IT ’ S T-TIME
£ 3m training boost for college
World-class facilities that will deliver " unparalleled learning opportunities " for students are set to move forward after a successful £ 3m bid for government backing .
Sunderland College will be rolling out prestigious new T levels from a new cutting-edge immersive environment after the government confirmed it will fund the transformation of a space within its Bede Campus .
The 1920s Bede Building will see its old hall undergo a complete refurbishment , with the inclusion of a sophisticated 360 degree immersive visualisation " dome " created within it that will allow students to train in a number of virtual reality environments .
The dome , a fully integrated immersive solution , will create virtual realities for students studying in several technical disciplines .
The major refurbishment will also include the creation of an amphitheatre-style seated area and a number of innovation suites and flexible spaces for employer-led training .
Work is due to be completed in October this year .
Ellen Thinnesen , chief executive of Education Partnership North East , which includes Sunderland College , said : “ I am absolutely thrilled that we have secured
Graduate ’ s successful social enterprise agency was ‘ Made in Sunderland ’
A
burgeoning social enterprise which has helped thousands of people across the UK has its roots in
Sunderland University .
Mindstars CIC , which aims to tackle the rising mental health crisis among children , has helped support the mental health and wellbeing of more than 5,000 children and families since launching during the lockdown .
It was founded by Rebecca Hetherington , who drew on her own experiences of mental health gained from working in NHS Mental Health Services improving access to psychological therapies and , before that , a foundation degree in counselling at the University of Sunderland in 2015 .
Mother-of-two Rebecca has teamed up with friend Marisa May to use her experiences working with patients of all ages funding to develop what will become a leading technical skills and digital innovation centre .
“ The centre will be a game-changer for our college and most importantly for young people and employers from across our region .”
The new centre will allow the college to develop students ' knowledge , understanding and skills in a shared VR facility offering flexible applications for all T level disciplines – for instance , health students might learn CPR in a simulated football stadium where the sights , sounds and reality of an emergency response situation are recreated by digital 360 degree technology , a learning environment radically different to the confines of a traditional classroom .
Similarly , T level students studying construction will be able to shape the way a health and safety worksite scenario unfolds in response to their decisions .
And supported by the college ’ s technical team , employers will be able to recreate their manufacturing plants within the centre using 360 degree immersive technology for training existing or future employees .
Sunderland College will begin delivery of its new T level provision from the new centre from September 2021 .
to design a service that would support children , specifically for those aged fourto-11 , key stages 1 and 2 , and their families .
Within weeks of launching their proactive work they were making an impact , helping thousands of families through their online community network , supporting schools , sharing toolkits on dealing with mental health and the distribution of more than 9,000 children ’ s free mental health activity books .
Mindstars has been awarded £ 10,000 through the National Lottery Community Fund and has launched its Journey Through Space & Mind mental health activity book , being delivered to 9,000 children in the North-East for free .
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DO YOU INVEST IN YOUR PEOPLE ?
In all the work situations I have been
in , either as a team leader inside a company , plc and SME or external consultant working with teams in large and small businesses , the key factor in creating success has always been the need for a shared vision and personal responsibility .
Once a team is accountable and focused they are normally well on the way to achieving their collective goals .
The key is to make sure people know what they must do as part of that plan if it is to work .
Helping one another get the best from each other must be part of that plan .
It is too common an occurrence to see a company invest ambitiously in premises , the best office furniture , superb manufacturing equipment , fantastic marketing , digital advances and the latest software solutions , only to forget that what gets the best from that investment is its people . This does not mean turning to HR personal improvement plans .
Helping people understand who they are and how they work most effectively inside teams they belong to should be high on the leadership team ’ s agenda .
Great teams are not recruited - they need to be formed , they need to ferment and finally grow to learn how to work together .
Additions to any team should improve it and must minimise disruption on the performance of the whole .
Personal awareness of behaviour forms the foundations to build high-performing teams at any level and get the best return from all that investment .
Kevin Maddison Managing director , Root Cause Consultancy
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