CONNECT December 2021

Shuttleworth gets its zoo licence page 8

Professional development opportunities on page 14

Saving money on Black Friday on page 17

Connect N E WS | U P DAT E S | D I A RY DAT E S | D I S CO U N TS

Our annual Achievement Awards Celebration took place on Thursday 18 November 2021.

Read more about the event and winners on page 5

December 2021

Connect

Casey Essom

Corporate Communications Assistant cessom@bedford.ac.uk

Editor’s Note

Your December Issue of CONNECT Magazine In this final issue of CONNECT Magazine for 2021, find out more about the annual Achievement Awards Celebration, learn how to save money on Black Friday and beyond, and discover Professional Development opportunities available.

If you would like to add your staff news to the next issue of CONNECT, please send your article and photos to cessom@bedford.ac.uk no later than Monday 17 January 2022.

Dates For Your Diary HE & PGCE Term Ends Friday 10 December

Apprenticeship Planning Day

Friday 10 December

Term Ends

Friday 17 December

Christmas Break

Monday 20 December - Friday 24 December

College Closed

Monday 27 December - Friday 31 December

Bank Holiday

Monday 3 January 2022

Contents

Staff Development Day Tuesday 4 January 2022

Term 2 - Students Return Wednesday 5 January 2022

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Key Dates

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Principal’s Update

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Wellbeing Update

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Group News

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BCS News

Tuesday 18 January 2022, 5.00pm-8.00pm

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Job Opportunities

Tresham College Wellingborough Open Day

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Professional Development Update

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Focus on Apprenticeships

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Equality. Diversity and Inclusion

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Staff Perks

All Staff Meeting (online)

Friday 7 January 2022, 10:00am and 1:00pm

Bedford College Open Day

Thursday 20 January 2022, 5.00pm-7.00pm

Shuttleworth College Open Day

Saturday 22 January 2022, 9:30am-12:30pm

The Bedford Sixth Form Open Day Tuesday 25 January 2022. 5:00pm-8:00pm

Tresham College Kettering Open Day Wednesday 26 January 2022, 5:00pm-8:00pm

Tresham College Corby Open Day

Thursday 27 January 2022, 5:00pm-8:00pm For more diary dates visit www.bit.ly/collegecalendars Pg.2

December 2021

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Principal’s Update

Ian Pryce CBE

CEO The Bedford College Group ipryce@bedford.ac.uk

Principal’s Update Harry Potter and the post-16 capacity fund

And the winner is...

The Bedford Sixth Form is affectionately nicknamed Hogwarts, reflecting its age and architectural beauty.

Its age though makes it a very high-maintenance campus and its popularity means we are creaking in more ways than one. It is therefore fantastic to hear our bid to expand, improve and make the buildings more sustainable has been successful. We have been awarded £3.3m towards the £3.9m project costs.

This will benefit students in future but also those who started this September. Only 39 institutions won funding, so this has been a superb team effort.

Hopefully this will be the last year we host our annual Achievement Awards Ceremony online. Even so, it is important to recognise our students, staff and employers. The ceremony took place on 18 November.

The students of the year were Graphic Design student Molly-Rose Kirton (HE), Performing Arts student Joshua Crook (FE) and Business apprentice Katie Moreland.

The Elizabeth Nash Award for Staff Unsung Hero was won by Senior Customer Contact Manager Amy Cleary.

I know you will want to congratulate Amy and our winning students. To watch the ceremony, click here.

Electric Dreams No, not the John Lewis Christmas theme! We are looking to invest in electric charging points at our campuses as we gradually move our own vehicle fleet to electric power, or provide top-up car charging points for staff and students (and maybe the public outside of college hours). We want points to be proportionate to car park spaces and I thought you might be interested to see the current parking capacity at our campuses.

