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 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

Dear partners, As we move into Spring we can reflect on some great examples of growth both in our students’ development and our working relationships with local partners. When it comes to getting a taste of what a future career might actually be like, nothing beats letting students visit a busy workplace to see its employees in action. We have been very fortunate in that regard recently, with prime examples being our Health T Level students spending a day at Spire Healthcare Harrogate and our construction and electrical learners being welcomed to Chaddick Construction’s Burnholme site, in York. Of equal value are visits to the college by expert guest speakers and we have been delighted to welcome some really big industry names, including James Morrison from Riso Gallo UK and Sarah Dickson, from Greggs, to college over the past few months. You can read about these and plenty of other inspiring events and site visits, including to several universities, in this edition of the newsletter. I hope you enjoy the read. Danny Wild Principal Harrogate College ___________________________________________________________ Healthcare A fact-finding visit to a local clinic Our Health T Level students have gained some valuable insights into the world of private healthcare. The learners recently visited Spire Healthcare Harrogate Clinic, on Hornbeam Business Park, where they were given a guided tour by General Manager Tim Cook. The group learned about the wide range of roles and services provided by Spire, and were also given a presentation about the clinic’s typical daily operations and tasks. They also enjoyed exploring some of the clinic’s facilities, including an MRI suite and day surgery unit – and learning about the importance of air purity and contamination control. Clinical Services Manager Penny Jackson meanwhile, along with members of the nursing team, also shared their professional experiences and discussed the differences between working in public and private healthcare. The visit was an inspiring and informative experience that really helped our students gain a deeper understanding of the realities of working in healthcare, and the career opportunities ahead of them.  ___________________________________________________________ Hospitality A risotto masterclass from an industry expert Our Hospitality students were given a real treat before the Easter break – in the form of a cooking demonstration by the Managing Director of Riso Gallo UK. Jason Morrison, from the renowned Italian rice company, shared lots of practical tips with the learners as he made a signature risotto dish while stressing the importance of sustainable menu planning, food provenance, and professional cookery skills. Jason also used his visit to talk about Riso Gallo’s core values and environmental commitments, and gave a talk on sustainability within the risotto industry in terms of sustainable sourcing, responsible production and waste reduction. These insights, from a leading industry expert, really inspired the students who could link back what they learnt to their curriculum. Our association with Riso Gallo, meanwhile, is set to continue in May when two or our hospitality students will be competing in the national Young Risotto Chef competition in Leeds, which is organised by the company. ___________________________________________________________ . Hair and Beauty Technical tips at Manchester What better way for aspiring hair stylists to pick up top tips than by visiting a professional hair care company’s studio? That is exactly what our Hairdressing Diploma students did recently when they headed to Wella Studios Manchester. During their visit the learners focused on refining their technical skills while exploring the latest trends in colour theory. It was an inspirational experience, and our students left the studio buzzing with fresh ideas, sharpened techniques and a renewed sense of creativity. ___________________________________________________________ Construction and Electrical Site visit shines light on sustainable techniques Our Construction and Electrical students recently visited Caddick Construction’s Burnholme site, in York. The visit, to a site where the developers are creating the City of York Council’s first zero-carbon homes, gave our learners some valuable insights into sustainable construction techniques. Seeing the site in operation also helped bring their classroom learning to life, and showcased the wide range of roles that are available within the industry. We are grateful to Project Director Jason Sims and Social Value Manager Debbie Watson, along with the wider Caddick team, for their continued support and for providing such a valuable experience for our students. ___________________________________________________________ Sponsorship opportunity Become a part of our exciting new campus We are delighted to announce that Techbuyer has become the first commercial sponsor of our £22m new campus. The sustainable IT solutions firm, which is one of our neighbours at Hornbeam Park in Harrogate, already works closely with the college on everything from student visits and joint projects to guest talks and work placements. Through the sponsorship agreement one of our new building’s state-of-the-art digital rooms will receive Techbuyer branding, while the company is committing to holding two visits a year to talk to students. CEO of Techbuyer Europe, Steve Sexton, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be the first business sponsor of the college’s new building; this reflects our long-term commitment to education and skills development in the area.” Please get in touch if you would like to discuss becoming a sponsor of our under-construction new campus, which will use purpose-built facilities and cutting edge technology to deliver top quality, industry-standard experience for our students.  Three different sponsorship packages are available, and we are also open to discussing more flexible options to suit your business, whatever the size. The benefits include having your company’s name and colours featured in rooms, walls or furniture, plus a host of PR and social media opportunities. To find out more e-mail our Performance & Projects Coordinator at: Lynn-Yang.Liu@harrogate.ac.uk. ___________________________________________________________ Sustainability Fashion and food Partners from across North Yorkshire supported this year’s Sustainability Showcase at the college. Our annual celebration of all things ‘green’ was held just before the Easter half-term break, and featured interactive sessions, workshops and stalls from a variety of groups, including the Time Together Clothes Upcycling Project and Leeds City College’s RE: Workshop. Others lending their support included North Yorkshire Council’s Sustainability Team and local organisations Techbuyer, Harrogate Spring Water and Zero Carbon Harrogate. As always, our students were at the heart of the showcase with our Hospitality learners creating and serving an impressive array of sustainability-themed