Against the backdrop of COVID the rate of change around us has accelerated - changes in technology, industries, careers, learning, lifestyles. And the role of education and learning will remain crucial as we continue to respond to change at an individual, community and wider economic level.   

Phil Brooks of @Dudley_College of Technology given prestigious @TeachingAwards Gold Award for Further Education Lecturer of the Year  A week of celebrating the teaching profession has culminated with school staff from across the country receiving prestigious awards for their commitment to their students. Selected from thousands of nominations, the Stockton Riverside College and Redcar and Cleveland College, part of the Education Training Collective (Etc.), and Phil Brooks of Dudley College of Technology, have all won Pearson National Teaching Gold Awards. This focus on celebrating teaching comes at a time when the country has truly recognised the vital work that schools do on a daily basis. Now, these award-winning school staff will be honoured on a national platform. 

Last Wednesday evening the sector came together to recognise and celebrate the talent of BAME Apprentices at the UK’s first BAME Apprenticeship Awards, created to showcase the outstanding work and achievement of apprentices from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups to inspire BAME talent to reach their full potential. The Awards also gave us an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the employers and training providers across the UK who are leading the way in championing the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

#FutureofWork - Preparing learners for the jobs of the future post pandemic  There has been much discussion about the future of work following the COVID-19 pandemic, reimagining how work is done, the future role of the office, and the digital economy are some of the discussions we are having:

Following @Ofqual’s announcement that A Level and GCSE students would receive centre assessed grades, we took the decision to apply the same principles for students receiving #BTEC results this summer, and review the grading for our BTEC Level 1-3 qualifications. We know this has caused frustration and additional uncertainty for students and we are truly sorry. No grades will go down as part of this review.