Photo shows The Bedford Sixth Form campus

Pay award I reported in previous editions what a successful year we had in 2020-21. Your efforts have meant that, despite no rise in our funding rates, the Corporation has been able to approve a pay award of 2% for most, and 3% for staff at the lower end of our pay spectrum, to be paid from December. We appreciate inflation is currently high but our award is likely to be one of the best in the sector again. We are also making some major changes to harmonise contracts across the Group. I hope you feel the Corporation has made a good award in the current climate for further education.

Did you know you can follow Ian on Twitter?

@ipryce

Table shows parking capacity at campuses across the Group

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December 2021

Caroline Biddle

Executive Director of Human Resources cbiddle@bedford.ac.uk

In September, we launched the Manager Toolkit on CONNECT intranet devoted to providing information, training and guidance to Line Managers on various aspects of people management and supporting staff wellbeing during difficult periods.

The Manager Toolkit will be regularly updated to bring you as much information as we can to assist in you in the People Management aspect of your role.

The key wellbeing and supporting staff in specific situations include: Absence Management: • Absence management policies •

Managing absence presentation

•

Access to work information

Employee Wellbeing: • Working from home policy • Wellbeing policy • Management Guide to support employees through difficult times

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Managing investigations: • Disciplinary Procedure • Managing Investigations Presentation • Notes page to support the Managing Investigations Presentation Managing probation: • Probationary policy •

New Staff Local Induction Checklist

•

Mandatory training for new starters

Menopause: • Information on the Menopause • Management guidance to supporting employees experiencing the menopause • Useful links to find further guidance on the menopause We hope you enjoy the page and find it really useful. If you have any suggestions on future topics you would like to see covered please let one of the HR Team know.

The page can be found on the Human Resources page of Connect via the following link: https://college.oak.com/Home/Index/ce6f3d8b-5de045e2-bd98-9e1e4156bdd2

December 2021

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The Bedford College Group Achievement Awards Celebration 2021 The Bedford College Group Achievement Awards Celebration emerged more powerfully than ever before from the challenging COVID timeline of 2020/21.

Molly Kirton is the Higher Education Student of the Year, from among a wide range of degree-level learning candidates. At the South Bank Arts at Bedford College, Molly studied Graphic Design.

Online, but with a wider reach than ever before, the ceremony on Thursday 18th November, marked the successes in adversity of students and staff. For the first time the Group gave awards highlighting the commitment of companies to training tomorrow’s employees.

Jonathan Entwistle shared the Student Participation Award for his work with the Students’ Union and has been an active member of the Q Agenda.

Ian Pryce, CBE, long-standing CEO of the Group, which was voted FE College of the Year in 2020, said: “At The Bedford College Group, we have always seen our job as helping people develop into resilient citizens who are able to navigate their way in the world. That journey is never easy, nothing worthwhile ever is.”

Allan Schofield, Chair of the Corporation, added: “We are investing heavily and this year sees the Corporation agreeing an ambitious new strategic plan to take us towards 2030.”

Winners announced on the evening included: Katie Moreland celebrated being awarded Apprentice of the Year. Katie overcame dyslexia to achieve Distinctions as a Business Administrator Apprentice at Kettering General Hospital.

Megan Winham jointly won the Student Participation Award for her work with the Students’ Union at Tresham College.

The first employer awards by the Group were won by: Kettering General Hospital as Workplace Placement Provider of the Year Leibherr as Apprenticeship Provider Anyvan UK for Employer Engagement The Elizabeth Nash Unsung Hero Employee Award went to Amy Cleary, Senior Customer Contact Manager whose team dealt with 1,000s of calls and inquiries from lockdown in March 2020 onwards.

To watch the Achievement Awards Celebration again, please visit www.youtube.com/ watch?v=pbVjpnoiPcU

Joshua Crook was annnounced as FE Student of the Year. A Performing Arts student at Tresham College who not only excelled but supported his peers across the department.

Photo shows Joshua Crook, FE Student of the Year.

