Member colleges of leading education provider Luminate Education Group, have launched their second 100 in 100 campaign, which aims to get 100 apprentices placed in 100 days.
Leeds City, Keighley and Harrogate colleges’ campaign is part of a wider plan to support the region’s businesses to develop skills for the future and increase the number of apprentices as part of the levelling up agenda.
Last year, the colleges surpassed the 100 target, placing 150 apprentices in sectors including business, hospitality, engineering and health and social care. Overall the combined colleges have more than 3,000 apprentices on a wide range of programmes.
Luminate Education Group is the largest provider of apprenticeships in the region and works closely with more than 1,500 employers, including Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust(LTHT), Leeds City Council and Airedale NHS Foundation Trust.
Lee Pryor, Director of Apprenticeships at Luminate Education Group, said: “We want to be the provider that helps people take their careers to the next level. The campaign comes at a time where it will not only target over 500,000 students who are leaving education, but create critical roles desperately needed in a variety of industries.
“We are delighted to be running this fantastic initiative again.Whether you’re just starting your first job or looking to make a career change, we want to support you. We also want to address the staff shortages and supply chain disruption faced by many businesses across the Yorkshire region.
“Delivering the future workforce in health and social care, engineering, construction, hospitality, travel and more, is one of our key priorities.We would like to engage with as many businesses as possible to create the type of opportunities that will be beneficial, both to the apprentice and employer.”
Today marks the 7th year of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, first declared by the United Nations in 2015 in order to promote full and equal access and participation for women and girls in science.
Over the past decade, the global community has been making conscious efforts to inspire women and girls all around the world. This awareness day is an opportunity to celebrate the essential role that women and girls play in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths).
Why is this day important?
This day is a reminder of the accomplishments of women and girls in STEM careers. It gives us the chance to raise awareness and promote gender equality.
The gender gap continues to be an issue today and we are still a big stretch away from gender equality. There has been a significant difference in the gender pay gap throughout the years at all levels of STEM disciplines across the world. According to the United Nations, women are typically given smaller research grants than male colleagues and, while they represent 33.3% of all research, only 12% of members of national science academies are women.
According to UNESCO data, there are less than 30% of women researchers worldwide. Enrolment of female students for STEM studies is particularly low in ICT with 3%; natural science, mathematics and statistics with 5% and in engineering, manufacturing and construction 8%.
With figures still so low, this day is crucial for shouting out about our women in STEM role models, as one individual could inspire the next generation.
What is the theme this year?
The official theme this year is“Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Water Unites Us”. According to the UN, billions of people around the world will be unable to access safely managed household drinking water and hygiene services in 2030 due to climate change, rising demand and failure to conserve water resources.
On 11 February, there will be a virtual event held by the UN that will bring together women and girls in science and experts around the world who will play a vital role in developing a sustainable water-energy nexus and progress towards the achievement of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).
Important figures at the college
To gain an insight into the world of STEM, we caught up with the Head of Academic Studies at Leeds Sixth Form College, Dr. Elisabeth Protopapa, who has 22 years of experience in science.
From creating a mini-lab in her childhood bedroom to achieving a PhD in chemistry, Elisabeth has a clear passion for science and encourages girls and women everywhere to get into STEM subjects and make that change.
What do you do during the day that is STEM-related?
“Although in the past I taught GCSE science and chemistry A level, my management role means I do not have a direct link to delivering day-to-day STEM lessons anymore. However, as a leader in education, I regularly use the skills I developed through my STEM background; organisation, large data manipulation, decision making, planning and problem-solving.”
How did you get into STEM?
“When I was at school in Greece, we did not have any labs to do practicals in science. All the practicals were described as ‘thought experiments’ in books.
“When learning about ‘osmosis’ in year 10, I was puzzled by what the thought experiment presented and I questioned my teacher about the validity of that page in the book. He gave me the suggestion to go and try this at home by placing a raisin in water. I was hooked after that! I created a mini-lab in my room using anything I could use around my house. I was fascinated by the physical changes and really wanted to know why this was happening.
“This inspired me to study a degree in chemistry, which I found to be the most logical subject in comparison to other STEM subjects. At university, the practical investigations were the highlight of my week and led me to continue into scientific research by doing a masters and a PhD. My supervisor was a woman and she was an amazing role model.”
Why do you think it’s important for more women to get into STEM?
“I believe women have an inbuilt moral compass to create in order to benefit others. We are multitaskers but always have empathy. As a result, any success benefits the people around us.”
Have you got any advice for girls wanting to pursue a career in STEM?
