Meet the Team - Business Partnership Team

We are also working actively with a number of partners across the city in order to learn from their plans, initiatives and actions. Already our student union is planning joint events with the SUs from UWE and the University of Bristol, and we’ve joined a number of cross-city initiatives including the Bristol Green Capital Partnership and the COP26 Steering Group, part of Bristol City Council’s plans to help tackle climate change. We also hope to be working more closely with organisations such as the Bristol Natural History Consortium, so we can be involved in community-based projects across Bristol.

Working in partnership with other organisations, and working together, staff and students as one College, we hope to make a real impact and a real contribution to this vitally important issue.

Please do take this opportunity to get involved; your views and contributions will help shape our policies and actions over the coming months.

For further information please contact Joanne.Ward@cityofbristol.ac.uk or

Richard.Harris@cityofbristol.ac.uk

co-Chairs of the Sustainability Steering Group.

Meet the team -

Business Partnership Team

The College employs more than 800 members of staff across its many departments, both professional and curriculum, and we want to use College Voice to introduce you to some of those teams. In this edition, we meet the Business Partnership Team.

Simon Arnold

Director of Business and Commercial Partnerships

How long have you been at the College?

I joined the College as a consultant in August 2019, became Managing Director of Partners in Bristol (PiB) in February 2020 and joined SLT as the above role in January 2021.

What do you do? I work across both PiB and the College developing commercial strategy and strategic partnerships. We are looking to position both PiB and City of Bristol College as the key provider of skills to support the post-Covid recovery in the city of Bristol. This strategy is designed to support the needs of individuals and businesses, and involves both apprenticeships and adult skills.

Paul Rogers

Key Account Manager (Levy)

How long have you been at the College?

I started in January 2019 although I have known the College for more than 20 years as a customer.

What do you do?

My role is a very new role for the College, having only started in January 2021, and represents a very business-focused approach to our larger employers. As I’m sure most people know, a large ‘levy’ paying organisation is any company whose payroll bill is in excess of £3million per annum. In my role I’m working with these organisations to see how the College can provide a one-stop solution to their various training and development needs. This may include focused commercial courses all the way through to apprenticeships, as well as work placement opportunities for our College learners.

Joanne Van

Business Development Consultant

How long have you been at the College? I will have been here for 10 years in August.

What do you do?

My job is to engage with employers and sell them the benefits of taking on an apprentice, and open up other opportunities to them as to how they can work with City of Bristol College. I work with them to identity suitable job roles, programmes of study, and ensure they understand their responsibility as an apprentice employer as well as talking them through the paperwork, funding, and financial support available.

Tell us a quirky fact.

I open climbed Mount Elbrus in Russia, the highest mountain in Europe.

Sam Hopwood

Client Admin Team Leader

How long have you been at the College?

12 years.

What do you do?

Supporting admin team to process apprenticeship vacancies and promote apprenticeships. Offering information, advice and guidance to employers, general public, parents and College staff. Answering the phone, replying to emails. Organising training, team meetings, ensuring apprenticeship vacancies are being processed in a timely manner and that all are allocated. Building relationships with employers, assessors and Heads of Department. Ensuring data is monitored and reported correctly and shared. Creating enrolments from apprenticeships and get the right apprentice to the right employer.

Tell us a quirky fact. I was evacuated by the bomb squad in an emergency while managing a residential trip in the Brecon Beacons and was put up in a nice hotel in Cardiff – we were allowed to return to the cabin after three days!

Workforce Advisor

How long have you been at the College?

3 months.

What do you do?

I liaise with construction SMEs to increase their understanding of education opportunities in the sector.

Tell us a quirky fact. I am carrying out a wing-walk in the summer for Dorothy House.

Bonnie Smith

Client Administrative Coordinator

How long have you been at the College?

14 years

What do you do?

My main role is to recruit learners into apprenticeships, which involves liaison with potential learners, existing learners, employers and wider College staff along with doing all the associated paperwork that comes along with that.

Tell us a quirky fact.

I once shook hands with David Bowie.

Christina Hill

Client Administrator

How long have you been at the College?

24 years

What do you do?

I facilitate the process of recruitment of apprentices in a similar role to Bonnie.

Tell us a quirky fact.

I have a Monica (from Friends) approach to cleaning.

Clare Vertigen

Managing Director of the South West Apprenticeship Company (SWAC)

How long have you been at the College?

23 years with SWAC, and working with the College on the local skills agenda and apprenticeship for the past 15 years.

What do you do?

I am quite hands-on in the business and involved in every aspect of SWAC from director meetings, to visiting companies to discuss skills needs, through to interviewing candidates and making cups of tea! I also support the College and our larger levy paying hosts with their apprenticeship programmes – always looking to continuously improve processes and skills.

Tell us a quirky fact.

I once had afternoon tea in the Centre Room at Buckingham Palace – that’s the room with the famous balcony.

Sally Conlon

Business Development Manager (SWAC)

How long have you been at the College?

Four years

What do you do?

I work with employers across the South West to support them with starting apprenticeship programmes and finding the best qualifications to fit the roles they have. I also work very closely with the apprenticeship team at the college to support them with incoming enquiries from SMEs in and around Bristol.

Tell us a quirky fact. When I am not working I am either walking the giant dog I own or in the gym boxing!

SWAC Apprenticeship Recruitment Officer

How long have you been at the College?

Five years this month

What do you do?

I started with SWAC as the Recruitment Apprentice in 2016. Since then, my role has changed massively! Not only do I handle the recruitment of apprentices, I also mentor the apprentices in their work place to ensure that they are happy, progressing well within work and their qualification, and regularly reviewing their performance.

Tell us a quirky fact. I am currently saving for my first house with my boyfriend (and a puppy but don’t tell him that!)

Shelley Mills

SWAC Operations Manager

How long have you been at the College?

13 years

What do you do?

I keep SWAC running smoothly. I deal with all SWAC staff and apprentice HR, Finance and general administration. I create forms, spreadsheets, databases, keep on top of rules and regulations, protocols, organise meetings and everything else in between!

Tell us a quirky fact.

I played hockey for England schoolgirls on a tour of Holland