Harrogate College students have enjoyed a tasty start to 2022 – by tucking into pizza at an ideas sharing event.

The Students’ Union organised a Student Voice Pizza Party on Wednesday 12 January as a fun way of encouraging students to air their views on college life. The party was also a way of thanking class representatives for the previous work they have done to collect and share feedback.

The Student Voice system ensures that students at Harrogate can influence their experience at college.

Here are some recent examples of measures the college has introduced in response to students’ feedback:

Students said: “Could we have a peer support system so it’s easier to find out about mental health services?”

The college responded: Great Idea! Students can sign up to be a wellbeing champion now.

Students said: “How can we make sure student achievement is recognised?”

The college responded: We’ll be making sure there are student awards every term.

Students said: “Some students aren’t sure if they are eligible for funding.”

The college responded: We’ve arranged drop-in sessions where students can speak to someone about their eligibility.

Students said: “I want to join the LGBTQ+ space but would prefer it to be online.”

The college responded: There’s an online LGBTQ+ space for students now.

Students said: “We’d like somewhere we are able to play our music without being disruptive.”

The college responded: We added a music space to the enrichment timetable.

Students can share feedback or ideas for college events by emailing hcsu@harrogate.ac.uk or speaking to their class rep, who can pass it on.

Harrogate College has been putting sustainability at the top of its agenda, making it a firm priority for years to come. 

In recent months, the college has made a sustainability pledge and hopes to soon become a Centre of Green Excellence.

To mark its commitment to climate issues, the college recently hosted the launch of the first ever Harrogate Climate Action Festival, which saw hundreds of people come together to hear from sustainability-focused exhibitors.  

COP26

Last month, Harrogate College’s environmental champion, Holly Hansen-Maughan, headed to Glasgow to represent the college at the COP26 conference.

Over two days, Holly heard from panellists on a range of pressing issues, including the adjustment to off-grid energy production and consumption, driving green change and transitioning to the green economy. There were also key discussions concerning education, highlighting the part colleges need to play in adapting courses and skills to match the green revolution. 

Holly, who works at the college as a Partnerships and Development Lead, said: “During the event, the government vowed to put climate change at the heart of education as we prepare for the green industrial revolution. Therefore, colleges have a responsibility in preparing young people entering the workforce for the first time. 

“In order to adapt to this, we must teach sustainability and environmental awareness within our curriculum. At Harrogate College, we are dedicated to empowering young people by enhancing students’ understanding of environmental issues, which will be done through our Carbon Literacy Training. We also encourage learners to participate with environmental campaigns and activities through our enrichment programme.”

Local businesses lead the way

“Discussions at COP26 highlighted the importance of working collaboratively with local businesses to ensure young people are trained with the skills they need to join the workforce. The college works closely with a range of industries to deliver an employer-led curriculum which prepares learners for future jobs in the green economy.

“Our recently launched Employers’ Network gives employers the opportunity to influence the content of our courses, so that both students and employers are provided with what they need to succeed. This involves participating in quarterly discussion groups, allowing us to shape the skills and training of the future workforce. The Employers’ Network is now open for new members to join who receive multiple benefits in return. We also have upcoming networking and feedback events in February and June – you can take a look at the full range of events here.

“We aim to live our core values, including being a progressive institution, which we do by supporting students to develop the skills and knowledge to flourish in the changing world we live in.”

Read Harrogate College’s Sustainability Pledge here.

Harrogate College prides itself on working hand in hand with local businesses and organisations to provide the skills and training they need to ensure that our economy grows and thrives. Our monthly newsletter is a handy way of keeping our partners informed of developments at the college.

