As the South West winner, Joanna will now progress to the next stage of the competition, along with other regional winners. The full shortlist will be announced in January 2021.
CMI Awards of Excellence recognise the outstanding achievements of individuals who are making a positive impact on their course, in the workplace, or other management and leadership settings to advance themselves, their organisation and the community around them.
Lecturer in Leadership and Management at Exeter College Simon Takel said: “Joanna has made excellent progress whilst on her Team Leader / Supervisor programme; not only has she completed the Apprenticeship with a Distinction and obtained her Level 3 diploma, she truly developed herself as an effective team leader. Joanna has taken what she has learnt from the course and applied the skills, knowledge and behaviours in the workplace.
“Joanna has recently applied for a promotion at work, which she was successful in; meaning that she is now a full-time team leader with BPA Quality. In my opinion, Joanna now encapsulates what it means to be an effective Team Leader and is not only demonstrating but also championing the values that make up the CMI Code of Conduct.”
Joanna has been for working for BPA for over eight years and says she has always enjoyed studying and learning new skills. She said, “I loved the way of learning and talking about our work experience. The support I had from Simon was amazing! It gave me confidence to talk in front of people.”
Talking about the nomination for the award, Joanna said: “I really did not expect to win South West Region CMI Apprentice. I was over the moon. I am so proud to win this and could not have achieved it without BPA and Simon.”
If you are interested in a Leadership and Management course, please contact us to find out more. You can speak to one of our Adult Advisors by emailing: adultadvice@exe-coll.ac.uk
Viral Facebook post sees Exeter College students flooded with donations for neonatal charity
A group of charity-minded Exeter College students have been inundated with knitted clothing after a post asking for donations went viral on Facebook.
“I had made a small poster with my home address to just put around a few notice boards in our village but someone local put it on Facebook and it has been shared by over 1,000 people now.”
Holly Barclay, second year Health and Social Care student
A tutor group of Health and Social Care students have been collecting various knitted items for distribution to neonatal units around the country to help keep babies that are premature or with additional needs to stay warm in the days after birth. Students had planned to contact a few local knitting groups to help create small knitted hats, gloves and blankets but after a poster found its way on to Facebook the request has gone viral, resulting in an influx of donations from across the country.
Second year Health and Social Care student Holly Barclay had her address on the poster that went viral asking for donations, resulting in a few days of her family home being swamped with new knitted products.
“I had made a small poster with my home address to just put around a few notice boards in our village but someone local put it on Facebook and it has been shared by over 1,000 people now.
“We don’t even know how many donations we’ve got altogether now but they’re all going to a great cause.”
Sidonie Andrews, who is also in Holly’s class, said, “We all wanted to do something to give back to the community but one that stood out for us was to do something for babies in neonatal care.
The students will be sending the generous donations on to baby charity Bliss.
“For me, it was a good idea because when I was a baby I was in a unit with a condition and I know how important it is. I also know how to knit so it all seemed to fit together. Some of us in the group are interested in that area of work so it has helped us all as part of our course as well.”
The group of 17 and 18 year old students, who have also been learning to knit themselves, will be sending the donations to the charity Bliss, who help babies born premature or sick. Bliss is partnering with the Sun on Sunday on their Knit A Lot, Save A Tot appeal, supported by East London Textiles Ltd and The Big Yellow Self Storage Company; you can find out more about the campaign by visiting their website. The items will then be quality checked and sent to neonatal units across the country to help those in need.
Health and Social Care Programme Leader Grace Parker said, “Every year in my tutor group we run a community project to give something back in the run-up to Christmas and this year the students came to me with this idea and have just run with it.
“All these students are on a course that prepares them for jobs within health and social care so they all recognise that neonatal units are such a vital thing to be able to support – especially with the NHS under so much stress at the moment.
“Bliss have been really supportive of our efforts and they’re currently running a national campaign for blankets but finding places where our knitted hats and gloves can go too.”
Donations have been pouring in from across the country, with knitted items arriving from Kent, Leicester, Lincoln as well as some of Exeter College’s own employees knitting for the cause.
Holly concluded, “With everything that’s going on at the moment with Coronavirus we just think it’s a nice thing to do and it brings us all together.”
