9 minute read
Education & Training
Houlton School receives top marks for prestigious development
Master Developer Urban&Civic hosted ministers for an educational visit and tour of the newly developed Houlton School ahead of its doors opening in September.
Providing top educational facilities on the redeveloped historic Rubgy Radio Station site, Houlton School has been built and constructed in partnership between Urban&Civic and Transforming Lives Educational Trust (TLET).
Opening in September 2021, Houlton School will offer more than 1,000 muchneeded places for pupils throughout the Rugby area, offering additional high-quality schooling options to match those of the region’s grammar schools.
Following the opening of Houlton’s first primary school in 2018, St Gabriel’s Academy, the £35million project has seen the former Grade II-listed Rugby Radio Station building transformed into a stateof-the-art educational facility for secondary aged pupils.
Innovatively funded through partnerships with Department for Education and Homes England, Urban&Civic provided the specialism to accelerate this muchneeded project, following the sustained demand it has seen for high-quality houses and schools across its wide range of developments across the country.
Richard Coppell of Urban&Civic, said: “Urban&Civic is paving the way for the future of building communities, not just at Rugby but across the country. The ministerial visit was a great success and all were impressed with the continued progress we’ve made developing this historic site into a much-needed school.
“Over 1,000 children are already being educated in schools on our sites, with a further 400 joining this September. This further cements our place in the community and the opportunities we are able to provide for those in and around the surrounding area.”
Coupled with the investment of the new link road, Houlton – a joint venture between master developers Urban&Civic and Aviva Investors – will provide 6,200 homes across its 1,200 acres. This will provide continued economic growth to Rugby with additional connectivity and transport links.
For more information visit www.houltonrugby.co.uk
The Aston Programme for Small Business Growth – Last Few Places Available for October Start
Take control of your company’s future today with free support from Aston Business School’s industry-leading academics and experienced business mentors as part of the Aston Programme for Small Business Growth at Aston University.
Past participants of the Aston Programme for Small Business Growth consistently increase business turnover, take on new employees and expand their companies into new exciting markets – in some cases even during the pandemic!
Receive online and face-toface workshops (depending on Coronavirus restrictions at the time of delivery), one-toone mentoring, peer-to-peer learning and support with producing your own action plan for business growth as part of the programme.
Eligible businesses must have a minimum of 12 months’ trading experience, be operational in Greater Birmingham and Solihull or Coventry and Warwickshire LEP areas, have one registered full-time employee (this can be yourself) and the ambition to fully commit to the programme schedule.
By joining the programme, you become part of the Aston Business School network and will benefit from a range of resources and valuable connections to help your business continue to reach new heights long after completing the programme.
Limited spaces available – apply online before 17th September: www.aston.ac.uk/astonprogramme Missed the deadline for Aston Programme for Small Business Growth? Find out about alternative support available from Aston Centre for Growth: www.aston.ac.uk/acg
University urges businesses to adopt immersive technologies
Professor Jacqueline Cawston, co-director at Coventry University’s Centre for Postdigital Cultures, discusses how businesses can gain a competitive edge with the use of immersive technologies...
The pandemic has presented businesses across all sectors with many challenges, but it has also provided opportunities, none more so than rethinking how to more effectively and safely engage with staff and customers.
Restrictions that have placed limitations on in-person contact over the past 18 months have put into sharp focus the need to embrace immersive technologies that were once mainly seen as exclusive to the world of gaming.
Immersive technologies, collectively referred to as ‘extended reality’ (XR), are designed to replace and/or expand the physical world in a 360 space that gives users the ability to look in any direction. XR includes virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and 360-degree video. None of these are particularly new but their use is gaining more and more momentum in the mainstream and transforming the way we do things throughout society.
While the use of new technologies has been accelerated by the pandemic, interest in the capability of immersive technologies and how they can transform the world of work has been growing over several years, with PwC predicting its potential to deliver a $1.5 trillion boost to the global economy by 2030.
Businesses and other organisations are gaining a substantial competitive advantage by adopting the technology. Benefits include improving performance and streamlining workflows, making workplaces safer, improving the effectiveness of training, and transforming marketing and communications.
The creative industries have adopted these technologies, and while this has allowed museums and art galleries to continue to welcome visitors virtually during lockdown, many were already making use of XR to expand their audiences.
