More training to support the country’s transition to electric cars will be introduced at Harrogate College this September.
Harrogate, as recently widely reported in the media*, has been revealed to be one of the ‘worst prepared areas in the UK’ in terms of supporting the shift to electric vehicles.
Those findings were mainly based on the current scarcity of public charging points, with research showing that the district has just one for every 134 electric or hybrid cars.
Harrogate College, however, is working hard to address the issue by providing technical courses to support the electric vehicle (EV) sector – and has just bought some charging units to use in training this September.
Working with businesses to fill the green skills gap
Principal Danny Wild said: “As a college committed to sustainability, we are determined to support emerging green technologies, including those that will enable our transition to greener forms of transport.
Danny Wild, Principal of Harrogate College
“We have been developing our curriculum to provide electric vehicle infrastructure courses, while tailoring our motor vehicle courses to meet the changes in car ownership.
“In doing so we have also been working closely with local firms so we can provide the appropriately skilled, work-ready students they need.
“The electric vehicle sector is a rapidly growing one that represents a fantastic opportunity for both our students and local businesses, and our ever-evolving range of courses will keep adapting to serve that.”
Harrogate district’s electric vehicle future is bright
APS, which runs a national electric vehicle charger repair and maintenance service from its Harrogate HQ, has partnered with the college to set up a training and recruitment programme to meet the growing demand for EV service engineers.
Business Development Manager John Dyson said that was one of many reasons for optimism: “It is ironic that Harrogate has been criticised so strongly for a lack of action over installing EV chargers, when there actually is so much going on behind the scenes.
“Recent announcements by Transdev, that all Harrogate buses are to be electrified, and Harrogate Borough Council, which is to install 34 charge points in local car parks, gives a taste of just what is on its way!”
The college will introduce a new course, the Level 3 Award in the Installation and Commissioning of Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment, this September.
*For example, in this Harrogate Advertiser report.
Luminate Education Group unequivocally condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the terrible suffering and loss of life it is causing.
We stand in solidarity with all of the Ukrainians who are enduring this war, including the millions who have been forced to flee their homeland and seek refuge in other countries.
As an education provider, we cherish the values of diversity, inclusion and tolerance that are at the heart of democratic societies which respect the dignity of the individual and freedom of thought and expression. Indeed, celebrating individuality and respecting others are part of the group’s core principles.
It is such values that authoritarianism and its consequences, of which this unprovoked invasion is a shockingly stark example, seeks to destroy.
We are also painfully aware that this crisis is far from an isolated event. Instead, it is the latest – and from our European perspective, due to its proximity and severity, most shocking – example of a wider and ongoing pattern of conflict that has created refugees around the world.
Whenever such crises arise it is vital that we respond with compassion and conviction, while continuing to uphold and defend our values.
And so it is now when we realise that many parts of our member colleges, and wider, community are being affected by the events in Ukraine and will need our support. That includes our Russian students, many of whom will be opposed to the war, and all of whom – of course – have a right to feel respected and safe.
In terms of what we are doing specifically, the group:
Is providing information and advice resources, including details on how to support refugees, via its Student Information Hub
Is putting our Ukrainian students, especially those who are being taught online, in touch with each other
Our students’ union has started a campaign, Us Against War, and is organising a number of fundraising activities to help UNICEF support victims of the invasion.
And we are spreading awareness about collections of items for transportation to Poland, to help Ukrainian refugees.
Leeds Rhinos Netball has partnered with Leeds City College and Leeds Sixth Form College, both part of Luminate Education Group, to offer more young people opportunities to play netball and boost wellbeing.
Players from the team will be ambassadors for the college, where they will attend events to promote its new Netball Academy as well as offering advice and motivation for young people who are looking to pursue their sporting ambitions. The partnership will also see the Leeds Sixth Form College logo featured around the court and on the team’s dresses for their second Vitality Netball Superleague season.
