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Exeter College Apprenticeships sets out plan to support employers through recovery period

Exeter College was extremely pleased to hear the Government’s ‘Plan for Jobs 2020’, announced by the Chancellor at the recent mini-budget. This scheme allocates £1.6 billion towards Apprenticeships and Skills, to both support individuals into work and incentivise businesses. 

To summarise the Chancellor’s support package for Apprenticeships and Skills:

  • £2,000 payment to an employer taking on an apprentice aged under 25yrs. This is additional to the £1,000 incentive already paid for an Apprentice aged under 19 or under 25yrs with an Education and Health Care Plan.
  • £1,500 payment to an employer taking on an apprentice aged over 25yrs.
  • £1,000 payment to an employer taking on a trainee or pre-Apprentice aged under 25yrs.
  • £1,000 for each furloughed employee who remains continuously employed through to the end of January 2021

As an Ofsted Outstanding Training Provider, consistently rated in the top three nationally for employer satisfaction, we recognise that these are exceptionally tricky times for employers, and we must ensure that we respond quickly and provide businesses with the support that is required.

As the Government itself states ‘the COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest threat the UK has faced in decades. The virus has caused tens of thousands of deaths, has affected the lives of everyone in the country and has had a devastating effect on businesses.’ 

We welcome backing for businesses to take on Apprentices of all ages; our company has grown exponentially in this area over the last five years, and we are proud to work with over 950 employers and support Apprentices from Penzance to Paddington.

Our dedicated sector specialists continue to work hard with employers to identify, market and fill Apprenticeship jobs, and we are currently advertising over 125 live vacancies.

The Exeter College Pre-Apprenticeship programme has also had incredible success rates in recent years, enabling young people to gain access to Apprenticeships while building their confidence in Maths and English. 

Exeter College Learning Support Specialist, Philippa Charlton, praised candidates on the Pre-Apprenticeship programme. She said, “These young people show determination and resilience. We are delighted to have seen them go on to fulfil their potential in Apprenticeship roles – as electricians and bricklayers, and within early years education and hospitality, to name a few examples.

“They bring new insight, creativity, and absolute dedication to their employers and the Chancellor’s support for this programme is extremely encouraging. The extension of the scope of the programme further widens the opportunity for young people with a Level 3 qualification. This is welcomed.”

Mike Blakeley, Director of Apprenticeships and Employer Engagement at the College, will explore the role of Apprenticeships and technical education in the economic recovery in our upcoming employer webinar, on Thursday 23rd July, 10:00am – 11:15am. We are delighted also to welcome Rob Nitsch, Chief Operating Officer for the Institute for Apprenticeships, and Nicola Drury UK Apprenticeship Manager at Amazon.

If you would like to join us, please register in advance.

For further information on accessing the government’s support for Apprenticeships and Pre-Apprenticeships, please contact the Exeter College Team on 01392 400800 or email Apprentices@exe-coll.ac.uk.  

Exeter College bucks national trend for Apprenticeship starts

As Training Providers nationally report a potential loss of 80% of predicted starts during the Spring period as a result of the Covid-19 crisis (FE Week 22 May 2020), Exeter College is able to share positive news, having welcomed new intakes of Apprentices in Digital Marketing, Project Management, Customer Service, Management and Data Analytics.  

Following a virtual meeting with government ministers this week, the College also reports exceptional retention rates as the local business community rallies to support Apprentices. Mike Blakeley, Director of Apprenticeships and Employer Engagement, said, “To see 95% of our planned Apprenticeship starts come to fruition despite all of the challenges of lockdown, shows clearly that our employer partners continue to see the value of Apprenticeship training.  We know that our region is a huge supporter of Apprenticeship training, with Exeter having achieved City of Apprenticeships earlier this year, and it is a really positive sign that in face of global challenge Apprenticeships in the region remain high on the agenda.” 

“Exeter College is delighted to welcome Data Analyst Apprentices from our new employer partner EDF.  The fact that the Data Analyst programme has been able to start despite the challenges of lockdown shows the strength of our partnership and the positive approach adopted by both parties. This is our first truly national programme with learners in the South West, South East and North East all participating fully.” 

