New City College awarded VIP adult education Quality Mark

New City College has been recognised with a new VIP adult education Quality Mark – only awarded to those providers delivering high-quality courses in sectors that are key to London’s economic recovery.

The Mayor’s Skills Academies Quality Mark is designed to set high standards for training in order to get Londoners back into good employment and drive long-term growth.

New City College was awarded the accolade for adult courses within five sectors:

• Creative
• Digital
• Hospitality
• Construction
• Health & Social Care

To gain the prestigious Quality Mark, NCC had to submit evidence that met the Greater London Authority’s strict assessment criteria to prove that adult education courses in the selected sectors are of high quality, promote workplace skills, support under-represented groups, are well supported by employers and embed key principles around fair pay.

Adults looking to retrain, upskill or gain a new qualification can be assured that courses awarded the Quality Mark at New City College will provide excellent, industry-relevant training.

Jules Pipe, London’s Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and Skills, said the Quality Mark was “an important step in recognising and showcasing good practice, allowing Londoners and employers to access the best training London has to offer.”

New City College’s Jamie Stevenson, who is Group Executive Director for Apprenticeships & Business Development, said: “We are delighted in securing the Mayor’s Skills Academies Quality Mark in the five sectors that we made applications.

“This is a great accolade for the college and recognises how hard staff work to ensure our curriculum is fit for purpose and aligned to industry expectations.  This also gives employers confidence that the college is training the next generation of staff, upskilling and re-skilling those in jobs who are looking to progress, and keeping up-to-date with industry standards.”

Jamie added: “Students will also have confidence that the education and training delivered by NCC will enable them to be work ready, confident that the high quality skills training they receive will support them as they embark into their chosen career pathway.”

The Quality Mark for NCC builds on the similar Mayor’s Construction Academy award that was granted to the college in 2020.

Along with the VIP status that the Quality Mark brings, it could also mean the college is prioritised by the GLA in future funding for employment and skills programmes, and there will be opportunities to work together with other accredited providers and employers to share ideas, best practice and develop solutions to challenges within adult education in order to push up standards.