Photo shows Amy Cleary, Senior Customer Contact Manager Pg.5

Connect

December 2021

Training your own talent

Minister of Skills Visits our Bedford

The Business Development team is leading by example training up the next generation of sales and support professionals.

We were very pleased to welcome the recently appointed Minister for Skills, Alex Burghart MP, to our Bedford College campus on Thursday 25 November following a direct request from his office.

During his visit he was able to speak to over 30 students of all ages and staff in the newly opened Connolly Centre for Modern Construction and in the Advanced Engineering Centre.

Learning from experienced individuals (the business squad recently boasted it had 100+ years of combined experience among its team), apprentices have moved on to more senior roles in the organisation adding value and demonstrating loyalty to the “FE College of the Year 2020”.

Director of Business Development Gina Bubbins said: “There is no substitute for ‘on the job’ learning where young people come into contact with, and the absorb the experience and expertise of, those who have been active in the field of business sales for decades.

“Technology is a tool which has its uses, but personto-person relationships are vital in building trust and understanding between business partnerships, such as those we forge with employers and they have to make with their customers. This is even more important following the working from home/distancing experiences during lockdowns and other restrictions.”

The Minister spoke to students to find out how they found their experience at the College and was particularly interested in finding out more about apprenticeships and the higher apprenticeships we offer as well as T-Levels. Adult students also used the opportunity to pose questions to the Minister for Skills and highlighted how more adults need to be encouraged to return to learning after having families and wanting a change of career later on in life.

The visit was a great success and a nice change for us all since COVID restrictions have eased. Visits like this are important to us as a FE provider so MPs and Government officials get a positive feeling that will help with national arguments for more funding.

Newest team member is the Group’s first Kickstart appointment Rabia Quazi. Kickstart is an employment opportunity for young people aged 16 – 24 where Government pays their wages.

New apprentice is Luca Perkins, he follows on from Angelo Moscaritolo who has just been promoted to the position of CRM Co-ordinator.

Gina’s first apprentice eight years ago was Paige Dearman who has been a Key Account Manager for two years, and Kyra Joy, who was shortlisted for a national apprenticeship award, has also been promoted to Apprentice Recruitment Team Leader.

Alex Burghart talking with students at Bedford College

Photo shows front (L-R) Kyra Joy, Rabia Quazi, Gina Bubbins, Paige Dearman. Back (L-R) Luca Perkins and Angelo Moscaritolo Pg.6

December 2021

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Gold award for LGBTQ+ inclusive education The Bedford College Group has been awarded Gold for its LGBTQ+ inclusion work both on campus, and in reaching out to the wider community.

The award was made by Stonewall which was founded in 1989 and works towards equality for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, and LGBTQ+ inclusive education.

The Group has been a Stonewall school champion since 2018 and previously won the Bronze and Silver standard accreditations.

“This upgrade to Gold demonstrates the commitment of management, staff and students to make The Bedford College Group the ‘Gold standard’ for our wider communities when it comes to inclusivity,” said Vice Principal Em Lowe.

Anastassia Parsons, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager added: “We have made huge progress for creating a place for work and study where everyone can enjoy a sense of belonging and can access with equal ease and dignity. We will continue on the path of education and service improvements so that in our LGBT+ friendly community everyone feels welcomed and safe to be themselves.”

In the extensive report Stonewall said: “Wow! There is some fantastic evidence in these materials.

Your policies are clear and comprehensive and it’s wonderful to see the range of different policies, documents and display materials that help to communicate and reinforce your messaging” When it came to staff, the report added: “It’s clear that you have lots of training available to staff and that you factor in how you can ensure that new starters receive this training and that other staff can request refresher training if they need to. It’s great that all staff have ongoing access to professional development in this area and are kept regularly updated. You are clearly proactive in sharing best practice with other settings.”

