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Never before has it been so important for businesses and educational providers to come together to boost employment prospects and bridge the skills gap, as we face the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to latest research by the Association of Colleges (AoC), the majority (68%) of SMEs say that if their business is going to “survive and thrive” then skills must be a top priority for the Government.

Despite recent high-profile skills speeches and announcements, almost 40 per cent of SME decision-makers say that it is more difficult now than it was five years ago to find employees with the right skills, and 53 per cent still don’t think that enough is being done to help them skill and reskill their workforce as we get closer to the end of the Brexit transition period.

The national survey of SME leaders also shows that the impact of Brexit is no longer the biggest worry for businesses, with more than half (53%) saying that COVID-19 is now their key concern. More than two in five (44%) say that the skills gap in their sector is likely to increase because of threats such as COVID-19, and 54 per cent believe that they are going to need to train their workforce to adapt to the opportunities and threats thrown up by the virus.

The study, released to mark Colleges Week, shows that 71 per cent believe colleges are important to business for training and retraining staff. As a business, 39% say they would look to train, retrain or upskill their employees through colleges, compared to 21% who would turn to a university or 13% online courses. A further 44% believe colleges are best placed to skill their future workforce, compared to universities (22%) and schools (21%).

Economic recovery must be skills-led, and it’s clear that our nation’s colleges are well placed to lead the way in helping to bridge the gap between education and employment.

 Last month, to help combat recent unemployment figures, the Government launched the Kickstart Scheme, aimed at helping people who have lost their jobs, retrain and upskill to re-enter the workforce. With Kickstart, the Government will pay new employees’ wages for up to six months, as well as a £1,500 incentive payment for each Kickstart employee taken on.

These jobs will give young people – who are more likely to have been furloughed, with many working in sectors disproportionately hit by the pandemic – the opportunity to build their skills in the workplace and to gain experience to improve their chances of finding long-term work.

Early support from businesses for Kickstart has been good. Thousands have signed up directly, or through gateway organisations, to offer subsidised jobs. There is much to celebrate about the scheme, and rapid implementation is needed to avoid the scarring effect of long-term youth unemployment.

“Celebrating our colleges has never been more important. The City of Liverpool College is at the heart of Liverpool’s economic commitment to building back better, inspiring young people and supporting businesses.”

“Now more than ever, we need to celebrate the work that FE colleges do to drive lasting positive change for young people and adults across the City Region.”

– Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region.

At The City of Liverpool College, we are calling on businesses to help us support the North West’s unemployed and the economy, via the Kickstart scheme.

We are working with employers to develop a pre-employment training plan to ensure employees joining them on the Kickstart scheme are equipped with the skills required by the business. Following completion of the Kickstart programme, employees will be perfectly placed to progress onto an Apprenticeship or full-time employment.

Kickstart has the potential to launch the careers of hundreds of thousands of young people. While the future youth labour market will undoubtedly be very different to what we are used to, if Kickstart can give young people the opportunities and skills to adapt and thrive, business and the economy will benefit from the unique talent, energy and creativity that young people bring.

It is only through training and retraining that we will be able to make sure that people have the skills they need to keep their jobs and to apply for new ones, and that businesses have the employees they need to recover and thrive in this ever-changing world.

Elaine Bowker

Principal and Chief Executive at The City of Liverpool College

Former college plastering student, Yagoub Juma Mohamed, was named the UK’s young plasterer of the year in 2017 after taking Gold at the UK Skillbuild finals – the largest multi-trade competition in the country for construction trainees and apprentices. For #BlackHistoryMonth, Yagoub shares his incredible story:

“I was born one of twelve siblings in a small African village in Darfur, Sudan. There are 583 tribes in Sudan with twelve different languages. In my village we had very little and were without a hospital or school. My only education was to learn as best I could from those around me. Sudanese people are very honest, calm and love to socialise.

