Share This Page
Thank you
The City of Liverpool College has taken a major step towards helping the Liverpool City Region achieve its net zero goals with the opening of its dedicated heat pump training facilities.
This milestone was made possible through funding from the North West Net Zero Hub and Vaillant, a leading company in heat pump technologies, to support the development of innovative training programmes in heat pump technologies.
The new training centre, which was officially opened on 12th November 2024 by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, will provide cutting-edge training in across a range of different heat pumps and technologies. This will not only benefit learners at the College, but will also serve as a regional training hub for Vaillant and local heating engineers.
The College’s partnership with Vaillant will ensure that learners have hands-on experience with a wide range of heat pumps in one centralised location. By enhancing training, it will particularly benefit those studying for technical qualifications in Building Services, as well as the introduction of the new Low Carbon Heating Technician apprenticeship.
In addition to the new training facilities, the College has also secured funding for a Skills Bootcamp to help upskill heating engineers in the installation and maintenance of heat pumps. Accredited by the British Plumbing Employers Council, the training will launch on 25th November and will include financial support for participating employers.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “The opening of these new training facilities is another big step towards our goal to make the Liverpool City Region a net-zero powerhouse.
“Tackling the climate crisis is one of the region’s biggest priorities, and we’ve set ambitious goals to be net zero in the region by 2035, as well as upskilling 65,000 workers for the jobs of tomorrow. Centres like this are crucial to making that vision a reality.
“Thanks to the support of Vaillant and the North West Net Zero Hub, this investment will create those new job opportunities, upskill our workforce, and position us at the forefront of the green technology sector. It’s a vital step towards building a more sustainable future for our region and its people.”
Elaine Bowker, Principal and Chief Executive at The City of Liverpool College, said: “We are proud to be at the forefront of training and education in the field of heat pump technologies.
“Through our partnership with Vaillant and other key stakeholders, the College is committed to contributing to net zero goals and providing individuals with the skills they need to succeed in the growing green technology sector.
“As the College for Business, this further strengthens our commitment to meeting the emerging skills needs of employers, helping people into higher skilled jobs.”
Henrik Juhl Hansen, Managing Director of Vaillant UK & Ireland, said: “The need for skilled professionals in the green technology sector is greater than ever, and The City of Liverpool College is paving the way to provide the training needed in the region to meet this demand.
“We are proud to be supporting the College in delivering this programme, as it will not only benefit learners and apprentices, but also help to drive the transition towards more sustainable heating solutions in the region. This investment in heat pump training facilities will play a crucial role in achieving our collective goal of reducing carbon emissions through the decarbonisation of home heating and protecting the environment for future generations.”
This latest initiative builds on the College being named Skills Provider of the Year at the Liverpool Chamber Innovation in Business Awards last month in recognition of the contribution the College is making in driving forward new and innovative training through its employability, professional development and apprenticeship programmes.
To view and book on to the College’s new Skills Bootcamp in partnership with Vaillant, visit this link.
College is Skills Provider of the Year in Chamber’s Innovation in Business Awards
We are proud to announce that The City of Liverpool College was named Skills Provider of the Year 2024
We are proud to announce that The City of Liverpool College was named Skills Provider of the Year last night (24/10/24) at the Liverpool Chamber Innovation in Business Awards 2024 held at St George’s Hall.
At a glittering ceremony attended by more than 500 guests, the College was presented with its prestigious award in recognition of the commitment to driving forward new and innovative training through its employability, professional development and apprenticeship programmes. The College was also commended for its wide-ranging employer partnerships that have been integral to student progression and the development of new training facilities that support the region’s Net Zero targets and enhance workforce productivity. Key initiatives include the College’s specialist heat pump training centre supported by Vaillant and the North West Net Zero Energy Hub, as well as the range of Skills Bootcamp programmes being delivered in conjunction with Peel Ports, Sodexo Live! and Nugent.
Pete Sandman, Commercial Director at the College said: ”We are delighted to have won the award and it is testimony to the range of initiatives the College has put in place to respond to the City Region’s skills needs and ambitions for economic growth.”