Students arriving at The Group benefit from: “ a really impressive range of channels for all students to contribute to decision-making and for LGBTQ+ students in particular to give feedback and participate in strategy, governance and decisionmaking. This is really good practice and provides clear, strategic ways for learns to snap your practice and options for learners to choose the level of participation that is right for them.

“Overall, this is a really strong application across all of the areas of good practice, with particularly good work around learner voice and staff training.

“It’s fantastic to see how seriously you take your ongoing commitment to this work.”

Source: www,stonewall.org.uk

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December 2021

Shuttleworth granted Zoo Licence

Despite it being a later harvest this year due to the weather, things are progressing well on the farm. The barley made malting grade this year and the wheat yielded well. We also made a great deal of silage, haylage and straw to take us through the winter months. We are continuing with the countryside stewardship activities and in August had a biodiversity audit done to provide information on our current position and give us guidance on the actions needed to further increase the range and number of species on the farm. As we go into the winter months we will undertake supplementary feeding for farmland birds at locations across the farm.

The Red Poll herd is performing well. We won best three related females in the Midlands Herd Competition, and were also reserve champion large herd. We have been trying new technology in the form of no fence cattle collars with the herd, which provides opportunities for student project work with the information we gather from this. The cattle have now come into the barns ready for the winter.

The sheep have arrived and will be coming into the barns ready for lambing in the new year. Sadly, the students missed lambing last spring so it will be great to have them back and getting involved.

Photo shows the sheep at Shuttleworth The Zoological Education Centre (ZEC) was successful in achieving a zoo licence during half term. This is a fantastic achievement for all involved in the centre and will support educational activities.

The centre is still not open to the public. We have also been successful with hatching Indonesia Palm Geckos (Gekko vittatus) who self-incubated in their terrarium enclosure and emerged a few days ago.

This charming, colourful species of gecko lay small clutches of sticky white eggs in crevices. Reaching a slender build and length of 15-25cm when mature.

These are housed in our newly refurbished lizard room that provides specialist terrarium housing. The team are always pleased to be involved with breeding success with all species within the ZEC, providing great learning opportunities for all.

Photo (left) shows the Red Poll cattle in the barn.

Photo shows the Indonesian Palm Gecko Pg.8

December 2021

Engineering success

Connect

We welcomed ex-student Zaqyas Mahmood in November as guest speaker, to present to our Level 3 Electrical Engineering students.

The purpose of this was to share his journey with Bedford College, his progression route, successes, and to inspire and motivate our students.

Zaqyas shared his journey from Bedford College in 2017-2019 to Queens Mary’s university (QMUL) to complete his Foundation Degree, then onto University College London as a undergraduate in his final year.

Zaqyas has since formed his own online STEM platform, INNOVECH, which you can find on LinkedIn. This has an educational hub, pending STEM blogs, projects and lessons.

He has designed an e-book titled ‘The Complete Guide to Arduino’, which Zaqyas kindly donated to the Engineering department, about teaching Arduino programming from start to expert level.

Picture shows Zagyas Mahmood and Dan Bickerstaff

Delivering to schools is the prime target, to set projects and get more understanding about Engineering into schools to promote the industry in a positive manner.

He is also a Costa coffee barista and has been doing that role for a few years. He told students how he loves the interaction with customers and how the role gives him some time out for chatting.

He talked about his time at Bedford College and about one lecturer Dan Bickerstaff, who spent time with Zaqyas and created difficult projects to problems solve. Also the support he received from his Personal tutor Teresa Harrison.

He reminded the students to really enjoy their college years, to use the support that is here for them, and to get out of their comfort zone.

Zaqyas has recently become an approved STEM ambassador in the Bedfordshire area.

Overall the students enjoyed engaging with Zaqyas, asking relevant questions and Zaqyas gave them links to connect to.

Photo shows Zaqyas Mahmood with Engineering students Pg.9

Connect

Courtyard Florist Christmas Shop

The Courtyard florist online shop will be open for business on Wednesday 1 December 2021 to order your festive wreaths and table pieces.