Business Newsletter – December, 2021 Dear Partners, Welcome, as we start a new year full of exciting fresh opportunities, to our monthly newsletter. Harrogate College prides itself on working closely with businesses to provide an employer-led curriculum, and on helping to provide the green skills training that will be so crucial to our economy as we transition to a more environmentally supportive model. So we are proud to focus, in this month’s edition, on a new course that we are launching this month, which is focused on what is becoming an ever more important part of the sustainability toolkit – retrofitting. Our securing of Department for Education funding to run a retrofit course follows on from our key role in helping the Harrogate district stage its first ever Climate Action Festival last year, and reflects our commitment to both the green skills agenda and the local construction industry. We also have a number of Harrogate College Employers’ Network events to look forward to as we progress into the new year, and seek to consolidate our ties with our local business partners while exploring new opportunities. I hope you enjoy the read and look forward to working with you throughout 2022. Danny Wild Principal Harrogate College —————————– Leading the way on green skills with our Retrofit course We are delighted to be launching a specialist new course, Foundations of Eco-Retrofit, that is designed to give local construction industry members a route into the ever-growing energy efficient homes market. Run by experienced retrofit contractors and experts from not-for-profit organisation, People Powered Retrofit, the two-day course is focused on helping small businesses and sole traders build on their existing knowledge and skills so they can carry out eco-renovation works. Those taking part will also benefit from meeting other local businesses, gain insights into how to stay up-to-date with the latest green building techniques, and learn how to find new retrofit opportunities. Harrogate College’s Partnerships and Development Lead, Holly Hansen-Maughan, said: “We are proud to be launching such a progressive course, and one that has been tailored to help those working in our local construction industry get ahead of the curve and be part of the green recovery. “This is a great example of how all of the excitement and networking which arose from last year’s Harrogate Climate Action Festival is translating into concrete action and movements towards positive change.” The first course takes place in January over two days, Saturday 22 and Saturday 29, and runs from 10am to 4pm. A second course will then be held in March, on Saturday 12 and Saturday 19. Places can be booked here. An £80 discount will be available to the first 15 course applicants – who should use the code ZEROCARBON80 – courtesy of Zero Carbon Harrogate. The college will also be hosting a retrofit awareness event in February, after staging a successful initial awareness evening, in partnership with Zero Carbon Harrogate, last November. It takes place on Thursday 17 February. Click here for more details. —————————– . Bringing local businesses and the college closer together Representatives from a wide variety of businesses turned out for the launch of Harrogate College Employers’ Network in 2021, and there are plenty of forthcoming opportunities for more firms to get involved as the network (HCEN) heads into 2022. First up will be a series of industry-specific sub-group meetings that will be held at the college between Monday 14 and Friday 18 February. Designed to encourage fruitful dialogue between employers in similar fields, the sessions will cover Energy & Construction, Health & Social Care, Hospitality & Retail, Digital, Education & Training and Business & Finance. Each will also feature an open table discussion plus a chance to network while enjoying complimentary tea and cake. Then on Thursday June 16, existing and new members will be invited to meet to review the network’s progress to date, explain what kinds of courses and skills they would like the college to provide, and discuss future activities. Harrogate College launched the network as part of its ongoing work to deliver a truly employer-led curriculum, and participating businesses can help shape the courses, and skills, that are on offer. HCEN members take part in quarterly discussion groups and enjoy a range of benefits including course discounts, plus free advertising and promotion across the college’s media platforms. For more details about upcoming network events, and booking links, click here. —————————– We hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of our Business Newsletter – we’ll be back with more next month!

Harrogate College is working with Healthwatch North Yorkshire to hear from young people about their experiences of local health services.

The aim is to help influence services provided and understand how they can be improved to make them better for young people across the county.

Students are being asked about their experiences of mental health and wellbeing and how they’re being impacted, particularly as a result of the Covid-19 restrictions.

A survey has been launched this month and discussions will be taking place in February to better understand what young people are facing and what could help them.

Feedback gathered will be shared with a range of organisations, including Tees Esk Wear Valleys NHS Trust, the local mental health service provider which is keen to hear young people’s views.

