South Worcestershire College
EMPLOYER NEWSLETTER December 2013—Issue 2
EMPLOYER NEWSLETTER SWC Employer Newsle er Issue 2
December 2013
Outstanding Success again for SWC Beauty Therapy Team For the fourth year running South Worcestershire College has been judged to be one of the top three colleges for Beauty Therapy in the country in the Na onal World Skills finals at the Skills Show in Birmingham; the UK's largest skills and careers event, inspiring young people with exci ng opportuni es in further educa on, skills and Appren ceships. Three of the College’s students, Anna Smith, Jess Ross and Lucy Dereham faced fierce compe on in the regional heats before making it through to the finals. Anna enjoyed huge success at the finals when she was awarded Silver for Advanced Beauty Therapy, and Jess Ross was thrilled to be commended in the same category. Head of the College’s Lifestyle Academy Deborah Crilley said “To get through to the finals is an outstanding achievement. Out of 299 Beauty Therapy compe tors only 20 actually get selected to compete at the finals. For South Worcestershire College to have three learners compe ng is just amazing and a testament to the high standards, hard work and dedica on of both tutors and students”.
Hybrid Training Centre Following the Ins tute of Motor Industry curriculum change, which now includes a module of learning based on Hybrid vehicles, the Technology Academy has decided to re‐purpose a current workshop and convert it into a bespoke Hybrid Training Centre, and with this in mind we have just received delivery of our new Toyota Prius from Listers Toyota. This car was supplied as part of our partnership at a subsidised price, allowing us to not only use it for the training but also for road use, and providing assessors and staff with an ecological way to travel around our community whilst raising awareness of the new proposed centre. Details of the launch date for the Hybrid Training Centre, which will offer training to the industry as well as to current learners, will be announced early 2014.
In This Issue Outstanding
success for SWC at World Skills Compe on Hybrid Training Centre Appren ce of the Year Appren ceship success story What our employers say about us ….. Listers New Fleet arrives Meet the Team ….. Worcester Bosch Students get a taste for the world of work Free training for SMEs
Alice Wigley, aged 20, was awarded Appren ce of the Year 2013 at the College’s annual Student Awards Ceremony. Alice has gained the Level 2 Business Appren ceship qualifica on and is now working towards her Level 3. Alice joined the College from a local Sixth Form where she studied her AS Levels. Hilary Nutman who is the College’s Employer Engagement Officer, is also Alice’s Course Manager. “Alice is a Business Administra on appren ce at a small independent business in Malvern which designs, creates and produces hand‐made bespoke furniture for kitchens and living rooms, managing the process from concep on to comple on” said Hilary. “Having successfully gained her intermediate appren ceship including key skills in Maths, English and ICT, Alice has been supported by her employer to progress to an Advanced Appren ceship. Alice’s skills and crea ve design work using Photoshop, Scribus and AutoCad have been exemplary. Her design work has been praised and transformed into some amazing pieces which customers have loved. She has also designed marke ng material to promote the business. Alice has grown in confidence and abili es and is now able to carry out cos ng and consulta ons with clients. Her job role has responsibility, challenge, crea on; transferring customer ideas into tangible products.” Alice said “A er I had le school I worked at Sarah Jayne’s Interiors in Malvern as a seamstress for a while before moving to kitchen design specialists Malvern Hills Furniture.” My work is varied, I some mes go out to see customers to discuss their requirements or suggest design solu ons for their kitchens, and then design a kitchen to suit their needs. At the me I s ll wanted to improve on my exis ng qualifica ons but I didn’t want to study at university. I had already completed a design course and so wanted to become qualified in the business side of things. I decided that studying an Appren ceship would help me to gain the extra qualifica ons that I needed. Doing an Appren ceship involves me coming into college one day each fortnight and spending the rest of my me at work. Hilary comes to observe me at work once a term. During the visits she gives me targets to achieve, such as delivering good customer service, so that I can provide evidence of my abili es for the required Appren ceship units. I think that an Appren ceship looks good on your CV to employers. I think working towards an Appren ceship qualifica on also makes you push yourself hard so that you learn new things which can be used as evidence of your abili es and count towards the comple on of the qualifica on.
