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To continue to deliver an excellent service to its students and stakeholders, the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group has launched a brand-new intuitive website for its three Colleges – creating an engaging and interactive user experience.

Designed to create a responsive and immersive experience for all users, the new website is mobile-friendly, has improved functionality, simplified navigation and enhanced accessibility.

With a greater emphasis on visuals, videos and 360 tours, users can immersive themselves into the state-of-the-art campuses of the Group’s three Colleges, explore its vast range of courses, meet its current and former students and learn more about College life.

All three of the Group’s Colleges – Castleford College, Selby College and Wakefield College – have an area on the new website which been designed with new and prospective students in mind, offering them an easy and engaging way to find a course which suits them, as well as the progression routes and career opportunities available.

Users can simply choose what course they are interested in from the Group’s range of A Levels, T Levels, Vocational Courses, Apprenticeships, Higher Education, Adult Learning and Professional Courses, and apply in one streamlined process.

Sam Wright, Principal and Chief Executive at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, said: “Creating an excellent experience for our students and stakeholders is a key priority for us at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group and our online presence plays a key role in this. As part of our website redevelopment project, our aim was to create something which would embody the Group’s values and bring our vision a to life in a more captivating way, enabling prospective students to truly understand what it’s like to be a student at one of our Colleges, as well as for employers to see first-hand how we can work with them to enhance their business. We hope our new website will also create a sense of place and familiarity for our existing students where they can keep up to date with the latest information and news.”

Current students will be able to explore the website to learn about all aspects of College life including term dates, enrichment, exams, events, student support and wellbeing, the Students’ Union and the latest College news.

Prospective students and parents can also find all the information they need about starting College, such as what different course types and levels mean, how to apply, financial support, transport and more. They can also browse through the College’s various prospectuses, register for Open Events and hear from previous students regarding their experience at their chosen College.

The websites also have dedicated spaces for employers and schools, ensuring easy access to the latest content and news of interest to them.

Alongside the Group’s Marketing Department, the website has been designed by qlue, a creative and website agency which has over 15 years’ experience in developing tailored web solutions for the Further Education sector.

Suzie Doherty, Head of Marketing & Admissions said about the project: “The way in which we interact online is constantly evolving, so it was incredibly important to us that our new websites have a modern and mobile friendly design which creates an immersive experience for our users, whilst being accessible for all. For prospective students, visiting one of our College websites is usually the first interaction they have with us, so we wanted to ensure they could easily navigate across the site to find a course and apply, as well as find all the additional information they may need.”

The Group has coincided the launch of its new website with its brand-new School Leaver Prospectuses for 2025-2026, with its School Liaison Team delivering presentations to Year 11s across the region in the coming months.

The Group’s brand-new website is now live at: www.heartofyorkshire.ac.uk

Mike Ward, a Carpentry and Joinery lecturer at Cambria’s Bersham Road site in Wrexham, has spent years designing and building furniture, planters, sheds and more for educators across the area.

This time it was the turn of The Rofft School in Marford, which has a unique outdoor learning environment for the Explorer Nursery and Reception and Resource Provision thanks to the talented tutor and his students.

Mike has created a classroom complete with seating, a gazebo, shelter, a reading den, stage, activity boards for the learning support unit (LSU) and an array of timber facilities welcomed by staff and children.

“These are some of the most recent additions and we also built several items last year, including wigwams, fences and a shed, so this was stage two of the project,” he said.

“It was a pleasure to be able to help as outdoor learning is so important – I’m glad they like it and hope the children enjoy their lessons in this new space.”

Teacher Emma Roberts thanked Mike and the college for their help over the years.

“The children, staff and parents at The Rofft School are delighted with the support we have received from Coleg Cambria in helping us develop our outdoor learning environments,” said Emma.

“They have completely transformed them and literally brought the children’s ideas to life!”

She added: “Without their support we would not have been able to provide the large-scale structures that the children asked for and now use daily.

“We feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to tap into the skills of the fantastic tutors and students at Coleg Cambria, we now have a fabulous provision for the children to develop a wide range of literacy, numeracy and topic-based skills.

“We hope to continue the partnership to further enhance the outdoor learning environments across our Progression Step departments, which will also give their learners the opportunity to use the skills they’ve learned in college in a real environment – they have been able to make a huge difference in the community.”

The Rofft School’s next project will be a kitchen garden, and Mike and the team are already busy making planters and coming up with fresh ideas for the space.