Elaine Bowker, Principal and CEO, said: ”We have an incredibly strong network of employer partners that support the College to develop innovative skills programmes and attract investment. As the College for Business, we are committed to meeting the emerging skills needs of employers, helping people into higher skilled jobs. This award is recognition of the contribution the College is making and demonstrates that our programmes are clearly on the right path.”
The Liverpool Chamber Awards is one of the highlights of the business calendar, attracting a large audience from organisations across a range of sectors in the region. Winners of the awards were selected from more than 140 nominations spread across 15 separate categories.
Female plasterer makes final three for National Student of the Year Award
Our graduate, Sleiman Darwish, has scooped a Liverpool City Region Adult and Community Skills Award.
The City of Liverpool College is proud to share the news that our graduate, Sleiman Darwish, has scooped a Liverpool City Region Adult and Community Skills Award.
Sleiman, who achieved his BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Information Technology this summer, has been recognised as Liverpool’s Learner of the Year for overcoming remarkable challenges to achieve success.
He began his journey at the College as a refugee and throughout his progression – advancing from level 1 to level 3 – he campaigned successfully to become the Student Union President, providing a powerful voice to support other students, while leading community events.
Speaking after receiving his award, Sleiman said: “I am incredibly privileged and proud to win this amazing award. I hope I continue to inspire many other students.
“To be able to progress from being a refugee with very limited English to achieving top grades and being the SU President is something I am proud of achieving.
“To all my fellow students out there, keep working hard, follow your dreams and you’ll get there.”
As a student leader and role model, Sleiman has inspired many and we are excited to see what he achieves next after enrolling to study for a degree at Liverpool John Moores University.
The Liverpool City Region Adult and Community Skills Award celebrates the outstanding achievements and inspiring success stories of adult and community learners from across the region.
Congratulations to all the deserving winners.
Refurb Complete on College’s Flagship CampusThe City of Liverpool College’s Learning Exchange on Roscoe Street, is back open for business!
We are delighted to share the news that The City of Liverpool College’s Learning Exchange, Roscoe Street, is back open for business!
Refurbishment to several areas of the College’s flagship building took place between June and September 2024. The works included a full utilisation of the centre’s ground floor area, transforming the space into a magnificent student hub, that brings together the essential services we provide for our students into one location, including finance, pastoral support, careers guidance and work experience, alongside a state-of-the-art learning resource centre.
In the lead up to the building works, teams affected by the project all worked together to relocate to temporary spaces in order to minimise disruption to the students, which spanned a number of the College’s essential cross-college activities, including the exams and enrolment periods.
The Estates team, led by Director, Philip Austin, worked incredibly hard throughout the summer, to ensure all works were delivered both on time and within budget (total investment: one million pounds).
The refurb to the Learning Exchange campus created the following spaces:
Thank you to everyone affected who showed their support, and outstanding commitment to our students throughout this busy time.
College awarded prestigious Navajo ChartermarkThe City of Liverpool College was awarded the prestigious Navajo Chartermark
We are proud to report that The City of Liverpool College was awarded the prestigious Navajo Chartermark last week, which followed a speech from our Principal, Elaine Bowker, around the themes of ‘intersectionality’ and ‘Stand Up or Step Back’. The award was presented to our Chair of Governors, Tony Cobain, who was joined on stage by our Navajo champion and college progress leader, Kirsty Walker, and former student, Tony Minshall.
The event brought together community partners from across the region who have achieved this award, and acknowledged that whilst partners are at different stages of their journey towards LGBT+ inclusion, they are proud to be part of one community.
During the event, stakeholders had time to reflect on the injustices of discrimination and harassment that minority communities continue to experience on a daily basic, and how our allyship during this summer’s civil unrest helped to turn the tide and bring communities together.
The organisations focused their final reflections on how best they can support members in our communities with multiple identities, who are likely to face many different forms of discrimination, and pledged their commitment to raising awareness and championing the different causes that bring communities together.