Opportunities for pupils to volunteer at Superleague games will be offered, including the club’s upcoming match at the city’s first direct Arena. The club’s official charity, Leeds Rhinos Foundation, will also lead a health and wellbeing development day for Leeds City College staff. Pupils will have the opportunity to gain experience working on some of their many health and education projects.
Leeds Rhinos Foundation and Leeds City College also run the Leeds Rhinos Foundation Development Academy, which provides all students with the opportunity to study full-time while representing Leeds Rhinos at a post-16 level, both in rugby and netball.
Dan Busfield, Franchise Director for Leeds Rhinos Netball, said: “It is fantastic to once again have the support of Leeds City College and Leeds Sixth Form College, so we can work together to enhance the sporting opportunities on offer for young people in our city. I think now more than ever, after long periods when we were unable to play team sports and attend sporting events, we appreciate the importance and positive impact sport can have on people’s lives. This partnership will help promote those benefits and hopefully lead to an increase in participation.
“The Leeds City College Rugby Academy has also been a huge success and we hope to develop the Netball Academy further so more people can continue their studies alongside playing. We are excited about how this partnership will help open up more opportunities for students from all backgrounds to engage with our sport, either through playing or through the many volunteering opportunities available with the club and our charity.”
Ryan Grant, Deputy Principal Leeds Sixth Form College, said: “It’s a privilege to be working with Leeds Rhinos Netball for the second time. By working alongside Leeds Sports Connect, which provides a link between professional sports clubs, local colleges and young people, through the Leeds Rhinos Foundation, we can ensure our students receive top-quality training and elite coaching, without sacrificing an outstanding education.
“This partnership has a key focus on enhancing wellbeing through encouraging students to participate in enriching volunteering and social action project opportunities, where they can become active members in society and act as positive role models. We’re passionate about developing underrepresented sports, and are committed to inspiring the next generation to discover their sporting potential.” Students at the college can pursue netball while studying full-time as part of the Leeds Rhinos Development Academy.
Students studying English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Public Services and Joinery, have provided their support for Ukraine refugees at a local community hub, The Good Shepherd Centre.
The centre has been working hard to collect items which are urgently needed for refugees, who are seeking asylum in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Moldova and Romania.
The learners have been helping to sort out the donations, including toiletries, first aid items, activity packs and sleeping equipment. These items will be transported to churches and other charities on the Polish border.
The important work being done at The Good Shepherd Centre appeared on ITV Calendar News, where the learners spoke about the necessity of supporting those less fortunate than us.
The Luminate Education Group Apprenticeship team attended a two-day conference in Birmingham where they joined a host of organisations from across the UK for the flagship national apprenticeship conference for employers and providers.
Now in its eighth year, the Annual Apprenticeship Conference (AAC), provided business-critical updates, advice and keynotes for those involved in the delivery of apprenticeships.
Hosted by FE Week and AELP, in association with NOCN, the conference was held at Birmingham’s International Convention Centre (ICC) and welcomed a number of prominent keynote speakers including Minister for Skills, Alex Burghart, Ofsted Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman and, Shadow Skills & Apprenticeships Minister, Toby Perkins MP.
This year’s conference took place at a critical time for the UK as individuals and businesses emerge from the pandemic. The principal theme of AAC 2022 was ‘Building Back Better’, with a series of plenary sessions and workshops that covered insight into areas such as apprenticeship funding, achievement rates and changes to current SME systems.
Awards dinner and high commendation
The team also attended a gala dinner and awards ceremony where they were nominated and received high commendation for their outstanding contribution to the development of apprenticeships.
Lee Pryor, Director of Apprenticeships, praised the team for the accomplishment and for the work being done to promote and deliver apprenticeships across the region.
“We are truly honoured to have been shortlisted among some of the top education and training providers in the country, for playing our part in the development of apprenticeships.
“We want to be the go-to provider that supports people to take their careers to the next level, and delivering the future workforce in health and social care, engineering, construction, hospitality, travel and more, is one of our key priorities.”
