Category: College News

Level 2 Carpentry and Joinery learner Glory Olanrewaju has presented her journey as a woman in construction to her classmates, showing a clear pathway for women in a typically male-dominated industry.

Glory’s presentation titled, ‘A Woman in Construction’ detailed how she first became interested in a more technical career path and what she has learned to date.

The presentation detailed:

• How different perspectives will create a more diverse and innovative workforce
• A team with a wider demographic can lead to enhanced problem solving
• Working in a diverse team can improve communication
• Embracing diversity can make teams for adaptable and agile
• Wider representation allows construction companies to work with a wider client base

She had a fascination for the designing and manufacturing process required to construct a building from a very young age. After exploring carpentry courses at the college, Glory was enthused by the College’s inclusive culture.

“I understand that an environment that is well diversified will always teach you new things and develop your mindset,” Glory said.

Glory has shared how previously she was burdened by peer pressure for not pursuing a career path considered more ‘feminine’ and has spoken to women already in the construction industry who have faced similar prejudices.

“This acted as a constant catalyst for me to not get swayed away from my childhood passion of working in the construction industry,” she said.

Glory is ambitious with her career goals, and wants to be seen as a trailblazer for women in the construction industry. She now has a vibrant LinkedIn presence which allows her to network with other construction professionals and allows her to speak to more women in construction about their experience and the need for greater inclusivity.

“There are times where I have to operate outside of my comfort zone, but this shows me the importance for greater inclusivity. I have learned to be direct and assertive when needed to gain the respect of my peers,” Glory commented.

Glory has also become an ambassador for Regeneration Brainery, a nationwide academy that gives young people more opportunities to explore careers in the property sector.

She concluded,

“Every step we take toward a more inclusive, diverse and equal construction industry is a step toward a better future. The challenges are real, but the opportunities are even greater.”

Hassan Rizvi, CEO & Principal at Stoke on Trent College said:

“We pride ourselves in being an inclusive college and it is great to see learners such as Glory leading the way for the future of women in construction.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• Stoke on Trent College serves up to 9000 students a year including young people, adults and apprentices. Working with a wide range of employers in key growth areas of the economy such as Digital, Construction, Engineering, STEM and Health and Social Care and more.
• The College also work with young adults who may have a special educational or additional need.
• A wide range of flexible and distance learning is provided by the College to individuals and businesses.

For all media enquiries, please contact marketing@stokecoll.ac.uk

Shipley College welcomed Anna Dixon MP as part of Colleges Week 2025.

The visit aimed to highlight the college’s “cutting-edge” learning facilities and its role as a health and social care training provider in the district.

During the visit, Ms Dixon met with students and staff, experiencing how Shipley College is equipping the next generation of healthcare professionals with practical skills and learning experiences.

The ‘immersive learning suite,’ a high-tech space that is designed to simulate real-world healthcare environments, was a key feature of the tour, demonstrating how students gain hands-on experience before entering the workforce.

A Shipley College spokesperson said: “We are proud to be leading the way in health education in our district.

“The demand for skilled healthcare professionals is growing, and we are committed to providing high-quality training that supports our local NHS and social care sector.”

The visit aligned with Colleges Week’s focus on how further education can help solve national skills shortages, particularly in health and social care.

 

Shipley College Marketing Department, 01274 327200, sdowns@shipley.ac.uk

Nottingham College has won the Outstanding Apprenticeship Programme Award, at the prestigious national Apprenticeships and Training Awards 2025.

Emtec Automotive Apprenticeships, which is part of Nottingham College, took home the honour, having beat off stiff competition from across the country.

Through its apprenticeship provision, Nottingham College welcomes more than 400 automotive apprentices through its doors every single year, and partners with over 180 leading employers nationally.

The accolade comes a year on from the college’s ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted inspection result for its residential apprenticeship provision at Ruddington, that sees students from across the UK come to the college for their training, with overnight and often weekly stays, in Nottingham.

The awards, ran jointly by FE Week and the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) and delivered in association with City & Guilds, drew in over 600 nominations across 20 categories.

The winners were announced at the annual apprenticeships and training conference (ATC) gala dinner on 11 March 2025 at Exhibition Centre Liverpool.

Finalists were selected by a 20-strong panel of judges, including AELP’s CEO Ben Rowland, apprenticeship influencer Holly Hobbs, former skills minister Anne Milton and UCAS head of apprenticeships Lindsay Conroy.

Lindsey Smith, Assistant Principal at Ruddington campus, said:

“I am extremely proud of this achievement. To be recognised for the exceptional teaching delivered at Nottingham College is so deserved and is testament to the hard work and dedication showcased by our teams, day in day out. At Nottingham College we are renowned nationally for our apprenticeships provision and now both our apprentices and partner employers can share our pride in this award win too.”

