Putting the structure in place to build future skills

The Education Training Collective (Etc.) is proud to be a “strategic spoke” in ambitious new government plans to train 40,000 new construction learners by 2029.

Central to the government’s Plan for Change, 10 Construction Technical Excellence Colleges (CTECs) have been announced across the country, backed by £100m of investment, to meet demand in sectors such as housebuilding, engineering construction and green energy.

Operating on a ‘hub and spoke’ model, the newly designated CTECs will work with employers and training providers, to help address construction skill shortages and raise industry standards. This additional homegrown skilled workforce will be pivotal to the government’s aim to deliver 1.5m new homes and critical infrastructure, like schools and hospitals.

As a strategic spoke in the North East CTEC, led by Sunderland College, the Etc. (which includes NETA Training, Redcar and Cleveland College and Stockton Riverside College), will support by leading on specialist scaffolding training.

Etc. chief executive and group principal, Grant Glendinning, said: “We are proud to be working alongside colleagues from Sunderland College, part of Education Partnership North East (EPNE) and our fellow North East CTEC strategic spoke partners, to deliver skills that are clearly needed, as part of this national initiative that has the potential and backing behind it, to ultimately lead to quality, well paid jobs, for our learners.”

The Teesside-based college group already has a well-established strategic skills partnership with EPNE, aligned to support Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) across the North East, the Tees Valley and North of Tyne areas.

Grant said: “This has the foundations to be another example of colleges and providers working together for the greater benefit of our learners, our communities and wider regions. It is about looking beyond our own colleges’ four walls and collaborating to ensure individual areas of expertise are utilised in the best possible way, to maximise wider impact, plug skills gaps and ultimately grow and support our economy locally, regionally and nationally.”

The North East CTEC will be based at the Housing Innovation and Construction Skills Academy, managed by Sunderland College. Learners across the region will benefit from enhanced skills provision and access to specialist training.

Etc.’s focus on scaffolding training as part of the North East CTEC model coincides with the completion of its new NETA-led All Access Academy. The new £4.7m centre, complete with three purpose-built scaffolding training areas situated at Redcar and Cleveland College, was made possible by the government’s Levelling Up funding.

Stuart Blackett, chair of the Etc. governing board, said: “Collaboration is an integral part of our work here at the Etc., and indeed as part of the further education sector. As a strategic partner of the North East CTEC, we are looking forward to seeing individual areas of expertise brought together to help shape the future workforce and opportunities afforded to those entering the construction industry.”

Strategic education partners of the North East CTEC are: the Education Training Collective (incorporating NETA Training, Redcar and Cleveland College and Stockton Riverside College), Derwentside College, East Durham College, Hartlepool Sixth Form College, Northumberland College, Sunderland College and Tyne Coast College.

Popular Etc. CFO, Fiona Sharp, retires after 26 years

Mild mannered but with a fierce head for numbers, Fiona Sharp is retiring after 26 years with the colleges that now make up the Education Training Collective (Etc.).

As chief financial officer, hers is a face that will be familiar to many after almost three decades helping balance the books, first as a part-time finance officer at what was then believed to be the smallest sixth form college in the country. Today she heads up the finances for the group that incorporates four Outstanding Tees Valley colleges.

“It is both scary and exciting to be stepping away, and there’s more than a little sadness,” said the Billingham mum who has built her life’s career around a passion for numbers.

Yet, counting the years since she started at Bede Sixth Form College, still takes Fiona by surprise. But, as she knows, the numbers don’t lie.

“It was by complete chance I spotted a job advert in The Gazette for the role at Bede,” she said.

Having previously worked at Halifax Building Society and Cleveland County Council, followed by some part-time roles after the birth of her son, Tom, she explained that working in education finance was something new and she was quickly hooked.

“I loved the cyclical nature of the academic year, but no two years, or even two days, are ever the same. Then there is that feeling of being part of the college community and making a difference to students’ lives.”

In those days Bede was an old building situated on Hale Road, Billingham. And, despite a fondness for her tiny office, often referred to as “the cupboard”, Fiona can’t deny it had seen better days.

