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Celebrating the Success of Collaboration: Green Skills Achievement by Exeter College and East Devon District Council

Exeter College and East Devon District Council (EDDC) are proud to announce significant achievements through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) East Devon Retrofit Programme. This project aims to provide upskilling and reskilling opportunities for students, residents and businesses of East Devon through a broad range of retrofit and renewable courses, which is a priority in EDDC’s Economic Development Strategy.

Available to the public and construction professionals, Exeter College has designed and delivered short flexible courses to provide foundational knowledge and skills progression to promote sustainable methods of construction.

This project also focuses on school engagement, delivering green careers talks and workshops to secondary schools across East Devon. This collaborative effort has significantly contributed to raising awareness of green careers, training, and skills to pupils from Years 7 – 11.

Key achievements of the project include:

  • Raising Awareness: Over 1,000 students from East Devon secondary schools have been introduced to green careers, training, and skills in construction
  • Certification and Qualifications: More than 100 East Devon residents have gained certificates or qualifications in retrofit, solar, heat pump, insulation and teaching
  • Supporting Industry Professionals: 6 construction professionals have been supported into education by gaining the Level 3 Award in Education and Training, addressing the skills shortage in the sector

These achievements would not have been possible without the generosity, time and commitment of key contributors from across the region. We would like to take this opportunity to thank:

  • Daikin – Leading the Introduction to Heat Pumps course and providing essential knowledge on energy-efficient heating solutions.
  • Naked Solar– Delivering the Introduction to Solar course, and equipping participants with fundamental insights into solar energy systems.
  • Paul Brown, Green Skills Lecturer at Exeter College & Managing Director of Swifix – Leading both the Introduction to Retrofit and Level 2 Understanding Domestic Retrofit courses.
  • Bradfords Building Supplies – Supporting modern methods of construction by opening their East Devon branches to promote awareness of sustainable building materials.

Exeter College would also like to recognise those employers who have supported our school engagement events; BCR Associates, Taylor Wimpey, Coreus Group, Progressive, Willmott Dixon, SDS, Kier, Bell Group, Generation 4 Change, Ward Williams and Shared Apprenticeships. The generosity, dedication, and support of our valued employer partners have had a profound impact on students in the region, enhancing their understanding of green skills, guiding their next steps, and opening doors to future career opportunities in the sector.

“We are thrilled with the positive impact this project has had on our community,” said Luke Moss, Skills Manager at Exeter College. “By working together, we have not only enhanced educational opportunities for our young people and adults but also supported the growth of green careers and sustainable practices across our region.”

Cllr Paul Hayward, East Devon District Council’s Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Economy and Assets, said:

“Supporting our residents to upskill and reskill into green careers is vital to developing the workforce we need to reach Net Zero by 2040. I’m delighted that we have been able to provide free opportunities for businesses and individuals to develop new skills and inspire the next generation to pursue jobs in clean growth industries.”

Whilst we are proud to celebrate our shared successes to date, we also recognise the importance of continuing this vital partnership. By ensuring the long-term impact and longevity of this project, we can continue to remove barriers to training and increase job opportunities for the students, residents and businesses of East Devon. For more information about future courses, please visit the Green Skills Advisory Panel website.

For more information, please contact: Luke Moss, Skills Manager, Exeter College, lukemoss@exe-coll.ac.uk.

New programme aims to boost job prospects for care experienced young people

A pioneering new programme has been launched to improve career opportunities for care experienced young people in Devon.

Devon County Council and Exeter College have worked in partnership to develop the PACE (Positive About Care Experienced) programme with the aim of creating a ground-breaking business network dedicated to working with young people who are, or have been, in the care system.

The scheme is designed to help employers feel confident in their ability to support care experienced young people and to commit to working with the County Council and Exeter College to remove barriers that they might face.

Evidence gathered by Devon County Council suggests that those in the care system are facing significant challenges in finding suitable employment and training across the county.

Last year in Devon, 25% of children in care over the age of 18 and around 35% of care leavers were not engaged in education, employment or training.

Employers who sign up to PACE will be offered regular training days throughout the year, delivered by a team of County Council and Exeter College staff. The training covers a wide range of subjects including recruitment, inclusive employment, mentoring, apprenticeships and grants and funding.

The first 20 employers signed up to the programme took part in the initial training provided at the launch event at the Future Skills Centre.

Among those who attended the launch event was Jake McClure, from the UK Health Security Agency, who has previously employed a care experienced young person as an apprentice. Jake said:

“PACE is such a great project to advocate for care experienced young people. My own experience of employing a care experienced apprentice was beneficial for both parties; he was passionate and a very capable talent; and we were able to support him to progress upwards into the business.”