2013 Results for our main programmes are at an all- me high and are amongst the best in the country. Well done to students and staff!
If you would like to receive an electronic copy of this and future Employer Newsle ers, please respond via employers@sworcs.ac.uk. We are trying to encourage email communica on for sustainability reasons, and therefore if you respond you will automa cally be entered into a prize draw to win a bo le of Champagne.
Tommy Collins, aged 18, works as a business appren ce for Johnsons Chartered Surveyors, in Evesham town centre. Johnsons were supported in their search for an appren ce by a college assessor and Tommy started work in January 2013 following a selec on process that included a day’s work experience in the office with the nego a ng team; finding the right candidate to suit the business needs was key. Tommy has been well supported in the workplace by Tom Tarver and Robert Johnson and has been trained as a nego ator for le ngs, booking viewings and contac ng customers; they are delighted with his progress and enthusias c a tude. Tom Tarver commented, “Tommy has se led into our Le ngs team very well and has been learning at a fast pace over recent months. He has now become well known by many of our clients and has developed a confident manner when dealing with customers. Working in partnership with South Worcestershire College has given us an opportunity to offer Tommy the great combina on of structured college based learning and the prac cal experience of being in a busy workplace. It has worked very well for us and will certainly provide a good basis for Tommy to con nue with further training during his career”. The age and experience of an appren ce is a plus for small businesses, as they can be trained by experienced staff to expected standards, whilst bringing a new and fresh dimension to an established business. A business appren ceship offers young people a chance to earn and learn on the job, whilst gaining a qualifica on. Tommy a ends regular workshops at South Worcestershire College and is supported throughout the appren ceship programme by his allocated assessor. On successful comple on of his appren ceship, Tommy will be able to progress to an ARLA (Associa on of Residen al Le ng Agents) course, which is an industry standard qualifica on.
What our employers say about SWC …….
The recent Employer Survey has revealed……
94% agreed SWC understands their organisa on’s training needs
94% agreed SWC offer training and/or assessment in a flexible way to meet the organisa on’s needs 94% agreed SWC communicates clearly with the organisa on throughout the training process 100% agreed SWC staff are professional when delivering training and/or assessment
Listers new fleet arrives In the second stage of our successful partnership, Listers Stra ord have once again provided us with an outstanding range of vehicles to be used by the learners within their course, these provide us with a strong mix of newer vehicles which we would not otherwise be able to provide, and allows a diverse and modern curriculum to be delivered. These cars will be with us for up to 10 months when they will be put out to auc on, and a range of learners will be invited to follow these vehicles to the auc on house to see the whole part exchange procedure as used by all main dealers in the UK.
Meet the Team ……. Here at South Worcestershire College we have built up a great team of professionals who are all here to help you in your Gas training needs. Headed by Russell Joseph, Centre Co ‐ordinator ,the team consists of Paul Bicknell (Gas Instructor), Roy Thomson (Gas Instructor), Mark Newbury (Electrical Instructor) and Andrea Randles (Administrator). Within the team we have over 100 years of experience in the industry and are able to offer a wide range of courses for the Gas Safe qualifica on. In addi on we offer a range of business courses in Electrical covering PAT tes ng and 17th Edi on. All courses are available on demand, subject to space and all take place in our industry standard Training Centre, which is kindly supported by many companies including Worcester Bosch. Why not give us a ring and discuss your training needs, whether it is for one person or 100 we can tailor the courses to suit and at the prices you will be amazed at, with discounts available for mul ple bookings. For further details on any of the courses available please visit our website on www.sworcs.ac.uk, email arandles@sworcs.ac.uk or ring Andrea on 01386 712675 to speak to her in person.
We are pleased to announce the confirma on of "Official Partner" status with Worcester Bosch and our Hea ng and Plumbing areas including the Energy Training Centre. This allows us many benefits including factory tours, Learning materials, equipment including boilers and most importantly a closer working link for appren ces and professional training.
