It’s National School Governors’ Awareness Day so what better excuse to catch up with some of our own governing board to share their motivation and inspiration.
First up, in her sixth year as a governor and now vice chair of the board, Dot Smith…
“The reality is, I get so much more from it than I give.”
What is the best thing about being a governor?
The best thing about being a governor is a feeling of being part of a community of like-minded people striving to help young people and adults improve their life chances through continued learning and skills development. To speak with young people who talk so positively about their courses and the teaching/workshops/and support staff who guide them and support their aspirations is just fabulous. And, to see and hear from adults, including those seeking asylum in our part of the UK, who feel so accepted and welcome at all our sites is wonderful.
What has been your proudest moment?
There are just too many. Every time I do a governor visit to classes, attend a graduation event or a performance in our theatre or the Arc, listen to our student governors in Corporation meetings, attend the staff Winter Review and Awards and hear the wonderful things so many of our staff do to help learners and one another. I am bursting with pride at the care and commitment Etc. staff show to colleagues, learners and their community.
How do you fit governorship around the demands of everyday life?
As a retired person who lives north of Newcastle it can be a challenge to fit in governor duties alongside coffee or lunch with friends, shopping in town, doing school drop offs and pick-ups, cycling in south Northumberland (e-bike), planning my next Interrail trip, gardening… A tough ask but I manage it!
What does the Etc. and its learners mean to you?
It sounds so twee to say, “It gives me an opportunity to give something back after a professional life working in the further education sector,” but, the reality is, that I get so much more from it than I give.
Meet the Amazon supported interns picking up skills for life
Whether it’s developing the confidence to meet the demands of the workplace or achieving personal milestones, such as getting the bus independently for the first time, Amazon is really delivering for this group of young people.
The seven supported interns are all picking up different skills from a unique training programme created to prepare them for future employment and delivered at Amazon’s Stockton-on-Tees fulfilment centre.
“It feels great to be getting work experience in one of the biggest companies in the world,” said 20-year-old Aaron from Norton. “Looking back a few years, I never thought I would be here doing this.”
Part of the DFN Project SEARCH supported internship programme, the transition to work initiative is committed to transforming the lives of young adults with a learning disability, autism, or both, by supporting them into meaningful employment.
In Teesside, Amazon’s Stockton branch is working with the Education Training Collective to deliver the programme that’s helping the young interns get off to a flying start.
Following a bustling festive season, Sam, 20, of Ingleby Barwick, described the programme as an “amazing experience”. He said: “I have learnt so much already, like independence and confidence. I had never taken the bus by myself before, now I travel to work and back every day.”
For some it might sound like small achievements, but for the supported interns, every step is a milestone.
Etc. tutor, Jake Brookes, explained: “This is a group of young people who want to be here. Everyone at Amazon loves them and their enthusiasm and commitment has been incredible.”
The supported interns are aged 18 to 24 and all have education health and care plans. They have previously progressed through college and are now looking to build the independence skills to ultimately move into full-time employment.
A typical day starts with time in the classroom dusting up on employability and personal development skills, before starting work on the shopfloor. The supported interns will complete the year-long programme with a King’s Trust personal development and employability qualification.
McCorley, 18, said: “If you had put me in a room with six random people before I don’t think I could have even spoken to them. The programme has challenged me. It has built my independence and my time management.”
As for his family, he added: “They are chuffed, my mum cried at one point and my dad is really proud.”
Joey, 19, from Norton, said: “Before I came here, I was applying for different jobs but not getting anywhere. This is giving me so much experience which should help in the future.”
While having previously studied motor vehicle studies at Stockton Riverside College, Kieron, 20, of Billingham, has combined his career ambitions with his heart now set on a job working on the yard shunters.
All are inspired to work towards future permanent careers in the warehousing industry, but it is some of the personal achievements that mean most.
Withee, 21, of Thornaby, has not only developed additional employability skills. He said, on a more personal level, the tasks involved – such as picking and packing – have helped to build his fine motor skills.
