LOVE OUR COLLEGE

Last week was LoveOurColleges week, over the course of 7 days all 266 colleges across the UK aim to raise awareness of the pivotal place further education has among both local communities and societies as a whole!

Educating over 2.2 million people each year, further education establishments provide the vital step between school and either university or the world of employment. Two thirds of young people now take their A-levels of BTECs in a college environment, as opposed to progressing on to a sixth form.  Whether it’s through top-class technical education, basic skills or lifelong learning, colleges help people of all ages and backgrounds to make the most of their talents and ambitions. Rooted in local communities, they are crucial in driving social mobility and providing the skills to boost local and regional economies.

I love this college! The staff inspire me everyday, and the support they give us on a daily basis is amazing!

– Chris Down – Level 1 Performing Arts.

#TeamKC #LoveOurColleges

No Colleges, No future…

College institutions are under immense financial pressure, funding cuts make each academic year more of a struggle, a fact that is rarely reported or touched upon in both local and national media. With funding cuts of over 30% since 2009 and with tutors earning 20% less than their school teacher counterparts, there is a national fear that the knock-on effects of this funding crisis will affect our society, our economy and our future as a whole.

Due to these cuts, college learners now receive a maximum of 15 hours a week of tuition; this is 10 hours less than learners on the continent. In total, UK college students lose 300 hours a year of essential teaching as a direct consequence of lack of funding, compared to their European equivalents. Put blatantly, this equates to a lack of support for our next generation and those that don’t wish to settle. Promoting fundamental life and social skills to every learner, college’s should no longer be over looked. Their importance, their elemental role in education needs to be noticed, particularly in the intensely politically and economically turbulent times that we are currently experiencing.

I love working at Kidderminster College because each day is something new! I’m never bored, and I also think we do amazing work in the local community!

– Cameron Garbett -Learner Services Adviser.

#TeamKC  #LoveOurColleges

I love that each day is something different at#TeamKC! There are always new challenges, and I love the variety of people I work with!

– Amy Beth Manning – Learner Services Adviser.

I love coming to Kidderminster College, no other college allows me to express myself as much! The support from the tutors is great!

– Jamie Ayers

#LoveOurColleges

I love the variation that comes with working at#TeamKC, to me there is nothing greater about my job than helping learners achieve and put a smile on their face!

– Chris Millington 

Foundation Tutor and Learning Support Practitioner.

Support and Inspiration

The upheaval caused by the loss of Stourbridge College illustrates the importance of further education establishments within our communities, something which is not acknowledged until it’s too late.

It’s a college’s job to inspire learners, both young and mature, to take the next steps in their lives, to unlock their potential and to make a difference for themselves and for their community. Their function may sit on the back burner to most individuals, but to our society, our infrastructure, our future…. colleges and the services they provide to both the adults of our future and those on the current working frontline, they are essential.

Kidderminster College is committed to helping our learners unlock their potential and prepare them for whatever the future may hold. We strive to create the best working and learning environment for our students and staff, constantly pushing the boundaries to make sure we surpass expectations.

If further education institutes can no longer unlock our futures potential, who will?