In 2008 a merger with Stockton Riverside College was instrumental to securing funding for the “new Bede”, the multistorey state-of-the-art facility on Marsh House Avenue it is today.

By then a full-time finance manager, keeping on top of the numbers catapulted Fiona into the group’s senior leadership team.

Since then, she has seen many more changes, not least navigating the group’s finances through further mergers and acquisitions with NETA Training, Redcar and Cleveland College, and Innersummit in Gateshead, all becoming part of the group, but each maintaining their individual identities.

Looking back, she said: “It is something to be proud of.” But, up until her impending retirement, she added: “You don’t tend to sit back, reflect, and think of it like that.”

In 26 years, it’s fair to say, she has packed a lot into her career and built friendships that are more like a second family.

But now, after relocating to Northumberland, Fiona and her husband, Les, are looking forward to more time for country walks, playing their part in the community, and with plenty still to offer, perhaps some volunteering.

Born and bred in Billingham, Fiona said: “The Etc. has been a huge part of my life. It was always going to take something big to pull me away and perhaps the move to Northumberland has made it a little easier.”

Leaving the college group just months after it was graded Ofsted Outstanding feels like a happy coincidence.

One thing is for sure; Fiona will always hold on to her passion and pride for the college group and its continued success. You can count on that!

Making Time for Tees!

From filling and dishing out hay bags to litter picking and even repainting the stage at Stockton Globe, college staff have been out in the community making Time for Tees.

The annual event, launched by the Education Training Collective (Etc.), urges staff to take time out from the day job to give practical help to good causes.

“This is our way of hopefully making a real hands-on difference in our local communities, by taking a day to help out in whatever way we can, and do something completely different to the day job,” said Etc. chief executive and group principal Grant Glendinning.

This summer, for Etc. staff that included cleaning up after and caring for the horses at the RDA Unicorn Centre in Hemlington, gardening and maintenance work at True Lovers Walk in Yarm, cutting back branches at Kirkleatham Woods, scrubbing the fencing at Stockton Rugby Club, and a whole host of maintenance jobs at The Chris Cave Foundation Cavey’s Cabin.

Volunteers helped sort donations at the Daisy Chain Charity Megastore and Billingham and Stockton Borough Foodbank, and litter pickers were out in force at Seaton Carew, the Tees Barrage and in Low Grange, Billingham.

Not afraid to muck in, the college group saw a team helping at Daisy Chain in Norton, volunteers marshalled at the Albert Park Run, a fundraising dog walk brought in donations for Maxi’s Mates, while others painted the stage at Stockton Globe.

The Etc. incorporates Bede Sixth Form College, Innersummit, NETA Training, Redcar and Cleveland College and Stockton Riverside College.

More than 200 staff gave their time to around 18 projects across the Tees Valley.

Among them, seven volunteers rolled up their sleeves for The Chris Cave Foundation, a charity set up to deter young people from carrying a knife or gun, raising awareness of the dangers to help prevent street violence.

The Etc. staff repainted the cabin, pulled up weeds, laid bags of bark, and helped with odd jobs around Cavey’s Cabin, a community space in Locke Park, Redcar, where families can take part in a host of organised activities together to support their physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.

Theresa Cave, founder and chief executive of The Chris Cave Foundation, said: “As always, the Etc. team did such a fantastic job at Cavey’s Cabin. It was overgrown with weeds and had graffiti on the walls and the team worked so hard painting, weeding and laying the new bark, it looks beautiful. I am so grateful to the team who gave up a lovely sunny day to help us.”

Two further teams spent the day at the Unicorn Centre, a member group of the Riding for the Disabled Association, where they mucked in with the care of the horses, both cleaning up and serving up hay bags for lunch.

Etc. business development officer, Samantha Colman, who is also a trustee at the Unicorn Centre said: “We are incredibly grateful to the Education Training Collective for their recent support. Their volunteers have made a real difference, helping us continue to provide life-changing experiences for our riders and their families.

“As a small charity relying on donations and volunteer help, this kind of kindness is vital. We truly couldn’t do what we do without it.”

Meanwhile staff lent a helping hand to Friends of True Lovers Walk in Yarm, preparing and staining benches, clearing debris and overgrown areas of Yarm Wharf and the riverside pathway.