Hasan, 19, of Thornaby, said: “Working in the warehouse has been calming, the people are very friendly, I’m developing my social skills.” And, a personal milestone for him, after trying many times before, with the support of his tutor he added: “I have even learnt to tie my shoelaces!”
Amazon Stockton-on-Tees site leader, Richard Griffiths, said: “It has been great to have all the young people on board at Amazon in Stockton-on-Tees, through the supported internship programme. They’ve brought a lot of energy to the team, and they should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved so far.”
Award win for college group’s positive influence on green habits
A college group’s efforts to bolster greener habits have been recognised with a national award and green accreditation for the second year running.
The Education Training Collective (Etc.) has been named winner of the Investors in the Environment’s Sustainability Influencer Award. The title highlights not only their own commitment to change but also a drive to encourage others to do the same.
“Our commitment to sustainability and the environment has been a priority across our campuses in recent years,” said the group’s director of marketing and business engagement, Erika Marshall.
“The environment is something that we know truly matters to our learners. Our aim is to provide a platform to not only learn about sustainability but also provide opportunities to carry out those actions in a practical way.”
The iiE national sustainability awards celebrate the green achievements of small to medium-sized enterprises and larger businesses and organisations around the UK who are working to reduce their resource use, support nature, influence change and make a positive social impact.
Also achieving iiE Green accreditation for the second consecutive year, the highest possible standard, the Etc. is committed to improving sustainability across its campuses and reducing their carbon footprint.
The group incorporates Stockton Riverside College, Redcar and Cleveland College, Bede Sixth Form College, The Skills Academy, NETA Training and Innersummit.
Working with thousands of learners, together the colleges and training providers have implemented a host of green measures to promote positive change.
Projects have included the creation of a Green Initiatives Group, a team of like-minded individuals from across the organisation working together to create and deliver new ideas.
Carbon literacy workshops have been delivered to staff to help spread the word along with an increased focus on sustainability embedded into lessons.
The creation of a thrift exchange, gift swap and a staff car share scheme are just some of the ways individuals are being urged to make a change and think about their environmental impact.
The college group has also made significant improvements to the environmental performance of its central operations along with larger-scale developments such as the launch of its Clean Energy Education Hub and Retrofit Academy at Redcar and Cleveland College, focusing on skills for the low carbon energy and construction industries.
Working with Carbon Neutral Britain, Etc. has been certified carbon neutral for three years.
Etc. chief executive and group principal Grant Glendinning said: “We are incredibly proud to see the group recognised nationally for its work to make sustainability a priority and find ways to share this with our learners, staff and communities.
“The Green Initiatives Group, along with many other staff and students, have worked hard to find new and innovative ways to reduce their carbon emissions both in the classroom and at home.”
Investors in the Environment (iiE) is a national environmental accreditation scheme designed to help organisations reduce their impact on the environment and get recognition for their progress.
Antony Gough, national lead at iiE, said: “This year’s competition was tougher than ever, showcasing the extraordinary efforts of our members. Their dedication is further reflected in the record-breaking number of accreditations, award entries, and the sizeable impacts we’ve achieved together.”
Meet Etc.’s new group director of human resources, Adele
From fairground work to catering, human resource management to studying a professional doctorate, Adele Currie knows career paths often take a varied route.
Now, joining the Education Training Collective as the group director of human resources and people development, she’s ready to put her own mixed bag of professional experiences to good use and hit the ground running.
Passionate about learning and people development, her story is the epitome of what we do here. With the move into education, she is looking forward to developing further knowledge and skills, with a willingness to learn, and all the benefits fresh eyes can bring.
While new to the sector, Adele has 30 years of experience in human resources and human resource management, bringing a wealth of experience to the role, along with a drive to give the greatest “people experience” to Etc. colleagues at every stage of their career.
She said: “That starts from first attracting people to the organisation, all the way through their career, up until retirement or the decision to move on. I want every stage of the employee cycle to be a fantastic experience.”
Just weeks into the role, she explained: “I have had the most incredible welcome.