canapé dishes on the day. Our Hair and Beauty students, meanwhile, brought the event to a fittingly colourful conclusion by displaying the results of a competition that demonstrated both their creative flair and commitment to the environment. We would like to thank the British Trout Association and Delifresh for supporting the Hospitality team by kindly donating the ingredients for their dishes. ___________________________________________________________ Uniformed Protective Services (UPS) / Sport Conflict management and self-defence class Our UPS and Sport students have been picking up some key practical self-defence and conflict management techniques. Former police officer Geoff Crocker, and his colleague Andy Moodie, led a class that focused on how to stay safe and confident while handling challenges both on and off the sports field. Our learners got the opportunity to practice a variety of techniques in a supportive environment, while linking their studies with real-world safety and personal development skills. It also gave them a unique chance to learn from experience professionals with a background in law enforcement and security. ___________________________________________________________ ESOL Using language skills to serve the community Many of our ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students work hard to improve both their own prospects and the communities they are part of. A great recent example of this comes in the form of Level 2 Community Interpreting student, Elina Kyrychok. Elina supported North Yorkshire Police by providing Ukrainian interpreting services at a local community group talk, where she helped officers communicate with Ukrainian residents. Her support ensured important messages about safety, support and reporting concerns were fully understood by everyone in the room. Hate Crime Sergeant for North Yorkshire Police, Nigel Collins, said: “It is so important to have a trusted community member in Elina, who can be a pivotal link to the local Ukrainian community with her interpreting skills.” You can read more about Elina’s story here. ___________________________________________________________ Hospitality Top level advice on allergens We were delighted to welcome a senior leader from bakery chain Greggs to the college recently. Sarah Dickson, who is General Counsel and Company Secretary of the company, came in to deliver an inspiring guest speaker session for our hospitality learners. During her talk, Sarah stressed the critical importance of allergen awareness within the food and hospitality industry in terms of keeping customers safe. She also shared valuable insight into how Greggs manages allergens and prevents cross-contamination, giving our students a real-world understanding of best practice within a large national company. The session was both informative and thought-provoking, and helped our learners appreciate the legal and practical aspects of food safety. We are grateful to Sarah for taking the time to support and inspire our students. ___________________________________________________________ A shout-out to our alumni So many of our students go on to do great and interesting things, in so many different sectors, and we’re proud of their successes. Hearing their stories – some of which are featured on our website’s alumni page, here – helps inspire future generations and shows them the incredible career opportunities that lie ahead. Many of them have really useful, and uplifting, words of advice for today’s students – take Mandy Barker, for example. Mandy studied Photography & Digital Imaging with us and has gone on to become an international award-winning photographic artist, whose work helps to raise awareness about plastic pollution in the world’s oceans. She has these words of advice for anyone who is preparing to take the first step towards their dream career: “Anything is possible. It takes hard work, but if you are determined and want to make an idea happen, there is nothing to stop you.” If you’re a former student, whether you graduated last year or many years ago, we’d love to hear from you! Joining our alumni network is a great way to reconnect, share your journey, and inspire current students. To get involved and share your story, simply scan the QR code above. We can’t wait to hear from you!Courses for businessesWe run a number of courses, at different points throughout the year, that could benefit your business. Upcoming sessions include Social Media Marketing for Business, a Social Media Analytics programme, and a Leadership and Management course.  Follow this link to find out more and book your place. ___________________________________________________________ Creative Practice Picking up tips and inspiration on university visits Our collaborative work with universities gives our Art and Creative students really valuable experiences of higher education environments. In February, a group of learners enjoyed taking part in a 3D practical workshop at Leeds Beckett University, where they gained hands-on experience to support the 3D element of their course. They were also given a campus tour to see the facilities and gain an insight into university life. More recently, our students visited Leeds Arts University to take part in a selection of practical workshops including in filmmaking, animation, and illustration. They were inspired by the facilities and specialist creative spaces they saw in what is the only dedicated arts university in the north of England. Our students also visited Teesside University, where they spent the day participating in a series of specialist sessions within the university’s state-of-the-art media facilities. Working with industry-standard equipment and guided by expert lecturers and technical staff, the students took part in workshops designed to develop their skills, encourage creative thinking, and provide hands-on experience of a professional media environment. ___________________________________________________________ Partnership MP visits to support Colleges Week We work with many local and regional politicians who recognise the vital role that further education plays. So we were delighted to welcome Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon into college during Colleges Week in March, when we and sister colleges across the country were celebrating the theme of ‘skills for all’. Tom visited our catering and community interpreter classes, to see at first-hand how students are developing the skills to succeed in their careers.  He said: “It is always a pleasure to visit Harrogate College. They provide a fantastic opportunity for learners to develop industry-ready skills, making jobs more accessible and opening up new opportunities.” Our Principal, Danny Wild, said: “Tom’s visit was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the breadth of learning taking place here. Colleges play a crucial role in promoting opportunity and integration across society.” ___________________________________________________________ We hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of our newsletter – we’ll be back with more next time!

