7 minute read
Education & Training
Queen's Anniversary Prize awarded to WCG at St James's Palace
His Royal Highness Prince Charles and Her Royal Highness Princess Anne have presented leading college group WCG with a prestigious prize which recognises its pioneering work in developing future engineers.
WCG was presented with The Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in a ceremony at St James’s Palace.
The prize, which was first announced in November 2021, is in recognition of the college's work in the engineering sector over the last quarter of a century.
WCG is the only college from the Midlands to be recognised among the 2020-2022 winners, one of 21 winning universities and Colleges from across the UK with only five other colleges receiving this accolade.
Angela Joyce, CEO of WCG, was joined by Peter Manford, Chairman, Chris White, Vice Chairman, Peter Husband, Group Principal, Alan May, Director of Apprenticeships and three engineering apprentices at the ceremony.
The ceremony followed the prize winner’s dinner at London’s Guildhall the previous evening, which celebrated the achievements of all the winners of this year’s awards.
WCG has been a trailblazer for employer-centric engineering provision for more than 25 years and has seen its engineering apprentice numbers grow from 40 in 1996 to 1,195 in 2021.
The group now delivers engineering courses at three of its colleges including Warwick Trident College, Rugby College and Evesham College.
Angela Joyce said that it was an ‘incredibly proud day’ for the college and that the group strives to continue to lead the way in the delivery of education provision in the engineering sector.
If you are an employer interested in working with an award-winning team to recruit and train up apprentices, please get in touch with WCG’s Business Development Team: E: employerenquiries@wcg.ac.uk T: 0330 135 6940 W: wcg.ac.uk/queensprize
WCG launches new staff wellbeing initiative
WCG has launched a new staff wellbeing initiative which offers tailored support to create a healthier environment for its employees.
WCG, which includes six colleges across Warwickshire and Worcestershire, has launched Wellbeing@WCG for its 1,400 employees.
The initiative aims to bring wellbeing to life for staff members, and will focus on different topics throughout the year that are tailored to their needs.
Employees will be invited to take part in awareness training, join online community forums and will be provided with guides featuring information and top tips to build awareness.
They will also be signposted to a variety of external support services as well as WCG’s Employee Assistance Programme provider should anyone require additional help.
The first topic being covered is menopause support which will see general awareness training provided and also a programme specifically aimed at managers, giving them the tools to help their team.
Staff members will be given the opportunity to provide continuous feedback to help decide on future topics and shape the support being provided.
The initiative is being run by WCG’s Human Resources Department, which is headed up by Jo Hodgson.
She said: “We’ve always run small wellbeing initiatives in line with national awareness events, but we wanted to go one step further and create something specifically tailored to the needs of our staff. “One of the main aims of the initiative is to bring wellbeing to life. We don’t just want to signpost staff members to information, we want to hold engaging events, create supportive communities and ensure a two-way communication. “We’re focused on creating a healthier, more inclusive culture, which increases awareness of our wellbeing agenda, and we look forward to working with colleagues as we continue to develop the initiative going forward.”
Further information about careers at WCG is available at wcg.ac.uk/jobs
College promotes zero-carbon training opportunities
Business leaders from across the West Midlands were given a glimpse into the region’s zero-carbon future at the launch of a new skills campaign that will prepare the workforce for emission-free motoring.
Representatives from the automotive, manufacturing and construction industries heard plans to upskill the workforce and discussed collaborative opportunities as Coventry College previewed its new £1.8m electric vehicle and retrofit training centre for the first time.
Held at the college’s motor vehicle facility, the event saw principal and CEO, Carol Thomas, and James Sampson from REVAMP detail the college’s Charge Up Your Future campaign to visitors from the West Midlands Combined Authority, the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) and CWLEP Growth Hub, the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, a host of car retailers and electric vehicle, charging and battery producers.
The campaign will see Coventry College build a dedicated training facility worth £1.8m and deliver a range of education programmes to students and the wider workforce so they can capitalise on retrofitting and construction opportunities.
The new facility, which will be the first of its kind in Coventry and Warwickshire, is expected to open in March 2022.
Gemma Knott, vice principal for business growth, engagement and partnerships at Coventry College, said: “We were delighted to see so many local business leaders and industry professionals join us at this event to hear about the fantastic plans we have to boost the region’s zerocarbon capabilities.
“Our plans will have a material impact on manufacturers, whose workforce will require skills to keep up with demand as vehicle electrification ramps up, EV retailers, who face a similar challenge, and anyone working or living in the region over the next ten years or so, who will require expertise to meet their needs as consumers.”
(Left to right) Sarah Windrum (CWLEP), Shaun Hall and Lynsey Ellis (West Midlands Combined Authority), Glenn Smailes (Coventry City Council), Carol Thomas (Principal, Coventry College), John Norton (Coventry City Council)
Degree course applications rise at WCG
Applications for degree courses at an established college group have seen a significant boost since the launch of its new university centre.
College group WCG launched Warwickshire College and University Centre (WCUC) in December and saw a 15 per cent rise in overall applications for degree-level courses to the end of January.
The first UCAS deadline of the year has now passed and applications have risen from 480 in 2021 to 551 in 2022 for the college group.
It is the first recruitment cycle for WCUC and also comes after the college became the first college group in the UK to be granted bachelor degreeawarding powers by the Office for Students, alongside the foundation degree-awarding powers already in place.
On UCAS applications alone, the college group has seen a rise of 21.85 per cent in applications – with all universities nationally only experiencing an average growth of 2.1 per cent.
Compared to 2020 figures, the applications across the college group for degree-level courses are up 42 per cent.
Courses including veterinary nursing and equine therapy and rehabilitation at Moreton Morrell College have seen substantial growth. Meanwhile, computer networks and cybersecurity applicants at Royal Leamington Spa College and Rugby College have risen from two to 18.
Steve Taylor, dean of higher education at WCUC, said: “We’re already seeing the positive impact of the new university centre and bachelor degree-awarding powers at the close of this first recruitment cycle.
“Prospective students have been impressed with the technical focus of our degrees and how they’re designed to give graduates the skills to immediately make a contribution to the economy after graduation.
“Our applicant figures are outperforming competitor institutions and the higher education sector as a whole, which is evidence of the growing reputation of our degree-level provision.”
