A new short film has been launched by Essex County Council to attract global business to base operations and invest in Essex. https://youtu.be/wQo0d1PGCTk 

 

The film has been designed to showcase international companies who have already successfully located in Essex and encourages their counterparts from across continents to follow suit.
 
Upon launching the new film, ECC’s Cllr Lesley Wagland, Cabinet Member for Economic Renewal, Infrastructure and Planning, said: “The Extraordinary Businesses film release is a fantastic opportunity to represent all that Essex has to offer businesses and international trade. “Essex is uniquely positioned to be a prime location for business and growth, and the film perfectly highlights this, with the promotion of our gateways and ports, as well as boosting the outstanding local business and its skilled people. We need to share the message that Essex is truly an extraordinary place to do business.”
 
FEDEC remain committed to working closely with our ECC colleagues on the emerging strategic plan, Everyone’s Essex, which pledges to securing sustainable growth to Essex businesses and communities, including job’s for residents, providing further funding opportunities and nurturing a thriving, and greener, economy.

Our 8 colleges are ready to support any business relocating to Essex and encourage them to get in touch to see how we may support their skills development and talent pipeline.

FEDEC has joined with FE Sussex and Kent Further Education (KFE) to establish a regional partnership of the FE colleges across the current LEP region. 

 

The Partnership simply known as SEFE (South East Further Education) comprises the 3 Kent and Medway colleges, the three FE Sussex colleges within the SELEP area and the 8 colleges within Essex. This covers an amazing 32 different college campus sites and venues.

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The partnership has been formed to promote FE and to raise its profile overall across the region, with key stakeholders and policy makers. The mission as stated in the partnership's first publication released in January 2022, is for SEFE to play a leading role in the development and delivery of education and skills solutions which benefit long-term social and economic transformation across the south east region.

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The SEFE published document seeks to set out the overall impact of the region's FE colleges and includes some impressive statistics that many may not be aware of:

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- The colleges deliver education and training to over 82,000 learners

- This includes over 40,000 aged 16-19

- Over 10,500 apprentices

- More than 6,000 in higher education delivered by the FE colleges

- Employ over 6,600 staff

- and account for a combined income of approximately £395m.

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You can view the new publication, which is intended as the first of a series of focused releases here.

VIRTUAL PROGRESSION FAIR WILL UNITE ESSEX PROVIDERS AND BUSINESSES IN SUPPORT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

 

A brand new virtual Progression Fair, with partners Make Happen, University of Essex and Anglia Ruskin University, organised by Chelmsford College, will bring together over 100 Essex businesses, voluntary organisations and training providers to ensure school and college leavers receive maximum insight into their next career choices.

 

In a normal College year, Chelmsford College would have a “Progression Fair”, inviting around 80 exhibitors into their Dovedale Sports Hall, so students and apprentices could work out what they wanted to do next, after they’ve completed their current College study programme.

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Read the full Press Release here. Visit the Chelmsford College's site here.

The South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) has launched a new dedicated SE Skills Website. The new site is intended as a dedicated online resource to support raising skills in the south east.

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Following development work during 2020 the site is now able to present key information from SELEP's Digital Skills Partnership and the Skills Advisory Panel (SAP). 

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The site includes nav-bar tabs covering labour market, apprenticeship and T-Level information, as well as details on how businesses and residents across the regions counties can boost their skills and access digital training opportunities and courses.

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There's even information for technical skills practitioners and educators in what will be an important addition to the region's skills information resources.

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The site can be visited by clicking the SELEP logo above or here.​​

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This week is National Apprenticeships Week! The week will see various activities led by the National Apprenticeship Service, Association of Colleges (AoC) and Department for Education as well as colleges locally which promote and showcase Apprenticeships.

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Apprenticeships play a critical role in enabling young people and adults to earn whilst learning and training for their careers. With Covid 19 having caused disruption to apprenticeship delivery and recruitment nationally, it is recognised that FE colleges will play a vital part in their recovery. This is especially at local level in Essex.

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Apprenticeships will also play a major role going forward as detailed in the recently published Skills White Paper, which will see the development of college business centres and chambers of commerce becoming more involved with skills provision planning with local employers.

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For activities colleges are undertaking linked to National Apprenticeships Week, check out the links to each on the Our Colleges page or via the buttons opposite.

 

For more about National Apprenticeships Week visit the DfE site via the image above or check out Amazing Apprenticeships. #NAW #LoveOurColleges #FEDEC

This week is national Colleges Week! The week will mark various activities led by the Association of Colleges (AoC) and colleges locally which highlight the critical contribution made to communities and the economy by further education colleges.