College collaborates with charity to benefit children around the worldIT equipment is used for the benefit of young children across the globe
We’d like to share the fantastic news that our amazing IT team has worked tirelessly over the summer with the Turing Trust charity, to ensure that our spent IT equipment is used for the benefit of young children across the globe.
The donation, which included more than 70 iMacs and other IT hardware, was part of a shipment to Malawi in July, and we’re happy to report that more than 1,300 school pupils are now able to learn those vital IT skills, many of whom using our recycled computers.
The Turing Trust, whose mission is to support the education of school-age children around the world through ethically recycling used IT devices, has also benefited from donations by other like-minded organisations to help it achieve the following:
You may also be interested to know that the environmental impact from donations will offset 21 tonnes of CO2 emissions – equivalent to planting 52 trees, or offsetting the annual carbon footprints of two Britons. The embodied energy savings created are also enough to power 5 UK homes for a year.
We hope to continue this fantastic collaboration with the Turing Trust long into the future.
The City of Liverpool College has secured an £100,000 investment for new training facilities from the North West Net Zero Hub’s Test and Learn Retrofit Skills Programme, which was funded by the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.
The funding boost from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Net Zero Hub’s Test and Learn Programme marks a major milestone for the college, and contributes to the government’s goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. It also makes it a leading provider in the City Region offering this level of training.
The cutting-edge facilities, which will be launched in autumn 2024, will allow the college to deliver a Heat Pump Centre of Excellence for the City Region, providing unparalleled training opportunities for individuals looking to gain expertise in this rapidly growing field.
It will allow the college to embed training into full-time plumbing, gas, and engineering courses, as well as develop new apprenticeship programs.
One of the new apprenticeship programmes launched is a Low Carbon Heating Technician. Delivered in the Industry and Innovation Centre at the college’s Vauxhall Road Campus, the course will provide vital skills in heat pumps, solar voltaic systems, and district heat networks.
Industry partnerships with leading businesses in the sector, such as Vaillant Group, will allow learners to develop skills on the most advanced technologies.
Elaine Bowker, Principal at The City of Liverpool College, said: “We are hugely grateful to LCRCA to have secured this investment.
“The training programmes we will be able to provide are truly second to none in the region. With the UK desperately needing a more green skilled workforce, the funding will allow us to offer cutting-edge training in the latest green technologies, while expanding our apprenticeship programs.
“We are excited to work towards addressing the green skills shortage and supporting the UK government’s goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.”
Marissa Looby, Home Energy Lead for the North West Net Zero Hub, said: “We’ve worked with colleges across the North West region to pilot programmes that provide new equipment and training methods to support learners getting the skills they need to decarbonise our homes. The City of Liverpool College now has new Heat Pump equipment that can train people to design, install and maintain this technology. It is these type of skills that we need in the construction sector at a large scale to meet our net zero targets.”
Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “The City of Liverpool College’s new green skills programme is a fantastic step forward for our region. By helping to equip local people with the knowledge and expertise to work in emerging green technologies, we’re tackling the climate crisis head-on and creating new opportunities for residents.
“It’s exactly the kind of initiative that ensures our region is ready to lead the race to net zero and take full advantage of the jobs and industries of the future. This investment is proof that by working together, we can build a cleaner, greener, and fairer future for everyone.”
The centre will operate as a regional training centre for Vaillant accredited providers, as well as providing the training facilities for the college’s full time learners and apprentices. Through the investment, Vaillant are supporting the college with the latest innovations in heat pump technologies across ground source, air source, hybrid and split source heat pumps.
Henrik Juhl Hansen, Managing Director of Vaillant UK & Ireland, said: “We are delighted to be supporting The City of Liverpool College as it builds its capabilities to deliver green skills using the latest technologies.
“This investment allows us to expand Vaillant’s presence in the Liverpool City Region with a local training centre that will contribute significantly to achieving net zero targets. We are fully committed to increasing the uptake of heat pumps and helping the region to achieve its decarbonisation targets. Supporting the college to deliver this essential training will help increase the amount of heat pump installers that are so desperately needed across the country in order to decarbonise heating in the UK.”