Any students or young people who would like to submit their feedback can do so here Your mental health and wellbeing Survey (surveymonkey.co.uk)

Harrogate College is proving it’s a cut above the rest by offering free haircuts and manicures to jobseekers.

The college, which prides itself on supporting its local community and economy, is providing the services to anyone who has secured a job interview.

Haircuts, which will be carried out in our fully equipped, professional standard training salons, can be booked now between 3pm and 7pm on Wednesdays. Manicures, meanwhile, will be available on Thursdays – starting on Thursday 27 January – from 10am.

Principal Danny Wild said he was delighted to see the college starting the new year with such a generous gesture, which he hopes will boost the participants’ prospects.

He said: “We are proud to show that we are living our values by being nurturing towards our community, and giving people the best chance to progress into a positive 2022 with a new job.”

Programme Manager for Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy, Steph Keedy, added: “We really enjoy working with the local community and initiatives like this are very rewarding for our students – while also helping them complete their qualifications.

“We hope that by offering someone a new haircut and manicure it will give them a confidence boost that may help them on their way to finding a new job.

“It’s another great example of the college and local community really working together.”

Places must be booked in advance, and applicants should be able to show proof of their upcoming interview. To book a place in the salons, which close during half-term and national holidays, email katie.sharman@harrogate.ac.uk or call the college’s reception on 01423 879466.

Hospitality students at Harrogate have rounded off the year by serving up a European inspired Christmas feast to members of the public.

The Christmas around Europe gourmet evening took place at Harrogate College on Thursday 9 December when guests were treated to a three course meal featuring dishes based on festive continental classics.

The event attracted nearly 60 people and saw the college’s regular canteen area transformed into a fully operational restaurant.

An invaluable learning experience

Harrogate College’s Cultural, Contemporary and Heritage Studies Programme Manager, Jason Parry, said: “The evening put the learners through their paces, catering to over 50 with a three course meal.

“The students had the opportunity to experience how it felt working as part of a team and in a busy restaurant environment.

“They battled through confidence issues and worked really hard to perform well, and this was reflected in the customer feedback. The evening was a great success.”

The college’s hospitality students also recently enjoyed a fact-finding tour of the Grand Hotel, in York, as part of an enrichment day that included a walk along the city’s historic walls.

A grand day out in York

Mr Parry added: “The hotel tour was really well put together by the staff.

“We had some talks from key employees and learnt how the business, which runs its own amazing cookery school, diversified after Covid-19 as well as how it is performing now.

“Following a tour of the suites and key features of the hotel we had a mocktail master class, which was a lot of fun for the students.

“We then went for a walk on the wall until we got to the centre of York, where the students had some free time to explore the Christmas market, before all going for a meal at Bella Italia – which linked in to the students’ previous unit on pasta.”

The first event of 2022 for Harrogate College’s restaurant will be a food and wine pairing evening, which representatives from the wine industry are being encouraged to attend, on Thursday 10 February.

The hospitality students will produce five light courses for the event, which is designed to teach students and guests about how the right combinations of food and wine can enhance the dining experience. The evening will include tasting notes, a tasting menu, and specialist speakers.

For more details about hospitality and catering courses at the college visit harrogate-college.ac.uk/courses/.

Harrogate College prides itself on working hand in hand with local businesses and organisations to provide the skills and training they need to ensure that our economy grows and thrives. Our monthly newsletter is a handy way of keeping our partners informed of developments at the college.

To receive future Harrogate College Business Newsletters directly to your inbox click here