Friends of True Lovers Walk’s Melanie Farman said: “We were delighted to welcome two teams of staff from Etc. as part of the Time for Tees initiative. The volunteers worked extremely hard and were very enthusiastic on both days, day two being particularly challenging as temperatures peaked at around 30 degrees.

“Having community volunteers come and work with us means we can carry out a significant amount of work that might normally take us a few days. The teams really gave us 100%. A huge thank you to all, we appreciated you and your time.”

High flying achievement rates show the Etc. is top class

An Outstanding Ofsted result has been backed up by top marks in the national achievement rate tables for the colleges and training providers that make up the Education Training Collective (Etc.).

The college group has made it to the “Champions League” of colleges, in the top handful of general further education colleges in the country, and takes top spot in the North-east, for the achievement rates of 16 to 18-year-old students and adult learners combined.

“This is an incredible accomplishment for the group and a testament to the hard work and commitment that our students and staff put in every single day,” said Etc. group principal and chief executive officer, Grant Glendinning.

“Our aim is to enable our learners to not only achieve their full potential in their studies, but to give them the best possible learning experience, when it comes to their skills development, wellbeing and support.”

Achievement rates are made up of a combination of both retention and pass rates – the more students that stay at college and achieve, the higher the achievement rates.

“Grant said: “This means they reflect the impact of students’ and colleagues’ work. The achievement rate tables for 23/24, released this year, show that if students enrol at one of the colleges in the Etc. they are more than likely to stay at college, complete the course, and achieve their qualification.”

Made up of Bede Sixth Form College, Innersummit, NETA Training, Redcar and Cleveland College and Stockton Riverside College, the Etc.’s overall achievement rate is 92.3 percent, 6.8 percent above the national average rate.

Grant said: “When you consider that fifty percent of our 16 to 18-year-old students come from postcodes categorised as disadvantaged, that is something to truly celebrate.”

The results back up Ofsted’s findings, published last month, in which inspectors stated learners across the Etc., “develop in confidence significantly and thrive in a community that celebrates individuality and difference”.

They found: “Learners and apprentices are extremely positive about their studies and about all aspects of life in college. They participate fully in learning and enjoy their subjects a great deal, valuing their learning and not just the qualifications that they are aiming to achieve.”

Grant said: “Our achievement rates, along with our top Ofsted grade, are a reflection of years of hard work to deliver for our communities, and this success, along with that of our FE Colleagues in the Tees Valley, and the North-east, should give people right across the region reason to be proud.”

The 23/24 national achievement rate tables, released this year, are official statistics published by the UK government to indicate performance in apprenticeships, education and training.

Etc. named an Outstanding college group where “learners and apprentices flourish”

Staff and students came out in force to mark a milestone achievement for our college group.

The Education Training Collective (Etc.), which incorporates six colleges and training providers, has been rated Outstanding by Ofsted.

The top rating is recognition for Bede Sixth Form College, NETA Training, Redcar and Cleveland College, Stockton Riverside College, The Skills Academy (Billingham), and Innersummit in Gateshead.

“This is a phenomenal result for every staff member and student across the group,” said Etc.’s chief executive and group principal, Grant Glendinning. “The result represents the pinnacle of years of hard work, determination and a firm commitment by all to get us to this point.”

The Etc. is made up of a group of colleges and training providers brought together at different times over recent years to secure their futures and stabilise and strengthen local colleges for their respective communities.

Grant said: “By coming together the providers have been able to share knowledge, skills, resources, and best practice, while also building on each site’s individual areas of expertise and strength.

“In doing this we have covered some immeasurable distance which has culminated in the whole group achieving this Outstanding result from Ofsted.”

In the report, published today, Ofsted rated the group as Outstanding for its overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviours and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, education programmes for young people, adult learning programmes and provision for learners with high needs. Apprenticeships were rated Good.

In the outstanding report inspectors stated: “Learners and apprentices flourish across all parts of the group. They embrace the strong sense of belonging that they experience at all campuses. They feel valued and respected, regardless of their backgrounds.”

The Ofsted inspection took place in March and covered a diverse range of subject areas.