“The generosity of spirit everyone I have met has shown me is amazing. Everyone has been so generous with their time, their experience, guidance, support and friendship.”
It is something that truly matters to Adele who is a keen advocate of coaching and mentoring and is even doing a professional doctorate on the subject.
When she completes the qualification, she’ll officially have the title of Dr Currie, something she never would have expected when she started work straight from school.
“My formative years were spent in a deprived area and while I wasn’t written off, I wasn’t expected to reach doctoral level,” she said.
Early jobs included catering and bar work before moving to Brighton where she worked on the fairgrounds. Doing everything from dishing out the candyfloss to working on the dodgems, it certainly prepared her for the demands of a real day’s graft.
“It was hard work and long hours,” she said. “Plus, it was seasonal work.”
It all adds to a rich mix of skills that has brought Adele to where she is today. Moving back to Sunderland at 21, she set up her own catering business and worked in call centres. It was there she fell into training management and HR.
“I started doing some CIPD courses and then challenged myself to do an HNC,” she said. “When someone said I could top that up to a degree with one more year of study I couldn’t believe it, I had thought I had missed the boat by not going to university first time round.”
Since then, education has remained a constant in Adele’s life who achieved a degree, her master’s, she is a Chartered Fellow member of the CIPD and now is working towards that professional doctorate and the prestigious doctor title.
“My education hasn’t been a traditional route, but it just goes to show there are so many different routes you can take,” she said.
Spending the last 18 years working in human resources in social housing, Adele explained: “I feel passionately about coaching as a method of enhancing people’s capabilities, skills, confidence and strategic thinking.”
And just like working in social housing, she feels that working in further education shares a similar synergy.
She said: “For me, giving people options is fantastic, it broadens horizons and offers wonderful experiences.
“From a hearts and minds perspective it is ultimately about helping to set people up for success in life.”
Looking to the future
How Etc. is helping to prepare people for the opportunities coming their way
As Redcar and Cleveland College’s Student of the Year, Alfie is a big believer in the fact that “you get out what you put in”.
Leaping at the opportunity, after he left school, to be part of the college’s first ever batch of the bp-backed Teesside clean energy technician scholars, for him and his fellow scholarship students, it’s a mantra that’s paying off.
They are wise words for a student of just 17, but Alfie’s approach is one that resonates with the whole college’s ethos in recent years, and indeed that of the Education Training Collective.
Comprising Bede Sixth Form College, NETA Training, Stockton Riverside College, The Skills Academy (Billingham), Innersummit and, of course Redcar and Cleveland College, Etc. is determined to help ensure our communities (individuals and businesses), are prepared to take advantage of every opportunity coming their way.
For the group, that means predicting what the future holds to ensure they are always a step ahead. The key to “predicting the future” is working with the experts, and for the Etc. colleges and training providers that involves collaboration, collaboration, collaboration.
Group marketing and business engagement director, Erika Marshall, said: “Only by working in partnership with employers, industry leaders, and our local and combined authorities, to identify skills gaps and shortages, can we ensure we are ready to provide meaningful training that meets the ever-evolving needs of the economy and our communities.”
So, what has that meant in real terms for the college group in the development of further education and training that’s fit for future purpose? The answer is a lot when you reflect on developments over the last 18 months across the Etc. providers.
Stockton Riverside College has undergone a £2.8m transformation of its classrooms and workshops in health and social care, early years, bricklaying and motor vehicle, funded in part by the Department for Education’s T Level Capital Funding grant.
The campus in Thornaby now includes a brand-new hair and beauty salon and nail bar, with the latest industry-standard equipment and open to external clients, an ambulance bay and hospital ward complete with life-sized interactive mannequins that can simulate a medical emergency, a nursery and elderly living care zone.
The college’s motor vehicle workshop has more than doubled in size and incorporates some of the latest technology including a full electric car training rig and a radar and camera calibration kit.
At Bede Sixth Form students are now reaping the benefits of a brand-new £2.4m annexe, making room for more learners at the college in Billingham.
