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South Hampshire College Group has welcomed the news that the Solent region has been allocated a £2.5 million skills fund boost.
Other colleges and training providers benefiting from the Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF) include Brockenhurst College, HSDC, City of Portsmouth College, Isle of Wight College, Itchen Sixth Form College, Barton Peveril Sixth Form College, PETA, HTP Apprenticeship College, UTC Portsmouth, and Lighthouse Learning Trust.
The investment is strategically aimed at supporting colleges, universities, and independent training providers in offering more training opportunities in key industries. Importantly, it addresses the specific skills needs identified by local businesses and employers in their Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs). Hampshire Chamber of Commerce was tasked as the employer representative body to conduct the skills gap research for the region, to help identify where further investment would be needed.
To date, the initiative has seen £80 million worth of funding distributed nationwide between 2023 to 2024 (£40 million revenue and £40 million capital), with £85 million capital planned for 2024 to 2025. It forms part of a larger £200 million package of skills funding from the Department for Education (DfE).
Andrew Kaye, CEO of South Hampshire College Group, said:
“The LSIF award is a recognition of the excellent joint efforts in our region, especially in supporting the development of the Solent LSIP.
“We are proud to have led the consortium that put together a strong funding bid, in response to the skills gap research undertaken by Hampshire Chamber of Commerce. This targeted investment provides our region with the skilled workforce needed for growth and development and state-of-the-art industry facilities and equipment, ensuring education meets the changing needs of our local economy. We are eager to see the beneficial impact this will have on our students, local businesses and the wider community.”
The Solent region has pinpointed several key developmental sectors, including a focus on the creative industry. Efforts will be directed towards enhancing skills in production arts, set design and construction, stage management, and light and sound technician roles.
The initiative will also address the Maritime and Freeport sectors, concentrating on filling skill gaps in logistics, supply chain management, digital innovation, and the adoption of alternative fuels.
Additionally, the initiative involves considerable investment in research and development. It aims to improve higher-level progression pathways, expand outreach programmes, and implement activities that elevate employability and engagement.
Health and social care are also a priority, with a focus on addressing the shortage in health-related digital skills, immersive healthcare technology, assisted diagnostics, and specialist roles in anticipatory and critical care.
Ross McNally, CEO and Executive Chair of Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, commented:
“We are delighted that the Solent region has been awarded this significant funding. It is of vital importance that we have a skills system in the region that meets the needs of both local employers and learners, which also supports the local economy with the closing of skills gaps.
“When it comes to skills, we have a lot to be proud of. We have several leading educational and training providers across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and sectors, such as our renowned maritime industry, that are thriving. However, that does not mean that there isn’t room for improvement, and this funding will mark a significant shift in how we approach and finance their needs.
“The collaboration between the Chambers of Commerce, educational institutions, and businesses is a great example of how working together can make a real difference and we would like to congratulate all involved for making this achievement possible.”
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said:
“This investment is about boosting local industries, building people’s skills and ultimately futureproofing our economy and the career prospects of the next generation.
“Our local skills projects will bring together regional organisations, businesses, and education providers to respond to the specific needs of employers, building an increasingly skilled workforce and growing local economies.
“Whether it is green skills, construction, engineering or digital, thousands more people can now gain the skills they need to secure good jobs closer to home. These are long-term plans that will ensure every area can have a brighter future.”
For more information on South Hampshire College Group, visit: www.shcg.ac.uk
To learn more about the Local Skills Improvement Plans in your region, visit: www.gov.uk
We are delighted to have held our annual Freshers’ Fayre, bringing together students from across college for an entertaining day of activities, competitions and free food.
Joining a new school or college can be a daunting experience, having to balance a brand new environment, new people and new information. Eastleigh College recognises this process can be a challenge and our Freshers’ Fayre has become an important staple of the academic year, bringing together new classmates over friendly team-building activities and light entertainment. Each year brings a new assortment of entertainment and this year was no exception, with a Football Ring, Silent Disco, Flight Simulator, Table Tennis and many more activities too! There was also lots of delicious food and drink available, with a candy floss machine, purpose-made Tiki bar and free pizzas courtesy of Papa Johns and Domino’s Pizza.