Just click on the item and pay online using the shopping cart. Click and Collect details for Shuttleworth or Bedford College collection can be found on the website.

Order online by visiting here https:// festivepopupshop.wixsite.com/courtyardflorist The Courtyard florist drop-in shop will be manned every Monday and Wednesday until 17 December. Find them to the rear of the Floristry 1 classroom in the courtyard of Shuttleworth.

Payment is to be made at Shuttleworth reception please.

December 2021

Engineering Design Show The Bedford Engineering Department recently took first year Level 3 students to the Engineering Design show at the Coventry Building Society Arena. This was an exciting opportunity for students embarking on their Engineering journeys to meet industry professionals and explore some of the different specialisms they could venture into.

Students were able to walk around the show and get hands on with cutting edge technology on display. This allowed them to see how their curriculum this year fits into the overall design and manufacturing process.

They were also able to access live tech talks and workshops throughout the day on topics such as the future of vehicle electrification, AI, additive manufacturing and space technology.

Photo shows Engineering students at the Engineering Road Show

Image shows the poster for the Courtyard Florist Christmas shop

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December 2021

Values Focus Group Over the past six months we have made great progress towards the exploration of our organisation’s purpose which was launched at this year’s staff conference and followed up with the values survey.

We have shared an update on the valuable insights provided during the initial survey in a presentation recorded by Sarah Baxter, Executive Director for Marketing and Student Recruitment. This is the foundation for our work to be of greater service to society and create even more meaningful work and workplaces for us all.

As part of the next stage we are keen to follow your energy and insights to support our evolution. At the end of October we hosted a number of ninety-minute online workshop and we would like to invite staff who were unable to attend these date to two additional workshops being hosted on Friday 3 December.

• Friday 3 December 2021 at 12.00pm until 1.30pm (online) • Friday 3 December 2021 at 2.00pm until 3.30pm (online) As with the other workshops, the purpose of these workshops will be to gain a deeper understanding of how some of our desired values might play out in practical ways. We would similarly like to understand some of the potentially limiting values you have experienced at work so we can take steps to reduce or eliminate them.

The workshop will be facilitated by our friends at Primeast Ltd and attendees to the workshops hosted in October found them productive, engaging and interactive.

Lee Blissett Fundraiser

Connect

Steph Lee-Vae has created a fundraiser for student Lee Blissett. With permission from his parents, Steph has created the GoFundMe page to raise money for Lee and his family.

Steph had the pleasure of meeting Lee when he was 16 years old and first studying his Level 2 programme with us. He had to take a break from his studies due to being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Over the years, Lee has had multiple treatments and surgeries and he decided to rejoin us in September 2021.

Steph said: “Lee is only 20 years old and has grown into an incredible young man, with a fantastic sense of humour and an air of positivity and he radiates any room he comes into. We have been so inspired with Lee’s strength of character and would like to support him in every way possible.”

Recently Lee and his family received news that Lee’s cancer had returned, spreading to his lungs which has rendered him terminal. Lee wants to spend the time he has left making smiles and memories. The GoFundMe has been created to raise funds to help make Lee’s bucket list happen, including to have one last family holiday abroad and make this a memory to last a lifetime.

Please click here to donate anything you can, it will make a world of difference to Lee and his family.

We are so grateful for your support. https://www.gofundme.com/f/lee-blissettbucket-list-last-wishes

To join us, simply follow the link in the calendar invitation sent by all staff communications by clicking the workshop you wish to attend above.

Photo shows Lee Blissett Pg.11

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December 2021

BCS News and Offers

Swimming lessons for children - Newcomers welcome The new year is fast approaching and the Trinity Arts and Leisure team are already planning the next term of School of Fish lessons, scheduled to run between January and April 2022.