Primarily funded by the DfE’s Post-16 Capacity Fund, the annexe incorporates new classrooms and break-out spaces in a three-storey self-contained facility designed to compliment the existing building on Marsh House Avenue.
At Redcar and Cleveland College, a £3.3m investment in facilities, in part through the T Level Capital Funding grant, resulted in new workshops, high tech specialist engineering equipment, a revamped health care wing and early years nursery.
Then, of course, there is the £3.2m Clean Energy Education Hub, created to equip people with the skills needed for future green jobs and made possible with funding from the Town Deal Fund for Redcar.
The hub is crammed full of some of the latest technology needed to train people to meet the demands of the growing renewable and low carbon sector, including a simulated carbon capture training rig, designed and built to train the next generation of Net Zero engineers, and believed to be a UK college first.
Following such a massive transformation you might forgive the group for taking a breath, but the developments don’t stop there.
Plans have been unveiled for a new £14.7m purpose-built NETA Training centre in Thornaby to enhance the delivery of engineering and construction training in the borough, made possible with £4.5m from the Thornaby Town Deal Fund delivered in partnership with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.
NETA will also head up a £4.7m All Access Academy announced at Redcar and Cleveland College, along with a new welding facility with funding from the Levelling Up partnership fund.
And the college is working with Hydrasun and fellow Tees Valley colleges on the development of a modular hydrogen refuelling facility, made possible with £286k hydrogen hub transport funding secured from the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority.
For Alfie, and students like him, the foresight for delivering training for future skills will no doubt put him a step ahead when he comes to join the jobs market. Indeed, as a bp scholar, Alfie and his classmates have already caught the attention of the industrial giant, which, when it comes to their employment prospects, can only be a good thing.
Now moving into their second year the scholars have spoken at employer forums, presentations and regional panel events about their ambitions, both for themselves and the Tees Valley. Alfie was even one of three scholars to meet the then Secretary of State for Education during a recent visit to the region.
“You shouldn’t say no to opportunities,” said the 17-year-old from Saltburn. “And I am getting so many opportunities as part of this course. I am over the moon.
“This is my future, if I don’t take up these chances now, I might regret it later in life. It’s all about getting a foot in the door.”
How Etc. is helping to prepare people for the opportunities coming their way
As Redcar and Cleveland College’s Student of the Year, Alfie is a big believer in the fact that “you get out what you put in”.
Leaping at the opportunity, after he left school, to be part of the college’s first ever batch of the bp-backed Teesside clean energy technician scholars, for him and his fellow scholarship students, it’s a mantra that’s paying off.
They are wise words for a student of just 17, but Alfie’s approach is one that resonates with the whole college’s ethos in recent years, and indeed that of the Education Training Collective.
Comprising Bede Sixth Form College, NETA Training, Stockton Riverside College, The Skills Academy (Billingham), Innersummit and, of course Redcar and Cleveland College, Etc. is determined to help ensure our communities (individuals and businesses), are prepared to take advantage of every opportunity coming their way.
For the group, that means predicting what the future holds to ensure they are always a step ahead. The key to “predicting the future” is working with the experts, and for the Etc. colleges and training providers that involves collaboration, collaboration, collaboration.
Group marketing and business engagement director, Erika Marshall, said: “Only by working in partnership with employers, industry leaders, and our local and combined authorities, to identify skills gaps and shortages, can we ensure we are ready to provide meaningful training that meets the ever-evolving needs of the economy and our communities.”
So, what has that meant in real terms for the college group in the development of further education and training that’s fit for future purpose? The answer is a lot when you reflect on developments over the last 18 months across the Etc. providers.
Stockton Riverside College has undergone a £2.8m transformation of its classrooms and workshops in health and social care, early years, bricklaying and motor vehicle, funded in part by the Department for Education’s T Level Capital Funding grant.
The campus in Thornaby now includes a brand-new hair and beauty salon and nail bar, with the latest industry-standard equipment and open to external clients, an ambulance bay and hospital ward complete with life-sized interactive mannequins that can simulate a medical emergency, a nursery and elderly living care zone.