Shane Mann, chief executive of FE Week’s publisher EducationScape and chair of the ATA judging panel said: 

“Our winners are proof of the dedicated professionals in the sector and the excellent work that puts apprentices front and centre of their provision.”

Gower College Swansea has picked up two awards at the prestigious WorldSkills UK Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Heroes Awards in London.

The awards, which are sponsored by the University Vocational Awards Council (UVAC) and Skills and Education Group, recognise those championing diversity and inclusion in the education sector.

The College was successful in two categories:

Learning Area Manager for Built Environment, Hannah Pearce, won the Women in STEM Award, sponsored by The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry.

The Landscaping and Eco Construction team took home the Social Mobility Champion Award, sponsored by Skills and Education Group.

Hannah was recognised for her exceptional contribution to supporting and empowering women in the STEM sector, particularly within the construction and built environment industries. Over recent years, Hannah has demonstrated outstanding leadership in championing sustainable building practices and in advocating for greater female participation in traditionally male-dominated sectors.

Her passion for change has led her to an influential role as the Head of Built Environment at Gower College Swansea. In this capacity, she has instigated and developed community engagement programs through outreach initiatives, working closely with industry to create opportunities for placements and apprenticeships, including shared apprenticeship programs.

Furthermore, she has been pivotal in developing new curriculum pathways to align with the evolving technological demands of the industry, ensuring students are equipped with the skills needed for the future of construction.

The impact of Hannah’s dedication has been nothing short of transformative. Under her leadership, Gower College Swansea has seen a staggering 366% increase in female participation in the Built Environment courses in the 2023/24 academic year compared to the previous year. She was also named as one of the CITB’s Top 100 Most Influential Women in Construction for 2024.

The College’s Landscaping and Eco Construction Team has revolutionised education for young people at risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training) in recent years. Their journey began in 2019 with a pilot program which saw their learners successfully complete their qualifications and gain essential skills in resilience, organisation and teamwork.

The program’s success sparked the creation of an innovative ‘outdoor learning school’ which emphasises holistic learning and community networks, moving away from traditional unit assessments to hands-on projects with tangible outcomes. The team’s philosophy focuses on patience, care and compassion, enabling them to see beyond the curriculum and learners’ prior struggles. Their work has resulted in significant improvements in attendance and progression rates, with over 87% of learners advancing to higher levels every year.

Fast forward to 2024 and the team were able to move their learners into the Green Hwb at the College, a purpose-built space featuring a food production area, pond, polytunnel, orchard and, inside, brand new workrooms and art rooms.

“A huge congratulations to all the winners,” says Ben Blackledge, Chief Executive, WorldSkills UK. “We’ve been truly inspired by the incredible people and the powerful stories behind the nominations. Together with our partners, we’re committed to celebrating the individuals and organisations driving real change, and we’ll use their success to inspire even more opportunities for young people, from all backgrounds, to choose apprenticeships and technical education as a route to success in work and life.”

As part of Colleges Week 2025, Peterborough College welcomed Andrew Pakes MP to its Health & Social Care department to see first-hand how further education is supporting the NHS and social care sector.

During the visit, Andrew met students and staff in the College’s state-of-the-art hospital training room, where learners develop practical, hands-on skills to prepare them for careers in healthcare. With the NHS workforce remaining a national priority, the College’s curriculum ensures students leave education with the skills and experience needed to fill critical roles in the sector.

Rachel Nicholls, CEO of Inspire Education Group, commented, “At Peterborough College, we ensure our curriculum is aligned with both regional and national priorities. With the NHS workforce high on the government agenda, we are proud to play a role in developing the next generation of healthcare professionals. Our courses, including T Levels, provide students with hands-on experience that meets industry standards and prepares them for real-world careers in health and social care.”

Andrew Pakes, MP for Peterborough said,

“It was fantastic to visit Peterborough College and see the next generation of NHS and social care professionals in action. The students’ passion and dedication really stood out, and it’s clear the hands-on training they’re getting will set them up for success. With our health and care services under real pressure, we need to back further education and apprenticeships to make sure young people have the skills they need—and that our communities have the workforce they rely on. Colleges like this are at the heart of that effort, and I’ll keep making the case for more support and investment.”

T Level qualifications, which include a work placement component, equip students with practical experience and skills essential for their future careers. Having completed their placements in a real-life hospital setting at Peterborough City Hospital, students at Peterborough College are now well-prepared to meet the demands of the healthcare sector with confidence.

“Using the theory they’ve learnt at College and simulating it with real patients, alongside real hospital staff is a great opportunity for T Level Health students. Giving them this experience at such a young age is really beneficial for both the students and the NHS. If they go on to do nursing at university, they already have a head start” shared Rebecca Janaway, Assessor & Trainer and Lead HCA Facilitator at North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust.

The visit formed part of Colleges Week, a national campaign that highlights the vital role of further education in shaping the future workforce.