Staff members with children are more than welcome to sign up to the scheme. Booking information and dates will be announced on trinityleisure.co.uk very shortly. In the meantime, Trinity are holding water tests on Sunday 5 December, to safely assess your child/children to make sure they are placed in the correct class for the upcoming term.

Water tests are free of charge and can be booked via buytickets.at/bedfordcollege/609448 If you would like to read further details about the scheme, please visit www.trinityleisure.co.uk The Grand Hall- £150 off wedding ceremonies If you, or someone you know, is engaged and looking to getting married, BCS are currently running a deal on wedding ceremony hire, for just £750. Wedding receptions are also available and Group staff are able to receive 20% off hire costs.

Munch and Mocha Festivities Over the Christmas period, Munch and Mocha will be introducing festive food and drinks to their menus.

Munch and Mocha (Corby) are currently offering white chocolate and peppermint hot chocolates and have introduced new flavoured Lattes and cappuccinos to their menus

If you want to find out further information and availability, please email Marianna at mcosmai@ bedfordcollegeservices.co.uk

Photo shows a wedding ceremony in The Grand Hall

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December 2021

Job Opportunities Account Manager

Location: Bedford Application closing date: 29/11/2021

Events Executive

Location: Bedford Salary: Up to £26,000 plus benefits Application closing date: 29/11/2021

Associate Lecturer in Games Design

Location: Kettering Salary: Associate – (Unqualified) £20.50 per hour.

Associate – (Qualified PGCE/Cert Ed or equivalent) £21.50 per hour Application closing date: 29/11/2021

Associate Lecturer in Health and Social Care Location: Bedford Salary: Associate – (Unqualified) £20.50 per hour.

Associate – (Qualified PGCE/Cert Ed or equivalent) £21.50 per hour Application closing date: 29/11/2021

Associate Lecturer in Media

Location: Corby Salary: Associate – (Unqualified) £20.50 per hour.

Associate – (Qualified PGCE/Cert Ed or equivalent) £21.50 per hour Application closing date: 29/11/2021

Land Based Technician – Agricultural Machinery Location: Old Warden Salary: £18,188 per annum Application closing date: 29/11/2021

Land Based Technician – Agricultural Machinery Location: Old Warden Salary: £18,188 per annum Application closing date: 29/11/2021

Land Based Technician – Agricultural Machinery Location: Old Warden Salary: £18,188 per annum Application closing date: 29/11/2021

Marketing Assistant

Location: Bedford Salary: Up to £18,188 plus benefits Application closing date: 29/11/2021

Practical Instructor – Equine

Location: Old Warden Salary: £21,000 per annum Application closing date: 29/11/2021

Connect

Teaching Assistant (Maternity Cover)

Location: Bedford Salary: £18,188 per annum, pro rata. Actual salary £13,154.19 per annum Application closing date: 29/11/2021

Lecturer in Motor Vehicle

Location: Wellingborough Salary: : Competitive rates of pay Application closing date: 30/11/2021

Associate – Student Support Assistant Location: Bedford Salary: £8.91 per hour Application closing date: 30/11/2021

Associate Lecturer in Motorsport

Location: Silverstone Salary: Associate – (Unqualified) £20.50 per hour.

Associate – (Qualified PGCE/Cert Ed or equivalent) £21.50 per hour Application closing date: 01/12/2021

Associate Lecturer in English

Location: Bedford Salary: Associate – (Unqualified) £20.50 per hour.