Students to get a taste for the world of work As of September 2013, in response to Alison Wolf’s review of voca onal educa on, the government have stated that “Work experience will form an integral part of the 16‐19 study programmes.” South Worcestershire College is keeping in line with the new government legisla ons by ensuring that our learners undertake meaningful and valuable work experience in order to develop their employability skills and get a taste of the working environ‐ ment. Claire Adlam, Work Placement Officer at the College said “Work experience is so vital for the next genera on of workers. With a high percentage of further educa on students now choosing to go straight into employment rather than university, it is important that they gain valuable experience and skills to put them a step ahead of the rest when it comes to applying for jobs.” The College offers courses in a number of different voca onal areas to include; Accountancy, Administra on, Animal Care, Art and Design, Beauty Therapy, Business and Enterprise, Childcare and Educa on, Compu ng, E‐media and Graphics, Construc on, Customer Service, Engineering, Hairdressing, Health and Social Care, Hea ng and Plumbing, Motor Vehicle, Office Professionals, Public Services, Sport and Travel and Tourism. Claire said “Although we have a great links with a number of local businesses already, we would like to create more. If you think that you could offer one or more of our 16‐19 year old learners a work experience placement at your business, I would love to hear from you.” Throughout their studies, students are being prepared to leave South Worcestershire College as educated, enthusias c and career focussed individuals who have gained excellent skills in their chosen industry. The students have been learning in voca onal areas, working in commercial environments, for example hair and beauty salons and motor vehicle workshops, and are now ready to take the next step. Offering work placements to FE students can be just as beneficial to your organisa on as it is to the student. Having a work ex‐ perience student with you can help relieve some of the increasing pressures on staff, and cover periods of absence. Students are also our new genera on of workers. They come with a fresh approach and could poten ally form the next big idea to help your business. If you think you could offer a place or would like some more informa on please do not hesitate to contact, Claire Adlam, Work Placement Officer Tel: 01386 712714 or email cadlam@sworcs.ac.uk.
Free Training for eligible Small and Medium Enterprises based in Worcestershire Supported by European Social Funding, South Worcestershire College is looking for small and medium enterprises with training needs that meet the following criteria: Head Office based in Worcestershire Less than 250 employees (European defini on) Employees who require up‐skilling from lower levels We can offer a range of short qualifica ons, Awards and other full qualifica ons. This funding stream is available for training to start as soon as possible and no later than the end of December 2013. If you are interested in finding our more, please contact Sharon Williams, Learner Services Officer, tel: 01386 712615 or email swilliams@sworcs.ac.uk
Crea ve Experience Project for students and tenants The Roo op Housing Group commissioned Fourteen19 to run a Crea ve Experience Project with tenants and residents from the Gloucestershire and Worcestershire areas. The Crea ve Experience was an 8‐session project that took a group of young people through the development of a crea ve marke ng campaign. With a live brief developed by the host company, Roo op, the sessions followed a crea ve journey from 'what do we need to achieve?', through to 'genera ng ideas and key messages', 'agreeing a branding style', 'tes ng ideas and visuals with the target audience' and then 'presen ng the campaign' back to Roo op. The brief that Roo op set was to raise the profile and increase membership of YAB ‐ their 'Youth Advisory Board'. The project was based at South Worcestershire College and involved a number of the media students and staff from our crea ve media subject area.
The Big Draw……... Each year the Big Draw is held in fi een countries with an es mated 200,000 people taking part. Hundreds of new and enjoyable drawing ac vi es connect people of all ages with museums, outdoor spaces, ar sts ‐ and each other. These events are for those who love to draw, and those who think they can't. Each year the Malvern School of Art takes part in the event, hos ng sessions for those who would like to learn to draw or improve on their exis ng skills. This year the theme was ‘Drawing Books.’ Visitors to the event looked at the work of famous book illustrators such as Quen n Blake to inspire their work.
Budding ar sts enjoyed a day of drawing workshops with professional ar sts, producing drawing based on storytelling and narra ve. Magical objects and curious characters from fic on were sketched, crea ng inspiring artwork.
Contact Us: South Worcestershire College, Davies Road , Evesham, Worcs. WR11 1LP www.sworcs.ac.uk; employers@sworcs.ac.uk; appren ceships@sworcs.ac.uk; Tel. 01386 712600
Seasons Greetings and a Happy New Year to all our employers