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 – May 2023 Dear partners, We were proud to be nominated for three Harrogate Advertiser Business Excellence Awards this year – and are absolutely delighted to now be able to say that we have been crowned winners in one of them! Read on to find out more. May has been a busy time in college (despite all the Bank Holidays), and started off in fine style when we welcomed the local Chef of the Year finalists in to compete for the trophy. We were also pleased to share some great news about two of our supported interns who are working at Harrogate Hospital – another success story for our partnership work with local employers. Your Harrogate’s King of the Courses competition, meanwhile, is continuing to spark interest in our courses while providing some light-hearted fun for the station and its listeners/readers. We include an update on presenters Nick and Pete’s latest challenge in this edition of the newsletter. I hope you enjoy the read! Danny Wild Principal Harrogate College ____ Harrogate Business Excellence Awards As this great photograph (taken by Gerard Binks Photography) shows – we were one of the winners at the Harrogate Advertiser Business Excellence Awards 2023! We scooped the Sustainability Award on the night, in recognition of our work to deliver vital green skills training while reducing our own carbon footprint. Principal Danny Wild said: “As a college that is fully committed to playing its part in tackling the climate emergency and supporting our businesses as they embrace green technology, we are delighted to see our sustainability work being recognised like this.” The college was also a finalist in the Business in the Community and Employee Health and Wellbeing Award categories. ____ Awards for hospital interns We’re proud to share the news that two of our supported interns have received a national award. Lewis Grayston and Charlize Barik, who are both based at Harrogate Hospital, were recognised for their progress and achievements by Hft, a charity that supports over 2,500 adults with learning disabilities. The pair were two of only 20 interns and graduates, from across England and Wales, to receive the award. Find out more. ____    A ‘hair-raising’ challenge for presenters Nick and Pete Nick Hancock and Pete Egerton, from Your Harrogate, have been coming to the college regularly since April to try their hand at all kinds of skills. Their latest King of the Courses challenge saw the duo receive some quick, expert training on the art of hair styling, before putting what they learnt to the test on two ‘training heads’. To find out how they fared, and more about the competition and the pair’s previous results, click here. ____ College welcomes top chefs for ‘cook-off’ We were glad to welcome some of the Harrogate district’s top chefs on Tuesday 2 May. As has become an annual tradition, the finalists of the Harrogate Hospitality & Tourism Awards‘ Chef of the Year contest used the college’s catering facilities for their ‘cook off’. The contestants were each challenged to create a delicious main course from a mystery box of ingredients. The winner will be revealed at an awards ceremony on 12 June.

