Selby College and Wakefield College shortlisted in education awards
Both Heart of Yorkshire Education Group Colleges have been named finalists for awards at the prestigious event
Selby College and Wakefield College, as part of the recently formed Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, are delighted to announce that they have been shortlisted for multiple awards at the Educate North Awards.
The Awards is a prestigious event which celebrates, recognises and shares best practice and excellence in the education sector in the North of England.
Both Colleges have been shortlisted for the Mental Health and Wellbeing Award, which demonstrates the commitment of both Colleges in providing an environment which is supportive and engaging of mental health and wellbeing.
Sam Wright, Principal and Chief Executive Officer at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, said: “I’m delighted that the great work that colleagues across both our Colleges do has been recognised by such a prestigious awards scheme, which highlights true excellence in the education sector. Both Colleges are finalists for the Mental Health and Wellbeing Award, which demonstrates the commitment of our staff to providing an environment which is both supportive and engaging of mental health and wellbeing – something which is tremendously important to us at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group.
“This comes at a fitting time for colleagues at both Colleges, as we embark on our journey as one combined organisation, providing us with a great opportunity to celebrate our joint successes together, as one big team,” added Sam.
Wakefield College has been named a finalist for the UK Apprenticeship award, recognising the College’s efforts to promote its Apprenticeship offering. Since the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy, Wakefield College is one of a small number of Further Education Colleges with significant Apprenticeship growth.
The College boasts an impressive list of organisations they work with which includes Small-to-Medium Enterprises and national organisations such as Local Authorities, Unilever, Coca Cola, Haribo, ENGIE, Burberry, Warburtons, emergency services, Bosch, Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation, Mars and a number of NHS Trusts.
Head of Apprenticeships at Wakefield College, Jo Taylor, said: “Our Apprenticeship offer continues to go from strength to strength and evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of the region. The COVID-19 Pandemic brought a lot of uncertainty, but we are proud of our response. Our bespoke, blended delivery offers flexibility, eliminating barriers to learning and increasing accessibility, which has been highly effective in mitigating the risks that were posed.
“Being shortlisted for this award is a testament to the hard-work and commitment of our Business Development Team and we are proud of what we have achieved.”
In addition to this, Selby College’s Business Services team has been acknowledged for the services it offers to local and national businesses, making it onto the shortlist for the Employer Engagement Award. The department works closely and effectively with employers to identify programmes which will support their business and employees’ needs, including work placement opportunities, T Levels, Apprenticeships, Higher Education, Adult Learning and Distance Learning courses.
The Award recognises a Higher or Further Education institution that demonstrates excellence in engaging with their employers and creating suitable learning interventions that meet business’ workforce development needs and forges links between students and potential employers in the North of the United Kingdom.
“At Selby College, we are proud to work with more than 350 businesses across Yorkshire and the Humber, making sure they have teams with the right skills to help them not only to survive, but thrive. By creating a dedicated hub for employers, we are able to create tailored programmes and packages to help support business’ individual needs. This provides employers with the opportunity to develop a truly multi-skilled workforce which can meet their demands and we’re extremely proud of our teams ability to provide this level of offering to local and national employers,” said Kevin Shaw, Head of Business Services at Selby College.
The Awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, 7th April 2022 at The Midland Hotel, Manchester.
The event attracts over 300 education professionals from Further and Higher Education institutions from across the North, together with a range of suppliers to the sector including financial institutions, professional services providers, IT and infrastructure providers and construction and property firms.
This comes following the merger of Selby College and Wakefield College on 1st March 2022, forming the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, which aims to meet the education and skills needs across Yorkshire from its campuses in Castleford, Selby and Wakefield.
The formation of the Group will facilitate new and enhanced opportunities for its students, apprentices and employer partners, by expanding its course offer, improving learning through the sharing of best practice, meeting local skills demands and creating more opportunities for professional growth of its employees.
To find out more about the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, please visit: www.heartofyorkshire.ac.uk/
Find out more about the Educate North Awards, at: https://educatenorth.co.uk/
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