Castleford College’s Automotive students have benefited from a generous equipment donation from one of the UK’s leading sustainable waste management companies, Biffa.

 

Chris Williams and Richard Hoyland from Biffa recently visited the College’s Automotive Department to donate the DAF LV truck, which was previously used to empty bins on the A1’s laybys.

 

The addition of the truck to the Department’s extensive fleet of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) and Large Good Vehicles (LGV), ensures that its learners can train on industry-standard equipment which is used out in the field.

 

Biffa currently employs two of Castleford College’s Level 3 HGV Apprentices, Bailey and Nathan, who are currently progressing through their three-year programmes.

 

Richard Hoyland, Biffa Regional Fleet Manager for Yorkshire and East Midlands, said: “We’re great advocates of apprenticeships at Biffa and are continuously looking for ways to support apprentices coming through the industry. We hope that the donation of the DAF LV truck will enhance Bailey, Nathan and other apprentices’ learning, enabling them to practice and further develop their service and maintenance knowledge.”

Greg Clark, Head of Engineering and Automotive at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group said: “Donations such as these are incredibly valuable to our department and are vital in helping to train the mechanics of the future. This will enable our apprentices and learners to hone their skills when it comes to inspecting and repairing HGVs, which will prepare them for a range of roles in the industry.”

 

Castleford College offers a variety of apprenticeships across a wide range of sectors, providing businesses a route to harness fresh talent, whilst enabling students to earn as they learn.

The marketing efforts of the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group were recognised on a national scale as part of the College Marketing Network’s FE First Awards.

The FE First Awards celebrates the achievements of marketing teams and individuals in colleges and sixth forms from across the country. The prestigious event is highly regarded in the sector and is the only awards to solely celebrate marketing in the further education arena.

Hosted at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Birmingham, the awards were presented by Baasit Siddiqui who rose to fame after appearing on Gogglebox.

Acknowledging the success of the Group’s Open Events, colleagues from the Group’s Marketing & Creative Team were awarded the Silver Award for Events Management (sponsored by Student CRM).

Following the merger of Selby College and Wakefield College in March 2022, the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group’s Open Events were reimagined to reflect the Group’s newly unified brand, including the elevation of Castleford College to full college status.

Through a multi-channel marketing campaign, the Group’s Marketing Team leveraged both digital and in-person channels to effectively reach prospective school leavers, adult learners, apprentices and higher education students.

This resulted in a huge 19% increase in visitors of prospective learners and overall student numbers for 23/24 grew by 879 from the previous year – achieving a 9.1% rise in student numbers, representing a growth of £3.4million in funding.

The Group’s Marketing & Creative Team were also Highly Commended for the Team of the Year award (sponsored by Gray Manning & Partners), acknowledging their efforts post-merger to combine their skills and knowledge to become a collaborative, high-performing and results-driven team.

Covering a vast remit, the Department includes marketing, communications, PR, campaigns, web development, social media, events, videography, design and printing. The structure and skillset of the Team ensures that it can deliver an end-to-end service, right from the initial ideas stage to copywriting, designing and printing. 

The Team has also recently been shortlisted for the Marketing Excellence Award and the Team of the Year Award at the Goole and Howdenshire Business Awards 2025.

Lorraine Cross, Group Executive Director for External Partnerships, Skills and Apprenticeships at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, said: “It’s fantastic to have the efforts and hard work of our Marketing & Creative Team acknowledged at such a prestigious event in the sector. The Team has worked cohesively since the start of the merger, combining their expertise and vast skillset to deliver targeted and effective marketing campaigns which have raised the profile of the organisation and achieved a significant increase in our Open Event attendee numbers and our overall student numbers. This has been integral to the success of the merger and our future growth as an organisation.” 

Secretary of State for the Home Department and Member of Parliament (MP) for Pontefract, Castleford, Knottingley and Altofts, Rt Hon Yvette Cooper, visited Castleford College last week to see the progress of its brand-new construction facilities.

Principal and Chief Executive, Sam Wright and Local College Director, Steve Harrison, provided the Home Secretary with a tour of the development, which aims to provide a large space for students from a range of construction disciplines to enhance their learning using new innovative technologies.

The development is an expansion of the College’s existing construction facilities that feature state-of-the-art brickwork, carpentry and electrical workshops, which Yvette also visited.

The Home Secretary spoke to learners about their experience at the College and how their qualifications are preparing them for a range of careers in construction.

Yvette Cooper said: “Castleford College’s new building dedicated to training and apprenticeships is a great opportunity for local young people. The College is becoming a real centre for excellence for construction skills at a time when we need more young people starting apprenticeships. It’s great to see the college going from strength to strength and supporting good quality local jobs.”

During her tour, the Home Secretary also stopped by the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group’s Curriculum Stakeholder Event which invites local and national employers and partners to help shape the Group’s curriculum strategy.