Exeter College launches Student Covid Charter for student and community safety
Exeter College has today announced the launch of a new Student Covid Charter, created in collaboration with students, to ensure the continued safety of students, staff and the wider community.
The Student Covid Charter provides an eight-point plan, which has been created and agreed with students from across the College, that lays out clearly the expectations of learners when conducting themselves at College and when interacting with the wider community.
The Charter builds on the College’s COVID safety measures it has had in place since the start of the pandemic and provides another layer of security for any learners concerned about the implications of the current wider national lockdown.
Students will sign the new Student Covid Charter as part of their Personal Development Programme, ensuring that all students are aware of the College’s ongoing expectations of them in adherence to the Charter and to the wider Covid rules in place around the College.
Exeter College Director of Academic Studies Dee Rowett said, “We believe the Student Covid Charter is another important step towards ensuring we continue to place the safety and wellbeing of our learners, staff and the wider community at the centre of our work. Not only this, but the development of a Charter written in collaboration with our learners ensures it is a document for students, created by students, helping them to think about the role they can play in helping to reduce the spread of Coronavirus.
“The Student Covid Charter is therefore another way we’re continuing to make sure everyone has all the information and support they need to keep Exeter College a safe community for everyone.”
Since the start of the Covid pandemic, Exeter College has gone above and beyond the official guidance, implementing the use of face masks in all communal areas since the resumption of on site learning and creating new undercover spaces for students to have lunch in a socially-distanced environment. On top of this, the College has installed over 100 new hand sanitising stations, created one-way systems across the College’s sites and adapted classroom seating plans to meet the Covid guidance.
Exeter College student Guglielmo Valastro, who helped create the Charter, said, “We have now come to a crucial time to tackle the spread of the virus and reducing the risk is our priority. I believe that the new Student Covid Charter, made by students for students, is key in ensuring a safe environment at college. It is fundamental that we take this academic year to completion without any further disruption and the Student Covid Charter will remind everyone of the essential guidelines needed to guarantee the safety of us and people around us.”
View the full Student Charterbelow
DCC and Exeter College provide big boost for local economy with launch of Future Skills Centre
Exeter College’s new Future Skills Centre has opened its doors for the first time, following a collaboration between Devon County Council and the Ofsted Outstanding College.
Devon County Council has purchased the building that was formerly the Flybe Training Academy, and Exeter College has agreed to enter into a long lease of the building to offer training and education opportunities from the building, providing learners of all ages skills and qualifications fit for the economy of the future.
The Centre, which has been vacant since Flybe went in to administration in March, will provide the region with a specialist facility for the delivery of training for future-facing high-tech jobs in engineering, digital, construction and clean growth.
The College had previously been the chosen academic partner of the Flybe Training Academy and since 2007 had delivered a range of programmes, including non-aerospace courses, from the building. The new Future Skills Centre, as it will now be called, will offer inspirational opportunities for the region’s young people, while also providing adult learners the chance to upskill or retrain for a new career.
“We’re delighted to be able to work with Devon County Council for the benefit of learners, our city and the wider region.”
John Laramy, Exeter College Principal and Chief Executive
Devon County Council has invested almost £4million in to the project and agreed for Exeter College take a lease of the building to enable it to provide courses based at the Future Skills Centre.
In addition, the College has secured a £1million grant from the Government’s Getting Building Fund to enhance, transform and equip the Future Skills Centre to be a nationally significant hub for training and education. This continues the College’s reputation of creating a line-of-sight to industry in their offer, ensuring that students learn in up-to-date facilities that prepare students for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
The news is particularly welcome as Devon adapts to a reshaped economy, with many adults now looking to retrain for a new career or upskill in their current roles.
The building is undergoing a £1million refurbishment, thanks to the Government’s Getting Building fund
Devon County Council leader John Hart said: “It is vital that everyone in the county – residents and visitors alike – does everything they can to keep the incidence of coronavirus as low as possible.
“But we must plan for the future and do all we can to protect and improve our economy so we can thrive and prosper.
“Our young people have been among the groups worst affected by Covid and this directly addresses their future prospects as well as catering for people of all ages who may want to re-train.
“Creating and retaining a highly skilled workforce will underpin the economic prosperity of Devon and will be a key part of our recovery plan after Covid-19.