Filomena La Porta, Data Skills Squad lead at EDF said, “People are at the heart of fully realising the value of data and data skills are precious and scarce. It’s amazing to see that in our company there is talent rising to the challenge of learning new skills and we are delighted to be able to support their development over two years in partnership with Exeter College. It is a great success story that the Data Analyst Apprenticeship has gone ahead as scheduled, despite the challenges of COVID. Exeter College have taken on the challenge of remote learning, ensuring a real partnership at every step of the way.” 

The new cohort of Data Analyst Apprentices is led by Steve Mariadas, Digital and Data Lead at Exeter College and CEO of the new South West Institute of Technology, which is backing a new Digital and Data Centre which is being built on the Exeter College site.  Reflecting on the challenge of launching new programmes during lockdown Steve said, “It has been an interesting time for us all, but the College’s investment in digital skills meant that staff were well placed to implement the remote learning required which enabled the Apprentices to begin their programmes as planned and with minimal disruption despite lockdown. Our concerns are always to offer high quality teaching and learning, through a safe online learning environment.” 

As a Microsoft Showcase College, and having undergone a digital transformation, teaching staff have been able to quickly adapt to the challenges thrown up by the Covid-19 lockdown. Many of the staff already hold Microsoft Innovative Educator badges and the College’s IT and Digital Innovations teams have worked hard over recent years to embed Microsoft technologies into everyday practice across the College. It has also allowed the staff to host a series of virtual open events to support school leavers, and secure talent for the new academic year starting in September. Online interactive job seeking sessions have also allowed the Apprenticeship Team to match individuals who have come forward for the hundred-plus employer vacancies currently advertised with the College. 

Having reached the finals of the prestigious AoC Beacon Awards on Thursday 4th June, in The City and Guilds Employer Engagement category, the College cites its strong community network as one of the key factors in weathering the current storm.   Mike Blakeley said, “The delivery of programmes at this time has been seen as a key tool in employee welfare and support.  Levels of employer satisfaction are exceptionally high regarding learning delivery.  Looking to the future we know that given the current economic climate there are challenges ahead, but we believe that the strong partnerships and reputation we have of partnering with employers will enable us to help them through this time, and in turn, find employment for our applying Apprentices.  

“With the digital expertise the College has in place, and our ongoing investment in skills development and new premises, our Apprentices and our employer partners are exceptionally well placed to be at the centre of the Skills Revolution.”

Exeter College student joins NHS front line

Exeter College student Madeleine Crow has concluded her College studies early to take up a position on the NHS front line. 

Madeleine, 17, from Topsham, was in her final year at Exeter College studying A Levels in Biology and PE, alongside a BTEC in Health and Social Care, when the Government announced the closure of all schools and colleges to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.  

“It’s a steep learning curve, but everyone’s helpful, and everyone’s working together.”

Madeleine Crow, Health Care Assistant. 

Madeleine had already secured a job offer from Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital but decided to join them on the front line as a Healthcare Assistant before she was due to start in order to help in the fight against Coronavirus.  

Commenting on her new role, Madeleine said, “The atmosphere at the hospital is a bit different from how it usually is as everybody slightly on edge. 

“I’ve been on a lot of COVID-19 wards, and it is a bit scary, but there are still patients who need looking after.   

“It is a different type of nursing, as there is less patient contact. The personal protective equipment makes it feel like there is a wall between you and the patient; but we have to be careful to protect ourselves and protect the patients. 

“It’s a steep learning curve, but everyone’s helpful, and everyone’s working together.” 

Madeleine is following in the footsteps of her parents, both of whom also work for the NHS. 

Her father is currently helping with the hospital’s planning for the COVID-19 pandemic as a Director at the hospital, while her mother works as an Assistant at a local GP surgery. 

Madeleine said, “My mum has always done things to help and support people. She used to be a family support worker and we had a foster child for a while. She has always helped to look after people, and it’s made me want to do it too.” 

Madeleine also wanted to pay tribute to the College for helping to prepare her for her new NHS role. 

She said, “My Health and Social Care BTEC gave me a good understanding of how patient care is delivered, and my Biology A Level has been beneficial too. 

“There is no way to know what it’s like until you’re actually working, but Exeter College gave me a good insight.” 

