THE West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges will be part of the Government’s plans to boost the nation’s skills and make sure more people can secure good, well-paid jobs closer to where they live.
The Department for Education has announced that it will invest £2.6 million in West Yorkshire’s colleges through the Strategic Development Fund. This will allow the educators to increase specialist equipment to deliver electric vehicle and retrofit training, grow, and embed green knowledge within the curriculum and improve links with businesses to develop and enhance their green skills.
Bradford College, Leeds City College, Wakefield, Kirklees, and Calderdale Colleges will receive £1.8m to invest in electric vehicle equipment to improve the student experience and offer hands-on training in the future of the mechanical industry. The Strategic Development Fund was launched in 2021 to help colleges and further education providers transform facilities and offer high quality technical training that better meet the needs of local employers and boost job opportunities for their communities. This means local businesses have access to home-grown talent for the jobs of tomorrow and people don’t need to leave their hometowns to get a good job.
WYCC project director Joanne Patrickson said: “This funding will make a big difference to our colleges and in turn, businesses and communities. Part of the funding will be a capital investment into equipment and machinery to allow colleges to train the workforce in electric vehicle maintenance and retrofitting buildings. Colleges will be employing dedicated teams to work closely with businesses in the region to understand what help they need to become more sustainable, and the WYCC will launch The Green Skills Service to help employers access training and resources they need.”
The £2.6 million is contracted to be spent by March 31, 2023. This initial investment will allow these new initiatives to establish training preparing the workforce for a sustainable future.
ON Tuesday, October 18 7-9pm, talented Music, Performance and Production students from the Bradford School of Art will put on a musical performance open to the public. Hosted at the Bradford College Lister Building, the ‘Amplified’ showcase event will be the first live performance this year by first-year students.
The group worked collaboratively to plan, produce, and perform the show in just five weeks as part of their course programmes. Featuring a wide variety of musical styles and genres, the event is a must-see night of free entertainment.
Show your support for this budding future talent by booking your free tickets at bradfordcollege.ac.uk
BRADFORD College staff and special guests attended the presentation of the FE College of Sanctuary award. This is the first time a college in West Yorkshire has received this accolade from City of Sanctuary UK.
The title recognises the exceptional level of assistance the College provides to some of the most vulnerable learners seeking sanctuary in the city. Supporting just one refugee/asylum seeker in 2010, Bradford College has now helped nearly 2,000 and is one of the largest support providers in the UK.
Will Sutcliffe, Chair of Bradford City of Sanctuary, said: “Bradford College has gone out of its way to make people welcome, and this award’s thorough and comprehensive evaluation shows a real commitment to opening up meaningful opportunities in the city.”
Bradford College's College of Sanctuary award
Pictured above are: Chris Webb (Bradford College CEO), Will Sutcliffe (Chair of Bradford City of Sanctuary) and Duncan Burnett (Curriculum Area Manager for Community and Distance Learning at Bradford College).
Duncan Burnett, Curriculum Area Manager for Community and Distance Learning at Bradford College, said: “We work at the heart of the community – supporting people into work, removing barriers to learning, and helping with language support. The City of Sanctuary award highlights the amazing achievements attained when working together with great local service providers.”
Bradford College offers a range of training designed to support sanctuary seeking learners.
AN open evening dedicated to Level 3 courses is set to open up opportunities for young people taking their next steps in education.
On October 18, from 5-7pm, at Bradford College’s Advanced Technology Centre (ATA) on Great Horton Road, students can learn more about the wide range of Level 3 courses available. These include A Levels (and the Bradford College Ambition Hub), T Levels, Access to HE courses, and Level 3 Apprenticeships.
Tutors will be available to discuss courses, a wide range of subject areas, ways of learning that suit you, and progression routes. Explore state-of-the-art facilities and learning resources, and find out about services, including careers advice, learning support, progress coaches, and work placements.
Pre-book your place at the event by registering your interest bradfordcollege.ac.uk
Two textile students from the Bradford School of Art are celebrating winning national design awards.
Organised by the Bradford Textile Society, The Design Competition is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students from universities and colleges across the UK. Considered to be a leading annual event for the industry, the competition attracts more than 1,000 student entries and offers over £17,000 in prize money.
Jenny Bennigsen, a Textiles Practice Foundation Degree student at Bradford School of Art at Bradford College, won a special Travel Award sponsored by The Cotton Industry War Memorial Trust. Chosen from prize-winning and commended entries across all sections of the competition, Jenny wins an expenses-paid visit to Première Vision in Paris, a global event for fashion professionals.
Jenny also won a third prize certificate in The Clothworkers’ Company Award and £200. She submitted part of her coursework for the Year 3 Mixed-Media Textiles module which develops skills in hand and machine embroidery, screen printing, fabric manipulation and other mixed media textile processes.
After research in the Bradford College Textile Archive, Jenny was inspired by a collection of tiny Edwardian embroidery designs originally used as a teaching aid in what was then Bradford Technical College. Jenny developed her own ideas, exploring pattern motifs, placement, and print and stitch techniques.
Jenny Bennigsen with her award-winning design
Fellow Textiles Practice Foundation Degree student Robert Bray received a Commendation in The JH Clissold & Son Ltd Award. The category focusses on a woven fabric design which shows creative potential. Robert’s entry was the result of his first year Colour & Material module, in which students develop skills in handweaving and learn to work creatively with colour.
Robert Bray with his design
Hannah Lamb, Programme Leader for the Foundation Degree Textiles Practice at Bradford School of Art, said: “I was elated to hear the news about our student successes in this year’s competition, especially given that we're a small part-time course competing against large universities and even Masters Degree students from across the UK. The whole textiles team are so proud. We know how talented and dedicated our students are, but it’s great when they win some accolades to prove it.”
Jenny said: “I am delighted to win a trip to Premier Vision - the world’s largest fashion trade show. This is something I used to dream of as a teenager, but I wasn’t able to pursue art and textiles when I was at school. To come back as a mature student and win a prize in a national design competition is an amazing feeling.”
Robert said: “We were given an image from which we created a piece of art and, in turn, transformed it into textiles. We were encouraged to enter the competition as part of our course, but I didn't expect to win a prize. I was proud of what I'd achieved.”
Sue Geldeard, Secretary of the Bradford Textile Society, said: “Congratulations to Jenny and Robert. The competition was originally set up to encourage members of the Bradford Textile Society and students at Bradford Technical College to design yarns and textiles suitable for production in the Bradford textile industry. It is great that 100 years on, Bradford-based students are still supporting the competition and winning prizes."
The Textiles Practice Foundation Degree course at the Bradford School of Art has been developed for those wishing to develop professional practice in textile art, contemporary craft, and designer-made products. The part-time course format is designed for student from non-traditional learning routes and learners who need to organise study flexibly around other commitments.
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