Our partnership work with local businesses is set to be taken to the next level through the formation of Harrogate College Employer Board.

The new body was proposed at the latest meeting of the college’s Employers’ Network as a way to build on the work we are doing to ensure employers can influence key areas like our curriculum and skills training programmes.

The theme of the meeting, chaired by Principal Danny Wild, was Strengthening Business Relationships: Driving an Employer-Led Curriculum.

The discussions focused on three key areas: 

• Co-designing the 2024-25 curriculum, through working closely with local employers
• Evolving business relationship by creating deeper partnerships
• Introducing Harrogate College Employer Board

An exciting new chapter

Danny said: “We are excited to share details of this new chapter of collaboration with local businesses and are looking forward to working together to create an influential, employer-led education experience for students and industry alike.

“Throughout the meeting, employers provided valuable feedback on strengthening ties between the college and the business community, and expressed strong support for establishing the new board – seeing it as an opportunity to have a more significant influence on the college’s offerings and priorities.

“We will be drawing up and sharing a new action plan, based on these discussions, and inviting employers’ network members to offer further feedback to shape the next steps of this promising partnership.”

A charity that specialises in supporting men’s wellbeing will open its first Harrogate branch in January – here at the college.

Andy’s Man Club (AMC) has groups around the country but has had no representation in this part of Yorkshire, until now.

The organisation, which offers free peer-to-peer support sessions, will open its local branch at the campus on Monday 22 January, 2024.

Backing from soap star Dominic

The move is being supported by Emmerdale actor Dominic Brunt, who plays Paddy Kirk in the long-running soap. In a short video he created for the charity, Dominic said: “I’m overjoyed to let you know that there’s a new Andy’s Man Club opening in Harrogate, at Harrogate College.

“So see you there: it’s ok to talk.”

The branch, open to men aged 18 and over who can turn up whenever they wish, will run from 7pm to 9pm each Monday, apart from Bank Holidays.

An ‘invaluable service’ for men’s mental health

Our Pastoral/Safeguarding programme manager, Kerry Walker, said: “This is such a fantastic opportunity for learners, staff and the local community.

“Andy’s Man Club is performing an invaluable service in supporting men with their mental health and we are delighted, as a college, to be providing a space for them.

“Many of our learners will turn 18 while they are with us so they, along with so many people in the community, are set to benefit.”

The arrangements for the new branch were led by Neil Waine, who appeared in an episode of Emmerdale earlier this year when the storyline focused on men’s mental health, and saw ‘Paddy’ seek out a local AMC group for help.

Great support and and a great venue

Neil, a Project Development Champion (PDC) Manager for the charity, said: “We are really excited to get going in Harrogate and delighted with the college’s support.

“We have been trying to open here for roughly twelve months and once we had the right team in place it was time to find a venue.

“Having visited Kerry it became very clear that the college really wanted to support us and the size of the college gives the group scope to grow, so we’re confident this will be a successful venue.

“Having the support of Emmerdale, ITV and Dom Brunt, in particular, is amazing and we are very grateful. We got to know Dom really well when we were involved in an Emmerdale storyline, and he happily agreed to do the promotional video for our Harrogate group.”

To find out more send an email to: info@andysmanclub.co.uk or follow AndysManClub Harrogate on Facebook.

Young carers have been putting their culinary skills to the test with us.

Members of the Harrogate Young Carers group – part of Carers’ Resource – have all had to shoulder the responsibility of looking after a sibling, parent or other relative at an early age.

That means they often have limited opportunities to enjoy themselves, so when they do get a chance to have fun they grab it.

The college helped them do just that recently when we invited 18 young carers along to use the training kitchens.

The visitors made the most of the opportunity by creating pizzas from scratch, batches of brownies and more. The event was supported by RAF Menwith Hill, which supplied the ingredients, and Heck Food Ltd, which donated a variety of sausages so the children could guess what each one was made of.

A great day out making treats

Young Care Practitioner at Carers’ Resource, Linda Hall said: “The young carers had a fantastic time; the feedback was that they had the best day ever, and didn’t want it to end!

“This was a chance for them to have some respite, away from their caring roles, and to be with others who are in the same situation. They had the pizzas that they made for lunch, made brownies to take home, and enjoyed quizzes about chocolate and other foods.

“The venue was perfect for them as they feel really grown up there, and love the whole set-up of the kitchens. We are very grateful to the college for the invitation and its support.”

The kitchens are usually used by our catering and hospitality students, including on themed dining nights which are open to the public. This autumn the facilities will also be used by those who sign up for two new courses, an After School Cookery Club and, for adults, an Italian cooking course.

A warm welcome for ‘extraordinary visitors

We have invited young carers in to use the kitchens before, as part of our wider support for the group. Hospitality Programme Manager, Jason Parry said: “These young people do extraordinary things every day for others, while also having to deal with their studies and all their other everyday duties.

“So they thoroughly deserve any chance they can get to have fun and enjoy some carefree moments.

“We are delighted to support groups like Harrogate Young Carers, which do such brilliant work in our local community, whenever we can.  They are welcome back any time.”

The team at Carers’ Resource supports young carers in the Bradford, Harrogate, Craven and Selby districts by organising trips, activities, mentoring, youth clubs and more. To find out more visit www.carersresource.org/young-carers/ .

More than 100 businesses have signed up to Harrogate College Employers’ Network.

The group has just welcomed its 103rd member – representing a four-fold increase since its first meeting in 2021.

The network was set up to create a direct link between the district’s businesses and the college so that training and work opportunities could be tailored accordingly.

That has resulted in closer collaboration which has brought a range of benefits to both parties.

Building something special

Principal Danny Wild said: “It’s fantastic to see the network growing so fast. To have gained more than 100 members in under two years is a real achievement – and a sign that we’re building something special here.