Madeleine appreciates the insights her Healthcare Assistant role is currently giving her in working with the NHS and would like to continue her nursing career in the future. 

She said, “There are so many ways to go into nursing, from Apprenticeship schemes to getting a degree and working your way up; it’ll be a matter of what will be available at the time and when I can start.” 

Find out what Exeter College has been doing to help support the community during these unprecedented times. 

Are you interested in a career in healthcare? Apply now for the September 2020 start.

Awarding BTEC Qualifications FAQs

Updated:
06/05/2020

Some current BTEC students have been asking for clarification on how the awarding process for their qualifications will work during the College closure. Here are some frequently asked questions to help support your ongoing study with Exeter College and provide guidance on the process for awarding grades.  

Please note: Pearson (the awarding body for BTEC qualifications) has announced they will be using calculated grades for any units due for completion after March shut down. For units that are assessed by coursework, predicted grades will be provided. For units that are assessed in the way of an exam, Pearson will calculate these grades. However, for some NVQs and for all Higher National Certificates and Higher National Diplomas, they will carry on with adapted assessments. We will communicate directly with learners with any further updates. 

How will my overall grade for the year be calculated? 

Pearson have told us that your qualification grade will be worked out using the following evidence:  

  1. Actual grades you achieved in units that were due in before the disruption began: this means that the College will submit your grades for work that you were supported with before the shutdown. If you have any outstanding assignments or re-submissions from before 23rd March, it is therefore really important that you do hand these in to your teacher or else we will not be able to submit a grade for that unit for you. Please talk to your tutor if you are unsure if you have any outstanding work.  
  2. Predicted grades for any assignment units or exams that were due to take place after 23rd March 2020: your teachers will be asked to give you a ‘calculated grade’ for such units. We will do this using our knowledge of your working level before the disruption. Please do not worry if you feel the work you are able to complete at the moment is not of the same quality that you were producing before 23rd March. We understand that working remotely without the face-to-face support you usually get in the classroom is not the same experience, and we know that many of you will find working at home at the moment a challenge. No learner will be marked down in predictions on this basis.  

What are my priorities with remote learning? 

If you have any outstanding assignments or re-submissions from before 23rd March, for units that should have been completed, it is really important that you do this work and hand this work in to your teacher or else we will not be able to submit a grade for that unit for you.  

How can I check if I have any work that needs to be handed in? 

Your unit lecturers should be contacting you via your college email if you have any work that needs to be completed and handed in for the units that finished before 23rd March. You can also email your tutor if you are unsure if you have any outstanding work. Don’t forget that you can also check your tracker. 

Will units that started in September and finish in June/July (delivered all year) be counted in my final grade? 

As these units were not completed before March 23rd teachers will be asked to give you a calculated or predicted grade for these units. We will do this using our knowledge of your working level before the disruption. 

Will units that were due to be completed in April be counted in my final grade? 

As these units were not completed before March 23rd teachers will be asked to give you a calculated or predicted grade for these units. We will do this using our knowledge of your working level before the disruption. 

Why am I is still being asked to study and complete work if it will not count towards my overall grade for the year? 

Continuing online study is important for a number of reasons: 

  1. Gaining the skills and knowledge to progress to your next stage: whether that’s the next academic year with us or, university study or employment. We want to make sure we have supported you with all the content your course would have included for your next step.  
  2. It’s good for your mental wellbeing: Having a positive focus for your day is good for your mental health. 
  3. For assessments next year:  Awarding bodies have provided assurance of an extra exam window in the autumn for those who are unhappy with their calculated grade or feel they can do better. You need to have the skills and knowledge for this option to remain open to you. And of course, for those of you in year 1, we are supporting your knowledge ready for assignments and exams that you will sit next year.  

Will I continue to be set assignments? 

We will continue to support and provide you with learning materials remotely. In some cases, you may still be asked to complete a piece of writing however, we are very mindful that many of you will find working at home a challenge at the moment. Therefore, instead of an assignment you may be set different activities to complete. For any written work that you do submit you will continue to receive feedback.  

Will my Tutor let me know my final grade? 