Business Newsletter – November, 2021 Dear Partners, Welcome to our monthly newsletter which provides updates on how Harrogate College is working closely with businesses to provide an employer-led curriculum that delivers the in-demand skills to best support our local economy. As part of that we recently launched an Employers’ Network which we now have some exciting follow-up events planned for in 2022. Encouraging more adults back into education is part of the wider challenge of filling the nation’s skills gaps, so the college has also been pleased to put on a number of free taster sessions for over-19s, in support of the Festival of Learning, to show the opportunities we can offer to adult learners. Promoting sustainability by providing the green skills that are increasingly in demand as we transition to a more circular economy is also a key part of what we do, and our students recently demonstrated their environmental credentials by supporting Green Jumper Day. Also included in this edition are details on how our students enthusiastically backed I Will Week, and some very positive recent media coverage for the college. I hope you enjoy the read and wish you the very best for the festive season! Danny Wild Principal Harrogate College ——————– Retrofitting success The college kicked off November by teaming up with Zero Carbon Harrogate to host a Retrofit Awareness event, aimed primarily at construction industry professionals but also open to the public. The 30 attendees, who heard from expert speakers about the skills and techniques that are needed to help homeowners increase the efficiency of their properties, gave positive feedback about the usefulness and quality of the information that was shared on the night. The college is now busy developing retrofit skills courses and will be announcing full details of these early in the new year. If you think your business could be involved, get in touch with holly.hansen-maughan@harrogate.ac.uk ——————– HCEN – Next steps in 2022 Collaborating with local businesses to provide the skills that will help them flourish is central to what we do. The launch of Harrogate College Employers’ Network in October was a great opportunity to bring businesses from lots of different sectors together and hear about their training needs. We are now pleased to announce further network events for the coming year, starting with a series of industry-specific sub-group meetings to encourage in-depth conversations between employers in connected fields. These will be held from 14 to 18 February and each will include an open table discussion plus a chance to network, while enjoying complimentary tea and cake. The sessions will cover Energy & Construction, Health & Social Care, Hospitality & Retail, Digital, Education & Training and Business & Finance. Then on June 16 the college will be holding a feedback event for employers to meet and look back on the first year of the network, review progress and agree on the way ahead. Network members, who take part in quarterly discussion groups, enjoy a number of benefits including discounts on courses and free advertising and promotion across the college’s media platforms. For full details about both events and how to book a place click here ——————– Green is the colour Staff and students donned green on Friday, November 26 for Green Jumper Day, an environmental initiative designed to raise awareness of climate change while getting people to wrap up – while turning their heating down. The college’s involvement attracted messages of support from groups like Zero Carbon Harrogate and attention from the local media, including Your Harrogate, which interviewed Student Enrichment Officer Megan Hawkswell. She told them: “Obviously sustainability is going to be really important for the future, for all of our students. It’s where all the jobs are going to be; we’re really committed to providing them with the skills for all those jobs so getting them involved in Green Jumper Day is the real start point of that.” Donations to Green Jumper, a not-for-profit environmental organisation which funds tree planting projects and awareness-raising talks for young people, were also collected on the day. Click here for more. ——————– Having a go and lifelong learning We put on a number of special taster sessions in November as part of our support for the national Festival of Learning campaign, which celebrates lifelong learning. The sessions, designed to encourage adults to find out more about the exciting educational and re-skilling opportunities the college offers, covered a range of subjects including still life drawing, ceramics and print, film and animation and computer software for interior design. Ceramics and still life drawing were both popular choices, to the delight of Creative Arts Tutor at Harrogate College, Alison Carney. She said: “The still life drawing session was really positive and enjoyable, it was great to see new faces in a relaxing and social environment. All attendees were keen to know more about the course; it was great to see them all engaged and eager to learn.” The tasters were organised during the college’s Have a Go Fortnight for the Festival of Learning. For more information click here ——————– Leading the way – Principal explains the challenges, and opportunities, ahead Principal Danny Wild was the focus of an in-depth article in The Stray Ferret, recently, where he talked about his duties in the ‘hot seat’ of leadership – and the college’s specialist role in delivering vocational and technical training. Danny also elaborated on how the college was delivering green skills, forging ever closer bonds with local businesses, and providing apprenticeships. His interview with the online news site also describes how the college and its facilities have benefitted from the substantial investment it has received since being taken over by Luminate Education Group two years ago. Click here for the full article. ——————– Where there’s a will… As a college, kindness is one of our primary values and we aspire to be an important part of our local community and to support social initiatives. Our students demonstrated their commitment to social action recently by taking part in #iwill week, a celebration and promotion of social action amongst young people. Activities on the day included a student social media takeover on the Students’ Union Instagram page and a pop-up cake stand in reception, where students could find out more, suggest future social action projects and share information about causes they care about. ——————– We hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of our Business Newsletter – we’ll be back with more next month!