Gemma Fisher, Enrichment Coordinator at Eastleigh College, said: “The Freshers’ Fayre is a key event for welcoming our new student cohort and helping them to feel settled and relaxed in a new environment. We would like to give a huge thanks to all collaborators and employers who made the day such a success as well as all college staff who volunteered their time in helping the day run smoothly.”
Eastleigh College’s Freshers’ Fayre wouldn’t be possible without the range of external collaborators helping out, and we were delighted to have the support of Pink Frog Events, Daniella’s Ice Cream, FTY FLY, Solent Mind and No Limits. We also had live music provided by L & L Entertainment and beauty treatments provided by Hair Tinsel and Glitter tattoos. The final event of the day was our raffle, with students and staff winning a selection of excellent prizes.
Sian Spinney, Teacher and Learning Coach at Eastleigh College, said: “I was thrilled to win four tickets to Mighty Adventures Crazy Golf in Hedge End. I went when it first opened so am looking forward to visiting it again and spending a fun couple of hours with some of my family. I always buy tickets when the College holds a raffle because I know the money will be going towards a local charity.”
For more photos of Freshers’ Fayre, take a look at our social media coverage here.
For any further queries please contact the College at [email protected].
The 2023-2024 academic year marks the launch of Eastleigh College’s first T Level course in Early Years.
T Levels were first launched nationwide in September 2020 and offer a dynamic new pathway of education post GCSEs, being equivalent in value to 3 A-levels. The structure of T Levels offers a greater emphasis on industry work placements, with a minimum of 315 hours work, while still maintaining the benefits of classroom learning to create a truly immersive learning experience.
The Eastleigh College Early Years T Level course provides a significant 750 hours of work experience over two years, with a vast window of opportunities through our partnerships with local nurseries, schools and Early Years providers. Upon successful completion of their T-Level, our Early Years learners will be equipped with the skills and confidence to embark on a wide range of career paths, from becoming nursery practitioners to pursuing further studies in education.
Natasha Curzi-Micallef, Head of Delivery for Early Years at Eastleigh College, commented: “The Early Years team is so proud to be pioneering this new mode of education at Eastleigh College and it’s wonderful to see how much the students are enjoying it. We encourage them all to embrace this unique opportunity, soak up the knowledge, and relish every moment of their educational journey, which will hopefully provide a transformative learning experience for all.”
Gracie is one of the students in our first Early Years cohort and gave her thoughts on the T Level structure: “I did a year at another college before coming here but struggled with how assignment-based it was. The course here is arranged in a simpler way that gives me much more opportunity to get work experience.”
Ruby is another student on our Early Years course and said: “I want to be a teacher in the future so plan to go to university after my studies at college. The T Level gives me so much more work experience, which will be really useful to have ahead of going to university.”
To learn more about T Levels please click here.
For any further queries please contact the College at [email protected].
We are delighted to announce the successful merger of City College Southampton, Eastleigh College and Fareham College which, as of Tuesday 1 August 2023, has become South Hampshire College Group (SHCG).
This merger received a positive endorsement from students, parents, staff and local employers in the public consultation and a recommendation for the go-ahead from the Department for Education (DfE).
Students, apprentices and businesses from across South Hampshire will benefit from a financially strong, responsive and ambitious Further Education organisation; with the vision, resources and expertise to best support the evolving and growing skills demands in the region.
Whilst our group name has changed to South Hampshire College Group, the individual campus names remain unchanged and will retain their important links to local communities.
The newly-appointed CEO of South Hampshire College Group, Andrew Kaye, said: “It’s an exciting new start and will bring many benefits to our students and staff, businesses and local communities.
“We will pool all our resources and expertise to enhance the range and quality of courses in this region. We also look forward to delivering enhanced pathways into higher levels of study and work; increasing the supply of skills; meeting employers’ needs and supporting our region’s economy to grow.
“Our ambition is to create a new and vibrant college, better able to meet the economic and social mobility challenges that the region faces.”
Chair of the new Board of Governors at South Hampshire College Group, Sandra Prail, said: “We are tremendously excited to be at the helm of the new SHCG and our Board members look forward to contributing their expertise and skills from many industry sectors into the new venture.
“I’m positive the students attending courses at our new college will flourish, grow in confidence and ultimately make a real tangible contribution to the local workforce and economy with their skill sets.”
Our new group website is currently under development: www.shcg.ac.uk (new window)
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