The college’s motor vehicle workshop has more than doubled in size and incorporates some of the latest technology including a full electric car training rig and a radar and camera calibration kit.
At Bede Sixth Form students are now reaping the benefits of a brand-new £2.4m annexe, making room for more learners at the college in Billingham.
Primarily funded by the DfE’s Post-16 Capacity Fund, the annexe incorporates new classrooms and break-out spaces in a three-storey self-contained facility designed to compliment the existing building on Marsh House Avenue.
At Redcar and Cleveland College, a £3.3m investment in facilities, in part through the T Level Capital Funding grant, resulted in new workshops, high tech specialist engineering equipment, a revamped health care wing and early years nursery.
Then, of course, there is the £3.2m Clean Energy Education Hub, created to equip people with the skills needed for future green jobs and made possible with funding from the Town Deal Fund for Redcar.
The hub is crammed full of some of the latest technology needed to train people to meet the demands of the growing renewable and low carbon sector, including a simulated carbon capture training rig, designed and built to train the next generation of Net Zero engineers, and believed to be a UK college first.
Following such a massive transformation you might forgive the group for taking a breath, but the developments don’t stop there.
Plans have been unveiled for a new £14.7m purpose-built NETA Training centre in Thornaby to enhance the delivery of engineering and construction training in the borough, made possible with £4.5m from the Thornaby Town Deal Fund delivered in partnership with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.
NETA will also head up a £4.7m All Access Academy announced at Redcar and Cleveland College, along with a new welding facility with funding from the Levelling Up partnership fund.
And the college is working with Hydrasun and fellow Tees Valley colleges on the development of a modular hydrogen refuelling facility, made possible with £286k hydrogen hub transport funding secured from the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority.
For Alfie, and students like him, the foresight for delivering training for future skills will no doubt put him a step ahead when he comes to join the jobs market. Indeed, as a bp scholar, Alfie and his classmates have already caught the attention of the industrial giant, which, when it comes to their employment prospects, can only be a good thing.
Now moving into their second year the scholars have spoken at employer forums, presentations and regional panel events about their ambitions, both for themselves and the Tees Valley. Alfie was even one of three scholars to meet the then Secretary of State for Education during a recent visit to the region.
“You shouldn’t say no to opportunities,” said the 17-year-old from Saltburn. “And I am getting so many opportunities as part of this course. I am over the moon.
“This is my future, if I don’t take up these chances now, I might regret it later in life. It’s all about getting a foot in the door.”
Thirteen launches new apprenticeship opportunities
We are working in partnership with Thirteen Group to deliver new apprenticeships.
Apprenticeships feature a mix of trade operative and office-based roles, including business administration, electrical, gas, joinery, plastering and plumbing.
New recruits will receive paid work experience, alongside studying and training in a classroom.
The training will be delivered in partnership with the Education Training Collective (Etc.), which incorporates a number of colleges in Teesside, including Stockton Riverside College, Redcar and Cleveland College and Innersummit.
As well as training and personal development opportunities, apprentices will be offered a range of benefits while working at Thirteen, including 28 days of annual leave, a health cash plan and retail discounts.
Stephanie Douglas, emerging talent coordinator at Thirteen, said: “As a large employer in the North East, we recognise the important role we play in developing and retaining talent in our region, which is why we are proud to support apprenticeships.
“Thirteen’s apprenticeship programme provides ongoing support from the day that colleagues start their role, so that we can help them to meet their full potential.
“Feedback from our current apprentices is really positive and it demonstrates our track record in delivering insightful and engaging training programmes, which have helped many of our colleagues to progress in their career at Thirteen.”
Anyone over the age of 16 that is not currently in full-time education can apply, and they will receive a qualification once they have finished their course.
Depending on the subject, apprenticeships last between 1-5 years. An apprenticeship at Thirteen is a full-time role, which is equivalent to 37 hours a week.
Joe Boddy, level 2 plastering apprentice at Thirteen, said: “I enjoy working at Thirteen, as there is lots of variety and opportunities to learn new skills in all areas of the company. I have worked all over the Tees Valley area. “I work with great colleagues who all have different skills to teach, and I get to gain a qualification while getting paid at the same time.”