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Now more than ever with Covid 19 still causing huge national disruption to lives and business FE colleges will play a vital part in recovery. This is especially at local level. In Essex we're proud to confirm the role our colleges will play in supporting the economy and our communities and businesses to recover from Covid 19.

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For activities colleges are undertaking linked to Colleges Week, check out the links to each on the Our Colleges page. For more about Colleges Week and their contribution visit the AoC site via the image above. #LoveOurColleges 

FEDEC is pleased to confirm that the South East Local Enterprise Partnership has confirmed continuation funding for the FE Teacher Bursary Project. Essex colleges and ITPs will be able to access a one third share of the funding allocated to the region with Kent and East Sussex.

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As in 2019/20 this year's funding will support teacher training programmes on a match funded basis for staff at FE institutions. This includes Level 4 to HE and Level 3 training. Criteria applies as funding is primarily aimed to support recruitment into priority industries. Interested colleges and individuals can gain further information and details on how to apply for the funding bursaries via the FE Sussex Website link using the image above.

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The project will also support ongoing development of the become a lecturer website which seeks to promote a broad range of teaching vacancies across the region's FE providers. Funding will also support production of more videos highlighting the benefits of working in further education as teachers, tutors, assessors and all associated roles in teaching delivery.

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General information is also available on the current bursary project promotional flyer.

FEDEC is to co-launch the 'Become a Lecturer' website with our partners in Kent and Sussex. The new website aims to support the recruitment of specialist staff into further education colleges and with other independent providers across the SE Region.

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The website is part of a project funded by the South East Local Enterprise Partnership. The overall project has utilised bursaries to attract people working in various industries to consider working in the FE sector. It has had a special focus on hard to recruit industries. This includes roles such as lecturers, tutors and assessors. Essentially all the forms of teaching roles in education and skills.

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The site is now live and can be found here and by clicking the become a lecturer logo above. It includes introductory information about the various roles in FE and a set of industry sector based videos created with the help of existing teaching staff across the region. 

 

If you want to make the jump to teaching in FE, either in a full or part time capacity, or indeed whilst still working in your industry employment check out the new site now where you'll also find useful links to the college and provider vacancy pages in your area!

FEDEC colleges have successfully accessed funding to support teacher training places, through SE Local Enterprise Partnership funded bursaries. The initiative is the SELEP Delivering skills of the Future through teaching - Teaching for Growth Project.

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Working with FE Sussex and Kent Further Education (KFE) the three counties are to receive funding for approximately 35 bursaries of up to £4,000. To access this funding the colleges must co-finance the training for Cert-Ed and PGCE level training through a £1,500 contribution per new teacher trainee. 

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The funding has been allocated as part of a strategy to support recruitment into FE teaching roles, especially in hard to fill industry sectors. An additional aspect of the project will be the creation of promotional videos which will aim to support future recruitment by demonstrating the benefits of working in further education. 

 

For the link to the FE Sussex site page that includes the Project Flyer, Bursary Application Form and Bursary Process Flow Chart...more

Three Chelmsford College Level 3 students, supported by their two tutors (Tony Giddings and Tony Hayes) competed at Goodwood on Sunday 30 June 2019.

Following soaring temperatures, the Chelmsford College team raced their self-built eco-electric single seater racing car in The Formula 24+ 60 minute endurance race to finish an amazing 5th overall!

 

Andy Sparks, Principal of Chelmsford College said, "Chelmsford College is delighted to take part in the Greenpower project. We are proud of our students' achievements and thrilled we came fifth! The Greenpower project provides an exciting and fun way for students to experience engineering, develop their technical skills and innovate in a green way."

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A South Essex College learning technologist is the first in the country from the further education sector to become a senior certified member of a national body. Lyshi Soloman, Learning Technology Manager, has become a Senior Certified Member of the Association for Learning Technology (SCMALT).

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The association aims to increase the impact of technology in learning, teaching and assessment and its accreditation scheme looks at learning technologists’ professional experience and capabilities through a portfolio based assessment.

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By becoming a senior member, Lyshi has demonstrated the ability to work at a more experienced level, which will bring added benefit to the College’s student learning experience. Lyshi said she was delighted to have been awarded the senior status...more

Scarecrows, taste-testing, birds of prey and sheep shearing – the twelfth Essex Schools Food and Farming Day has been an unforgettable event!

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On June 5th, 3,000 children travelled to Writtle University College to learn more about their food’s journey from farm to fork. The hands-on activity day was organised by Essex Agricultural Society with financial support from Chelmsford City Council. 

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Pupils aged eight to eleven arrived from more than 60 primary schools throughout the Essex area. Accompanied by their teachers, they saw, tasted, touched and heard about the exciting work taking place within agriculture.