Visit www.cambria.ac.uk for more news and information from Coleg Cambria.

For more on The Rofft School, visit the website: Home | The Rofft School.

The Bigger Boat Challenge – referencing the 1975 movie hit, Jaws – could be the toughest yet for Karl Jackson and his Coleg Cambria colleagues.

Taking place over two days from Friday October 25, the 12-strong team from the college’s Bersham Road site in Wrexham will kayak around two lakes and hike a 22-kilometre route across Gwynedd and Powys in aid of Dementia UK.

“Every year we try and come up with unique, adrenaline-fuelled activities that will test our limits while, more importantly, raising as much money as we can for incredible causes,” he said.

“This one will see us battle the elements, cover many kilometres on foot and take to the water in kayaks on two of North Wales’s biggest lakes.

“The team and I are training hard already but I’m sure as always the weather and route we are taking will throw up a few surprises!”

This is the latest in a series of adventures led by Karl; in recent years he and fellow Cambria staff have completed the Skye is the Limit Challenge, the Welsh Three Peaks and the Crazy 7 for Stepping Stones North Wales and collected more than £1,000 for Menstrual Health Project (MHP) by completing the Cairngorm 4000s, a three-day hike across 4,000ft+ mountains in Scotland’s eastern highlands.

He and lecturer Paul Standring also conquered the four-day Freezing Fingers expedition in bleak, wintry conditions over the Rhinogydd mountain range in Snowdonia.

This time, the Cambria cohort will begin at the tip of Bala Lake before paddling in teams of two for more than 6km. They will then walk to Lake Vyrnwy, including a 700m woodland ascent over difficult terrain.

After camping for the night, the pairs will return to their kayaks for another paddle, this time around the perimeter of the lake in extremely cold and windy conditions, which will take up to three hours.

“We are fortunate to always receive so much support for our charity escapades, and I’m sure this time will be no different,” said Karl.

“It’s going to be cold, wet, incredibly windy and risky at times, but we will be well prepared and ready to take on whatever comes our way.

“We are doing this for Dementia UK, an incredible organisation that does so much good for people all over the country – thank you in advance for helping us to help them.”

Dementia UK is the specialist dementia nursing charity that is there for the whole family. Its nurses – known as ‘Admiral Nurses’ – provide free, specialist advice, support and understanding to anyone affected by the condition, whenever it is needed.

Every day, Admiral Nurses help people affected by dementia have the best life possible for as long as possible. They are there when people need them most, providing health advice, offering compassionate emotional, and psychological support.

Joanna Sullivan, Head of Community Fundraising, Events and Innovation at Dementia UK, said: “We are so grateful to Karl and his colleagues at Coleg Cambria for taking on this inspiring challenge for Dementia UK.

“One in two of us will be affected by dementia in our lifetime – either by caring for someone with the condition, developing it ourselves, or both. It can be exhausting and overwhelming, not only for the person with dementia, but also for the people caring for them, and their wider family and friends.

“Thanks to the hard work of our amazing fundraisers like Karl and his colleagues, more families than ever will be able to access the life-changing support offered by our Admiral Nurses.”

Visit Home – Dementia UK for more on the charity.

To sponsor The Bigger Boat Challenge, visit www.justgiving.com/page/karl-jackson-1726470628182

United Colleges Group (UCG) are delighted to announce that one of its students has been awarded a Medallion for Excellence at WorldSkills Lyon 2024.

Mark Kiss, from College of North West London (CNWL), part of UCG, reached the world standard mark of 700 points in his Web Technologies category to win the prestigious medallion after four days of gruelling competition from September 10-15.

The 19-year-old was selected to compete alongside 30 other Team UK members across skills disciplines including cyber security, renewable energy, digital construction, cooking, hairdressing and painting and decorating.

And Mark and his team-mates certainly didn’t disappoint! By demonstrating their world-class skills on the global stage and delivering a strong response to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s message to rebuild Britain, they were recognised as among the most skilled young people in the world by leading global industry experts.

More than 1,500 young people from 69 countries competed in 62 different skills at WorldSkills Lyon, with the event attracting around 250,000 spectators.

WorldSkills UK, a four nations partnership between education, industry and UK governments, uses the insight it gains from participating in the international WorldSkills Competition to embed world-class training standards across the UK.

Pearson, the world’s lifelong learning company is the official partner of Team UK for WorldSkills Lyon 2024.