We are not able to discuss with you individually what grade we might submit for you. In any case awarding bodies have their own quality and moderation processes that they will be applying to any data we send. We will not know your final grades until they are released by Pearson. 

When will Pearson release my final grade? 

Ofqual (the Office who regulate all qualifications) have said that they want this process to happen in a timely way so that you can progress and their aim is for you to receive your results around the same time as AS and A Level results.  As soon as Pearson have advised us of the date your results will be released, we will let you know. 

Click here to see Ofqual’s statement on awarding GCSEs, AS Levels and A Levels. 

Exeter College links up with Food4Heroes to provide meals for NHS staff

Exeter College has offered its state-of-the-art industrial kitchen facilities to Food4Heroes; a charity that provides free nutritious meals to frontline NHS staff during the Coronavirus pandemic.   

The College’s @34 training kitchens will now be in use, providing nutritionally balanced, free meals to NHS staff. These meals will include a vegetarian and a meat option and allergens will be listed on the dishes provided. Meals distributed to Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital will be in microwavable containers for NHS staff to take home.  

Food4Heroes launched in response to the Coronavirus crisis when footage emerged of NHS workers finishing long shifts and finding limited stocks available in their local supermarket. Since then, Food4Heroes has worked around the country with NHS Trusts to set up initiatives to support frontline NHS staff with nutritious microwaveable meals.   

The @34 kitchens have the facilities to provide up to 200 meals a day, and Food4Heroes will be working with the NHS Trust to make sure they’re producing the correct volume of food to meet demand. Food4Heroes will also be working with other local, certified suppliers with a minimum 4* food hygiene rating to support catering, if required.   

How you can help  

For the Exeter College kitchen to operate successfully as part of this effort, Food4Heroes is now looking for volunteers with a minimum of a Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate to help prepare the food in the kitchen. Ideally, chefs would be able to commit to producing two meals a week. However, this could alter depending on how many volunteers and businesses come forward to support Food4Heroes.   

Details and support for chefs will be available once the process is finalised. 

To help with Food4Heroes at Exeter College, contact Steve Tipping on steve@food4heroes.co.uk for further details.   

Donate to Food4Heroes  

To keep this free for all frontline NHS staff, Food4Heroes is seeking donations to cover the costs of ingredients, travel and other unavoidable expenses. Donations can be made to specific regions, ensuring that local money is spent on local NHS support. You can find additional details on the Food4Heroes website. Donations for the South West are being raised on Crowdfunder here. 

Supporting the NHS  

Exeter College is helping to support those working in the NHS with PPE equipment distributed from the College’s Maths and Science Centre. The production of face shields is also underway in association with PPE4Exeter, a community organisation leading on the creation and distribution of vital PPE equipment to community-based health and care workers.     

Accommodation is also available for NHS staff to use at the College’s Clock Tower Boarding House. 

PPE4Exeter Campaign Raises over £3000 of £26,000 target in first weekend

A grassroots community project has raised an incredible £3000 in aid of their production of vital Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for community-based health and care workers in their first weekend. They are hoping to continue raising around £1000 a day to keep up with the demand for face shields in the local community. 

The PPE4Exeter project was launched last week to raise money for the materials needed to produce face shields for use by vital community services during the Coronavirus crisis. To date, they have distributed over 1200 face shields to a variety of staff working on the frontline. 

PPE4Exeter is an agile network of local creatives, engineers, technologists and business innovators who are working together to make and distribute face shields to those who need them most on the front line within the community.  

Fronted by Fiona Rourke from Exeter College’s School of Art and Design, PPE4Exeter has teamed up with Andy Wells and Gareth Lambert from the Department for Engineering, Aerospace and Automotive who have also been producing PPE for healthcare settings. They are using their combined expertise to fill the sizable gap in the market occupied by small to mid-range charities and organisations who cannot bid for large deliveries of PPE independently.  

Working with 3D printing, laser cutting and injection moulding technologies, the group is currently Crowdfunding to keep the vital supply of materials going. As little as £5 is enough to create and distribute one reusable face shield, protecting a valuable community keyworker.  

Alongside Exeter College, the team is partnered with Kaleider, University of Exeter, FabLab Devon (Libraries Unlimited), RD&E Innovation Team, Exclusive3D and Preston Street Films to help deliver a target of a further 5000 face shields to the local community in the next 4 weeks.  