Work with us! We are a college that prides itself on collaborating wth the district’s businesses and community groups. To find out more contact Business Engagement Advisor Susan Roberts, email: Susan.Roberts@harrogate.ac.uk .

We hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of our Business Newsletter.

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 – April 2022

Dear Partners, As a college focused on providing the green skills that our district needs we are always keen to announce new initiatives within this sector. A good example of this took place in April when we issued a press release all about how we are tailoring our courses to provide electric vehicle infrastructure training. Apprenticeships also have a vital role to play when it comes to plugging the national skills gap, so we are pleased to outline in this newsletter the steps we are taking to update our programmes and improve our offerings to best support local employers. Construction is one of the district’s key sectors, and we are delighted to be hosting a CITB funding awareness event at the college on Thursday 26 May when local firms will find out about grants, training and other forms of support.  One of the many events we held during March, for our Green Month, involved a visit from Too Good To Go, which works to reduce food waste by connecting people to restaurants and stores that have surplus, unsold food. We have now created an article all about the visit, as outlined below. We hope you enjoy the read. Danny Wild Principal Harrogate College — Meeting the electric vehicle challenge More training to support the country’s transition to electric cars will be introduced at Harrogate College this September. Harrogate, as recently widely reported in the media, has been revealed to be one of the ‘worst prepared areas in the UK’ in terms of supporting the shift to electric vehicles. Those findings were mainly based on the current scarcity of public charging points, with research showing that the district has just one for every 134 electric or hybrid cars. The college, however, is working hard to address the issue by teaming up with local specialists and providing technical courses to support the electric vehicle (EV) sector – and has just bought some charging units to use in training this September. Read the full story here. — Action on apprenticeships Recent figures have shown that apprenticeship numbers are falling nationwide – and especially in wealthier areas like Harrogate. Harrogate College, however, is taking action to reverse that trend by working closely with local businesses and tailoring its curriculum to deliver the skills they need. The college was part of a 100 in 100 recruitment campaign in February to encourage employers to take on an apprentice to ‘future-proof’ new and existing employees. Principal Danny Wild said: “While Harrogate is a relatively affluent town and many pupils who go on to study A Levels are likely to go on to university, we also need to factor in the increasing number of pupils who are interested in more practical options. “It is vital for businesses to understand how to recruit and support apprentices, and the college stands ready to support them. We work to ensure apprentices have the skills they need for the workforce. If we are to kickstart the economy by upskilling people, we need to promote apprenticeships as an option. “Through the 100 in 100 apprenticeship campaign and the employers’ network, there is plenty of opportunity for us to level up in the district. By addressing the employment and productivity gaps, we want to make sure no one is left behind regardless of what background or pathway they take.” The college currently works with more than 100 employers across industries such as hospitality, construction, science and pharmaceutical, as well as engineering. It consolidated its ties with those businesses by launching the Harrogate College Employers’ Network (HCEN) last October. Mr Wild added: “We are continually looking at ways to use our apprenticeship data so that we are better informed about how we can improve our programmes. We hope that as the employers’ network grows we can gather relevant data from all stages of the apprenticeship journey, both for the apprentice and employer, including on attendance at training right through to the endpoint assessment.” — Fresh thinking on food waste The college, which has made a Sustainability Pledge, is committed to promoting action that protects the environment – and recently introduced carbon literacy training for students and staff. As part of our Green Month activities in March, we brought together students and staff to educate them on the impact of food waste. An article all about the visit can now be read on our website, here. The college invited Lucy Mccarey, from Too Good To Go, to talk about the subject. Lucy, who has spent over two years fighting food waste and is passionate about the planet, introduced students to her top tips such as planning meals and storing food correctly – as well as using resources like the Too Good To Go app, where individuals can buy discounted food from organisations to prevent it being thrown away. —

