Patron Focus

Strengthening ties with industry and supporting their learners into the workforce are two key reasons Oaklands College joined Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce 29 years ago and became Patrons last year.

“We have always been committed to working with the local business community and local employers,” explains Lauren Murkin, Head of Business Development.

“Joining the Chamber was a natural step for us. We became members, and more recently Patrons last year, because we really recognised the opportunities it offers in terms of collaboration, strengthening industrial ties and supporting our learners into the workforce. So, for us, it’s vital to make sure that we engage with employers and business leaders, and the Chamber is the perfect place to do that.

“Our aim is to be internationally known, nationally recognised, regionally relevant and locally significant.”

The simple advice Lauren would give new members is: Get involved.

“It’s as simple as that,” she says. “The Chamber, for us, has been such a fantastic resource, but the real value with it comes from the active participation – from attending events to engaging in discussions such as with the Local Skills Improvement Plan that the Chamber leads on and just making the most of the networking opportunities.

“So we make sure that we get to every event. At least one member of the college goes to all the events, including the Patron ones, because building relationships with fellow members can open doors not just to them, but to other businesses. So for us, it’s all about new collaborations, business growth and that shared expertise.”

The college has more than 300 courses for schoolleavers and adults, including A Levels, Access to Higher Education, adult learning, T Levels and apprenticeships, and its courses cover a wide range of sectors. It is also a national provider for land and greenkeeping apprenticeships.

Alongside their studies, students can join the Oaklands Wolves Academy. Students can study a particular sport alongside their course and options range from hockey to football, rugby to karate, basketball to cheerleading.

Oaklands Wolves Academy boasts several alumni who have become professional athletes. These include Amy Truesdale MBE – Paralympic champion, GB Taekwondo; Caden Cunningham – Olympic silver medallist, GB Taekwondo; Amelia MacDougall – Saracens and England U20s; Evan Walshe –professional basketball player, Manchester Giants and Leicester Riders and Bristol Flyers; Mamadou Jobe – professional footballer, Cambridge United; Pat Torrison – professional cyclist, UC Monaco; and Darryl Neita – professional sprinter.

“We have really exciting plans for the future,” adds Lauren.

“As part of our Aspirational Master Plan, we have added new courses to align with employers’ needs, we have a new i-collaborate space and two immersive teaching lounges. In terms of our growth programme, we have the Oaklands Training and Development launch in April.

“Collaboration remains at the heart of our strategy and to continue to be a leading education provider in the area.”

Funding is always a challenge for the education sector year on year, says Lauren, likewise skills shortages, recruiting and retaining skilled teaching staff in specialist areas, and ensuring the college’s courses stay aligned with evolving industry needs.

Staying resilient is important for students and staff alike and Oaklands College has several measures in place to boost resilience.

“Our focus on developing resilience in students includes providing them with real world learning experiences,” she says.

“We’ve developed a strategy called Get Career Ready, which is all about how we collaborate with employers and our learners to bring the two together and ensure that employers are supporting our learners in developing those employability skills that are key to achieving job outcomes when they leave. They also have personal development programmes to help them build their confidence and adaptability.

“For staff, our focus is continued professional development (CPD) and making sure that all staff have a strong support network. Everyone within the organisation is assigned a mentor that they get to choose themselves.

“And as an organisation, we stay resilient by being really forward thinking. Staying adaptable and being very responsive to change. So whether that’s thinking about innovation in teaching, whether that’s forming new ongoing partnerships or whether that’s adapting to shifts in industry demand, it’s key to our resilience as an organisation.”

For more information, visit www.oaklands.co.uk

The Chamber, for us, has been such a fantastic resource, but the real value with it comes from the active participation –from attending events to engaging in discussions such as with the Local Skills Improvement Plan that the Chamber leads on and just making the most of the networking opportunities.