Describing behaviour as exemplary, they found, “learners and apprentices are extremely positive about their studies and about all aspects of life in college”.

The report highlighted the teachers’ use of “highly effective teaching strategies in their lessons” and the progress of learners, including those with high needs, and the “high-quality of careers advice and guidance” that helps prepare students for their next steps.

Inspectors commented on the strength of relationships built with employers and stakeholders, helping to shape the curriculum to meet the skills priorities of the Tees valley, including skills bootcamps for adult learners, and responding to growth areas such as renewable energy, health and social care, and professional skills.

The report noted the “very clear vision” of the group’s leaders, both when it comes to creating a “highly inclusive, supportive and welcoming culture” and in successfully attracting new investment to develop state-of-the-art facilities such as the new NETA Training centre which will sit alongside Stockton Riverside College, planned in partnership with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and supported by the Thornaby Town Deal Board.

There was also praise for the group’s facilities and resources that reflect those currently used in industry, and the opportunities given to learners to take part in “highly relevant” work experience and work-related activities as well as valuable community activities.

Jason Faulkner, Etc. deputy chief executive officer, said: “We are blown away by today’s report and incredibly proud to know that Ofsted has recognised the drive and determination of our staff, governors and learners, across the group, to achieve the best possible results for all.

“Achieving Outstanding is amazing for our students, for our staff, our communities and stakeholders. However, it is important that we continue to be amazing and continue to deliver outstanding services as it is our duty as local colleges serving our communities.”

Stuart Blackett, chair of the Etc. governing board, said: “This Ofsted result is massively important to us as a group of colleges and training providers. To achieve the Outstanding grade is external validation of the brilliant work that we, as governors, know the team does, each and every day.”

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “This is a superb achievement, and my congratulations go to all the staff and students who have secured this Outstanding rating.

“Etc. is playing a vital role in supporting our ambition to ensure local people have access to the very best skills training and can take advantage of the fantastic employment opportunities being created across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.”

You can read the full Ofsted report here.

“I truly feel we are making a real difference…”

On this National School Governors’ Awareness Day, we chatted with our own chair of the governing board, Stuart Blackett, about why he enjoys sharing his time and expertise with the Education Training Collective.

“I truly feel we are making a real difference here on Teesside and I’m proud to be part of that.”

What is the best thing about being a governor?

Helping to make a difference to the lives of the students and importantly, those supporting their education. Every little bit helps!

What has been your proudest moment?

Seeing the journey the Education Training Collective is on and especially the move to thinking as “One Etc”. We inherited a great legacy from my predecessors, but I think working more as one in any organisation helps.

How do you fit governorship around the demands of everyday life?

It’s a lot easier now I am retired. I love my role with the Etc. as well as my other non-executive positions. I get to help the Etc. on its journey, but in shorter bursts than you do when working full time in a role. I hope that makes me more potent and able to drive change.

What does the Etc. and its learners mean to you?

Where do I start. It’s just a great organisation with brilliant people and a clear and strong purpose. I was initially attracted by the tone of voice and that’s one thing that never changes, no matter who works for us. I truly feel we are making a real difference here on Teesside and I’m proud to be part of that.

“It means creating fabulous opportunities…”

As part of our own nod to National School Governors’ Awareness Day, we have been putting the spotlight on some of own governors to learn more about their motivation.

Rachel Beeken is business unit director, Unitised at PD Ports, and is in her fourth year on the Etc. board of governors.

“It means creating fabulous opportunities for the young people in our area,”

What is the best thing about being a governor?

Feeling like I’m part of a team that is helping and supporting the people in our communities.

What has been your proudest moment?

At our governor conference last year, we had a fantastic talk from some of our learners about their courses and an amazing performance from some other learners in the evening. I was blown away by the confidence, positivity, passion and talent that they all displayed and felt proud to be even a tiny part in supporting people like them to reach their potential.

How do you fit governorship around the demands of everyday life?

It can be difficult with a busy full-time job, but we’re always given plenty of notice of meetings and the packs to read and the governance team are very supportive, so I just have to make sure I get myself well organised!

What does the Etc. and its learners mean to you?

It means creating fabulous opportunities for the young people in our area to help them be the best they can be.