“In 2003, and at the age of 15, I had to flee my village due to the conflicts and ethnic cleansing that was being carried out by the government. Half a million people were killed, and 2.7 million people have been displaced. Before I fled, my mother told me to be very careful, to always be respectful to others, never do anything wrong and to be a good person. She assured me that if I followed these simple rules then I would always be taken care of.

“I have seen and suffered many terrible things over many years. Fortunately for me I arrived in the UK by a small boat in 2013 and was allowed to stay. I thank God that I arrived here in Liverpool where people have befriended me and supported me.

“I am so grateful for the opportunities that I have been given. I am proud of my achievements, I can now speak English, have passed my maths GCSE, learned a craft in plastering and became both the British champion and student of the year in 2017.

“I am now employed as plasterer and have a great future. For me education is the most important thing that you can do. What I would like to say to any young person who is studying at the College is that you should not miss the opportunity that you have now. Do not let this opportunity pass you by.”

We’re honoured to have been a part of Yagoub’s humbling and inspirational journey. We have no doubt that he will continue to achieve wonderful things.

To find out more about Black History Month 2020, click here.

We recently caught up with several of our games design graduates to see what they’ve been doing since finishing at the college and taking up their first roles in the growing digital industry. At the college we offer many courses which enable learners to develop their digital skills, knowledge and expertise with state-of-the-art facilities, to turn what for many people is a hobby into a real, legitimate and prosperous career. In fields such as animation, special effects, games design and concept art, we are extremely proud of what our students are achieving…

Alan Horton – Technical Designer at Lucid Games Ltd

Alan studied with us between 2016 and 2018, on our HNC and HND Games Development Programmes, leaving us to complete his Top Up Degree in Manchester. He recently worked with a small team including another of our graduates, Lee Stockton, on a game design for a ‘Game Jam’ called Jamfuser. Their game, The Last Spark, won the competition and they were given a place in an international game jam tournament. This fantastic achievement gained interest from Liverpool-based developers, Lucid Games, who hired Alan on a permanent basis. You can watch some of The Last Spark below:

Liam Heron – Freelance Games Developer

Liam has just graduated from our BA (Hons) in Game Design and Concept Art. He recently created an asset pack that fellow game designers can use to increase efficiency in their workflows whilst designing levels in Unreal Engine.

Damien Coulson – Teacher at the college

Damien completed his HNC and HND between 2016-18 and discovered during this time that he was interested in teaching. Luckily for us, the college was able to offer Damien the opportunity to cover some lessons at The Arts Centre’s Digital Academy on a part-time basis. Damien took this opportunity brilliantly and the students seemed to really enjoy his lessons. He is now a fully-fledged member of the teaching team, teaching both level 2 and level 3 games design.

Stefan Collins – Freelance Games Developer and volunteer at Draw&Code

Steafan is a graduate of the class of 2020. He came to the college to study his HNC & HND in Games Development in 2017 and then topped up to degree level with a BA in Games Design and Concept Art. Despite completing his final project remotely from home during the coronavirus pandemic, Stefan graduated this year with the highest mark we have on record! He achieved a first-class honours degree and is now establishing himself as a freelancer as well as collaborating with Liverpool-based creative tech studio and software developers, Draw&Code.

You can find out more about Stefan here >

Jack McFarland – 3D Environment Artist at Simbin Studios UK Ltd

Jack previously studied with us at HNC and HND level before we offered the Top Up Degree in Games. He secured employment at newly-formed Simbin Studios in Liverpool, which specialises in creating realistic racing experiences, with his impressive portfolio.

Lewis McDonough – 3D Artist at Skyhook Games

Lewis is another student who studied at the college on our HNC and HND level courses. He now works as a 3D artist at Liverpool-based Skyhook Games, which provides high quality 2D and 3D artwork for the video games industry.