Stephen Davis, Group Principal and CEO, United Colleges Group, said: “United Colleges Group takes great pride in Mark’s incredible performance at WorldSkills 2024 – his achievements during the past year are fantastic and have now been recognised on a global stage.

“Mark’s hard work and aspirations are proving to be an inspiration to students across our college and we are sure more success will follow in the years ahead.”

Baroness Jacqui Smith, Minister for Skills, said: “As we close this incredible WorldSkills competition, I want to congratulate everyone involved. You’ve all showcased exceptional skill, dedication, and creativity, proving that the future is in capable hands.

“Everyone competing in WorldSkills has demonstrated their potential as future leaders and innovators. We want to support everyone across the country to access opportunity, no matter who they are or where they’re from.

“A big thank you to the judges, mentors, and organisers. Your efforts make this all possible. Let’s continue to put skills at the heart of our vision for Britain.”

Ben Blackledge, Chief Executive, WorldSkills UK said: “This is a fantastic result for the team and the UK as a whole.

“High-quality skills development is crucial to growing the economy, and Team UK’s medal-winning performance in front of a global audience sends a strong message that the UK is a world-class place to invest, develop talent and create jobs.”

Dr Allison Gardner, MP for Stoke-on-Trent South was quizzed by learners from Stoke on Trent College, during a roundtable discussion on Apprenticeships.

Dr Gardner visited the Burslem campus on Friday (20 September). Her visit included a tour of the facilities, including the state-of-the-art Advanced Construction Centre which opened earlier this year, before joining a discussion with Construction and Business Apprentices and key College Apprenticeship partners Unitas and Stoke-on-Trent City Council. The visit also included a delicious afternoon tea prepared by Catering and Hospitality students.

Carson Powell Painting and Decorating apprentice Robbie Fereday was part of the event and enjoyed meeting Dr. Gardner, having recently been nominated for the L2 Construction Apprentice of the Year at the Construction Apprenticeship Awards 2024.

Lisa Capper MBE, CEO & Principal at Stoke on Trent College said:

“We were delighted to welcome Dr Allison Gardner MP to our Burslem campus to see the range of industry-leading facilities we offer for students and to hear about how apprentices from the College have advanced in their chosen career paths.”

Steven Michael, Assistant Principal Skills & Apprenticeships at Stoke on Trent College added:

“It was fantastic to speak to Dr Allison Gardner MP about all of our apprenticeship provision across the College. We are thrilled to be working with a number of key partners to deliver key apprenticeships and help support skills gaps identified by the Local Skills Improvement Plan.”

To find out more about apprenticeship opportunities available at Stoke on Trent College please visit – https://stokecoll.ac.uk/apprenticeships-2/

ENDS

Notes to Editor

• Stoke on Trent College serves up to 8000 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  

The College Marketing Network (CMN) is thrilled to announce its 2024/25 series of online workshops, commencing on 25 September 2024. This series is designed to empower marketing professionals within the education sector with cutting-edge strategies, tools, and insights to enhance their marketing efforts and adapt to the evolving landscape of digital communication.

Series Highlights:

• Expert-Led Sessions: Gain valuable insights from industry leaders and experts who bring a wealth of experience and knowledge in education marketing.
• Comprehensive Topics: Covering a wide range of topics, including social media strategy, digital advertising, content creation, SEO, data analytics, and more.
• Interactive Learning: Engage in interactive sessions that encourage participation, discussion, and real-time Q&A, ensuring a rich learning experience.
• Flexible Scheduling: Workshops are scheduled to accommodate the busy lives of professionals, with sessions available both live and on-demand for convenience.

“We are excited to offer this series as a way to support the continued professional development of marketing professionals in the education sector,” said Emma Wilde, Executive Director, College Marketing Network. “These workshops are designed to provide practical, actionable insights that participants can immediately apply in their roles, helping them stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing digital landscape.”

Schedule & Registration: The workshop series will run on Wednesday mornings from September 2024 to July 2025. Each session is crafted to address the specific challenges and opportunities faced by college marketers today.

Exclusively for CMN members, invitations to these workshops are sent by email directly to your inbox.

Not a Member? Join Today!

If you’re not yet a member of the College Marketing Network, now is the perfect time to join. Membership provides access to these exclusive workshops, along with a host of other benefits including networking opportunities, industry insights, and exclusive content tailored for marketing professionals in the education sector.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your skills and connect with a community of peers and experts. And for just one membership fee, your whole marketing team gain access to all the CMN benefits and support.

