College Shortlisted for Top Award

NPTC Group of Colleges (@NPTCGroup) has been shortlisted in this year’s prestigious Times Educational Supplement (Tes) FE Awards.

The College is in the running for the Supporting Learners Award, for the work that it does in supporting students in gaining the maximum benefits from their time at college and in particular for its focus on supporting armed forces veterans and children of service families.

Sian Jones, Assistant Principal for Student Support at NPTC Group of Colleges said it was great news and the recognition was testimony to the dedication of college staff.

“The College’s Student Support and Health and Wellbeing Strategies place an emphasis on directing resources into proactive interventions to build student resilience. The focus of this work recognises that students have specialist needs and circumstances that require different and sometimes expert support to build resilience and wellbeing.”

The College has a long-standing commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant in both Neath Port Talbot and Powys, and has taken additional steps to further develop the support it already provides to students who are armed forces veterans and children of serving families. This includes a single point of contact for individuals; wellbeing support and providing educational resources and technology where needed along with upskilling veteran staff through volunteering activities.

Mark Dacey, CEO of NPTC Group of Colleges said he was delighted with the nomination and staff would continue to focus on the wellbeing of students.

“We have an effective system in place to help us deliver support to our students should they need it.  The support for students who are armed forces veterans and the children of serving families is a key priority for the College and there have been far-reaching benefits to the College in terms of its reputation as an organisation that is both compassionate and understanding of the circumstances of these students and as an organisation that can deliver on its promises.  Quite clearly the efforts of the Student Support Team and the staff who are themselves armed forces veterans has meant that the College can deliver on its priorities to recruit and retain students who attribute themselves to these groups.”

The winner of the award will be announced on May 28th as part of a virtual awards evening.