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Waltham Forest College joined the ' Fire It Up' campaign during National Apprenticeship Week ensuring apprenticeships are being promoted alongside more traditional academic routes.
A series of awareness workshops were designed and delivered to learners across the London Borough of Waltham Forest to help raise the awareness of apprenticeships and champion all the great things about on-the-job training.
College representatives had an opportunity to educate and inspire young learners from Holy Family Catholic School and Wanstead High School incorporating this year's Fire It Up theme ' ' Look Beyond'. The workshops allowed students to help them make the best decision around career choices discussing pathways into apprenticeships, as a choice, after school.
The Apprentice team also participated in the Waltham Forest Council's Apprenticeship Fair at the Jobcentre Plus in Walthamstow, to encourage young people and adults to look beyond some of the myths around apprenticeships and see the diverse range of roles available.
Dr Joy Kettyle, Principal at Waltham Forest College, said: 'Apprenticeships are important in helping young people and adults into work and we are engaging with leading employers, who have woken up to the benefits of having an apprentice in their workplace' .
Director for Business Development, Nadeem Khalifa said: 'Apprenticeships are an important way for people to enter the labour market by choosing a specialist career pathway. The average college trains more than 1,000 apprentices and our team will continue to work with UK businesses to ensure that the apprenticeship system works for them' .
UPDATED STATEMENT
Community Pool CIC Closure
23.01.20
Waltham Forest College strives to position itself at the heart of the community. The College is committed to improving our learning and social spaces, and to be a financially viable organisation, able to invest in growth for a sustainable future.
It is with regret that the Directors of the Community Pool, Community Interest Company (CIC), who have been responsible for the running of the pool for several years now, have announced that it will be closing its doors on 31st January 2020. WFC students, schools and clubs, and the local community have all benefited from this unique facility in the college.
The College has not changed any conditions of the lease in recent years and has discussed the Community Pool CIC's decision to close. We are willing to explore a viable and pragmatic approach to refurbish, reopen and sustain the pool for the future.
It is unfortunate that the College has not been able to facilitate a timely enough change to the lease, in order for the Community Pool CIC to take advantage of potential funds available to invest in, and modernise the pool. Financial investment from a committed party(ies) is required to create an environmentally efficient and economically viable swimming pool that can serve the community for the longer term.
The reopening and sustaining of the long-term future of the pool will make it imperative for the College, schools and clubs, and the community of Waltham Forest to continue as active users of this unique venue that has been a central part of the community for generations.
The College is open to discussions in the hope that this pool can reopen for community use for leisure and education at some point in the future.
Dr Joy Kettyle
Principal
.........................................................................................................................
Original Press Article, 17.01.20
After ten years of service to Waltham Forest residents, the Community Pool CIC. has announced it will be closing its doors on 31st January 2020. Stakeholders and Community partners will be notified with immediate effect.
The Directors of the CIC extend thanks to the people and organisations that have supported the pool over the last decade: the pool staff, users, and the many others who have given their time and efforts to provide this facility to the people of Waltham Forest.
Waltham Forest College Principal, Dr Joy Kettyle, said: 'In recent months, Waltham Forest College has had the tremendous opportunity to take up free swim sessions and lessons at the Community Pool which has added value to both the staff and student experience.'
'We've also recently just received news of our first student of the year who has successfully completed their lifeguarding course. The pool closure will inevitably have an impact on the teaching and leisure experience for staff and students here at the College.'
The Community Pool will need the support and commitment of Waltham Forest College and other partners as well as the community in order to be able to generate the capital needed to create an environmentally efficient and economically viable swimming pool for the long term.
Karen Hayes (a Director at the Community Pool CIC) said: 'It is with regret, that we have had to inform the community of the pool closure, however, it's a decision the directors have had to make given the current circumstances.
'We can only sincerely apologise for the impact this has had on the local schools and clubs as well as our talented team of staff.'
The future of the pool is uncertain, but the directors of The Community Pool CIC and the management of Waltham Forest College will continue discussions in the hope that it can reopen for community use and education sometime soon.
For all queries relating to this announcement, or, if you or your organisation can contribute to discussions that will help secure a future for the community pool, then please email using either of the email addresses below:
Applications are now open for adult courses starting in January & February.
Discover what's available below and apply today.
If you are looking to try something new, upskill or pursue a new career, these courses are perfect for you.
Click the courses below to apply today:
18th Edition Wiring Regulations - Full course
18th Edition Wiring Regulations - Top-up course
February start courses
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AAT Foundation Certificate in Accounting, Level 2, Online and On Campus (February start)
A student with a learning disability enjoyed a week of learning on the job, thanks to a special opportunity.
Virgin Money teamed up with leading learning disability charity, Mencap, to provide a work experience opportunity for Waltham Forest College student, Nihal Pervez, who has a learning disability.