Councillor Rufus Gilbert, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Recovery and Skills, said:

“We recognise that more needs to be done to improve opportunities for our care experienced young people in Devon and this is just the beginning of working with Exeter College and local employers to ensure that happens. A lot of work has gone into developing this programme and I’ve no doubt that everyone who takes part will see the value that care experienced young people can bring to any organisation.”

Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, Devon County Council Cabinet Member with responsibility for children’s services, said:

“The great thing is that young people have been fully involved in the development of this training by telling us about their own experiences of entering employment, and the difficulties they’ve faced. We take our role as corporate parent extremely seriously and this new PACE programme reflects that, and it will ensure that our care experienced young people are given the training and employment opportunities they need for a successful future.”

Mike Blakeley, Director of Apprenticeships and Employer Engagement at Exeter College, added:

“Exeter College values any opportunity to positively engage with our community across Devon. The support of care experienced young people has never been more critical. The PACE project brings together a number of businesses from across our employer network who want to provide employment opportunities to this group.

“This is a unique programme developed with Devon County Council, that will place the young people’s needs front and centre of the recruitment process. The collaboration with our DCC colleagues has shaped a superb and motivated partnership. We are excited to be supporting these young people on their career journey.”

For more information about the PACE programme email hayleylyon@exe-coll.ac.uk  or debbie.stafford@devon.gov.uk

Aviation Minister learns of region’s sustainable aviation ambitions

Aviation Minister Robert Courts has seen first-hand how the South West is fostering a sustainable aviation sector during a tour of Exeter College’s Future Skills Centre (FSC) and Exeter Airport.

The Minister heard how continued investment in aviation skills was increasing homegrown capability in the region and anticipating the aviation systems of the future, including the potential for all-electric aircraft as part of the Government’s Future Flight Challenge.

Aviation Minister Robert Courts said: “It is essential we continue exploring ways to maintain the UK’s competitive place in the aviation industry but we must do so sustainably.

“I’ve been deeply inspired by my visit to Exeter Airport and Exeter College’s Future Skills Centre, which are building the aviation industry of the future by investing in talent across the region – levelling up the UK and putting the South West on a path to success.”

The recent visit started with a tour of Exeter Airport, which last year hosted the first hybrid electric aircraft flight between Exeter and Newquay.

The Minister was shown the airport’s radar room and air traffic control (ATC) centre, where ATC assistants are trained in-house, before touring the terminal and hearing how the airport has been ramping up for the start of a busy summer season.

He also visited aircraft engineering company Exeter Aerospace and heard about plans to establish a strong Aircraft Engineering Apprenticeship and Aircraft Traineeship programme with Exeter College, starting September 2022.

The Minister was then led on a tour of the FSC and spoke to students and lecturers on the Advanced Aircraft Engineering programme.

The Future Skills Centre, formerly the Flybe Training Academy, was recently purchased by Devon County Council. Exeter College now leases the site which has undergone big investment including the purchase of an Aircraft Training Cabin. The aim of the FSC is to provide learners of all ages with the skills and qualifications that are fit for the economy of the future.

Robert Courts and the Exeter College team with Air Cabin Crew learners
Robert Courts and the Exeter College team with Air Cabin Crew learners

Exeter College Principal and Chief Executive John Laramy CBE said: “It was an absolute pleasure to host the Aviation Minister, Robert Courts MP and the local Member of Parliament, Simon Jupp MP.  We were able to showcase the key role that aviation plays across the South West, with activity happening right across the region. 

“The Minister spent time with a range of our students, including Air Cabin Crew learners and Aerospace Engineers, some of which are soon to attend a funded two-week trip to the world’s largest Aviation University at Daytona Beach, Florida in June as part of the Government’s Turing Scheme. 

“The Minister saw first-hand the impact of the Future Skills Centre and the potential the Centre has to impact positively on skills across Devon and the wider region.”

Stephen Wiltshire, Managing Director of Exeter Airport, said: “This was a good opportunity to outline to the Minister how important aviation is to the local economy and our region’s ambitions to take a lead in the development of sustainable aviation. It was also a chance to update him on the start of the airport’s summer season and the challenges the industry still faces as we emerge from the pandemic.”

The day concluded with an interactive roundtable discussion which included the attendees as well as representatives from relevant organisations in the South West such as Devon County Council, East Devon District Council, Devon and Cornwall Police, Exeter Science Park, and the Aviation Industry Skills Board.

Aviation Minister with the Exeter College Team
Group photo outside of the Future Skills Centre
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