Lee Stockton – Freelance Games Developer and Teacher

Lee graduated from The City of Liverpool College with a very impressive triple distinction performance for our HNC and HND games development programmes and, in his final year, a first-class honours degree in games design. Along with fellow student Alan Horton, Lee was part of the team responsible for creating The Last Spark, which won the Jamfuser games jam competition.

Last year, Lee enrolled onto our one-year PGCE programme to make his journey towards becoming a teacher and started some part-time lecturing with our first-year degree and level 2 games design students. He passed his PGCE and is now developing his portfolio with a view to working freelance and will be returning to the college to continue to teach this September.

We’d like to say a huge well done to all of our games design students and wish them all the best with their future careers in the sector.

If you’re interested in a career in Digital, ICT or Games Development, or would like to find out more about our courses, click here.

Black History Month takes place every year throughout the month of October in the UK. Also known as African-American History Month, it is a way of recognising and celebrating the outstanding contributions people of African and Caribbean descent have had on the world. It’s also a time to celebrate the here and now, and future possibilities.

At The City of Liverpool College, we are incredibly proud of our diverse population and are committed to providing and improving opportunities in any way we can for our students and staff regardless of their background, race, gender, sexuality or ability.

To mark Black History Month, we’ll be working with our partner charity, the Anthony Walker Foundation, to play our part in educating people about black history. We’ll be sharing the thoughts of our staff, students and alumni on what the event means to them, and why it is important to focus on our shared history and the presence of black people in business, the arts and education, not just during October, but all year round.

Education is a powerful remedy to discrimination and poverty, and as a college we have a responsibility to be part of the solution. Many of our departments will be showcasing the work of black creatives in their classes throughout October and beyond.

Read our Black Lives Matter statement >

Make-up lecturer, Fatou Jagne, will be talking to her students about artists who have enriched the media and make-up industries. Fatou takes particular influence from Pat McGrath MBE, a black British make-up artist and possibly the most influential make-up artist in the world according to Vogue magazine and other commentators. Fatou completed her Certificate in Education at the college and since then has been a lecturer at the college, inspiring her students with her own achievements. We asked Fatou for her thoughts on Black History Month:

“When it comes to history, if you have the opportunity to educate yourself, do so obsessively. Liverpool is a great starting point for educating yourself on black history.”

In addition, our Access History course curriculum examines Britain’s role in the slave trade and is representative of black people’s struggles and accomplishments during the era of slavery, colonialism and the US civil rights movement. The aim of the course is to respond to the lack of representation of black people within history curriculums, exploring British history in a way that is not done in schools.

Considering we are located in a city which was once one of the major slave trading ports, it is so important for all those who live here to learn about our city’s history. The course helps students to understand how Britain developed a capitalist economic structure and to understand where racism originates from.

Some of our own students are also planning to hold a series of musical performances pertaining to black history and culture throughout October, which will take place safely outside of the Arts Centre from 19^thOctober. We’re also looking forward to food from different cultures being served in the College canteens.

The hair and beauty department are currently registering interest for a brand-new course focused on ‘The Essentials of Black Hair’. This short course, accredited by VTCT, looks at treatments, styles and maintenance for black and afro hair types. To find out more, please contact our Head of School for Hair, Barbering, Beauty, Nails and Comp Therapies, Helen Farrow, via email at: helen.farrow@liv-coll.ac.uk.

As we continue to embed equality and diversity across the College, we will be working with student representatives, staff and external agencies to plan what more we can do going forward to bring about lasting change.

As always, we are here to support our college community, and if you would like to speak to a member of our student support team you can call them on: 0151 252 3733 or email at: safeguarding@liv-coll.ac.uk.

The City of Liverpool College has been announced as one of the first colleges to be part of the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence, in partnership with NCFE, to mainstream world-class standards in skills development in the UK.

Utilising NCFE’s expertise in curriculum development and drawing on WorldSkills UK’s unique insights into global skills systems through its membership of WorldSkills, the global hub for skills excellence, staff at The City of Liverpool College will be coached and mentored to embed world-class practices and techniques in their teaching, learning and assessment practices.