Associate – (Qualified PGCE/Cert Ed or equivalent) £21.50 per hour Application closing date: 01/12/2021

Tuition Fund Administrative Co-ordinator Location: Bedford Salary: £25,000 per annum, pro rata Application closing date: 01/12/2021

Course Manager in Travel and Tourism

Location: Bedford Salary: £33,000 per annum, depending on experience Application closing date: 02/12/2021

Web Content Editor

Location: Bedford Salary: £24,000 per annum Application closing date: 02/12/2021

Work Placement Co-ordinator

Location: Bedford Salary: £21,000 per annum, pro rata Application closing date: 02/12/2021

Admissions and Conversion Administrator – Fixed Term Location: Bedford Salary: £20,475 per annum, pro rata Application closing date: 06/12/2021

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December 2021

Welcome to the Group

Professional Development Update

Abbee Carter Student Registry Administrator

We have the following professional development available to book onto with the link provided:

Carla Chynoweth Self Employed Communicator

Safer Recruitment

Keith Cooper Technician – Brickwork & Plastering Jeff Donaghue Technician – Brickwork, Carpentry & BSE Sarah Elam Head of Marketing Helen Hemphill Centre Administrator

Safer Recruitment is now required mandatory training for all staff that are part of the recruitment process.

Safer recruitment is a set of practices to help make sure your staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children and young people.

The next available date is Monday 29th November starting from 10am. To book, please visit www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/safer-recruitmenttickets-173287205697

Joanne Jones Practical Instructor Maryam Khan Lecturer – English (Maternity Cover) Matthew Lea Lecturer – Outdoor Adventure Daniel Lill Personal Achievement Tutor Elaine Lyn Centre Administrator Candy Marlow Personal Achievement Tutor Jude Norris Marketing Executive Stephen Rose Lecturer – Fabrication & Welding Lisa Sneddon Senior Examinations & Achievements Administrator Katherine Yabaki Learning Support Assistant Victoria Yeowell ALS Administrator

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December 2021

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Focus on Apprenticeships

Feedback Corner

Off-the-Job Training

Ellie Smith

Just wanted to provide an update on off-the-job training and how this should be recorded and logged.

Please ensure that no off the job has been recorded prior to the learners start date. Off-the-job that has been completed prior to the learners start date/ enrolment does not count towards their hours.

Off-the-job can only be calculated from the start of the learning journey which begins on the start date of their programme. If you have questions or require further support please contact your line manager.

Ellie has shown amazing levels of commitment, she is actively emailing and texting me on weekends and in the evening. She has recently arranged a Teams meeting for us with all the Corby new starters for 8pm so they can get to grips with OneFile as a collective when they are at home. I just wanted to let you know how much of a star Ellie is, she has worked tirelessly to help us get all the reviews up to date and liaises with the employers to keep them in the loop; Ellie has dealt with all the skill scans initially which means the likes of myself and others are able to concentrate on getting the candidates through the final hurdles to complete. Ellie has made my workload far more manageable and given me a little more clarity on my daily duties. I’m no longer spinning plates trying to get everything done at the same time. I am able to focus on getting candidates signed up and completed.

Construction Apprenticeships Team: Eloise Smith (Ellie) has joined the team as Coach and Mentor for Carpentry at Tresham and Bedford. Ellie is an asset to the team and is in the process of creating OneFile easy guides for learners Roland Reeves and Richard Young have been getting apprentices in to complete their portfolios. Out of 42 learners they have managed to get nearly 30 completed and these are earlier than expected. They have worked really hard.

Construction End Point Assessment (EPA)- Success Over the last couple of weeks EPA’s have taken place in Construction – some for the first time: Carpentry: Carl Rimes, Matt Henson and Kenny continue to have success with the Level 2 Carpentry and Joinery, many learners achieving Passes and Merits which is fantastic.

Brick: first round of EPA’s has taken place- 3 Distinctions and 2 x Passes – more results to follow Paul Rosewell, Gerry Cooney and John North have worked hard on preparing the learners.

Thank you, Ellie, for the support you are providing to the Apprenticeship Construction Team and please keep up the amazing work.

Jayne Elliott Thank you very much Jane. You are an extraordinary Teacher. I am so grateful to you.

I just wanted to say thank you for a very enjoyable couple of days. Very informative, great level of help from Jayne.

