaging content.
8.3.4 Rapidly deliver digital strategy plans, with ambition and boldness, to include AI, VR and new and emerging technology through engagement with employer partners to deliver a digital first culture. With a focus on the delivery of a digital CV and Digital skills passport as well as a rapid increase in AI assistive technology access for Higher Education Students.
8.4 Adult priorities
8.4.1 Support WECA’s long-term vision for skills development by aligning the college's adult skills offerings with the region’s key economic growth sectors. This includes Green skills, digital, and ESOL pathways into employment, as well as delivering entry-level qualifications for higher-level programmes in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM).
8.4.2 Develop pathways to employment, in close collaboration with employers and other partners, by identifying and addressing barriers to workforce entry. This includes enhancing employability through literacy, numeracy, and digital inclusion initiatives, as well as providing work experience (WEX) and Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAP) to support job readiness and career progression.
8.4.3 Development of a comprehensive full-cost course offering for adults and businesses, with a focus on leadership and management, business start-up support, inwork digital upskilling and the development of green skills, ensuring workforce readiness and business growth in these key areas.
8.4.4 Ensure a proactive and responsive approach to securing and delivering Bootcamp opportunities by aligning curriculum development with emerging industry needs. Focus on designing flexible, high-quality programmes that address skills shortages, particularly in growth sectors such as digital, green technologies, and advanced manufacturing. Strengthen employer partnerships to tailor Bootcamp content, enhance learner employability, and maximise progression into sustainable careers.
8.4.5 Rapidly deliver digital strategy plans, with ambition and boldness, to include AI, VR and new and emerging technology through engagement with employer partners to deliver a digital first culture. With a focus on the delivery of a digital CV and Digital skills passport as well as a rapid increase in AI assistive technology access for adults.
