Etc . chief executive ’ s apprenticeship call to action
EDUCATION
Etc . chief executive ’ s apprenticeship call to action
Learning – the new new cohort of Teesside Clean Energy Technician scholars at Redcar and Cleveland College . Picture : Joshua Lawson .
Let ’ s work together
Education Training Collective ’ s chief executive and group principal Grant Glendinning explains why building skills is a two-way street …
The old saying , “ It takes a village to raise a child ,” is one that certainly resonates with the world of further education . As the Education Training Collective ( Etc .) chief executive and group principal , Grant Glendinning , will tell you , meaningful success is almost always the result of a collaborative effort .
That ’ s why strategic partnerships are a priority for the college group .
As Teesside enters a new phase of industrial transformation , Grant says seeing educators , businesses and local and combined authorities working together feels more important than ever .
“ For colleges , generally , it is absolutely critical we align our education and training to the needs of employers , large and small , and the economic demands of our region ,” he says .
He explains this means giving students a clear line of sight to the future careers available to them . It is being guided by employers to ensure colleges equip young people , and those choosing to retrain , with skills that have “ real currency ” in industry today , and in readiness for developments in years ahead .
But , in order to deliver all this most effectively , he says : “ It must be a two-way street .”
It requires building relationships and mutual respect between colleges , employers and stakeholders , to enable them to work in tandem to ensure technical qualifications deliver the skills needed . It is sharing expertise and knowledge and facilitating opportunities for learners that will increase their exposure to the workplace .
Grant says : “ It ’ s about viewing the relationship as symbiotic , in that we have an honest , open discussion with an employer or business about how we can help them . The conversation should be , ‘ What challenges have you got and how can we help ?’.
“ Our training and curriculum should be guided and developed to fit what businesses and employers want . We must gain their trust that we can provide a pipeline of talented young and retrained people that will help them fill their vacancies .”
He ’ s proud to say , it is something the colleges across the Etc . are already doing -
Business call - Grant Glendinning is keen to forge ever stronger bonds between Etc . and the local business community . Picture : Dawn McNamara .
and doing well .
They have flagship examples of collaborative efforts with the likes of bp , RelyOn Nutec , local adult care services and the NHS , that Grant explains are not only delivering for the individual and the business , but also have the potential to help meet future specialist skill demands .
Most recently this included seeing 20 new students join Redcar and Cleveland College ’ s Teesside Clean Energy Technician scholarship , a two-year engineering study programme for school leavers , backed by bp .
The new cohort – which includes 10 female students - has taken the total number of scholars on the bespoke course
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