12 minute read
Education & Training
Research centre supports development of equine students
Moreton Morrell College students have discovered the impact treatments can have on stress in horses after tapping into the expertise of a state-of-the-art research centre.
Maya Grist and Kaya Wales are both studying degrees at the college and have been conducting research into cortisol in horses using saliva swab tests conducted at the Agri-Tech Research Centre at Pershore College – both part of college group WCG. The pair conducted separate research projects, with Maya researching the impact of cryotherapy on horse stress levels and Kaya focusing on the effect that the use of essential oils can have on the animal.
Maya, 21 from Swindon, is studying a three-year degree in equine therapy and rehabilitation.
Her research looked heart rates, behaviour and saliva swaps of cortisol. If a horse has long-term higher levels of cortisol production, it can affect the rate that an injury can heal. Kaya, 25 from Stratford upon Avon, is in the final year of her equine science degree.
She tested the effects of seven different essential oils on seven horses from Oxstalls farm and racing stud. Since essential oils have become a popular therapy, Kaya set out to study how these oils affected equine behaviour, heart rate and stress levels.
Dr Anjana Patel and Professor Roy Kennedy at the Agri-Tech Research Centre supported Kaya and Maya in completing their tests and processing results. Dr Patel added: “We were pleased to be able to support Maya and Kaya with their projects. It shows the versatility of the equipment we have at Pershore College that we were able to carry out these tests for them.
“We supported them both with measuring the cortisol levels in horse saliva. It was interesting for us to see other applications of our equipment and a pleasure to be able to support their research.”
Horse in stables at Moreton Morrell College
Skills hub plans gather pace
The launch of a Digital Skills and Innovation Centre and training restaurant for North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College in Nuneaton town centre has progressed after approval was provided by the college’s board to move forward with the next steps in the planning process.
The new facility will be built within the former Co-op building in Abbey Street with an £8M investment from the government’s Towns Fund.
Plans for the additional campus will be developed in liaison with Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, the My Town Nuneaton Board, Warwickshire County Council and the Transforming Nuneaton project on its next steps.
It’s anticipated that the new stateof-the-art centre, due to open in 2024, will help to regenerate skills and careers opportunities in the town, enable access to digital skills training, and provide an incubation space for business start-ups. It will also support the hospitality sector through a training restaurant that will be open to the public. The facility is expected to serve over 2,600 students over the next ten years, supporting 290 business start-ups and delivering value to the economy worth £13.4M.
Marion Plant, OBE FCGI, principal and chief executive of NWSLC, said: “This training restaurant will provide students with a wonderful chance to learn the skills needed in the catering and hospitality industry in a new building as well as having teaching spaces for students. The demand for digital skills courses is increasing as more people are working from home or from retailers who want to develop their IT skills as their business has diversified. This will provide an opportunity to deliver on-site courses since not everyone has access to highquality technology at home. "The centre will also provide space and the facilities to support people with their own micro or small business as well as those who have an idea to set up a business. It’s an amazing opportunity for current and future students and a really good example of collaboration between education and a local authority."
For more information visit www.nwslc.ac.uk
Warwick Trident College holds special celebration to mark arrival of Queen's Anniversary Prize
Staff, students and apprentices at Warwick Trident College held a celebration event as a prestigious prize which recognises its innovative engineering training arrived at the college.
The Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education prize was awarded to the college group for its pioneering work in the engineering sector, and Warwick Trident College is one of WCG’s three centres of engineering excellence – alongside Evesham College and Rugby College.
Angela Joyce, CEO of WCG, showed staff and students the prize which had been presented to her by His Royal Highness Prince Charles in a ceremony held at St James’s Palace.
WCG has been a trailblazer for employercentric engineering provision for more than 25 years and has seen its engineering apprentice numbers grow from 40 in 1996 to 1,195 in 2021.
Warwick Trident College was at the centre of the college group’s bespoke training programme with Jaguar Land Rover and now works with a range of major companies to train their apprentices.
Through its newly launched university centre - Warwickshire College and University Centre – the college is now delivering its own degree-level courses, including courses in Engineering.
It comes after the college group became the first in the UK to gain Bachelor Degree Awarding Powers.
Angela Joyce, CEO of WCG, said: “Warwick Trident College has been right at the heart of our continued success in engineering, so it was a pleasure to be able to bring the Queen’s Anniversary Prize to the college and share it with our staff and students.
“The work we have done at Warwick Trident College over the last 25 years with our pioneering approach to employer-led engineering training was a vital aspect in winning the prize.”
To find out more about engineering apprenticeships and courses at WCG visit wcg.ac.uk/study
Employment opportunities in rural hospitality businesses showcased
WCG is working with Warwickshire Skills Hub to help promote opportunities with rural businesses through the ‘Let’s Go Rural’ initiative.
The initiative – backed by the Community Renewal Fund - sees young people taken on a rural tour of Warwickshire, with visits to colleges and businesses, along with interactive sessions to discuss career opportunities.
The first Let’s Go Rural tour has been held and saw 14 students visit Moreton Morrell College, before heading to Number 34 Garden and Grill Restaurant in Warwick.
The sessions at the restaurant involved a presentation and discussion around the relationships between farming and hospitality, and the potential careers in the sector.
WCG will be running three more ‘Let’s Go Rural’ days in the coming months, with tours scheduled for June, September and October.
The initiative is aiming to reach at least 200 young people aged 16 to 24 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).
It will also work with businesses to help better understand the barriers they face with employment and growth and advise on how to navigate those challenges.