Apprentices will typically spend four days a week working at Thirteen and one day studying at college.
Erika Marshall, group marketing and business engagement director at Etc., said: “It is fantastic to work with Thirteen to bring these apprenticeship opportunities to the market for the young people of Teesside. They offer a fantastic first step for those looking to start their career or take a new direction in a range of different fields with an organisation which is grounded on the principles of staff investment and development – an excellent starting point for any career.
“The skills learnt on the job will be backed up by theoretical knowledge and further practical skills developed in college with guidance from our team of industry-experienced instructors.
“At the Education Training Collective it is one of our key objectives to lead the way in delivering on future skills and economic growth priorities by working in partnership with employers to identify any skills gaps and shortages, and provide meaningful training that meets the changing needs of our local economy and communities.”
The successful candidates will begin their new roles in the early autumn.
Matt Forrest, chief executive at Thirteen, said: “The new apprenticeship roles will help us to develop Thirteen’s workforce for the future, as well as continue improving services for our customers.
“We have a talented team of colleagues, so our apprentices will be working with subject experts who can share their knowledge of Thirteen and the industry. There’s a range of career routes that an apprenticeship at Thirteen can open the door to, including customer service, care and support, finance, housing, repairs and maintenance and human resources.
“We are really looking forward to welcoming our new apprentice colleagues and being part of their journey to building a rewarding career.”
Applications for the apprenticeship roles close on July 14.
Colleges are working together to make Time for Tees!
A giant effort to help out in the community is stepping up a gear as Tees Valley colleges work together to make, Time for Tees.
In this, Volunteers’ Week, the Education Training Collective (Etc.), Middlesbrough College Group and Darlington College are announcing plans to embark on a shared volunteering drive that will see hundreds of staff from across the organisations heading out into the community this summer to give their time to good causes.
“Our aim is to give something back to the communities that we work so closely with every day,” said Etc. chief executive and group principal, Grant Glendinning. “What better way to do that than giving our time, rolling up our sleeves and helping out in a real practical way?”
Launching the initiative last year, Etc. saw around 250 staff from Stockton Riverside College, Redcar and Cleveland College, Bede Sixth Form College, NETA Training and The Skills Academy in Billingham, give a day to 21 projects across Teesside, all in a single day.
Staff took part in a host of voluntary activities from walking rescue dogs to sorting clothes for a baby bank, maintenance projects and litter picks.
Grant said: “The impact in just one day of volunteering was immense and offered a great chance for staff from the different colleges in our group to work together outside of the usual work environment.”
At Middlesbrough College Group all staff are now being encouraged to get involved, which could see upwards of 1000 people giving their time to the community. The college’s first batch of volunteers are due to start their efforts this weekend, supporting Teesside Hospice with donation buckets at the James Arthur concert at the Riverside Stadium.
Zoe Lewis, chief executive and principal at Middlesbrough College Group, said: “There is nothing more important to the college and its staff than the community in which we work and which we serve, so taking part in Time for Tees was something which we were all very keen to do.
“Our staff are all looking forward to putting their time to good use by taking part in a whole range of different projects which will benefit the local community in myriad different ways. Time for Tees is a great way of demonstrating our commitment to the community and a very practical way to bring about change and improvement in the area.”
Also joining the volunteering drive will be teams from Darlington College. Principal and chief executive David Gartland said: “Darlington College is delighted to be taking part in this initiative. We already have great relationships within the communities we serve.
“By enabling our staff to fundraise and volunteer as part of a dedicated week, it allows wider participation, supports our own wellbeing initiatives and further cements our commitment to being a college at the heart of the community.”
Looking forward to a bumper event, Etc. chief executive Grant added: “To now have FE colleagues from Darlington College and Middlesbrough College Group join the project means this summer Time for Tees can reach even more good causes, offering us a unique insight into the incredible work that goes on by so many amazing organisations in our region.”