“That’s why we are making this substantial, £4 million investment in our economic future and I am delighted that we have been able to work with Exeter College who I know will provide the highest quality and variety of courses.”
Devon’s Cabinet member for economy and skills, Rufus Gilbert, said: “High-tech skills for engineering and digital are vital to our economy.
“Engineering and its aligned professions account for some eight per cent of Devon’s workforce but provide around 20 per cent of our output.
“Around two per cent of Devon’s engineers retire each year and there are key gaps in the engineering sector. So ensuring a steady supply of experienced engineering professionals is a key element of our long-term growth plans.
“They will be an important part of our plans to reset our economy for a future skills agenda taking in high-tech engineering, digital and data, advanced manufacturing, sustainable construction and clean growth and energy.
“And depending on how the aviation industry recovers from the pandemic, we are also well placed to provide training for careers in aerospace as well.
“Our young people are our future. This is an excellent plan and we are doing it for them.
“It will support the creation and retention of local talent, provide rewarding careers for our young people and support innovation across the business sector.”
Counsellors and College leaders took part in a tour of the building (before November’s lockdown restrictions were announced)
Exeter College Principal and Chief Executive John Laramy said, “We’re delighted to be able to work with Devon County Council for the benefit of learners, our city and the wider region.
“The Future Skills Centre will be the home of our forward-facing programmes of study, designed to help learners at different stages of their lives get the skills they need to fulfil the jobs of the future.
“Not only will this Centre provide the future skills for a more sustainable Devon, it will also support us to develop skills in digital and data technologies, including building on our track record of working with artificial intelligence and supporting emerging sectors such as robotic agriculture.
“This collaboration reinforces our position as an innovative training and education provider, but more importantly ensures that the wider community has access to the very best opportunities.
“One of the most exciting elements of this collaboration is the long term benefits this will have for the region in helping to ensure Devon retains a highly-skilled, local workforce that continues to thrive in challenging times.”
The creation of the Future Skills Centre builds on Exeter College’s reputation for delivering exceptional training and education opportunities, with a new Digital and Data Centre on their Hele Road campus set for completion early in 2021. The Digital and Data Centre is part of a wider South West Institute of Technology plan to revolutionise digital, engineering and manufacturing technology across the region.
Courses are being taught from the Future Skills Centre now, with courses for both school leavers and adult learners being offered at the building.
Exeter College celebrates graduates with unique #DIYGraduation event
Exeter College has celebrated this year’s higher education graduates with a unique event that allowed them to celebrate at home, although it went above and beyond a simple live streamed ceremony.
Exeter College’s Higher Education Graduation normally takes place at Exeter Cathedral, but due to social distancing and government guidelines it had to be adapted this year. Many other institutions have moved their ceremonies online, inviting students to watch from home, but Exeter College has gone one step further, making it a hybrid event.
“Our learners have shown incredible innovation and resilience to achieve their qualifications.”
John Laramy, Exeter College Principal and Chief Executive
Each graduate who pre-registered was posted a box of goodies and instructed to open them on 23rd October 2020, the day of graduation. The boxes contained a mini bottle of Prosecco, complete with a sipper, mortarboard and a sweet treat from Exeter’s Exploding Bakery. The boxes also contained items to help them as they progress in the world of work, including a notepad, pen and reusable cup.
Graduates were invited to sit & relax, sip & celebrate and selfie & share their experience while they enjoyed the ceremony from the comfort of their own homes via either Facebook Premiere or YouTube Premieres.
The ceremony included speeches from Exeter College Principal John Laramy, Chair of the Board of Governors David Allen OBE and College alumnus Ben Page, who is now the Chief Executive at research agency Ipsos MORI.
Exeter College Principal and Chief Executive John Laramy said, “I’m thrilled we’ve been able to celebrate the incredible achievements of our higher education students with this hybrid virtual event.
“Our learners have shown incredible innovation and resilience to achieve their qualifications and although we’d love to celebrate with them in person at Exeter Cathedral, I’m glad we’ve been able to come together virtually, complete with our DIY Graduation boxes, to take some time to reflect and celebrate them achieving their qualifications.
“It has been great seeing everyone join in online and I can’t wait to see what they all go on to achieve in the future.”
Students from across the College’s higher education courses joined in with the celebrations, including those on higher apprenticeships, degree level courses and higher level diploma qualifications.