The College Marketing Network (CMN), the leading association for marketing professionals in the Further Education (FE) sector, is proud to announce its comprehensive rebrand, marking an exciting new chapter for the organisation. The refreshed brand is not only a visual transformation but also a reflection of CMN’s renewed mission: to foster a dynamic environment where collaboration fuels innovation and growth for its members.

The rebrand was spearheaded by Emma Wilde, CMN’s Executive Director, who brings her passion for creativity back to the forefront. Despite having focused her career on senior marketing roles for over 15 years, Emma began her journey as a graphic designer and remains a qualified expert in the field. Her design expertise, paired with deep sector knowledge, has brought a contemporary feel to CMN’s new look, ensuring it aligns with the evolving needs of FE marketing professionals.

“Our rebrand is about more than just aesthetics; it’s about embodying the essence of what CMN stands for today. We are committed to building a strong community of marketing professionals who can share knowledge, grow, and innovate together,” Emma explained. “This new direction reflects our dedication to providing the tools, support, and opportunities our members need to excel, drive success, and make lasting connections within the FE sector.”

The rebrand extends across all CMN platforms, including the flagship CMN Conference, regular CMN Workshops, and the prestigious FE First Awards. Each of these events will now be infused with the fresh, modern look that embodies CMN’s forward-thinking approach, as well as the core values of collaboration, professional growth, and support.

The refreshed logo, colour palette, and overall brand identity aim to communicate CMN’s forward-thinking approach and the spirit of collaboration that underpins its mission. This rebrand is just the beginning, as CMN continues to expand its services to ensure its members are equipped to meet the unique challenges of today’s education marketing landscape.

CMN invites its members and partners to explore the new look and join in celebrating this milestone, which signifies the Network’s continued commitment to professional development, shared growth, and innovation within the FE sector.

Our Mission

To connect marketing professionals within the Further Education sector, fostering a dynamic environment where collaboration fuels innovation and growth. We are dedicated to building a community that thrives on shared knowledge, professional development, and enduring relationships. By providing our members with the tools, support, and opportunities they need, we empower them to excel and drive success in their institutions and beyond.

Times are changing and so is City of Bristol College. The college is now propelling itself into the future with a fresh perspective, all whilst retaining its focus on providing the city of Bristol and wider region with quality education and pathways into productive careers.   

An entirely new brand was unveiled last week for the college. A move towards the future, introducing a plethora of vibrant colours and themes to reflect the true vibrancy of their student cohort, alumni, staff and stakeholders.  

Following the awarding of a ‘Good’ Ofsted rating in January 2023, City of Bristol College have continued a journey towards educational excellence and are delighted to update their branding to reflect this new direction.   

Alongside the bold new branding launch, the college also showcased their new 5-year strategy with the accompanying tagline ‘Where Next?’, embracing their purpose as the catalyst for improving regional productivity through the delivery of education and skills.  

Speaking of the highly anticipated launch, Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Julia Gray commented:  

“It’s an exciting time for City of Bristol College. We are extremely proud of our work so far; this is a testament to the dedication of our hard-working staff and students. Building on this, we are channelling our new positive energy into a new strategy to deliver our ambitious goals for our region. 

“Alongside the launch of our new strategy, we have completely rebranded and are excited to share our new identity. We continue to invest in the college and are happy to showcase this new branding on all campuses, including at our recently refurbished College Green Centre.”   

The 5-year strategy is in place to ensure that the college is continually improving the quality of service and delivery of skills and academic education to the city and wider community.  

City of Bristol College have also recently completely refurbished key areas of their city centre campus, the College Green Centre, thanks to a £10 million grant from the Department for Education.  The refurbishment at the College Green Centre introduces a multitude of improvements and sets the scene for what’s to come for the college giving students, staff and employers the facilities they rightly deserve to inspire educational excellence.  

The exciting developments have provided a brand new, welcoming reception, student services facility, multi-use careers and exhibition space, plus a new outdoor seating area for students to socialise in alongside the addition of a Costa Coffee on site.   

City of Bristol College proudly launched the new branding, refurbished centre and 5-year strategy at a launch event on Thursday 12 September.   