Other sectors, including retail and engineering, have also embraced these technologies.
College opportunities for career changers in Nuneaton
Adults who are considering a career change following the pandemic are being invited to consider a college course to help them gain the skills and qualifications they need to succeed in high-demand job roles.
North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC) is preparing for the start of the new academic year by launching its latest range of part-time courses based at its Nuneaton Campus and in local workplaces.
Research indicates that three out of five adults are considering a career change after the COVID challenges they faced caused them to re-evaluate their lives. This may have been prompted by health concerns, the impact of lone-working, or the desire to relocate or move house to be closer to open spaces or family members. Others have re-evaluated their career prospects based on trends for future demand, with the logistics, digital and healthcare sectors reporting skills gaps and vacancies.
From September 2021, students will be able to start training in a range of disciplines and put themselves in the best position to snap up job roles across several sectors including: • accounting • counselling • teaching and education • hairdressing and beauty therapy • electrical installations • welding • catering and hospitality.
In addition, the college is providing access to essential general skills including maths and English, the building blocks for many subject-specific qualifications that enable students to progress to further and higher education.
Marion Plant, OBE FCGI, principal and chief executive of NWSLC, said: “With the employment rate rising to 75 per cent and gradually returning to pre-pandemic levels, the job market is beginning to look more buoyant. There are encouraging signs of economic recovery within the regional markets we support. Forecasts suggest that the UK economy will grow by more than eight per cent this year, before returning to pre-pandemic levels of around six per cent in 2022.
“Colleges are leading the way to help reenergise the UK economy and it is our mission to introduce skilled and workready individuals to employers across the region.”
For more information visit www.nwslc.ac.uk
Kenilworth pub hires first apprentice through WCG
A Kenilworth pub has hired its first apprentice as it looks to encourage more young people to pursue careers in hospitality following the pandemic.
The Famous Virgins & Castle has signed up Phoebe Hitchins, aged 19 from Coventry, as the 16th century pub’s first apprentice.
The pub, which is run by awardwinning hospitality group Caviar & Chips, has worked closely with the apprenticeships team at WCG to create the opportunity.
Phoebe’s role is one of three apprenticeship positions at the pub that will be filled over the next couple of months, with roles also available front-of-house and in the kitchen.
She said: “I chose an apprenticeship because it gave me a great opportunity to develop and learn what it truly takes to manage a pub in the modern hospitality world.”
Andy Lock, General Manager at The Famous Virgins & Castle, added: “We want to create great opportunities for people and reverse the reputation of hospitality work being long, unsociable hours.
John Colclough, Business Development Manager at WCG, added: “Caviar & Chips has a refreshing approach to hospitality and that is reflected in its drive to recruit apprentices.
To find out more about WCG Apprenticeships, contact the WCG Business Development team: E: employerenquiries@wcg.ac.uk T: 0330 135 6940 W: wcg.ac.uk/employers
Visitors swarm to WCG’s show garden at The Game Fair
The work of Midlands-based college students flourished at a national countryside festival as their natureinspired exhibit attracted a swarm of selfie-taking visitors.
Green-fingered guests arrived in full force to enjoy this year’s The Game Fair at Ragley Hall, with thousands stopping by WCG’s show garden to take photos under its outstanding floral arch and get inspired by the natural world as the event returned following a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19 restrictions.
With over 2,000 plants on display, the show garden featured every type of garden setting from wildflower turf to vegetable patches, all designed and planted up by staff and students at Pershore and Moreton Morrell Colleges.
Support was provided by a range of sponsors and businesses including Tarmac, Talasey, Gardens of Reflection, Keder Greenhouses, Readyhedge, Cub Cadet, Solar Technology International, Electric Zoo and Vegepod.
The garden was designed to educate visitors on four ‘smart’ themes in dedicated sections including the Climate Change Garden, which explored the effects of changing weather conditions; the Eco Garden, which looked at the importance of biodiversity; the Production Garden, which encouraged people to make the most of small green spaces at home; and the Smart Garden, which explored the ways technology can be incorporated into a garden setting.
The Smart Garden also featured a replica Porsche 356 complete with full electric engine conversion, which proved to be a huge draw to car and technology enthusiasts alike.
Mark Whittaker, of WCG, said: “The students put together a very unique and engaging range of attractions and the feedback we have received has been absolutely superb.
