Bournemouth & Poole College has been chosen to run an innovative, government-funded project aiming to bring industry and the further education (FE) sector together for the benefit of students.
The College, which has sites in Lansdowne in Bournemouth, and Fulcrum and North Road in Poole, is one of just 20 colleges and FE providers across the UK to be selected to run a Strand 2 project as part of the national Taking Teaching Further (TTF) programme.
TTF aims to boost the quality of the post-16 teaching workforce ahead of the introduction of the first gold standard T Level qualifications being introduced from 2020, which will be high-quality technical courses equivalent to A Levels.
Bournemouth & Poole College’s quality department will be leading the project and working closely with the teacher training department, the BASE team (Business, apprenticeships, skills and employability), curriculum areas and local employers to deliver the initiative. The project’s objectives include developing local partnerships and collaborations to support the move towards T Levels, support teacher secondments into industry, and develop collaboration initiatives between colleges and industry to share effective practice.
Kimberley Coe, director of quality at Bournemouth & Poole College, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen to take part in this innovative project. We are passionate about inspiring our students to succeed, achieve their personal best and to aspire to their chosen careers.
“We believe it is essential to work closely with our employer partners to ensure that our students are ready for the workplace with the required skills, attitude and behaviour to support their transition into their chosen industry.”
Jacqueline Page, vice principal for curriculum of Bournemouth & Poole College, added: “It is such a privilege for the College to be chosen to launch the Strand 2 project and support this national programme. We invest greatly in teacher training at the College and backing the TTF programme allows us to further strengthen, develop and expand our staff’s skills and knowledge, to provide the best education and support we can to our students.”
As part of the scheme, bespoke industry promotional events will be hosted by the teacher training department to focus on developing an understanding of the FE sector among industry partners. Meanwhile employers will be invited to give aspirational presentations to highlight the wide and varied career opportunities available to students within their chosen industry and masterclasses where employers will showcase up-to-date, gold-standard industry practice. Bournemouth & Poole College will also provide the opportunity for industry-related CPD (Continuing Professional Development) for teachers through secondments into industry to gain the most up-to-date, relevant experience.
TTF focuses on supporting priority sectors including the first T Level subjects to be taught, which include education and childcare, digital and construction, as well as engineering and manufacturing and other STEM subjects.
The first three T Levels will be taught in more than 50 colleges from 2020, with the remaining 22 phased in after that. This will provide young people aged 16 and over with a genuine choice between technical and academic education.