Nihal Pervez, 20, from Ilford said: 'I had a great week working inside the Virgin Money office last week. I feel so happy to have done this work experience and it has helped me to think about what I want to do in the future. Thank you Virgin Money and Mencap for this amazing opportunity.'
Nihal also attended a business breakfast, co-hosted by Mencap and Virgin Money and supported by the Financial Times, where she talked to employers about how they can change attitudes towards disability in the workplace.
Less than 6 per cent of people with a learning disability known to their local authority are in paid employment.
James Peirson, disability network sponsor at Virgin Money said: 'We are keen to make sure that this partnership'is'not just an incredible'fundraising opportunity for the charity, but also delivers a long-lasting legacy for people with a learning disability. Our partnership ambition is to tackle discrimination and stigma around learning disability and promote social inclusion.'
The year-long partnership includes Mencap being the charity of the year for the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon.
Mark Capper, of Mencap, added: 'People with a learning disability can work and want to work, and with the right support they make really fantastic employees. Our research has shown that simple things like inaccessible application forms are a real barrier to people with a learning disability applying for jobs.
'Often all that is needed is small and cost-effective reasonable adjustments to open the doors for people with a learning disability who want to work and who go on to be committed employees.'
Waltham Forest College has been delivering butchery apprenticeships for 20 years and currently has spaces available in its high-quality training and apprenticeship programmes.
Training takes place on campus in a fully equipped and temperature-controlled butchery room, complete with a wide range of knives, blocks, a cold store, display cabinets and modern equipment. Expert butchers are on hand to demonstrate special techniques and to prepare students for future employment.
Our in-house Butcher, Ray Humm, takes pride in bringing customer satisfaction to the forefront of butchery practice, which is why the College runs a public butcher shop offering apprentices practical experience in the industry. Apprentices learn how to dispense cooking advice and advise customers on the right cut of meat for a specific recipe.
The College is well placed to provide training and apprenticeship programmes, not only for individuals looking to move into the industry but also companies of all sizes from the local butcher to restaurants and supermarkets.
Apprentices receive comprehensive training which covers areas such as breaking down carcasses for wholesale, correctly de-boning and trimming cuts of meat, how to correctly label and display meat in a retail setting, sausage making and constructing recipes, food hygiene and quality control, correct use of tools and health and safety in the workplace.
Previous successful apprentices who completed their course at the College have gone on to work in independent butcher shops, retail chains, catering, meat wholesaling and supermarket butchery departments with the opportunity to progress into a supervisory or management post.
For further details on the Butchery Apprenticeships and information on how to apply, email
Waltham Forest College, 707 Forest Road, Walthamstow, London E17 4JB.
The launch of the Empowered Youth platform in East London on the weekend drew praise from Waltham Forest College students and staff as well as the high-profile presenters who inspired and guided the audience on how to achieve fulfilling lifestyles and careers.
Introduced to the United Kingdom by Pride Factor, the South African based life skills academy dedicated to ' Inspiring Young Minds', comprised two motivational workshops, delivered on the 9th for young people (16-19) and on the 10th for adult learners (19+).
'The Empowered Youth Event was the total embodiment of our vision at the College, which is Inspiring learners to create their future,' said Dr Joy Kettyle, the Principal and CEO of Waltham Forest College.
'We believe in investing in our students' experience as well as their academic success, and therefore decided to partner with Pride Factor to deliver this highly energetic experience, which encourages our young and adult learners to broaden their aspirations, identify their passions and fulfil their purpose. We look forward to further collaborations with Pride Factor.'
The workshops addressed themes such as Financial Literacy, Critical Thinking, Entrepreneurship, Emotional Intelligence and Super Human Skills, presented in conjunction with several business gurus and motivational speakers from the Greg Secker Foundation, Wealth Dragons, Assets for Life, Win Investing, Jet Set Speaker and Left Click Right Click.
'Great to serve at the Empowered Youth event,' said business tycoon Greg Secker, who presented his latest skills-development talk titled ' Becoming Superhuman'.
'Proud to be a sponsor and contributor to what started as a dream in South Africa with the Inspired Youth programme. That has now grown beyond the 50,000 young people we have served abroad and starts its campaign to change the lives of young people on home turf.'
Student Carolina Lunga attended the workshop for young people on Saturday and was excited because she saw it as a huge opportunity.
She said: 'The workshop provided me with a path for improving my life. Now I know where to start, how important emotional health is and how it could help me to achieve my goals.'
Those at the Sunday workshop for young people agreed that the content met their expectations and improved their lives.
Student: Theresa Davidson also commented saying: 'I was very inspired and empowered and will spread the good news to friends, my local church and anyone who comes my way about how our past experiences affect our thinking and lives.'
Dene Botha, the MD of Pride Factor, was the Master of Ceremonies for the workshops and introduced all the speakers, including Chris Farrell, co-author of FUNancial Freedom; Millcan CEO Ayo Sage and thriving entrepreneurs Clare Allen from Signature Productions and Nina Clark from Nightire.
