College group, WCG calls for industry leaders to support skills agenda delivery

Published by

Kirsty Muir

A leading college group is calling on industry leaders in key sectors to help it deliver on local, regional and national skills agendas.

WCG (formerly Warwickshire College Group) is looking for individuals to join the advisory boards of each of its six colleges – and new board members will have a key role in ensuring the college delivers skills to support the economies it works in.

The college group operates across Warwickshire and Worcestershire, and is seeking new advisory board members for Royal Leamington Spa College, Rugby College, Moreton Morrell College, Warwick Trident College, Pershore College and Evesham College.

It is particularly looking for representatives in sectors which are key to the localities in which its colleges are based.

The key sectors in which the college is seeking new advisory board members range from hospitality, horticulture and IT, to engineering, railway engineering and construction.

Advisory boards at each college play a central role in identifying key local needs and ensuring the college offering is responding to those needs.

The boards meet each term to discuss new strategies on the educational character of the colleges and the needs of local stakeholders, while counselling on whether their curriculum matches the area’s economic needs.

Angela Joyce, CEO of WCG, said: “As a college group we look to involve businesses at every stage in the development of our courses and apprenticeship provision.

“This has been backed up by the Government in recent months as they have urged all FE colleges to work closer with businesses in their surrounding areas.

“Our advisory boards are one of the means by which we ensure that we are using our resources in the right places to support the economy in the regions where our colleges are based.

“By strengthening ties with WCG, advisory board members get access to new contact networks and a direct link to the brightest young talent to support the future of their businesses.

“While we are looking for people to join our boards across all sectors, we are particularly keen to speak with industry leaders in hospitality, horticulture, IT, engineering and construction to help guide our provision in these areas.”