Engage #1 December 2023

• • • Parents & Carers Newsletter • • • Engage Issue 1

November 2023

Bolton College’s Job Shop is open for business!

Click to watch the video We recently welcomed guests to the official opening of our Job Shop, an exciting new talent hub connecting our students and apprentices to leading local and regional businesses.

Read more on page 2.

Part of the University of Bolton Group

1.

Students and leading companies and organisations joined us recently for the launch of our Job Shop.

Located in the College’s Student Experience Zone, the Job Shop gives our learners opportunities to connect with leading employers, whilst businesses in turn gain exclusive access to fresh talent.

Attendees included representatives from Bolton at Home, Bolton Council, Bolton NHS and the University of Bolton, as well as other organisations and businesses.

The Job Shop is open Monday to Friday, 9am-3.30pm.

‘The Job Shop formally recognises our commitment to equipping our learners with the skills and qualifications for successful careers, whilst being a key organisation for helping employers and businesses to fill vacancies.’

Mark Burgoyne Deputy Principal Bolton College

Part of the University of Bolton Group

2.

‘Bolton College takes pride in the work they do with industry, including tailoring curriculum based on industry feedback, giving their students the best opportunity to prepare for employment.’

Ben Sudworth Manufacturing Engineering Manager MBDA (UK)

Part of the University of Bolton Group

3.

New students enjoy warm welcome As always, our new students were given a warm welcome at Bolton College during their Induction Day and Freshers’ Fair. Here are a few snapshots…

INDUCTION INDUCTION DAY DAY && FRESHER’S FRESHER’S FAIR FAIR

Part of the University of Bolton Group

4.

Subhan set for high-flying career!

On completion of his engineering course, Subhan had achieved Distinctions in every single unit and was inundated with offers from SEVEN Higher Apprenticeship providers, including industry giants BT and Barclays.

Subhan eventually opted for a Software Graduate Apprenticeship at the renowned multinational aerospace company, BAE Systems, which is highly unusual for a college leaver; Graduate Apprenticeships are typically given to people with university degrees.

However, Subhan gave such a good impression that they couldn’t help but offer him this incredible opportunity.

Well done Subhan!

Part of the University of Bolton Group

5.

Supporting you with finance

Worried about the cost of College?

Contact our Student Experience Team on 01204 482 182 or email studentfinance@boltoncc.ac.uk

Discretionary Bursary

If your household income is less than £30,000 per year, funding is available to support your young person with the cost of studying.

The Discretionary Bursary is awarded for help with the general costs of study – printing, stationery, etc.

Additional travel payments may be made if your young person does not have an Our Pass travel card.

Student Support Allowance

This bursary can help learners with the costs of College if they: • Are in care or are a care-leaver • Receive Employment Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance/ Personal Independence Payment in their own right • Receive Income Support in their own right

• Receive Universal Credit, paid in place of Income Support, in their own right.

Care to Learn

If your young person is a young parent, aged 19 or under, they may be eligible for financial assistance from the government’s Care to Learn scheme. The scheme provides help with the costs of having a child looked after at an Ofsted registered nursery or childminder whilst they study.

Learn more at www.gov.uk/care-to-learn

FREE College Meals Your young person can receive a free College meal if they are in receipt of, or you are in receipt of, certain benefits. They are however only eligible once they, or you as a responsible adult on their behalf, have made a successful application.

For more information on the support available, visit: www.boltoncollege.ac.uk/ financial-support

Part of the University of Bolton Group

6.

Parent Portal

As a parent/carer you have access to the Parent Portal system, an interactive online service you can use to review your young person’s progress during their time at College.

Parent Portal contains information on: • Personal details • Timetable • Attendance and punctuality • Subject reviews and SMART targets • Progress being made in all courses • Upcoming assessments • Times and dates of meetings • Intended progression details.

To access, you’ll need to register online using your young person’s Learner ID number. This can be found on the letter we sent when they started and it’s also on their College ID card.

Once your registration’s been approved an account will be created; this can take up to five working days.

Part of the University of Bolton Group

Guidance on setting up your account can be found here.

7.

Applying for university; writing a personal statement; sitting a job interview – in these situations, participation in our enrichment programme will prove that your young person is successful and well-rounded, with professional and technical skills outside of the classroom.

Your young person will benefit from four types of enrichment:

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES Our learners’ voices are heard through Departmental Learner Forums and College-wide Learner Voice Forums. These interactive meetings involve senior management, giving your young person the opportunity to represent their peers and discuss aspects of college life.

We’re the U pa so yo niversity o rt of ur yo f Bolt un o from g person n Group their will b enefi progr enrichm t ent amm e too !

STUDENT VOLUNTEERS The Bolton College Volunteering Group provides diverse volunteering opportunities. Our goal is to match your young person with a fitting project, allowing them to assist others, gain work experience, and build confidence and friendships.

DEPARTMENTAL ENRICHMENT • •

Specific to the curriculum your young person is studying, enhancing classroom learning Activities include inspiring trips, meetings with industry experts, and visits to leading companies.

CROSS-COLLEGE ENRICHMENT

T a

Mixing and making friends with students from other departments with activities and sports to improve health, wellbeing and fitness.

These activities fall into five categories:

Part of the University of Bolton Group

8.

A visit to Wella Studios in Manchester

A trip to the outdoor activity centre, The Anderton Centre

Baking and selling cakes for Macmillan

Transforming a children’s centre for Fortalice, charity supporting victims of domestic abuse

Volunteering at a College Open Event

Part of the University of Bolton Group

9.

Careers, Information, Advice & Guidance (CIAG) for a Successful Future!

Bolton College’s friendly CIAG Team provides individualised and group information, advice and guidance, supporting your young person to make informed choices about their future career.

CV checks; mock interviews and interview techniques; help with UCAS applications; a job-matching service; and one-to-one support sessions and more will help your young person to make decisions about what they do after College, whether that’s university or employment.

So far in Term 1, our CIAG Team has overseen: •

245 UCAS applications

•

Delivery of a Higher Education Fair, attended by nearly 40 universities!

If your young person would like help and support with their future choices, they can call in to our Student Experience Zone or call 01204 482 182.

Part of the University of Bolton Group

10.

first hurdle!

Why it’s so important to be in class on time...

We all know the importance of being on time for work and appointments, and helping our young people get into good habits is part of the life skills we teach…but there’s a much more important reason not to be late to class.

The opening ten minutes of the class is crucial to effective learning for the rest of the session. In the ‘opening phase’, the teacher consolidates the learning from the last class, links it to what will be taught in the session ahead and sets out what key elements of learning will be covered. It provides a road map for learning…without it, the late learner is like a ship without a rudder for the rest of the class.

So the next time your young person presses the snooze button, it would be great if you could go in there, switch the light on and remind them about the early bird…

Attendance and Reporting an Absence We appreciate your support in promoting the importance of good College attendance to your young person.

If your young person is going to be absent from College, please report this as early as possible by calling: 01204 482 999. The line is open Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm.

Part of the University of Bolton Group

11.

Key Contacts

Admissions 01204 482 155 admissions@boltoncc.ac.uk Apprenticeships 01204 482 033 apprenticeships@boltoncc.ac.uk Customer Support 01204 482 000 info@boltoncc.ac.uk Learner Support 01204 482 669 studentsupportadmins@boltoncc.ac.uk Student Finance 01204 482 191 studentfinance@boltoncc.ac.uk Student Experience Zone 01204 482 182 studentservices@boltoncc.ac.uk

Keep in touch with us on social media

Part of the University of Bolton Group

12.