NCC wins through to become a Finalist in two prestigious Beacon Awards

New City College has made it through as a Finalist in two prestigious Association of Colleges (AoC) Beacon Awards for its work on sustainability and for the successful progression pathways established for ESOL students.

The Finalist announcement was made at the AoC Conference in Birmingham this week in front of education sector experts and representatives from colleges across the UK.

The Beacon Awards celebrate the best and most innovative practice among UK colleges each year.

NCC is one of just 3 colleges nationally and the only college in London to have won Finalist status in the Inenco Award for Education for Sustainable Development, being recognised for its implementation of a whole-college Green Strategy over a period of several years, which has created a reduced carbon footprint and real change on the ground.

The college’s work towards net zero has included the launch of two low carbon technology labs which deliver training in retrofit skills and the installation and maintenance of low carbon energy systems. A heat decarbonisation project to stop the reliance on fossil fuel-based gas boilers and upgrading them with low carbon alternatives, will bring ‘green’ heating to college buildings.

Together with student-led climate change events and a teaching and learning research project on replacing printed materials with online tools, these have led to NCC becoming one of the leading FE providers on environmental sustainability.

The second Finalist status for NCC is in the AoC Award for Widening Participation, winning the accolade for its exceptional initiative to provide otherwise marginalised ESOL students with vocational and employability skills, ultimately leading adult learners to securing good jobs.

Again, the college is one of just 3 colleges nationwide, to receive this honour.

The bold, whole-college curriculum strategy, has been very successful in establishing progression pathways for ESOL students so that those starting on entry level qualifications have been able to progress to higher level vocational qualifications. Through the initiative, these students have been able to take advantage of unrivalled life and work opportunities which has led to upskilling within local communities.

Career routes for ESOL students at NCC now range from teaching assistants and healthcare through to service industries, accounting and specialist computing subjects, with many more individuals who speak English as their second language, realising their career goals.

The Beacon Awards, launched in 1994 by the AoC, offer colleges the opportunity to showcase the inspiring ways they support students, staff and communities. Good practice is then shared with other colleges in the FE sector.

The Beacon Award Winner of each of the 9 categories will be announced in Spring 2024 after each of the Finalist colleges has received a visit from an independent assessor.