The work will be led by WorldSkills UK High-Performance Skills Coaches, who are all experienced WorldSkills UK Training Managers. They will capture learnings from international competitions and use these to coach and mentor educators at The City of Liverpool College, who will pass this knowledge on to their students, ensuring they perform to international high standards of excellence in their skills.

In addition to its work with FE colleges throughout the UK, the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence will also play an important role in supporting the development of higher technical standards across qualifications and assessment development.

Elaine Bowker, principal at The City of Liverpool College, said: “We are committed to delivering excellence in our training and teaching programmes at The City of Liverpool College, which is why we are working with WorldSkills UK and NCFE.  The WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence will enhance our teaching and curriculum innovation and provide our students with a world-class skill set and mindset so they and their employers will succeed.”

Parisa Shirazi, Head of skills development and international competition at WorldSkills UK, said: “This is a milestone moment – a unique opportunity for The City of Liverpool College to work with other colleges across the UK and join the dawn of a skills revolution.

“Working with the staff at  The City of Liverpool College we will champion a skills-led recovery, which is driven by international benchmarking and rightly values high-quality apprenticeships and technical education to enable all young people to develop the employability skills that will provide them with a rewarding future.”

At The City of Liverpool College we love hearing about what our former students are getting up to,  one of whom is Paul Caslin, who graduated from our Level 3 Media Production course 15 years ago. Since then, Paul has been working as a director in the music industry and has some impressive career highlights. Here’s what Paul had to say:

What made you decide to study at The City of Liverpool College?

I originally applied to Liverpool John Moores and after what I thought was a successful interview process was rejected. At the time I wasn’t aware of the course at LCC but once I was it became clear that that was the best path, I’d almost class the course as a hidden gem that maybe doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. Being turned down by John Moores was the best thing that could have happened as I instead found a course that gave me incredible hands on experience in an environment that is designed to let your creativity breathe.

What course did you study and what was it like?

I studied Media and Film Studies, which was amazing, I learned so much! The main thing was probably how to be part of a team from a collaboration point of view but also from a delegation perspective, as in the industry you quickly learn that you can’t do everything yourself and you are only as a strong as your weakest member in the team.

I really enjoyed the balance of practical and theory. The only way to actually learn is to get hands on experience, whether it be in the edit suite or on set, but the theory side gave the course enough foundation to allow the practical side to all make sense. There was a clear direction as to how the two are intertwined

What are you doing now?

I left the college nearly 15 years ago and since then I’ve worked my way through the different strands of directing in the music industry. Originally starting out in the behind the scenes documentary world, then progressing onto music videos, then live music multi-camera direction. For the last five years I’ve moved into the creative direction side of things, designing live music tours for the likes of Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello and the VMA and EMA award shows for MTV.

Do you have any career highlights?

My career highlights would probably be when I was Grammy Nominated for Directing Rihanna’s Live DVD in 2009 and when I got to creative direct the VMA and EMA awards, as they were both shows that I’d always watched growing up and thought I’d never be good enough to get to work at that level, but by taking things step by step I finally did.

How did the College prepare you for work?

I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for The City of Liverpool College. Before I started the course, I’d never even picked up a camera or stepped inside an edit suite. The tutors gave me so much confidence and belief in my ability which still carries me through tricky situations even today 15 years on.

What advice would you give someone considering a similar career path?

Do it!! Enrolling at The City of Liverpool College is the best decision you’ll ever make… it certainly was for me!

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

If you are interested in a career in Media or Film like Paul’s, then our unique Media Production Diploma — Level 3 (One-year UAL Foundation Diploma), taught at the Arts Centre campus is a great choice. It offers learners a practical course, based around media, production and film making and is completed over the course of one year. It is equal to 3 A-levels and holds the same amount of UCAS points, so is therefore perfect for anyone wanting to get to uni within one year, or students looking to build upon their creative skills before starting a degree.