John Colclough, Business Development Manager at WCG, said: “WCG is delighted to have partnered with Warwickshire Skills Hub, through Warwickshire County Council, to deliver this initiative and open the eyes of young people to the career opportunities available with these businesses.”
Cllr Martin Watson, portfolio holder for economy at Warwickshire County Council, added: "With the fantastic support of WCG and the business and education-providers, this is an exciting initiative which could make a real difference to the rural economy and the lives of some young people around the county."
To find out more about Let’s Go Rural, visit skillshub.warwickshire.gov.uk
AIM Internet Supports UK Government’s Kickstart Scheme
More than 152,000 young people have gained key work experience to-date thanks to the Government’s Kickstart scheme.
Kickstart is part of the UK Government’s wider Plan for Jobs initiative. It provides funding to employers to create jobs for 16 to 24 year olds who are on Universal Credit. The initiative is aimed at helping young people to gain vital skills and experience that will boost their employability, especially those affected by the economic fallout of Covid-19.
Minister for Employment, Mims Davies MP said:“Kickstart has created fantastic opportunities in the face of extraordinary circumstances, as part of the Plan for Jobs.
“From tourism to tech, sport and sales, PR, plumbing, hospitality and home working there have been inclusive, exciting starter roles created in all areas across the country because businesses stepped up working with the government to make sure our young people progressed.
“The scheme has created a truly life-changing legacy with thousands of young people better off than before the pandemic.”
Mike Raybone, Director of AIM Internet, said: “It’s a phenomenal initiative that has enabled us as an employer to gain access to a large pool of talented young people whilst simultaneously supporting their growth. We’re able to provide a great quality experience to someone who needs it and at the same time, it opens our organisation up to fresh talent and innovative ways of thinking.”
“It’s never been more important for us to support our young people. Through the Kickstart scheme we have seen the successes of those learning new skills and creating those all-important steppingstones for their future. As an organisation, we pride ourselves on the work we do to help people boost their skills, gain sustainable employment and accelerate their careers; the Kickstart Scheme facilitated us to do just that. Not only that, but as a business, we have also found the additional support invaluable as we get back on our feet following the pandemic.”
AIM Internet is proud to assist young people on their path to a rewarding and successful career in the digital marketing industry through this means. And wherever possible, we support Government schemes for businesses.
Although the scheme has now come to an end, we would urge young people to get in touch if they have any questions about how they might go a bout becoming the next generation of UK digital marketers.
One young person to benefit from the scheme is Lucy who started her placement with AIM Internet in February 2022.
Reflecting on her experience, she said: “Working for AIM through the kickstart scheme has been an incredibly valuable experience. It has really helped me improve a variety of skills from social media to SEO and gather more knowledge of the digital marketing industry.”
We hope that in the future there will be more schemes like this so that we can offer more young people the opportunity to learn and expand their skill set in a safe environment through high quality roles that meet national minimum wage.
The Kickstarter Scheme may be closed but businesses can still apply for an incentive payment of £3,000 for new apprentices who join their organisation.
For further information email sarah.whitticase@aiminternet.co.uk
The Leadership Coaches Expand to a Team of Twenty
Having launched in January 2020, The Leadership Coaches have recently expanded to a team of twenty strong and credible coaches.
Hand-picked by Director of Coaching Zoe Lewis, The Leadership Coaches have a wealth of experience and are passionate about supporting other people. Each coach has first-hand experience in leadership roles for both medium and large-scale national and international businesses.
Having worked across industries including retail, healthcare, education, finance, hospitality, transport, and telecommunications, each coach understands the challenges that leaders often face within the workplace. For this reason, The Leadership Coaches are frequently chosen as partners for organisations that require either an external leadership coach or mentor.
To cater to clients' needs, The Leadership Coaches offer one-to-one leadership coaching, team coaching, talent and graduate coaching, mentoring programmes, leadership programmes, and bespoke coaching.
On their recent expansion, Zoe Lewis says, “We have been fortunate to grow from a start-up that was established in January 2020 to a growth business now in our second year in 2022. It was essential for us to grow the capacity within our team to ensure that we meet the growing needs of our clients. I am thrilled that we are able to help our clients of all sizes from here in the United Kingdom to International services.”
AHR Consultants
launch new E-Learning courses for H&S
Compliance specialists AHR Consultants have launched a new range of E-Learning courses, adding to the firm’s existing portfolio of face-to-face training courses and on-site safety services.
The new online sessions are accessible on desktop, laptop, and mobile devices, using a Learning Management System to deliver the content.
Thanks to this ease of access, and with course durations starting from only 15 minutes, E-Learning has already proven valuable for existing clients of the firm.
Over 60 courses are available, allowing employers to fulfil their legal duty for the provision of health and safety training, with popular options including Health and Safety Essentials, Fire Awareness, Risk Assessments, and First Aid.
For businesses with more specific requirements, there are detailed courses on areas such as Manual Handling, Food Safety and Hygiene, Electrical Safety, and Infection Prevention.
This also extends into individual sectors, with Care, Construction, and Education having tailored versions of key courses, further demonstrating the firm’s commitment towards delivering a client-focussed experience.
Laurence Begley, Health and Safety Director at AHR Consultants, said: “We are delighted to launch a platform that makes it easier than ever to develop health and safety competence at work. Training, policies, and risk assessments provide businesses with three ‘pillars’ of defensibility in the event of an incident.”
“The provision of training should never feel like a burden, and with the help of our system, employers can feel confident in their efforts to protect staff and avoid enforcement action.”