'It's been an incredible journey leading up to the launch of the Empowered Youth project and we're extremely grateful to our partners from the Success Summit and Wealth Mastery Live events and to the Waltham Forest College for their support,' said Botha.
'We've received invaluable insights from the students and will be using their feedback to fine-tune our programmes for the full roll-out of the platform across the United Kingdom during 2020.'
For more information on the Empowered Youth platform visit:
www.empowered-youth.com
2343ec78a04c6ea9d80806345d31fd78-gdprlock/EmpoweredYouthGlobal/
Waltham Forest College has launched 2 brand new and exciting Travel & Tourism courses for 19+ adults.
If you are looking to try something new, upskill or pursue a new career, these courses are perfect for you.
You will study:
The Aviation Industry
Aviation terminology
Airport locational geography
Customer service in aviation
You will study:
Working as a cabin crew member
Airline health, safety & security
Emergency aircraft situations
Making passenger announcements
Dealing with passengers on an aircraft
Study for FREE
If you are on low income or Job Seekers Allowance you may be eligible to study for free. To find out if this applies to you contact the College on
Pride Factor, the South African based life skills academy dedicated to ' Inspiring Young Minds' is launching the Empowered Youth platform in the United Kingdom by presenting two motivational workshops for teenagers and young adults in Walthamstow, London during November.
Building on feedback received from interactions with more than 50,000 young minds attending over 100 events at schools, universities and other youth events, these workshops are designed to inspire and guide young people on how to challenge their assumptions, broaden their aspirations and actively pursue and achieve fulfilling lifestyles and careers.
The launch of the Empowered Youth platform will comprise two intensive and high-energy one-day workshops, one for teens (15-18 years-old) and the other for young adults (19-25), both of which will plant seeds and set young minds in motion around themes such as:
- Emotional intelligence (EQ)
- Super Human Skills
- Financial literacy
- Money Making Concepts
- Work readiness
- Critical Thinking
- Entrepreneurship
The workshops will be presented in conjunction with several business gurus and motivational speakers from the Greg Secker Foundation, Wealth Dragons, Assets for Life, Win Investing, Jet Set Speaker and Left Click Right Click.
The events will be hosted by Waltham Forest College in Walthamstow, London E17 4JB, on Saturday and Sunday, 9 and 10 November, 9.30am ' 3.30pm.
Visit this page to register your attendance.
For more information see www.empowered-youth.com and 2343ec78a04c6ea9d80806345d31fd78-gdprlock/EmpoweredYouthGlobal/
Waltham Forest College has written to local MPs urging the Chancellor to follow through on PM Boris Johnson's commitment to prioritising investment in further education and skills in the upcoming spending review.
In a decade of austerity, over a million opportunities for adults to train and re-train have been lost every year and 16-18-year-olds are now receiving 10 hours less per week in teaching and support than their counterparts in other countries. Waltham Forest College has asked Stella Creasy and Iain Duncan Smith to urge the Chancellor to ensure next month's spending review proposes a ten-year education funding plan that invests properly in all young people and adults to give this country the skills it requires for the future.
Waltham Forest College alongside every other college in the country has had to deal with an overall cut of 30% to funding over the last decade. The spending review needs to recognise this by bringing in significant new investment in colleges, including:
- A cash injection of £450m for 16-18 education
- A boost of £250m for adult education and training; and,
- New capital investment of £240m for IT, new kit & equipment and to reflect the growing numbers of young people studying in colleges
Waltham Forest College is a key supporter of the ' Love Our Colleges' campaign launched by the Association of Colleges (AoC) calling for longer-term funding in further education.
The principal of Waltham Forest College, Dr Joy Kettyle, said: 'We aim is to ensure that we improve the life chances of all our learners and that they are equipped with the skills they need to achieve their ambitions for work and in life.'
Dr Kettyle, further commented 'The spending review must acknowledge the big contribution further education makes to society and our economy. It must be the starting point in providing the right levels of investment so that colleges can play their full part in a successful economy post-Brexit.'
The Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith visited Waltham Forest College during the ' Love Our Colleges' campaign week for a discussion with students and staff around funding cuts and its implications to further education institutions.
He said: 'I've come to Waltham Forest College to support the push on Love Our Colleges and all the students I have met today are learning a trade to either start or change their careers. The point of this college is they offer people a chance and a way to develop their skills beyond school and gain qualifications that are vital in the way we run society. These are the skills that are desperately necessary and we need more of it. I am enormously proud to support the Love Our Colleges campaign.'
David Hughes, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, said: 'The spending review is an early opportunity for the Prime Minister to show he meant it with his pledge to invest in further education and skills. There are many funding and policy challenges to grapple with across government, mostly needing highly-skilled, well-educated workforces to deliver for our economy and country.
'Despite educating 2.2 million people every year, including more than 600,000 16 to 18-year-olds, colleges have been neglected in recent years. Next month is an opportunity to change that and to improve the life chances of millions of people.'