“STEM subjects help you understand the world around you and this is very powerful. Positive changes can be made from raising awareness which will have a great impact on the following generations. Get involved, be brave, be that change and voice.”
What do you enjoy most about working in STEM?
“STEM means continuous growth. My STEM background means my strengths are in organisation, problem-solving and thinking innovatively to find imaginative solutions. I aim to improve the students’ opportunities and maximise their potential.”
What does a lesson or unit look like when STEM is infused?
“There is a question that needs solving! For example, how do you light up a room when it is dark and you have no electricity? Look up the Liter of Light project and see how science can bring an impact on everyday life. These are all the questions we hope to enthuse our students with at Leeds Sixth Form College.”
Resources
UNESCO has put together a global exhibition of artwork and stories contributed by women with STEM backgrounds.
The Gender Action Plan III sets out the European Union’s political and operational roadmap towards a gender-equal world. Take a look at the plan here.
Help make a change and take the next step by joining the global network of Women in Science 4 SDGs here.
Want to be the catalyst for change? Take a look at our STEM subjects here.
A Leeds City College teacher has been named one of 11 scholars in the UK who will undertake funded research into areas of further education by the Association of Colleges (AoC) and Northern Council for Further Education (NCFE).
Laura Kayes, an advanced practitioner, who teaches performing arts, is undertaking research that will look at the impact that poverty can have on 16-19 year old learner outcomes in further education and how education institutions can support students from areas of deprivation.
Laura said: “In recent years, there has been some study into how experiencing poverty has the potential to impact learning, but currently there is little research around the impact and the overall considerations for teaching professionals.
“One of the principles of poverty informed practice is a commitment to reducing barriers for students, so they may use their education to change their economic reality, but that also allows educators to support students who face the impacts of poverty daily.”
“It’s a topic close to my heart and ties into my own experience of compulsory education and one that I recognise in the student demographic within further education.”
“In my previous research experience, I have been struck by lack of representation of the 16 – 19-year-old age group, and of further education itself.
“I hope that this research project will result in an improved learning experience for our students, which I then hope will translate to improved outcomes of both educational attainment and personal wellbeing for this group.”
Research further – a joint scholarship programme from the AoC and NCFE – has been set up to tackle a ‘historic’ lack of research in the sector and will support practitioners to carry out Masters’ or doctorate level study.
The scholars’ work will be tracked through a webinar series hosted by AoC and NCFE, who have promised that new knowledge on education and policy will be shared with the sector through thought-pieces, reports, articles, and blogs.
Laura will conduct her research through a Doctorate in Education with the University of Sheffield.
A social mobility champion will be one of the key speakers when University Centre Leeds turns a spotlight on women in leadership.
The university centre will launch a six week programme of events, focused on encouraging female students – including Level 3 Access to Law course students – to aim for the very top, on Thursday 3 February.
A meet and greet coffee morning, featuring a question and answer session with a panel of women in leadership roles, will kick things off.
That will be followed by a series of workshops, each hosted by guest speakers who are leaders in their fields, focusing on topics including confidence, imposter syndrome and personal branding.
An inspiring line-up to boost self-belief
Among the visitors will be Carole Lovstrom, a leading civil servant with her own inspirational life story to tell, who was awarded an MBE in 2020 in recognition of her services to Social Mobility in Government.
Deputy Head of Business at University Centre Leeds, Sarah Cook, is looking forward to seeing the impact of such speakers on the students.
She said: “We are excited to have put together such a strong line-up of speakers, events and participating businesses.
“We offer Leadership and Business degrees but had been experiencing lower numbers of women on the courses, so we started our Women in Leadership programme, in 2019, to address that.
“The programme promotes our courses to women and helps them realise their full potential, while also tackling the legacy imbalance of women in leadership roles and helping women realise they are equally capable of excelling.
“Many of our female students had told us that they lacked the necessary confidence and self-belief, so we also wanted to address that.
“We know the programme makes a difference because past participants, who attended elevator sessions to promote themselves to employers and visited workplaces to see female leaders in action, have told us about their positive experiences.”
Shining a light on opportunities
Ms Lovstrom, who works in the Department for Transport and is Head of Ministerial Briefing & Public Affairs, will give a presentation on the civil service and how to engage with employers.
Her drive to help people from tougher backgrounds find career and educational opportunities comes from her own upbringing.
She said: “My goal is to continue to reach out to people who might be struggling to find opportunities.
“I’m particularly keen on promoting the diversity and social mobility agendas as I was that 15-year-old growing up on a council estate, with a mother who said I could do anything – and an environment that just didn’t support that.”