Exeter College has been awarded a £1000 grant from energy software provider EnergySys as part of the company’s celebration of 20 years since their creation.
As part of their anniversary celebrations, EnergySys polled their staff members on which schools or colleges they wanted to donate to. A list of 20 education providers was established; with each one getting £1000 to spend on computing, science and technology.
Exeter College, who itself is celebrating 50 years since being named as the UK’s first ever tertiary college, will be using the grant money to further invest in practical resources for its IT labs, helping to ensure students continue to have access to the latest software.
Exeter College Head Faculty for IT, Tim Robinson said, “We’re thrilled to receive this grant from EnergySys and plan to use this money as a further investment in our IT labs. We pride ourselves on our students having access to the technologies they need to make their education a success and this money will go towards ensuring we continue to be at the cutting edge in terms of what we offer our learners.”
Peter Westwood, Technical Director at EnergySys said, “I was delighted to nominate Exeter College for the EnergySys Innovation Grant. EnergySys has been delivering transformational change to the oil and gas industry for 20 years and recognises life-long learning and innovation play a vital role in that; values I think Exeter College share.
“To celebrate our company milestone, we wanted to invest in these values. As such, I couldn’t be more pleased to hear that the College will use the grant to further invest in their IT labs and hope it will help the College inspire their students into a future career within technology.”
Exeter College’s own digital offering is set to expand in the coming years, as construction currently continues on a new Digital and Data Centre on their Hele Road site. This forms part of the South West Institute of Technology plan to revolutionise digital, engineering and manufacturing technology education across the region.
Reach Academy takes to Haven Banks for team building day
Exeter College’s Reach Academy made a visit to Haven Banks Outdoor Education Centre for a team building day to build confidence and teamwork skills.
The Reach Academy, which is made up of students who aspire to get in to some of the toughest university places and careers, regularly takes part in extracurricular activities to boost personal statements, build soft skills and encourage ambitious aims.
As part of this team building day, Reach Academy students visited Haven Banks and took part on a variety of activities of their choosing, including kayaking, raft building, canoeing, climbing, paddle boarding and archery.
Martin Gilbert, who leads the Exeter College Reach Academy, said, “It was great to get the whole Reach Academy together for this day at Haven Banks.
“Although we normally travel around the country with the Reach Academy, learning more about different progression routes, this hasn’t been possible due to Coronavirus so it has been great to use this time to build more of these soft skills that are highly prized by universities and employers.”
“The students thoroughly enjoyed their day and I know valued the experiences they got while at Haven Banks. I want to thank the team there for an absolutely amazing day, which was well organised and enjoyed by all.”
The Reach Academy at Exeter College supports students throughout the academic year with activities that aim to challenge and inspire learners to achieve more. Guest lectures, extracurricular trips and additional one-to-one progression support are just a few of the ways the Reach Academy helps students to achieve their dreams.
The Reach Academy supports students applying to Oxford and Cambridge, Russell Group universities, scientific and medical courses as well as other sought-after progression routes.
Note: This visit took place before the November 2020 lockdown of England was announced.
FLIP Weeks are weeks where we ask our students to complete independent and guided study from home. Our next FLIP Week is Monday 14th – Thursday 17th December 2020
Our PIP Days are non-teaching day for learners the next one will be on Friday 18th December 2020. PIP Day (Progress Intervention Planning Day) is a chance for our teaching staff to meet and do some planning for the rest of the academic year.
We hope that your young person enjoys FLIP week and their PIP day, and we can’t wait to welcome them back on site from Monday, January 4th 2021.
All college sites will remain open during FLIP Week. Students can attend college to make use of the IT equipment available in the Learning Resource Centres if they do not have a device to connect to online teaching and learning, or if they do not have sufficient internet access from home. Vulnerable learners will also be able to attend college sites if they need to.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits Exeter College to announce adult education reforms
Prime Minister Boris Johnson took to the tools during a visit to Exeter College’s Construction Centre as part of his announcement of fresh investment in adult education and further education colleges across the country.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits Exeter College Construction Centre. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
The Prime Minister was led on a guided tour of the Construction Centre at the Sowton Industrial Estate and took part in the building of a wall and undertook some carpentry as he sampled one of the skills-based industries that will benefit from his reforms.
