Harrogate College Business Newsletter – January, 2022
| 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 – January, 2022 |
| Dear Partners, 2022 may only be a month old but Harrogate College is already pushing ahead with initiatives designed to further strengthen our ties with, and support for, local employers – along with our commitment to sustainability. Retrofitting is a fast-growing sector and, as the demand for eco-renovation soars, one that represents a world of exciting opportunities. The college, keen to support both environmentally conscious householders and tradespeople, has been proud to be at the forefront of efforts to raise awareness of this field. You can find out more below about our forthcoming retrofit awareness evening, and the success of the retrofit course we launched recently in partnership with another organisation. We are also looking forward to hosting a week of sector-specific sessions through the Harrogate College Employers’ Network. Open and free to anyone who books a place, these events will give professionals working in our district’s key industries the chance to meet and share ideas. Our support for the local economy, of course, also involves supporting jobseekers – not least through the many vocational courses and apprenticeships we run. We are delighted to also now announce that, as a practical way of helping, our beauty salon is offering free haircuts and manicures for anyone who has an upcoming interview. That is just another example of our ongoing commitment to make our area, and its residents and businesses, flourish as we push on into the new year. Danny Wild Principal Harrogate College ——————————————  Build contacts in your field through our Employers’ Network The Harrogate College Employers’ Network (HCEN), which launched last autumn, is all about helping local businesses support each other – and using their feedback to tailor our courses to meet their needs. This February we are holding a week of sector-specific networking sessions to help people working in the same or linked industries build new contacts and explore future collaborations. The meetings, which are free and open to non-members, take place between Monday 14 and Friday 18 February and will cover Energy & Construction, Digital, Business & Finance, Health & Social Care, Hospitality & Retail and Education & Training. Places can be booked here. Each session will include an open table discussion plus a chance to network, while enjoying complimentary tea and cake. Feedback from the events will also influence the content of our courses as we strive to deliver an employer-led curriculum. HCEN members enjoy a range of benefits including the chance to shape the curriculum, course discounts, and free advertising and promotion across the college’s media platforms. ——————————————  A cut above Who doesn’t feel better after a haircut or/and a manicure? And who doesn’t want to look as smart as possible before a job interview? That is the thinking behind the college’s generous new offer to jobseekers. Interviewees can book themselves in for a free haircut or manicure, which will be carried out by students at the college’s fully equipped, professional standard training salons, by sending an email to katie.sharman@harrogate.ac.uk. The haircuts are being offered between 3pm and 7pm on Wednesdays, while the manicures can be booked in slots from 10am on Thursdays. Programme Manager for Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy, Steph Keedy, said: “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.” For the full story click here ————————————————-  More awareness – and high demand – for retrofit Our new two day Foundations of Eco-Retrofit course, which we are running with People Powered Retrofit, has already proved to be a hit. The first course, held on Saturday 22 and Saturday 29 January, was fully booked with attendees travelling from as far as Newcastle to take part. The specialist course has been structured to help construction industry professionals obtain some of the key skills that are needed to break into the increasingly lucrative eco-renovation sector, and will run again at the college on Saturday 12 and Saturday 19 March. The college is also keen to promote the benefits of retrofitting to the wider community and will host a second awareness raising event on Thursday 17 February. Open to everyone – including householders, builders, landlords and estate agents – the event runs from 5pm to 7pm. Attendees will be able to put questions to experts in the field, including Adam Harper, a certified passive house tradesperson, and Chris Wilde, MD of Yorkshire Energy Systems Ltd. Representatives from Zero Carbon Harrogate will also be sharing details about some exciting upcoming changes to retrofit in the local area that have been made possible thanks to new funding. —————————————————— We hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of our Business Newsletter – we’ll be back with more next month! |