“The feedback we gain from businesses is invaluable and helps us identify and address any gaps in our courses, so we can keep ahead of the curve in terms of meeting emerging training needs.

“Our students also benefit from meeting employers when they come along to support our events, like recruitment fairs, or give guest talks – and this in turn helps them secure work placements or apprenticeships.

“Our business partners, meanwhile, get the opportunity to directly influence our curriculum to ensure it’s delivering the training, and future workforce, they need. They also get some great networking and free advertising opportunities, so it’s a win-win.”

A network that sets the college apart

One of the network’s many businesses is Boroughbridge-based ATM Ltd – contractors in vegetation management, fencing, landscaping and ecology. HR administrator, Kelly Thomas, said: “We appreciate and support the working relationship we have with the college and its employers’ network.

“We have worked out that the best way to grow our workforce is by identifying someone who has an interest in our industry, investing in their development, and nurturing their progression.

“We aim to do this through apprenticeships and encouraging those leaving college to consider a career at ATM – and that’s where the network comes into its own, and sets Harrogate College apart from others we work with.”

Other local employers can find out more when the network holds its next meeting – which includes lunch – on Thursday 6 July.

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.
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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.

Our college prides itself on constantly evolving to provide the skills our key local industries most need.

Our Principal, Danny Wild, has been explaining some of the many ways in which we have been supporting the hospitality sector to local businesses.

Danny was one the key speakers at Helping Harrogate Hospitality on 25 November. The event, held at Goldsborough Hall, was organised by Philip Bolson of Mr B Hospitality in partnership with the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub.

Speaking on Supporting Hospitality for the Future, Danny told the guests and other speakers how the college was encouraging students to see the full range of opportunities that the sector offers.

Shining a light on opportunities – and role models

He said: “The college is providing careers advice that encourages students to think beyond ‘front-of-house’, because the hospitality industry also includes things like finance, marketing and much more.

“I also spoke about how our employers’ network, which ties into our commitment to delivering an employer-led curriculum, lets local businesses directly influence what kinds of courses and skills we provide based on their needs.

“We have also been active in producing media pieces to shine a light on locally-grown success stories in the media. For example, earlier this year we produced a widely publicised article which featured two former Harrogate College students who have become hospitality stars, Callum Bowmer and Neil Mendoza.

“These kinds of inspiring examples provide great role models for our students while promoting the local hospitality industry.”

Invaluable experience and collaboration

Danny discussed the lifeskills training that students have been getting too, such as customer service training experience – and how that was showcased at the college’s recent recruitment fair.

And he stressed the importance of developing students’ soft skills, especially STEM 7 (the core skills that underpin Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) skills, to arm them with transferable talents.

Our hospitality team ensures that our students gain some invaluable experience of working in a fast, public-facing environment through the themed dining nights that we hold during each year.

Hospitality students are also taken on regular fact-finding trips to local hotels and restaurants, like Rudding Park.Our partnership work with local businesses, meanwhile, has led to students producing sustainable dining menu ideas for RHS Garden Harlow Park.

The district’s landlords have been finding out about the benefits of ‘eco-refurbishment’ at an information event hosted by Harrogate College.

Retrofit for Landlords, run in partnership with Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition, took place on Wednesday 2 November.

Seventeen local landlords heard from expert guest speakers about how they could go about retrofitting their properties, thereby cutting tenants’ energy bills while reducing carbon emissions.

The speakers included Mike Kaye from Energy Oasis, Sarah Stark and Emma Wade from Harrogate Borough Council, Erin Wheeler from York and North Yorkshire Enterprise Partnership (LEP), and John Kerr from Zero Carbon Harrogate.

Supporting action on climate change

Harrogate College’s Principal, Danny Wild, said: “We were delighted to team up with Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition to hold this information evening.

“Improving the efficiency of our district’s rented properties is a crucial part of the wider push towards sustainability, so it was encouraging to see such a good turnout.

“Guests also had lots of questions for the speakers about how they could develop their properties to help support their tenants.

“As a college, we are committed to reducing our own carbon emissions while delivering the green skills training our economy needs. We are only too pleased to work with local landlords, businesses and forward-thinking organisations on initiatives like this which will be vital in our efforts to slow climate change.”

Subjects covered on the night included: a Net-Zero Toolkit, how landlords can access free energy-efficiency training, details on a new local grant to support retrofit projects, and a look at some successful retrofitting schemes.

Harrogate-based employers have been meeting and interviewing our students about exciting potential opportunities.

Representatives from 10 businesses visited Harrogate College on Wednesday 2 November to take part in a Student Recruitment Fair.

The event, set up through the Harrogate College Employers’ Network (HCEN), let local companies talk directly to students – all with customer service training experience – about their work.

They were also able to hold interviews with some students about positions with part-time, study-friendly hours – resulting in at least two job offers being made on the day.

A successful day for students and businesses

Harrogate College Principal Danny Wild said: “We were delighted to have so many of our local employers coming along to support this event, which attracted a lot of interest from our students.

“To have a couple of job offers being made on the day was fantastic, and I know that most of the participating businesses also took away contact details for a number of other students that they may well be back in touch with.

“This recruitment fair emerged following Harrogate College Employers’ Network feedback, and is part of our continuing push to ensure our training helps local businesses thrive.

“It was very encouraging to see the first one go so well and we look forward to holding more fairs, supported by our local business partners, as a regular part of the college’s calendar going forward.”

The participating businesses were: Springfield Healthcare, West Park Care, Cairn Group, Disability Action Yorkshire, Vida Healthcare, Harrogate Healthcare Facilities Management Ltd (Harrogate Hospital), ATM Ltd, Arc Inspirations, Anchor Care Homes, Morrisons plc.