The levelling up and skills agenda
Meanwhile, in his opening address, Alex Burghart MP spoke about the factors that will be needed to make levelling up a success in this generation.
He said: “One of the central factors will be skills. Skills will transform lives, they will transform communities, they will attract business and investment opportunities, improve national productivity and national competitiveness, and apprenticeships will be front and centre in that mission.”
The minister, who is responsible for overseeing further education providers, T Levels, apprenticeships and adult education, said that the trajectory for progress was ‘in the right place’.
“We are making progress and getting back to where we should be. Nationally, the picture is bright and the latest figures reveal that in the first quarter of this academic year, 164,000 people started apprenticeships, which is 34% higher than the previous year and crucially six percent higher than before the pandemic.”
Alex Burghart, also added that the government intends to reevaluate the apprenticeship application process for young people to make it easier to navigate. Through this, the government hopes to see more young people choose apprenticeships as a post-school progression route.
Other keynote speakers included Jennifer Copeland, Chief Executive,Institute for Apprenticeships, who covered key issues around quality training, diverse workforces, the operation of the levy and how we can make apprenticeships work for everyone.
She said: “Our task is to ensure apprenticeships work for everyone.
“We need to take those commitment statements signed by the employer, apprentice and provider and really honour them. We also need to do more to support young apprentices to stay on their apprenticeship by demonstrating the value and training that they are getting, and mentoring them through those life events that might tip over into a decision to drop out.”
Apprenticeships are important to recovery
Ofsted’s chief inspector, Amanda Speilman, used her address to talk about how the pandemic showed how important all industries and services in the UK are and how the country’s collective skills base responded quickly to the crisis.
She also spoke about the future of Ofsted and how apprenticeships play a critical role when it comes to having a skilled workforce that will deliver for Britain now and in the future.
Amanda said: “Apprenticeships have never been more important both for pandemic recovery and for future growth and prosperity.
“We will continue to play our part. Inspecting without fear or favour; by highlighting and celebrating where we find the best provisions and by reporting honestly on providers that aren’t giving apprentices and employers the training they deserve.
The levy needs reassessing so that young people have a real opportunity
David Hughes, CEO of the Association of Colleges, spoke about the need for the delivery of skills that employers need, removing bureaucracy and making apprenticeship funding accessible. While Shadow Minister for Skills and Apprenticeships, Toby Perkins MP, reiterated that the apprenticeship levy is in need of reform and that collectively, there is a need to build a skills system that ensures that more young people across communities have access to apprenticeship opportunities.
Leeds Conservatoire is delighted to announce that it has appointed a new Chair to the Board of Directors – Carolyn Lord.
Carolyn, a solicitor, has spent all of her life in Leeds and Yorkshire. In a career spanning over 30 years, she has advised on some of the most significant development schemes in Leeds, as well as projects across the UK, and has been appointed to external roles to deal with areas of governance of local authorities in West Yorkshire. She is also a trustee of Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
With nine years as a governor at Leeds Trinity University and a further two years as a member of the Board at Leeds Conservatoire, Carolyn is passionate about opening up the opportunities of Higher Education (HE) to the widest diversity of students and helping to ensure the long-term success of specialist HE institutions that add to the region’s cultural richness.
In addition, Carolyn has a life-long love of music which she has passed on to her three sons. She has sung in many choirs and was a founder member of St Peter’s Singers in Leeds in her teenage years. She has also sung in or been associated with Leeds Cathedral Choir since the 1980s.
Carolyn says, “It is my privilege to take on the role of Chair of the Board of Leeds Conservatoire at this time when the importance of providing opportunities for talented young people to flourish is so necessary. I am looking forward to playing a part in strengthening the prominence of the conservatoire for Leeds on the international stage and supporting the work of its dedicated and creative staff team.”
Professor Joe Wilson, Principal at Leeds Conservatoire, adds,“Carolyn brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to Leeds Conservatoire and I’m sure that she will be an absolute asset as Chair of the Board. I am pleased to welcome her to this pivotal role.”