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Their first step was to place their handiwork on display; each school was invited to contribute a scarecrow for the Food & Farming Day’s annual competition. ...more

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The Secret Garden at Chelmsford College has been enhanced with the addition of a workshop and teaching area thanks to a TESCO "Bags of Help" grant. An award of £4,000 was made to Chelmsford College by the multinational grocery retailer’s community funding, in order to add a much needed new dimension to the garden, supporting Extended Learning students.

 

The "Willow Room" was officially be opened by The Mayor of Chelmsford, Cllr Yvonne Spence on Friday 12 October at 1pm. Last year the TESCO "Bags of Help" project transformed a small piece of green space besides the College into a beautiful, easily accessible garden....more

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Having a fun time was the one thing on everybody's mind as New City College helped to kick-off the 2019 Loughton Festival with a family fun day at its campus.

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More than 1000 people visited the campus on Borders Lane on Saturday 25 May and joined college staff and students in a range of fun activities, many of which were linked back to the college's study provision.

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Visitors were able to help build a brick wall with the construction staff, take a trip with the air cabin crew students, receive football and basketball coaching from the sports department or get a health MOT from the health sciences students.

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There were also fun activities like a wet sponge competition and craft stalls and for the little ones there was a bouncy castle, face painting and of course lots of ice-cream as well.

Food was prepared by the catering staff from New City College, who barbequed tasty beef and halloumi burgers...more

Leading building Leading building products manufacturer Forterra has announced Harlow College as one of six further education colleges in the UK to become London Brick Construction Hubs.

The six were chosen following a competitive application process last year in which colleges up and down the country were invited to take part.

 

The Construction Hubs are central to the company’s nationwide effort to inspire ambition and foster raw talent in the next generation of construction workers. Given its status as the second largest brick manufacturer in the country, and as a major supplier of masonry products for new builds, Forterra is demonstrably committed to helping forge links between education and industry in the construction sector. Last month, Bricklaying Forterra Females (BFF), the UK’s first ever all-female bricklaying competition, took place at Havering College in London to mark the start of National Apprenticeship Week...more

The Sixth Form College Chelmsford is proud to confirm that it is currently working on an approved statement of commitment for the Artsmark, which is awarded by the Arts Council England, in conjunction with the Royal Opera House Bridge.

 

The aim is to acknowledge the college’s commitment to high quality arts and cultural education, both within the college and the wider community.

 

As part of this plan the college will be offering the Arts Award at Gold level from June 2019...

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Colchester Institute’s Clacton campus has undergone a major revamp to provide even more opportunities for local people to develop rewarding careers in the construction industry.

The College has invested in two new large multi-purpose workshops that will extend the existing construction training facilities at Clacton Campus, and provide a range of benefits to support local businesses in developing their workforce capability.

 

In an initiative supported by Essex County Council and sponsored by Phelan Construction, the Construction Skills Centre will deliver unique construction trade programmes specifically for adult learners in the Tendring District; providing direct support to local businesses including growing the talent pool of local skilled labour. The opening took place on Monday 11th March inside the Construction Skills Centre...more

Building on the great work undertaken by Essex's FE colleges to support the armed forces and especially former service personnel and their families under-going transition to civilian life.

 

FEDEC is proud to participate in the Further Forces Programme which seeks to fill skill shortages in FE colleges by supporting the training and employment of ex-forces in college teaching and other roles.

 

Read more about the programme on our Staff & CPD page. To read more about how our colleges have supported the Armed Forces Covenant and helped ex-forces into new employment click here.

The Federation of Essex Colleges has created a new website to promote its partnership work and to support its collaborative activities. The new website provides a corporate base for FEDEC and includes useful links to each individual partner organisation.

 

The site also highlights the partnership's latest news and developments and its evolving project work, which includes leading initiatives that have a national profile or regional significance.

The Essex End-Point Assessment Hub represents one of the boldest projects to be supported by FEDEC to date.

 

It involves all of the eligible apprenticeship provider members in establishing a support network of independent end-point assessors who will be connected to EPA opportunities via a central Hub operation.

 

The Hub is operated by Essex Shared Services working with City & Guilds at present in a pilot phase. Find out more...

The Essex End-Point Assessment Hub which is currently a pilot initiative supported by FEDEC, operated through ESS Ltd, working with City & Guilds is seeking to expand its potential network of associated awarding organisations.

 

The Hub aims to expand its linked EPAOs and is currently in discussion with a number of key players in the world of apprenticeship end-point assessment.

 

You can find out more by contacting the EPA Hub. Find out more...