Students and staff across Harrogate College came together to raise awareness of climate change by wearing green jumpers.

In its first year, Green Jumper Day is the brainchild of Harrogate Man, Alec Walton and his daughter, in a bid to encourage the community to help the environment.

The father-daughter duo inspired the college’s staff and students to wear green jumpers, turn down the heating to conserve energy and raise money for the cause.

Megan Hawkswell, Student Enrichment Coordinator at Harrogate College, was responsible for organising the event at college.

“The aim of this day was to increase awareness of climate change across the college and encourage individuals to take action. We strive to live our core values, one of which is being progressive. Therefore, it is essential that we develop skills and awareness in our students that will prepare them for the changing world we live in and future jobs in the green economy. 

“Enhancing students’ understanding of environmental issues is a great first step towards building these valuable green skills. Students will have the opportunity to develop these skills further in the new year with our Carbon Literacy Training.

“Learners are encouraged to get involved with environmental campaigns and activities through our enrichment programme. We’ll also be hosting a range of events and activities for students, staff and the wider community for Green Month in March.”

Holly Hansen-Maughan, Partnerships and Development Lead, is a keen advocate for environmental sustainability and recently attended COP26.

“As a college, we are dedicated to tackling environmental issues; we have made a sustainability pledge and aim to be a centre of green excellence. The success of Harrogate’s Climate Action Festival has demonstrated the level of interest and work going on across the region, which we’re committed to being involved in.”

Listen here to Megan talking about the importance of getting involved with the day. 

Four Art and Design Foundation Diploma students with an aptitude for attire have taken home the trophy for an upcycled outfit competition as part of a local fashion show.

The show was organised by women’s group, the Harrogate Soroptimists in aid of Just B, a locally-based support group for bereaved children, young people and adults.

Sustainable fashion took centre stage with outfits sourced from Saint Micheal’s community stores. As part of the show, a creative competition went out to Soroptimists and local schools and colleges to create an upcycled outfit. 

Combining a passion for patchwork with their denim desires, a group of inventive Harrogate College students designed a sustainable outfit made from deconstructed second hand jeans in a bid to win the competition.

Annabel Smith, Lecturer at Harrogate College, supported students with the project.

“The Harrogate Soroptimists were keen to emphasise the waste crisis that the fashion industry contributes to every day. Held on the same day as COP26, the event was a timely reminder that we need to take care of the planet; reducing clothing waste is one small change that everyone can make.

“From concept to creation, the students carefully crafted each step of the clothing-making process. They began with a moodboard from which they designed the idea for the jumpsuit and created drawings of their desired final outcome. The group worked on the outfit every lunchtime for three weeks!

“The team got amazing feedback from the event attendees; everyone was very impressed and James got a huge round of applause on the catwalk.”

Designed by James Cape, Drew Johnson, Igor Rafinski and Zoe Moseng, the outfit won first place.

Drew Johnson added: “This competition was a fantastic opportunity for us to work innovatively. I was responsible for the original design, so once we settled on the theme of old workwear, I made multiple digital sketches of jumpsuits and overalls. From there, we cut up several pairs of jeans and eventually sewed all the patches into a larger pair.”

Group member, Igor Rafinski, has always been inspired by musicians’ attire.

“It was an incredibly proud moment for our group to win the competition, especially after seeing how much effort everyone in the competition had put in. The show promoted the various ways to upcycle simple items into contemporary fashion pieces and motivated attendees to try it out themselves – all helping to save the planet!”