If you have any feedback stories or any good news you would like to celebrate please forward this to Hayley hwedgwood-setchell@bedford.ac.uk

Painting and Decorating: Megan Spencer was the first person to sit the EPA with an overall pass and distinction for skills.

Fradreck Muzeto – has also had great success with EPAS for civil engineering Massive congratulations to all these learners who have achieved such amazing results.

Huge thank you to all Curriculum staff at Tresham and Bedford that were involved in supporting these EPA’s, Daniel Ward and Carl Rimes- Great Team work

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December 2021

Anastassia Parsons

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager

DIVERSITY CALENDAR IN DECEMBER

Wednesday 1 December World AIDS day Teach the realities of life with HIV and take action on HIV stigma: display the HIV fact posters.

Show support for people living with HIV and commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness.

Friday 3 December International Day of Persons with Disabilities

The 2021 theme is ‘Fighting for rights in the post-COVID era’.

RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS IN DECEMBER

Gold for Bedford College Group

We have been awarded Gold for our LGBTQ+ inclusion work in education. The award was made by Stonewall which campaigns for freedom and equity for lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) people including LGBTQ+ inclusive education.

Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this achievement!

The Group has been a Stonewall school champion since 2018 and previously won the Bronze and Silver standard accreditations.

This upgrade to Gold demonstrates the commitment of management, staff and students to make The Bedford College Group the ‘Gold standard’ for our wider communities when it comes to inclusivity. It is a recognition for our work to make the Group a place for study and work where everyone can enjoy a sense of belonging and can access with equal ease and dignity. We strive to ensure that in our LGBT+ friendly community everyone feels welcomed and safe to be themselves, and can live their life to the full.

Wednesday 8 December - Bodhi Day (Buddhist) Tuesday 21 December - Winter Solstice/ Yule (Druid, Pagan) Saturday 25 December - Christmas Day (Christian Western Churches) The Inter Faith Network has a more detailed list of festivals and short descriptions.

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December 2021

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Lynsey Travers

HR Manager - Human Resources

STAFF PERKS Treat yourself to cheaper Tech this Black Friday!

Self-care savings

While retailers discount a wide range of products on Black Friday, you’re always guaranteed to save big on technology. Combine these deals with our own SmartSpending™ offers and those savings could get even bigger.

With shorter days and colder weather, this time of year can get us all feeling a little down. So, don’t feel guilty about needing some self-care. Plus, the savings you can make through our SmartSpending™ discounts and offers will help you feel even better.

If you’re not sure what tech to buy on Friday 26 November (and don’t forget Cyber Monday on 29 Novemer), here are some of Wired’s best gadgets for 2021 for inspiration.

Eat well

Slim, light, yet powerful, Dell’s XPS 13 is the best laptop to buy right now.

With strong battery life and great sound, Sony WH1000XM4 headphones are the smartest choice.

Looking for a neat, comfortable, all-round fitness tracker? FitBit Charge 4 is the one for you.

Giving our body healthy fuel makes us feel good, physically and mentally. Sugary snacks, in particular, cause blood sugar to spike and crash, which impacts our mood.

Take a break Working non-stop causes stress. So, switch off. It doesn’t have to be a long getaway, even changing your surroundings for a day can make a big

Although it’s not the cheapest out there, LG’s 65inch 4K OLED TV is the best there is.

When it comes to Bluetooth speakers, the UE Megaboom 3 is Wired’s top pick. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/best-gadgets-coolgadgets Save today, head to: bedford.rewardgateway.co.uk

Get creative Concentrating on a task, like drawing or colouring, encourages your mind to relax and worry less. Plus, allowing your mind to ‘play’ releases feel-good neurochemicals.

Plant up Staff discount at Brooks Staff are able to benefit from 50% discount from Brooks. Visit www.brooksspa.com for details on treatments offered and call 01234 291309 to book

Interacting with indoor plants has been shown to reduce blood pressure and create a sense of calm. If you’re lacking green fingers, go for succulents or air plants.

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