Fruitful discussions were had with employers such as Ardagh Group, Crompton Controls, His Majesty’s Prison Service and more, about how the Group can align its curriculum with industry demands – helping to meet local, regional and national skills needs.

Sam Wright said: “Developing an education offer which is responsive to the skills needs of our region is incredibly important to us at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group. That is why we regularly engage with external stakeholders to help shape our curriculum and continuously invest in our facilities to create realistic and immersive learning environments for our students. It was a pleasure to be able to demonstrate this to the Home Secretary and to further discuss how the College can support skills development in our district.”

With strong ties to the College, Yvette officiated the launch of Castleford College in November 2022 after it was granted official College status in March earlier that year, following the formation of the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group.

Two Sixth Form students from Selby College have been offered places at one of the UK’s top universities, the University of Oxford.

An aspiring Lawyer, Henry Toye, who is currently studying A Levels in Biology, Business and Mathematics at the College, has been offered a place to study Law at Oxford University. Fellow A Level student Ben Nelson, who is studying Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Further Mathematics, has gained a place to study Chemistry.

Ben said: “I chose to study these A Level subjects because I knew they would help me to get into my dream university. My tutors have been incredibly supportive of my university applications and even held one-to-one sessions where we would go over my personal statement and practice mock interviews.”

Henry said: “The A Level tutors at Selby College really care about your progression and are always encouraging you to do well. This includes taking part in extra-curricular activities such as the Intermediate Biology Olympiad competition, which helped to expand my knowledge and understanding of Biology.”

15 students took part in the Intermediate Biology Olympiad 2024 competition, which saw three students take home Silver medals and two students win Bronze medals.

Karen Ralphs, Head of A Levels and Applied Science at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, said: “Being offered a place to study at one of Britain’s top universities is an extraordinary achievement and I hope Ben and Henry are incredibly proud of themselves. This is a testament to the hard work and determination they’ve shown throughout their studies, as well as the high-quality teaching and support of our fantastic A Level tutors who have paved the way for their academic and personal success.”

Selby College’s Mentoring for Excellence programme has helped many of its students attain places at Britain’s top universities, including Durham University, the University of Oxford and Cambridge.  

After achieving A*s in English Language, Maths and Biology, former student Emily Morbey secured a place to study Human Sciences at the University of Oxford and later progressed on to a Master of Philosophy in Population Health Sciences degree at the University.

Reaching even higher levels of academia, Emily is now studying a PhD in Genetic Epidemiology at the University of Cambridge.

In 2024, Selby College achieved a remarkable 99.5% pass rate across its A Level programmes, with many of its students securing places at Russell Group universities including the University of Leeds, the University of Manchester and the Newcastle University.

15 out of 16 of the College’s A Level programmes achieved a 100% pass rate including Art & Design, Biology, Chemistry, English Literature, Geography, History, Mathematics, Law, Psychology and more, with 39% of students securing high grades (A*/A/B).

As part of its commitment in creating an inclusive workplace and learning environment, the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group has been awarded the Investors in Diversity accreditation by the National Centre for Diversity.

The Group has achieved the Bronze accreditation, which highlights its dedication to embedding the national FREDIE framework into its organisational systems, including its policies and procedures.

FREDIE stands for Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement and is designed to create a truly inclusive culture.

Sam Wright, Principal and Chief Executive Officer at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, said: “Inclusion is far more than a word, it’s what defines us as an organisation. That is why it’s one of our core values and is something which I see our staff live and breath every day in their work. We have strong foundations in place and achieving the Inclusion in Diversity accreditation is a testament to our efforts in creating an inclusive community for our learners and staff. We look forward to building on this as we strive to achieve the Silver accreditation, ensuring our employees voices are heard and that we understand everyone’s experiences and how we can improve them.”

To introduce the FREDIE framework to its staff, the Group held a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) day which included a range of sessions that sparked curiosity, inspired learning and encouraged meaningful conversations around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).

Founder and Chief Executive Officer at the National Centre for Diversity, Solat Chaudhary, also delivered engaging sessions on how to make inclusion safe again.

Solat, said: “FREDIE has the power to completely transform organisations when it’s embedded into workplace cultures, and it was great to be able to demonstrate its effectiveness at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group’s CPD day. As it’s a national benchmark, it gives organisations something to strive for and compare themselves to, providing them with insights into key strengths and areas that require further development. We’re delighted that the Group has achieved the Bronze accreditation and our team will be working closely with them in the next stages of their FREDIE journey, empowering them to achieve Silver and one day, Gold.”

Reinforcing its commitment to excellence, inclusivity, and continuous growth, the Group has also signed the Association of College’s (AoC) Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Charter.

As part of this, the Group is encouraged to create an inclusive culture and value diversity when developing its policies and practices.