To browse our media, journalism and production courses, please click here.

From September 2021, The City of Liverpool College will offer T Levels to its students, in a move described as ‘the biggest shake up to technical education in a generation’.

T Levels have been created in collaboration with industry experts and aim to provide young people with the skills they need to enter the world of work and develop talent to support the economy’s recovery.

The qualifications are high-quality technical alternatives to A Levels, combining classroom theory, practical learning and a work placement to make sure students have the skills they need to progress and help rebuild the economy. They will provide young people with the chance to start their career, pursue further study or complete a high-quality apprenticeship.

The news comes following figures suggesting a third of graduates end up in non-graduate jobs, despite often paying fees of £9,250 per year, which were quoted in a recent speech by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson. Williamson called time on the notion that university education is superior to further education, suggesting it is unhelpful to drive half of all young people down a path which can mean they do not end up with the skills they need to find meaningful work.

The new T Levels have been created in collaboration with industry experts so students gain the skills they need to succeed in the workplace and so businesses can access the workforce they need to thrive.

A unique element of T Levels will be the completion of a high-quality industry placement – of at least 315 hours, or approximately 45 days – where students will build knowledge and skills and develop confidence within the workplace environment, helping to kickstart their careers.

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

“For so many years there has been the perception that A Levels and a university degree are superior to any other route into employment, but the world of work is changing and we have seen that more than ever in recent months. Now, more and more employers are looking for work-ready candidates with real world, technical experience, not just theory.

“These T Levels will support our economy to address the skills gap, to drive up productivity, raise aspirations and, as a result, support social mobility.

“There is understandably a huge amount of confusion and uncertainty for young people who are looking at their next steps at the moment, so it’s fantastic that we’re able to provide more options for them to find a path that is right for them.”

The City of Liverpool College is one of 88 new providers across the country to have been selected to deliver 18 T Levels. The providers will teach new subjects such as Legal, Finance and Accounting, Engineering and Manufacturing.

The first three T Levels for Digital, Education and Construction will be taught from September with a further seven to be taught from 2021, including three in Health and Science.

T Levels have been backed by an additional half a billion pounds of investment every year whilst programmes are fully rolled out, alongside £133 million to ensure students have access to industry standard equipment and high-quality facilities.

To browse courses and to start an application, click here.

What course did you study and why did you choose it?

I chose to do an HND in Computing and Systems Development. The course seemed to cover lots of various aspects of the IT industry, and I wanted to get exposure to as much as possible.

What made you choose The City of Liverpool College?

Being in Halewood at the time there were a few different choices, but The City of Liverpool College had great facilities and a really striking study area. Also, with the location of the college being so close to Bold Street the morning coffee was essential! 🙂

What was your general experience of the college like?

Being a mature student, I was apprehensive at first, but everyone from the tutors to the ladies in the canteen were friendly and genuinely interested in how your day was… that made a difference!

Did you enjoy the course?

I did an entry level course first (BTEC in IT LVL3) before my HND and all the courses I did were really engaging. Having an interest in IT and having done various IT related tasks prior to the course, I felt the course was informative and very well laid out.

What skills did you learn, what was covered on the course?

I learned a range of skills from procedural and object orientated programming languages, SQL, JavaScript, web design, .net and so much more. To say the course was varied would be an understatement! This is one of the reasons I chose this course as you can specialise in any field of IT so to get skills in all of them helped me understand where I would like to focus my career.

What were the tutors and facilities like?

The tutors were great! Friendly and open to larger conversations. I was given the space and time to digest what was being taught and it wasn’t like a conveyor belt where information was just thrown at you. I had time to digest what was being taught.

Again, the facilities were great! I really liked the open study area and being able to continue to learn in the classroom after the lecture was always helpful!

What are you doing now as a career?

I am currently the Environments Manager for William Hill. My roles and responsibilities are to manage the test environments and ensure stability and availability of the environments. William Hill are an excellent employer and the opportunities for me to further my career have always been on the table.