Exeter College’s effort is widespread. It has already supported the distribution of PPE to local centres, with over 800 lots of safety glasses, facemasks and gloves making their way to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital this month. This was following the announcement that the College is offering accommodation to NHS workers in their Clock Tower boarding house for the duration of this crisis.  

Find out more about PPE4Exeter.  

Donate now to their Crowdfunder. 

Information correct as of 21st April 2020

#ExeCollTogether – How Exceptional Learning is Continuing at Exeter College

Following the Government announcement that all schools and colleges would be closing to the majority of students from 4.30pm on Friday, 20th March, Exeter College’s plan of action on delivering exceptional learning digitally has launched.  

Our staff have been preparing for this eventuality for some time and students and teachers are now transitioning their learning to an online format using Microsoft Teams, Moodle and College email addresses.  

“We all have a passion for technology, and we’re collectively geared up to continue supporting staff and students via remote working and learning,”

Paul Knee, ICT Manager

Since the Government announcement on last Wednesday, over 390 new online Microsoft Teams have been set up for classes for remote learning, with over 3600 students already prepared to continue their learning for the coming weeks. These figures are expected to rise dramatically as the transition continues. 

Our staff were given time to prepare online content for learners, and our digital services teams (ICT, Innovations and Learning Media Services) have been working tirelessly together to ensure, where possible, students can continue their learning as seamlessly as possible.  

Although we’re no longer physically together, the College community continues. It’s for this reason that the Exeter College social media accounts will be using #ExeCollTogether to share tips and advice from our staff and learners on how they’re getting the most from their learning at home during this uncertain time.  

In addition to teacher-led online activities and learning experiences, students have also been encouraged to form independent online study groups to help keep each other on track with work and maintain online social contact with friends.  

Students on Apprenticeship courses with us have been directed to a Remote Working Guide to support their studies during this interruption.  

Exeter College ICT Manager Paul Knee has been coordinating our digital teams with the rapid transition to online learning through Microsoft Teams and Moodle. He said, “We had been planning for a College-wide move to Microsoft Teams in September, but given the exceptional circumstances of recent weeks, we accelerated this programme to support the urgent need for remote teaching and learning now via the initiative we call Teams Classroom. 

“We all have a passion for technology, and we’re collectively geared up to continue supporting staff and students via remote working and learning.” 

Exeter College Digital Innovation and Engagement Manager Anthony Martin has been leading the drive to digital transformation. He said, “We have been preparing for changes to the workplace of the future and exploring ways of engaging our learners in more immersive digital technology. 

“The preparations being put in place follow our existing Digital Transformation Strategy, which has been developed by the team, and would lead to a September rollout of new digital learning platforms. We’re obviously making that transition in a lot quicker time frame than we had imagined or would have liked, but we do already have a lot of the technology in place to support staff and students to make a success of this. 

“We’re creating a package to support our tutors and get them using their digital skills in an efficient way. We’ve also enabled staff to share their best practice with each other in Microsoft Teams so that everyone is learning together. 

“At present, we’re creating a one-size-fits all system for staff and students, but as time goes on, things will adapt and shift to suit certain courses and learning styles. Sessions will be taught via Teams, video and audio remote lectures, screen sharing and interactive presentations, as well as some independent study activities. 

“We’re keen to ensure this whole process is as seamless as possible for students and that’s why we’re really focusing on supporting everyone to make the best possible start to this that they can. It’s a determination of mine that nobody is left behind.” 

Some online learning sessions have already taken place as students and staff get used to this new way of delivering education. Anthony said the feedback from sessions which have already taken place has been positive. 

“It’s early days, but four or five groups have already given feedback and they’re delighted with how it is working. The students are excited to use the tools, which is great to hear as we move in to this new learning environment. Their feedback is of great comfort to the team, knowing students feel supported in using these tools effectively and helping them continue their studies,” said Anthony.  

“It won’t be perfect from day one but, from what we’ve put together for everyone, it’s certainly going to help the transition.” 

For more information on the closure of Exeter College, please see our Coronavirus Guidance page.

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