Construction industry funding awareness event Harrogate College will be hosting a CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) funding awareness session for the local construction industry on Thursday 26 May. The event will give representatives from visiting businesses the chance to fiind out about what support, in terms of grants, funding and training opportunities, is available. The session runs from 8.30am to 9.30am and will include three short presentations including from John Long, of CITB, and Lorraine Kirbitson, from North Yorkshire Construction Training Group. A representative from the college will also give an overview of the courses and apprenticeships we offer, and show visitors the facilities that their staff and apprentices could use in our construction department. Those attending will also be able to find out about how to access free training at the college, funded by Zero Carbon Harrogate, later in the year. To reserve your place contact Lorraine on 07713 034917 (email lorraine@nyctg.co.uk) or book on Eventbrite here. —

We hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of our Business Newsletter – we’ll be back with more next month!

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, March 2022 Dear Partners, March was Green Month at Harrogate College and we were delighted to collaborate with local businesses, community groups and residents on a variety of environmental events. To tie in with the month, we also introduced our carbon literacy training for students and staff as part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability. Always pleased to work closely with local firms, we were pleased to team up with two Harrogate College Employers’ Network members in March – one who came in to give a talk, while another welcomed a visiting group of our students. Some hospitality students, meanwhile, gained valuable insights into the demands of large-scale catering by visiting Rudding Park, where they were given a guided tour. And two of our Creative Practice MA students, who have now set up their own studio space, impressed the public with their fantastic final year showing. We hope you enjoy the read. Danny Wild Principal Harrogate College Green shoots – and carbon literacy Some local businesses played a leading role in our Green Month activities during March. Techbuyer & Ortial Technologies gave a workshop on Sustainable Technology and How It Affects You. Twelve students and three members of staff took part, and enjoyed a presentation followed by a practical session which involved opening up laptops to see which components were salvageable. Other Green Month events included a talk on Designing the Purposeful Career, a presentation from food waste charity Too Good To Go, and an art competition. Meanwhile, as part of the college’s push to reduce our environmental impact, we have begun to train all of our staff and students in carbon literacy. We are excited to also offer this training to local businesses. For more on Green Month click here. ————————— Rudding Park trip Our hospitality students enjoyed a guided tour of Rudding Park as part of their enrichment activities – and to prepare them for a week of work experience with a variety of local businesses. The trip gave them a fantastic opportunity to see a large, full-scale catering and food production operation up close – and to sample some of the food the hotel grows in its own kitchen garden. Read the full story here. —————————— Building business links Tracey Hopkins from Springfield Healthcare visited the college to give a ‘day in the life of a healthcare worker’ talk to some of our Level 3 learners. Tracey also gave tips about future careers in the sector during a really engaging presentation. Course leader David Gaunt, meanwhile, took a group of Business level 3, year 1 students out to visit a high profile local firm, Techbuyer. The students were shown around all of the business’s departments and briefed about the next stage of their link-up, which will involve going through mock interviews. David said: “This will form part of their grade for the course and is obviously excellent real world experience.” —————————— Art and commerce Two of our students who have been studying a Master’s degree in Creative Practice have wowed members of the community at their final year exhibition. Presenting their work at Hopewell Studios in Knaresborough, Gill Owen and Helen Hopper showcased their journey of studying at Harrogate College. Friends, family and guests were invited to attend the show, alongside the Mayor of Harrogate, Trevor Chapman, and his wife.  Now their studies are complete, Gill has taken on the role of technician in the college’s ceramics department, while Helen is considering further development of her practice in exploring glass. The pair have also set up their own studio space at Spa Studios. Read more here. ——————————- We hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of our Business Newsletter – we’ll be back with more next month!