City leaders and stakeholders were welcomed to tour the new campus and hear about the new strategy from Principal and CEO Julia Gray and new Chair of Governors, Phil Smith, during the event that showcased the fresh college direction and introduced the ‘Where Next’ vision, along with those who were instrumental in the development and execution of the new approach. 

Fashion and Textiles students from Wakefield College have launched an exhibition at Wakefield Museum with British heritage shirt company, Double TWO.

The exhibition, which will be open until May 2025, celebrates the rich history of the Double TWO shirt company, founded in 1940, which became globally renowned for the shirts’ replacement collars and cuffs.

Wakefield Council Museums contacted the Art & Design department at Wakefield College, proposing an opportunity to work with the students on the new exhibition at the museum to celebrate the history of the Double TWO shirt company. 

They were keen to involve the Wakefield College students as he believed they would have a view on current fashion.  And by involving young people in projects, it would introduce them to their heritage and museums and get their take on fashion. 

Cllr Hannah Appleyard, Wakefield Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport said: “We are so lucky to have such talented fashion students who have been inspired by our city and the museum archive . They have a fresh perspective on textiles and have created stunning shirts. We’re really pleased that visitors will be able to come see and enjoy their work in our building. We hope to work with the students again on upcoming projects.” 

The shirt designs produced by the students honour the history of Wakefield and are each inspired by the students’ unique experiences living in the city.  Their work is exhibited by Wakefield Museum in a case in the atrium of Wakefield One and on the wall of Create café, which is open Monday – Friday 8:45am – 3pm.

Sally Poskitt, Lecturer in Art & Design, said: “I believe it’s important to challenge the students and encourage their creativity with projects like these as the textile and fashion industry is fast moving and requires high standards. This project has given the students a chance to exhibit their work in a gallery which is a rare opportunity for College students. They should all feel a sense of pride seeing their work in a public space and I hope that this will encourage them to strive for success in the future.”

An opening celebration event was held in June which gave the College tutors, students and their friends and family a private viewing of the exhibition whilst enjoying some light refreshments.

The Textiles Department has worked with external clients before and has more plans next year to work with the museum again with the project still to be discussed.

The students will also be working on a separate project with Community Foundation Wakefield District on the theme of ‘Rhubarb’ – a collection of garments which are expected to be part of a fashion show in February 2025.

If you would like to learn more about the Art & Design department at Wakefield College, please visit: Wakefield College – Art, Design & Photography  

A Response Officer for Staffordshire Police has thanked his ‘passionate’ former lecturers at Stoke on Trent College for helping him secure a career in public services.

Antoni Sadula studied Level 3 Public Services at the college between 2017 and 2019, and has since joined the local police force in Leek, covering part of the Staffordshire Moorlands.

Antoni, has now become the latest person to join the Made at Stoke on Trent College alumni network, which brings together and celebrates the achievements of former students, with the aim of inspiring current learners.

He was always keen to go into public services, with visits from the military and Staffordshire Police during his studies, reaffirming his passion to move into public sector work.

Antoni had ambitions to join the RAF as a pilot but decided to join Staffordshire Police following the completion of his course in 2019. He was also part of Challenge South Africa, the college’s flagship enrichment programme, in his final year studying; which was an unforgettable experience for him.

Antoni Sadula, Response Officer at Staffordshire Police said:

“I think the extracurricular provided by the college is what made it stand out. I was part of Challenge South Africa in 2019, and that was one of the highlights from my college years. The teachers were really passionate about teaching public services.

Having recently completed a 3-year apprenticeship degree with Staffordshire Police as part of his role, Antoni has ambitions to move into different areas of the force.

“At the moment I am a Response Officer, and I’m hoping to move into the tactical side with dogs, firearms and traffic or potentially Empass, which is the police helicopters and observe on that, so when there is a pursuit, I will be giving instructions to the ground.”

Lisa Capper MBE, CEO & Principal at Stoke on Trent College said:

“It’s really exciting to have Antoni join our Made at Stoke on Trent College alumni network. His story will resonate with our Public Services learners and show them what they can achieve here at Stoke on Trent College.”

Dave Hopley, Assistant Principal Student Experience said:

“It’s fantastic to hear inspiring stories from people such as Antoni, who have taken forward skills they have learned at Stoke on Trent College and gone on to thrive in their chosen career path.”

Former students who wish to become part of the Made at Stoke on Trent College alumni network can sign up now here – https://stokecoll.ac.uk/alumni/

Notes to Editor

• Stoke on Trent College serves up to 8000 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