In addition to the new apprenticeship program, The City of Liverpool College has also secured funding to deliver Skills Bootcamps from November, providing short, sharp training programs for individuals looking to re-skill in green energy technologies.
These bootcamps will give existing plumbers and gas engineers the knowledge and qualifications to install new heat pumps, helping to upskill local employers.
With the new training facilities set to be fully installed by the end of September, The City of Liverpool College is excited to position itself as a leader in green skills training in the region.
The college has a long-standing commitment to promoting Green Skills and sustainability, having previously secured £4.5 million in funding from the Local Skills Improvement Fund for projects related to solar installation and hydrogen technology.
View the range of courses on offer at The City of Liverpool College here
College collaborates with leading employers to create job opportunities
We are delighted to announce that The City of Liverpool College is working with three big employers in the region to provide unemployed people with an opportunity to access rewarding careers in the hospitality, events, and health and social care sectors.
The intensive three-week programmes have been designed with Sodexo Live!, Nugent and PS Events to equip learners with the right industry-specific skills, as well as the technical know-how needed to enter the workforce in a range of rewarding occupations.
If you’re looking to pursue an exciting career in Liverpool’s hospitality, event production or health and social care industry, make sure you come along to the recruitment event, Opportunity Makers, on 2nd October, where you’ll also have the chance to meet the employers to find out more about what it’s like to work in the sectors.
At the event, you’ll then have the chance to secure a place on one of the skills bootcamps that will help you achieve a level 2 qualification and fast-track you to an exciting career with these top companies.
Skills bootcamps are completely free of charge to adults aged 19 or older residing in the Liverpool City Region who meet eligibility criteria.*
Hospitality Bootcamp Recruitment Event 02/10/24
Event production Bootcamp Recruitment Event 02/10/24
Health & Social Care Bootcamp Recruitment Event 02/10/24
Opportunity Makers Recruitment Event
Wed 2nd October between 10am – 4pm
The City of Liverpool College, Learning Exchange, Roscoe Street (L1 9DW)
With many apprenticeships starting in October, The City of Liverpool College has launched a new employer focused guide to apprenticeships 2024-25 to streamline that process.
Apprenticeships offer incredible opportunities to attract new talent and upskill existing employees with funding available for training.
Apprentices bring fresh perspectives and new ideas, which can drive innovation within your company. As they learn and grow, they contribute to a culture of continuous improvement, helping your business stay ahead of competitors. Moreover, by building a workforce that is tailored to your business needs, you can improve efficiency and operational effectiveness.
Apprenticeship training can also be a powerful tool for upskilling your current workforce. Whether it’s helping employees transition into new roles or equipping them with advanced skills, apprenticeships provide structured, hands-on training that leads to recognized qualifications. This continuous professional development can boost morale, increase productivity, and drive innovation within your company.
LinkedIn’s 2023 Workplace Learning Report revealed that 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development.
Apprenticeships offer your staff the opportunity to gain cutting-edge skills. By upskilling your employees, you ensure that your business remains competitive and agile in the face of industry changes.
Studies have shown that employers who invest in apprenticeships see increased productivity and profitability. By aligning training with your business objectives, you can ensure that your apprenticeship programme contributes directly to your bottom line. See Apprenticeship Funding Explained in our new guide to find out how you can make the most of the apprenticeship levy or take advantage of a 95% government-funded discount.
In short – apprenticeships are a powerful tool for business growth. They provide a cost-effective way to fill skills gaps, upskill existing staff, and drive innovation. By integrating apprenticeships into your talent strategy, you will not only enhance your workforce but also create a sustainable path to long-term success.
Our dedicated team will guide you every step of the way in setting up your apprenticeship. If that means finding the right training programme for your business, supporting you with recruitment and enrolment, or helping you to access beneficial funding, we’ve got you covered.
Invest in apprenticeships today and secure the future of your business. Download your Apprenticeships Guide 2024 – 25 HERE or contact us now at COLCbusiness@liv-coll.ac.uk.
Find out more about how City of Liverpool College of Business can help your business grow HERE