“The college offers wide-ranging courses to over 10,000 students so they can get the skills local employers and our economy needs – with study options set to grow further when their new Digital and Data Centre opens next year.”
The Prime Minster Boris Johnson speaking at Exeter College
The visit was part of the Government’s announcement of a raft of new support for adult learners that will see adults without an A Level (or equivalent) qualification offered a fully funded college course, as well as fresh capital investment in to further education colleges across the country.
As part of the visit, Boris Johnson spoke with the College’s Principal and Chief Executive John Laramy, Assistant Principal Sam Hillman and Director of Apprenticeships and Employer Engagement Mike Blakeley on the current wide range of courses offered by the College and how adult learners access courses with the College.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets with the College Principal and CEO, John Laramy and Assistant Principal, Sam Hillman. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “I was delighted to visit Exeter College today, and to hear from John [Laramy], Sam [Hillman], Mike [Blakeley] and others about the brilliant work being done to train their students and apprentices.
“The college offers wide-ranging courses to over 10,000 students so they can get the skills local employers and our economy needs – with study options set to grow further when their new Digital and Data Centre opens next year.
“As I set out earlier, the Lifetime Skills Guarantee will help even more adults and young people get into well paid work, get qualifications valued by employers, and learn the skills the economy needs to build back better from coronavirus.”
Exeter College Principal and Chief Executive John Laramy said, “It was amazing having Boris Johnson to visit us. I’ve been with the College for 12 years and this is the first time we’ve ever hosted the Prime Minister and you could hear his passion for further education and skills during his time here.
“I spoke with the Prime Minister about the education ecosystem in this area and how we work together with schools, the University of Exeter and local employers to make sure Exeter is the best that it can be.”
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson also took some time to talk with businesses in the construction industry as part of his visit. He spoke with representatives from Taylor Wimpey, Travis Perkins, Coreus and MIDAS on how the latest changes to policy will help provide them with the workforce for the future.
“I spoke with the Prime Minister about the education ecosystem in this area and how we work together with schools, the University of Exeter and local employers to make sure Exeter is the best that it can be.”
John Laramy, Principal and Chief Executive of Exeter College
John Laramy continued, “The Prime Minister spoke with businesses on how this new support will help them to get access to the skilled workers they need to excel and further improve productivity. It was great to see him being so passionate about how his policies could help the businesses that were around the table to help them bounce back from the pandemic and build back better going forward.”
Responding to today’s policy announcements, John said, “We’re really pleased about his announcement today. It’s great to see skills and further education centre stage as a key plank of this government strategy. It’s clear this government is starting to invest in further education and skills and that can only be good for the country and colleges in the future.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits Exeter College Construction Centre. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
Announcing our College Charities of the Year
Exeter College is proud to announce that students and staff have voted for their 2020-2021 charities of the year. This year they have chosen to support a national charity, Children with Cancer UK, and a local charity, Devon Air Ambulance.
We’re incredibly grateful to have been chosen as one of Exeter College’s Charities of the Year.
Tracy Owen, Fundraising Manager at Devon Air Ambulance
Children with Cancer UK currently funds more than 60 research projects at centres of excellence around the UK. Alongside this they fund innovative welfare projects to provide better care and practical support for young cancer patients and their families.
Devon Air Ambulance runs two emergency helicopters and two critical care cars, enabling the team to deliver expert critical care to patients wherever they may be.
Tracy Owen, Fundraising Manager at Devon Air Ambulance said, “We’re incredibly grateful to have been chosen as one of Exeter College’s Charities of the Year. Being independent of Government and National Lottery funding means support from local businesses and educational institutions like Exeter College is invaluable to ensure we can continue to provide our service, and, after the challenges faced this year, support like this is even more vital. We look forward to supporting all students and staff with their fundraising during the 2020/21 academic year.”
Students and staff will be working hard to raise as much money as they can for these charities. Past charities have included Mind, Exeter Food Bank and the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Megan Snell, Deputy Head of Student Experience said: “As a College, we know it is essential for our students to get involved with social action events and activities and to give back to their community. Activities like this enrich our students experience at College and ensure they go above and beyond in helping others. It is also great for tutor group bonding and in helping students come together to work on a project and there’s no denying that it gets a little competitive!”
