News: College progresses new Rotherham town centre campus

Rotherham College of Arts and Technology (RCAT) are progressing with plans to create a new campus in Rotherham town centre.

The college has announced phase one of a five phase development which is forecasted to cost in the region of £7m to build. This will provide a new focal point entrance for the campus development and classrooms and facilities equipped to 21st century standards.

The new building will link in with the existing advanced manufacturing facilities and provide improved facilities for the development of higher level and technical skills courses.

Planning permission was secured for a £70m redevelopment in January last year, the same month as the much publicised national debacle regarding the allocation of capital funds for projects by the Learning & Skills Council.

Since then, the college has conducted a reappraisal of its development plans and determined that a new proposal will now be pursued.

George Trow, RCAT's principal and chief executive said: "Clearly, the national capital build issues of last year had a considerable effect on plans for over 100 colleges as the funding intended to support new build projects collapsed. This has had an adverse effect on many colleges who have yet to recover from the difficulties the issues but before the dust had settled on this matter, we had begun a reappraisal process to consider how best to respond to the issue and move forward.

"Our new plans are part of a phased approach to the redevelopment of the town centre campus and reflect the needs and aspirations of the college and our determination to provide the best facilities for our community and stakeholders.

"The new proposals demonstrate our commitment to providing first class facilities and we are all very excited about the prospect of this fantastic new facility right in the heart of Rotherham. As well as the new facilities the building will provide, we aim to join together other buildings to form a campus arrangement and the project plans include landscaped open spaces that will be functional and visually appealing.


"Our immediate plans are to gain approval for the project from the Learning and Skills Council and local planning authorities but if everything goes in our favour, we hope to have the new building work complete by August 2011."

RCAT website
Rotherham

Images: RCAT

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News: Redundancy help at hand across Rotherham

Four colleges and training providers across Yorkshire and the Humber are to get extra Government funding for training to help people, who have lost their jobs or are facing redundancy, back into work.

Leeds City College and Careers Enterprise will get approximately £14.5m of the £100m that the Government and European Social Fund are making available as part of a Response to Redundancy package to fund high-quality training places for up to 70,000 people in England.

The money will help people who are currently under notice of redundancy or have recently lost their jobs, offering them free, flexible training to boost their skills so they can move quickly back into work.

Minister for Regional Economic Coordination Rosie Winterton said: "These colleges and training providers will be able to offer a shot in the arm for people in Yorkshire and the Humber who are facing uncertain times in their careers and working lives.

"Our primary aim is to keep the time people spend out of work to a minimum while making the return to work a stepping stone to a more skilled future. I hope people across Yorkshire and the Humber who are facing redundancy or who are out of work will take full advantage of these training opportunities."

In Yorkshire and the Humber, four colleges and training providers will use funding to pay for short courses to update existing skills or start to retrain in new occupational areas. Where possible, accredited units of training will be carried forward and put toward a future qualification.

Everyone who trains through this programme will also receive an individually-tailored package of careers advice, help with searching for a job and guidance on job applications.

Leeds City College website
Rotherham

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News: Rotherham companies make skills pledge

Two Rotherham companies are being used by the Learning & Skills Council (LSC) to highlight the benefits of signing up to the Skills Pledge.

In signing up to the pledge, companies promise to provide employee training that enables individuals to achieve their potential.

Car-components manufacturer Toyoda Gosei UK signed up to the pledge to demonstrate its commitment to equipping its workforce with the skills they need in an expanding company.

Tim Withnall, Human Resources Manager at Toyoda Gosei told the LSC: "The pledge fits perfectly with our intended culture change, which is based around ensuring all our people have the required skills and knowledge to do their jobs to the very best of their ability.

"The Pledge also enables employees to gain recognised qualifications which will prove useful for future career progression and promotion opportunities."

"When the economy does pick up again, we will be better placed to enjoy further growth."

In order to maintain consistently high standards, Greencore Prepared Meals recognised the need amongst employees to improve basic skills in literacy, numeracy and IT.

Julia Matthews, HR Controller, told the LSC: "Our people are our most important and valuable asset. Without a competent team it would be very hard for us to continue to grow as a business. It is therefore a priority that we invest in training and development."

Greencore has won national and regional awards for its commitment to ongoing training and development. This was recognised at the recent Food Manufacture Excellence Awards, where the company won a number of accolades including the Productivity Through Skills Award and the Company of the Year Award.

LSC website
LSC Skills Pledge
Rotherham

Images: LSC

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News: £10m to expand apprenticeship programme

The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to developing the nation’s skills, with the launch of an innovative new trial to develop Apprenticeship Expansion Programmes aimed at increasing current Apprenticeship numbers to fill existing skills gaps. The trials, delivered through the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) will provide participating employers with access to funds of more than £10 million over the next three years, in a bid to increase the number of available apprenticeship vacancies. The Apprenticeship Expansion Programme trials will provide extra funding to employers who are currently running high quality apprenticeships. Financial support will be available to meet the additional costs associated with the trails such as the wage, training and management costs of learners. David Way, of the LSC said: "Given the current economic slowdown it is important that companies continue training their staff to maintain productivity and a competitive edge. Employing apprentices is an ideal way for businesses to position themselves as leaders for the recovery. The new funding will make it easier for businesses to do this and provide the opportunity for industry sectors to successfully fill their existing skills gaps."
LSC website
Rotherham

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News: Training Pays for 1000 young people

Training Pays hosted a celebration event earlier this month at Hillsborough to mark reaching 1000 sign-ups. The event celebrated the achievements of the Training Pays Unit paying tribute to young people, employers & training providers who have participated in the pilot to date. Training Pays is one of 8 Learning Agreement Pilots which encourages young people aged 16 and 17 already in work but without any formal training to undertake accredited training alongside their jobs. The South Yorkshire pilot is led by Rotherham Council and the LSC. Attending the event John Healey MP, Minister for Communities and Local Government said "I'm really pleased that Training Pays has been successful in encouraging so many young people to take up training opportunities. This is good news for employers, the local economy and the wider community. Most importantly, it's great that young people are experiencing the benefits of learning whilst they work, enabling them to gain confidence and skills which raise their aspirations." Project Manager, Davinder Kaur El-Harti said "Training Pays makes a significant impact on young people’s lives by providing access for the first time to appropriate learning and training opportunities including Key Skills thus increasing their employability."
Training Pays website

The Star article
Rotherham

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