City of Wolverhampton College has joined forces with other colleges across the region to offer support to individuals and businesses following the coronavirus outbreak.
The college has signed-up to the Colleges West Midlands’ Education and Skills Pledge, recognising that the impact of Covid-19 may mean that many residents in the region will need to refresh and redevelop their skills, and that the way of studying and working in the future may change.
The eight-point pledge, signed by 20 colleges, commits to support existing students to complete their qualifications, ensure future students have access to the courses they require, help anyone who is out of work to retrain and gain new employment, and support businesses by providing access to higher and technical skills training for their employees.
Malcolm Cowgill, principal of City of Wolverhampton College, said: “The impact of Covid-19 on learners and businesses in the West Midlands has been unprecedented and further education colleges will have a pivotal role in ensuring those who need to retrain to get back into work are able to do so.
“We are pleased to be working in collaboration with other colleges in the region to provide support to individuals and businesses at this challenging time.”
The eight points of the pledge are:
- All learners will continue to receive online or distance learning delivery until the end of the summer term.
- All full-time learners (whether new or existing) will receive an enhanced transition programme at the start of the new academic year to ensure they are able to successfully move on with their studies
- Young people not in education employment or training or long-term unemployed will be supported directly through college-focused programmes, with specialist hep and referrals
- Adult education provision will be reconfigured to focus on areas of need and to support more flexibilities in the way adults may wish to study
- Unemployed recently redundant or long-term furloughed employees from high-risk industries will have access to an expanded range of redeployment programmes to enable a prompt return to employment
- Apprentices will continue to receive learning and reviews online until safe working arrangements at employer premise are agreed by both parties and employers will still be able to sign up new apprentices and begin their programme at any time during the period when access to college sites is restricted
- Learners progressing to higher education will be able to access an optional transition programme to support their next steps
- A single point of access will be created to support employees looking to recruit new employees
Read the pledge in full here:
