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For National Apprenticeship Week we’re celebrating everything that apprenticeships have to offer. This year’s theme is ‘Build The Future’ and puts focus on how apprenticeships can help both individuals to build the skills and knowledge they’ll need for a successful career but also how employers can benefit from utilising newly skilled talent for their workforce.

We’re proud to be Liverpool’s leading provider of apprenticeships and have helped thousands of people start their careers across a range of industries, from Construction Crafts and Motor Vehicle, to Health Care, Digital and Cyber Security.

Our apprenticeships are available from level 2 all the way up to degree level and are a great opportunity for trainees to earn whilst they learn, blending sessions taught at the college’s industry standard facilities alongside working in a real-life, paid job.

All of our apprentices are supported throughout their programme by college tutors and industry experienced Skills Coaches – many of whom started their careers as Apprentices.

To find out more about the role of our Skills Coaches, we spoke to Emma Langshaw, who started out in the industry as a Hairdressing apprentice herself and has since returned to college to support the next generation of professionals, drawing on her expert knowledge and using her connections as Technical Director for Toni & Guy Hairdressing.

What was your apprenticeship like?

I found the Apprenticeship scheme to be hard work, but enjoyable and rewarding at the same time.

Over the course of the 3 years, I learnt lots of new skills such as how to deal with clients and customer service along with various hairdressing cuts and skills. All of which I have been able to put into practice through my career in the various roles I have held.

How did your apprenticeship prepare you for becoming a ‘Skills Coach’?

As I have come through the scheme from an apprentice level, progressing to the role that I am currently undertaking as an assessor, I can fully appreciate the challenges and requirements of the apprentices themselves, as I have experienced their position first-hand.

What exactly does your role entail? 

My current role allows me to provide support and coaching to new apprentices, to assist them in building new skills and knowledge that will help them in their future careers within the industry. As part of this, I also take on the role of mentor, in an attempt to help build their confidence and technical understanding.

How does it feel to be supporting the next generation of apprentices? 

I feel very proud and honoured to be helping develop the hairdressers of the future and hope that what I instil into them now helps mould them into the best that they can be and in turn ensure that the industry and skills within hairdressing are maintained at the highest possible level.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about doing an apprenticeship?

I would totally recommend an apprenticeship scheme as it provides both practical and academic learning and allows people not just to read about it in a book or watch it on a training video, but to have the opportunity to put what they have learnt into practice in real-life scenarios.

What advice would you give to employers about apprenticeships? 

Employers can really benefit from apprenticeships, they allow companies to assist, encourage and mould new talent according to their values and business requirements, they’re proving to be a direct investment in the next generation of hairdressers.

To find out more about apprenticeships and to register your interest, visit: www.liv-coll.ac.uk/apprenticeships or if you’re a business and would like to speak to our team, please email: workforceskills@liv-coll.ac.uk

By Sophie Park, Director of Workforce Skills at The City of Liverpool College

The latest lockdown is already having an impact on the future career prospects of so many people. In particular, young people who are starting out in their careers are at risk of suffering setbacks that can have an impact for many years – we all know getting started in a career can be personally challenging at the best of times.

We also know that young people tend to work in the worst-affected sectors — restaurants, hotels, shops, travel. All of this means we must do what we can to help our economy and those who are starting out in their careers or who have lost their jobs, to build back better. At The City of Liverpool College, by working with our business partners, we’re committed to doing just that.

With this month’s National Apprenticeship Week, now is the time for businesses to be more proactive in taking on apprentices. Apprenticeships are not only beneficial, they are also essential for any organisation looking to have a vibrant learning culture and a workforce linked to its future business strategy. Apprenticeships unlock the potential of people at all stages of their careers, and that’s a game-changer for any business.

Now, we’re seeing the Government recognise this by doing more than ever to encourage businesses to take on apprentices, with the introduction of apprenticeship standards, the apprenticeship levy and new T level qualifications offering businesses an opportunity to bring more people into their sectors. The Government’s Apprentice Scheme is also offering employers a cash incentive of £1,500 per apprentice taken on.

Businesses too are getting wise to the benefits that apprentices bring, with big players such as Amazon recently announcing that it is recruiting more than 1,000 apprentices in the UK, across 25 different employment areas ranging from IT, safety technicians and software engineering to creative digital design and robotics.

At The City of Liverpool College, we work with our business partners to find the apprentices that are the right fit for them, to help them grow their business and bridge the skills gap. By working with us to build a skilled workforce, businesses can guarantee a greater foothold in an increasingly competitive workforce marketplace and attract talent that demonstrates the highest potential for success.

We want the businesses that we collaborate with to get the most out of the partnership, and we work closely with them to ensure that they attract and retain the individuals with the skills and expertise that are most relevant to their organisation.

By investing in their people and their qualifications and skills, businesses are equipping themselves to build high-performing teams to drive their business forward and boost long-term employee retention.

“Our bespoke apprenticeship programme enables us to develop a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce. This helps with workforce planning and allows us to mold and shape our leaders for the future.”

– Chloe Ellison, The Sovini Group.

Apprenticeships and training of the very highest calibre play a vital role, not just for businesses, but also for the economy to help people and businesses thrive, and I would encourage our region’s businesses to consider how they could benefit. Our talented people, with their desire and determination to learn, hold the key to boosting businesses in the region.

The most effective firms are the ones who have a motivated, highly skilled and trained workforce and we are committed to investing in, and nurturing, the talent in our city. We work with employers from across the country to build trusted connections with the workforce of the future.

If you would like to find out more about how your business could benefit from apprenticeships, contact workforceskills@liv-coll.ac.uk

Students and staff at The City of Liverpool College are being reminded about the importance of staying safe online, as we celebrate the significant role the Internet and other digital technologies play in our lives.

Safer Internet Day is a global event that takes place this year on Tuesday 9 February. Under the overarching slogan: Together for a better Internet, the theme of the day focuses on: An internet we trust – exploring reliability in the online world.

As part of the commitment it makes to safeguarding its community, The College embeds e-safety into the curriculum, including through regular learner tutorials that address e-safety issues and the role we all play in providing a better and safer society online.

To mark the day’s events, Safer Internet Day network has produced a range of educational resources that reinforce the importance of keeping a positive digital footprint for the future. It also highlights to young people how the number of hours spent on mobile devices can have a big impact, not only on their lives and current social interactions but also their studies.

The College is one of more than 170 organisations around the world who get involved in the global conversation, including how to use technology in a respectful and responsible way.

The College has developed a few e-safety resources of its own for both staff and students, to help us think about our own online presence in an increasingly digital world:

Safer Internet Day (for students)  

E-Safety (for students)  

Safer Practices in Digital Working (for staff) 

View Breck Foundation video HERE  

Students at The City of Liverpool College are set to work with social enterprise SAFE Regeneration, on its plans for a £33 million neighbourhood in Bootle.

SAFE Regeneration, a community social enterprise and arts organisation, plans to transform a six-acre area in Bootle next to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

As part of the partnership, students from across College departments will contribute to the development over the next few years. From construction and leisure tourism, to hospitality, business planning, arts and creativity, digital and graphic design, students will have the opportunity to work on a real life, local project, contributing to Bootle’s regeneration, while gaining valuable work experience, whether through placements with contractors or in local bars and restaurants.

SAFE will benefit from having access to a pool of local talent, who all have a desire and determination to learn and develop their skills and make a real, lasting difference to their communities.

The proposed development – for which plans have recently been submitted to the local council – is a long-term investment vision for Bootle and includes 107 affordable family homes, an 80-bed extra care facility for residents aged 55 and over, leisure facilities, a microbrewery and an arts hub and business centre.

One such project that students on the College’s Digital courses are already working on, is a community app, to keep members of the Bootle community updated on events in the area, and the progress of the regeneration project. The second phase of the project will see students create a digital health solution, which will link to local GP practices and enable remote health monitoring. This particular project is even more relevant given the strain that has been put on the NHS this year, with many practices being forced to conduct appointments remotely.

Brian Dawe, CEO at SAFE Regeneration said:

 “We are delighted to be working with such a progressive college for the benefit of our community. Students will gain valuable experience of delivering ground breaking projects, whilst learning about the social value of our work – this is true partnership working.

“We believe passionately that the good people of Bootle deserve quality and choice and are committed to working with our community partners to continue to bring significant social, economic and environmental benefits to our neighbourhood. We’re incredibly excited to have the future generation of talented workers so involved in this ambitious project.”

 Elaine Bowker, principal and chief executive at The City of Liverpool College, said:

“The partnerships that we have across The City of Liverpool College are designed to provide our students with unique opportunities real world experience. We are passionate about ensuring that we are providing our students with the skills they need to enter the world of work and having the chance to work on such a significant local project for students across the College is an opportunity like no other.

“We are looking forward to seeing the results of this partnership come to fruition and seeing our students made a real, lasting change in their communities.”

Students and staff at the college have been finding ways of giving back to their local communities during the festive season.

Ordinarily, the College would host its annual event for the city’s homeless community, for which it opens its doors to those in need, treating them to a three-course Christmas dinner, free haircuts and donated clothing. Unfortunately, this year’s restrictions and social distancing guidelines have meant that this event could not take place.

This year, our staff, student volunteers, and Students’ Union have worked with a number of charities and organisations to do all they can for those who need support at this time of year, despite restrictions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

One of the initiatives they have been working on is creating care packages and hampers for the city’s homeless community. Students and staff from across the College have been donating essential items such as toiletries and food, which are being delivered to the YMCA Liverpool, Adelaide House and the Whitechapel Centre.

The College’s catering students have also been getting involved by making 100 Christmas food parcels for the homeless. The packages, which include festive treats such as Christmas dinner, mince pies and Christmas crackers, will be shared with fantastic charities such as the Salvation Army and Nugent, helping to support those in need over the festive period.

In addition to this, and to keeping the Christmas spirit alive at what even under normal circumstances is an incredibly difficult time for so many people, staff and students from across the College have been sharing personalised Christmas cards with messages of kindness for residents of local care homes. The College has seen an overwhelming response to this initiative, receiving over 300 cards for those who are not able to see their loved ones this Christmas.

Jane Austen, Learning & Development Officer at YMCA Liverpool & Sefton, said:

“In recent years we have been lucky to have worked in partnership with the students from The City of Liverpool College’s, barbering, beauty and hairdressing courses.

“The students have visited the service to provide haircuts and pamper sessions, as well as providing care packages and donations for our residents, many of whom are in poor physical and mental health and some lead chaotic lifestyles. This is invaluable to our residents, so it’s fantastic that this year, the College has found alternative ways of supporting those who need it most.

“I would like to thank staff and students at The City of Liverpool College who have been so kind and generous.”

Elaine Bowker, Principal at The City of Liverpool College, said:

“This year has brought with it many challenges and where ordinarily Christmas would be an incredibly exciting time for us all, this year things are different and we have had to find alternative ways of giving back and connecting with local charities.

“I’m so incredibly proud of all of the staff and students at the College who have come together to get creative and show their generosity for those who need it most in our communities. We know how powerful acts of kindness can be, which is why we always encourage our students and staff to volunteer and take part in activities such as this to support those who are less fortunate.

“Christmas is a time for giving, so we’re grateful to all of the staff, students, volunteers and organisations who have taken the time to give back as part of our local community and give everyone a much-needed boost.”

Ian Byrne, an Electrical Project Engineer at Briggs & Forrester Living and student at The City of Liverpool College, has been awarded this year’s Alfred Leung award for excellence in the field of Engineering.

Each year the Alfred Leung Award is awarded to the best building services student at the college and is named in honour of Dr Leung, who worked at the college for many years.

Before his untimely passing, Alfred, or ‘Alf’, was a close friend of the college, a committee member and regional chair for CIBSE Merseyside. He was dedicated to facilitating high achievement of students both past and present. The award ensures that his name will forever be synonymous with the high achievement of students of the future.

Dr Lynn Borthwick, Deputy Head of School Engineering and Logistics at The City of Liverpool College said, “It’s a great honour to have the award gifted to the college for one of our students to be recognised, it means a lot to my team, the whole department and the college.”

The recipient of this year’s award, Ian Byrne, studied on our HNC level 4 course in Building Services Engineering based at our Vauxhall Road campus. He became aware of the course early on in his career during his apprenticeship and decided to join the college many years later as an adult learner to complete his HNC.

When asked about the course, Ian said:

“My background is in electrical, and the building services pathway is more mechanical biased, so I wanted to develop my mechanical knowledge to enhance my career opportunities. To my surprise I really enjoyed the ‘dark side’ of mechanical design units and the construction management unit. The level of teaching was superb, my tutor was extremely supportive and had building services industry experience, which helped to answer numerous queries from a very inquisitive class.”

Congratulations to Ian and best of luck with your future career from everyone at The City of Liverpool College. Thank you also to the Leung family for dedicating such a meaningful award in Alfred’s name.

To find out more about our courses in construction, engineering and building services, click here.

Carmel Hackett, a Progress Leader at The City of Liverpool College has been honoured at a national awards event which recognises tutors who are providing an extraordinary service to their students and learning community.

Carmel placed second in the Further Education Tutorial Network (FETN) Outstanding Personal Tutor Awards for the work she does with students at our Vauxhall Road campus and as part of the college’s extensive student support team.

The FETN awards are an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of staff whose primary responsibility is to support individual learners to develop and progress, and recognise innovative tutoring techniques, the quality of practice, the impact an individual tutor makes and the standards to which they work.

For many years the role of the Personal Tutor has been essential to our learners’ progress, development and well-being. In normal circumstances it is a complex and demanding role, but in recent months has been particularly challenging due to the effects of Covid-19 with many tutors required to work remotely.

We spoke to Carmel about her achievement, who told us:

“I am absolutely thrilled to come second at the FETN awards. It is a huge honour to get nominated but to be placed is just unreal!

“It has been a very challenging year for all staff and students with learning having to adapt in many ways to help students achieve and progress. The college has helped by providing IT access and a range of online platforms to help make communication with staff much easier.

“I feel the staff at Vauxhall Road work extremely closely to support learners, not just on their course and their academic journey but for getting them ready to enter the world of work.”

Congratulations to Carmel, and a huge thank you from everyone at The City of Liverpool College for the amazing work you and your colleagues do to support our students.

To find out more about the FETN Outstanding Personal Tutor Awards, click here, or to learn more about the support available at the college, click here.

Edwin Kuk, who studied his trade at The City of Liverpool College, has won the Young National Chef of The Year 2020 following a tense cook-off at Le Corden Bleu in London.

Competing against some of the UK’s top young culinary talent, Edwin becomes the first chef from a Liverpool restaurant to take the top award.

Edwin graduated from the college several years ago, where he studied a Level 3 Diploma in Professional Cookery with Ian Jaundoo. The 22-year-old now works as Junior Sous Chef at Paul Askew’s The Art School Restaurant.

Born in Hong Kong, but very much a son of the city, Edwin spent much of his early life travelling through Asia with his family, where he discovered a love for the culinary arts.

Influenced by chefs such as Nathan Outlaw, Gordon Ramsay, Uncle Roger, The Roux Brothers and, of course mentor and Chef Patron of The Art School, Paul Askew, Edwin has a bright future in the industry and follows in the footsteps of previous winners from establishments including the Savoy in London, Gordon Ramsey and Le Manoir.

He modestly describes his cooking style as simple, although the techniques and skills have been acquired through hard work and an openness to learn from some of the industry’s best.

It’s been a honour to represent Liverpool and to be the first scouse/hongkong winner is such a achievement @ArtSchoolLpool @COLCollege @Craft_Guild

— Edwin Kuk (@KukEdwin) September 30, 2020

Even while The Art School was closed during lockdown, Edwin took the chance to see the positives of COVID-19, saying it gave him time to focus on himself and refine his knowledge of different chefs and techniques.

Edwin was entered into the national competition following his victory in the North West Young Chef of The Year back in 2019, which saw him cook his own menu. Written in line with the brief, Edwin brought his menu to life at Le Corden Bleu in London, alongside his fellow finalists.

Edwin served up a starter of velouté of Wirral watercress and spinach with ravioli of organic Colston Basset cheese, walnut, Granny Smith apple and pickled celery. His main course was steamed loin of Norwegian cod wrapped in prawn mousse and served with beluga lentils, edamame beans, lotus root and Asian broth. A dessert of cinnamon Pain Perdu, lemon verbena yoghurt ice cream with caramelised damsons, white chocolate and pistachio completed his winning menu.

Paul Askew, Chef Patron of The Art School in Liverpool, said:

“I am delighted for Ed. The process of refining and shaping his menu to bring out his own food culture with that of The Art School was fantastic. Mentoring and supporting his journey has been an absolute joy and it’s another first for our great city.”

Ian Jaundoo, Executive Chef Manager at The City of Liverpool College, said:

“Edwin did very well at college and was a member of the Academy Culinary Team which won numerous competitions around the country during his time here. It was a pleasure to have mentored and encouraged him and it’s great to see that Paul Askew has continued to mentor him further, resulting in this fantastic achievement! We are very proud.”

At a challenging time for the hospitality industry, Edwin wants to encourage young chefs to “stay outside of your comfort zone, keep trying, and you will always learn something”. He is immensely proud to be crowned with such a prestigious national award in the industry, and especially to be the first young chef to do it for Liverpool.

To find out more about our courses in catering, bakery, culinary skills and chefing, please click here.

A new Covid-19 testing site for staff and students opens today at the college’s main campus building, The Learning Exchange (LEX), on Roscoe Street.

The college has been working closely with British Army personnel to open the testing site, which is exclusively for staff and students, to support the efforts to drive the transmission rate of the virus down in the city.

The testing site gives staff and students the opportunity to take a test whilst at college to help control the spread of coronavirus. Since the launch of the mass testing pilot across Liverpool more than 23,000 people have taken part, with 14,000 home testing kits sent out to local residents.

Working closely with Liverpool City Council and local public health officials, the College was identified as well placed to host a test site as part of the latest pilot, moving quickly with local leaders and army personnel to set up the testing site in a matter of hours.

The site has the ability to conduct 84 tests per hour and will be running for 12 hours each day, open to students and staff of the College.

Elaine Bowker, principal and chief executive at The City of Liverpool College, said:

“As Liverpool’s largest college, we’re clear on our responsibility to contribute to the safety of our community. Throughout the pandemic, we have worked closely with the city council and local public health officials to keep our college community safe. The wellbeing of our students and staff is our absolute priority, and we welcome the opportunity to take part in this mass testing pilot as a means of controlling the spread of coronavirus.

“We’re fortunate to have great facilities across the College and to be able to use our space and help protect our college community in this way, and contribute to limiting the spread of the virus across the city.”

The testing site, which will initially run from 10th-16th November, will exclusively test staff and students of The City of Liverpool College, preventing any additional risks through increased numbers attending the College for testing.

For more information regarding the college’s latest coronavirus safety measures and advice, please click here.

If you’re not a member of staff or a student at the college but would like to take a test as part of the Liverpool mass testing scheme, then please visit: gov.uk/testliverpool

We love hearing about what our former students are getting up to after college and recently caught up with a graduate who is making a name for himself in the fashion industry.

Ben Mak, from Walton, graduated from our BTEC course in Fashion and is now working as a designer for some of the biggest names in the industry, including The Vivienne, The Spice Girls and British Vogue. He now has some very impressive credits to his name and has had work appear in TV shows such as Ru Paul’s Drag Race, the X Factor, the National Television Awards and more. Here’s what Ben had to say about his time at The City of Liverpool College:

What did you enjoy about college?

I had amazing tutors. Pauline especially really helped me discover how far to take design by not holding me back creatively – making ‘horned trousers’ for instance. Pauline didn’t think twice in helping me get my idea to reality, which then debuted on the World’s biggest catwalk.

Did you feel supported by tutors, college staff and other students?

Yes, I received the right amount of tough needed to prepare me for the less sensitive approach you get at university. This is important to grasp, it’s not like college and can be a shock.

What did you enjoy about the course?

I had my own vision so my relationship with tutors was most important, and I felt you could be yourself around them. The nurturing environment is crucial to your development as a designer/artist.

How do you think college prepared you for a career in fashion?

My tutor always enveloped my visions with respect and encouragement, she came to my first show ‘Cutthroat Couture’ which was a double sell out. That was a special moment for me, and your tutor being there really helps you to believe in yourself.

Could you tell us a bit about what you’re doing now?

I’m currently working with Saddlers Wells and the BBC on an exciting design project. I have two TV shows that I’ll be appearing on, I’ve started an exciting enterprise ‘Intern Intervention’ which brings lots of benefits to students and institutes across the UK, and today I’ve landed a shoot with my amazing creative partner of five years The Vivienne, for photographer Rankin.

What have your career highlights been so far?

I’ve really enjoyed taking on design interns and teaching them “I Matter Mind Set” with emotional and mindset tools I learned training with top therapists and speakers. It’s the biggest gift being able to empower and deliver lifelong tools to the new wave of creatives that will help to develop their mental, and emotional strength.

Do you have any advice for anyone thinking about starting college?

It’s all about mindset:

1. Make gratitude lists daily!
2. Train your inner voice to praise all your efforts.
3. Know your top 5 qualities at lightning speed.
4. Adopt a can-do attitude.
5. Collaborate, spot potential, work at it.

We’d like to say a huge thank you to Ben for taking the time to talk about his experiences and wish him all the best with his future career in fashion.

To browse our fashion, art and design courses, please click here.