As part of my role I get to travel between the UK and Poland. We currently have a lot of our development teams working out of Krakow, Poland and part of my role requires me to ensure that those teams are fully supported when working in our non-production environments. I usually go to Poland four times a year (pre-COVID-19) and I can honestly say the William Hill culture spreads from the UK to Poland.

How do you feel the college prepared you for work?

During my time at college we did courses in time management and working in teams. While these don’t seem related to IT studies, they were definitely relevant, and the skills learned helped me with my expectations of what a company would need from me.

Do you have any career highlights you’d like to share?

My career highlights have been achieving what I have at William Hill. I have moved through three roles since I started at William Hill (starting as an IT analyst) and they are very keen to see you develop and empower you to fulfil your potential.

Do you have any advice for people who may be considering a similar career path?

My advice would be to continue to learn, don’t stop and keep your eye on emerging technologies. Any opportunities for industry learning such as cloud services (AWS, Azure, GCP) is not only interesting but cheap to play around with and you can do some pretty amazing projects with little start-up costs (and I’m talking a few dollars!).

Also, I would say don’t be scared to approach companies that you have heard about and would like to work for! Being a self-starter and being keen to learn will always show the employer that you’re not only ready to start ‘a job’ but you’re focused on a career.

Do you have any advice for people who may be unsure about applying due to COVID-19?   

While COVID-19 wasn’t around when I was at college, what I would say is The City of Liverpool was always a safe and clean place to study. The canteen was always spotless and the rooms never dirty. I am sure the college has put extra precautions in place to keep students safe. Lastly, adopt as much learning at home as you can! With the use of technologies for remote learning, as an IT student it’s your gift to embrace technologies such as Teams or Zoom… or build your own!

We’d like to say a huge thank you to Paul for sharing his story and wish him all the best with his future career.

If you’re interested in a career in ICT, Computing or Systems Development, and would like to find out more about our courses, click here.

The City of Liverpool College has announced a unique partnership with Liverpool-based performing arts school, Rare Studio.

Rare Studio’s students have gone on to tour with the likes of Dua Lipa and Little Mix and deliver a Level 4 Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Dance, offering a progression route for Rare’s students to continue their training.

Rare Studio, known for accepting students based on merit rather than financial wealth, approached The City of Liverpool College – which provides courses ranging from HNC to BA level across dance, acting and musical theatre – to offer its students progression to the next level.

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

“Rare is a fantastic organisation which gives unique opportunities to young, aspiring performing artists in the Liverpool City Region. We’re excited to work with Rare, to bridge the gap for these aspiring dancers, keeping the fantastic talent we have here in the Liverpool City Region and providing them with the opportunity to progress in the industry.”

Lindsay Inglesby, director at Rare Studio, added:

“This new qualification is the right step for us at Rare. We’re passionate about supporting the most talented individuals to progress and begin successful careers in a field that they truly love.

“We know how hard it can be to make it, so providing our students with opportunities such as this is incredibly important to us, in order to give them the experience they need and to help them forge a brilliant future.

“Students on this course will benefit from the incredible resources that The City of Liverpool College has, all while training in a professional environment at Rare Studio. We can’t wait to see what they achieve.”

Now open to applications from progressing students, training for the qualification will be delivered by Rare Studio at its city centre headquarters, supported by The City of Liverpool College’s higher education framework.

To find out more about our dance courses, click here.

Don’t worry if you missed out on joining our Virtual Open Events, as you can watch them again here!

From games design to engineering, catering to health and social care, during these events we showcased everything that our courses have to offer, whether you’re looking for GCSEs, apprenticeships, or degree and post-graduate levels.

Our expert tutors were also on hand to answer any questions our participants had about our courses, facilities and what to expect from life at The City of Liverpool College.

Take a look below:

To browse our courses and begin your application, click here.

We are for you. We are for the future.