Mentoring support and workplace visits
Representatives from local businesses, including Ernst & Young, RSM, and the university centre’s parent organisation, Luminate Education Group, are among those taking part in Women in Leadership.
A local GP, Nipa Miah, will also talk about how she managed to overcome family opposition to pursue her education and career choices.
The programme includes trips to workplaces and a chance – covid restrictions pending – for some students to visit the Department for Transport in Westminster in March, where they will be given a guided tour.
The six week event will be rounded off, on Thursday 17 March, by a celebration session and a talk from Smart WorkLeeds about mentoring and volunteering opportunities.
The charity – which helps women get back into work – will also be offering support to students, including through interview coaching, which will continue until they secure full-time employment.
The government’s levelling up white paper contains many positive measures which are welcome – not least the rollout of Local Skills Improvement Plans, with funding, across England and the creation of a Future Skills Unit.
Its decision to highlight the misguided and illogical idea of creating elite sixth form free schools, however, is a red herring. Such sixth forms would be a scandalous waste of public money and do nothing for those young people who actually need more opportunity and support through us plugging the skills gaps – especially in growth areas like healthcare, engineering and manufacturing – to help them secure employment.
The young people who need more opportunity and help are those reaching age 16 who have fallen behind in their secondary education. Young people who achieve well at GCSEs and who would gain access to A level courses in new elite sixth form free schools have not fallen behind or under-performed. Creating elite new sixth forms would drive the opposite of levelling up.
We don’t think that new elite sixth form free schools are good news. And we don’t think they should be a first priority for much needed investment in post 16 education and training. New institutions competing against established sixth forms for a minority of young people will not help the majority of youngsters or the wider economy. To direct public money at increasing the academic outcomes for a small number of already high achieving young people at the expense of the majority of their peers cannot be considered a wise or prudent use of public money. And it is definitely a strange way to attempt to ‘level up’.
Instead, we should be focused on high quality, vocationally-centred post-16 education and training, which so many young people and adults need. As our employers in the Leeds City Region and beyond keep telling us, we have vacancies around our county and across the country right now just waiting to be filled – but with too many job seekers who are currently lacking the required skills.
By collaborating closely with other further education colleges, local companies and chambers of commerce, we can ensure we are offering a comprehensive, joined-up skills programme that truly serves our communities and economy. That is the path to levelling up, and it will need to be supported by substantial investment.
Within Leeds we are desperate for additional post-16 capacity focused on vocational education and training. And it is through such courses that adults, as well as our young people, can access the skills and education they need to adapt to an ever changing jobs’ market and fill the vacancies of today and tomorrow.
Like everyone, we of course welcome the stated aims behind the levelling up white paper, to spread opportunity and prosperity more evenly across the country.
To deliver the skilled workforce our regions, and our country, need will require a lot of work to improve access to high quality vocational education and training, and that is where our further education colleges have a vital role to play. It is through the training that our colleges can provide that our teenagers and adults will gain the skills they need to progress through life and truly ‘level up’.
We are ready and willing to rise to the challenge of helping 200,000 more people each year complete high quality skills training – one of the government’s 12 ‘levelling up missions’. To achieve this, however, we need the government to think sensibly about where investment in the education system is needed to really deliver on ‘levelling up’.
There are promising signs in the white paper that they are doing just that, for example through the creation of nine new Institutes of Technology for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) skills and a £550 million for the expansion of skills bootcamps.
An £18 million injection of funding, over three years, to create more supported internships for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) students is also very welcome, as are the proposals to provide £1.3 billion of support for employees with disabilities or health conditions and ‘pilot pathfinders’ to support people into work.
We look forward to hearing more details about these initiatives as we forge ahead, with our partners, to deliver the skills training that will turn the levelling up rhetoric into a reality.
Keighley College is providing a lifeline to the local community by offering free haircuts and manicures for unemployed individuals who have upcoming interviews.
Aspiring student hairdressers and barbers will be providing the service until the end of June, in a bid to support locals in boosting their confidence before attending an interview.
Ashleigh Taleb, Salon Technician at Keighley College, said: “We’re dedicated to going to great lengths to empower our community to achieve great things. We appreciate how difficult the pandemic has been, resulting in many being furloughed and unemployed. Our professional Hair and Beauty Level 2 and 3 students will be on hand to lift community spirit by cutting hair and offering manicures.”
To book an appointment, individuals who live locally can visit or call the salon on 01535 685 030 or send a message through Facebook or Instagram. Anyone receiving a free haircut or manicure will need to bring along an offer email or letter for the interview.
The salon will be operating in line with Covid-19 guidelines, including wearing face coverings and using sanitising stations.
