Our Corporate Strategy 2021-2024
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Our Corporate Strategy 2021-2024 Supporting people into higher levels of study and jobs 02 | Foreword Our Mission | 03 Foreword Our Mission Supporting People into Higher Levels of Study and Jobs Walsall College is uniquely and proudly Established in 1952, Walsall College supports our customers with the highest quality education, vocational, delivering technical, professional skills development and training programmes, focused on the needs of a modern economy. One of the largest in the West Midlands, the College is the only General Further Education College in the and community education. Our greatest Borough of Walsall, with 4,000 14-19 year-old students, 5,000 adults and an additional 2,000 apprentices and over 200 higher education (HE) students. Students are recruited from Walsall, the passion is unleashing the potential of individuals, wider Black Country, Staffordshire and Birmingham, although some partnership work does serve other parts of the UK. communities and businesses; our greatest legacy Links with partners locally, regionally and nationally are Walsall College and all those that we serve. The Governing is the talent of our students: skilled, professional strong and interactions with businesses have become a Body recognises the transformational challenges within the prominent focus for the College, working with over 1,000 Further Education Sector and the demands of a changing and enterprising. employers to ensure our curriculum is effectively aligned economy, the challenges posed by Brexit, the climate to industry and economic needs. We are passionate about crisis and COVID-19 mean that there has never been a providing high quality education and skills that enable time when the role of Further Education (FE) Colleges has individuals to progress and prosper in their chosen career been so critical in supporting the national skills-recovery. pathways. This is made possible by effective working We welcome the opportunities articulated in the Skills for with employer partners such as the NHS, Balfour Beatty, Jobs, FE White Paper DfE (2021) to be instrumental in the Bell Group, Taylor Wimpey, Cisco, The Co-op Pharmacy and strategic development of a 3 year Local Skills Improvement Barhale, who are supporting our students and making a Plan. We aim to shape our provision to respond to new direct difference to their experience. Government priorities and the skills needs by co-designing and co-delivering our curricula with our local, regional and Our wider partners, whether the West Midlands Combined national business partners. Authority (WMCA), Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) or commercial partners such as the McArthur Glen Group In Our Corporate Strategy 2021-2024 we are committed enable us to support our communities and the regional to 7 Strategic Pledges, which outline our intent to ensure skills agenda effectively. Our acquisition of Walsall Adult Walsall College is at the forefront of providing innovative, Community College has been a positive opportunity, one high quality education and skills for a modern Britain; we that gives Walsall and the surrounding areas a complete aim to help people develop the skills they need to do the education solution from non-qualification community high-skilled jobs of the future. activity right through to level 6 degree and post-graduate Our vision for the Walsall College of the future is of a opportunities. Cohesion and the growth of adult provision college that truly meets the needs of all our students mean that our adult offer is stronger than ever before whilst delivering the skills needed for digitalised and and widening participation, intergenerational learning greener economy drivers locally, regionally and nationally. and community cohesion work are more effective. We now offer education through 30 venues across Walsall and beyond. More recently our acquisition of the National Construction College Midlands, based in Birmingham affords the college new opportunities for which we are ideally suited; delivering further skills training for the wider construction industry. It will utilise our expertise in key areas, while enabling us to increase the level and breadth of our provision. Driven by a desire to continue to build on our success we are delighted to present our Corporate Strategy 2021- Jatinder Sharma OBE Allan Pinnegar 2024, which looks forward to the continuing prosperity of Principal and Chief Executive Chair of Corporation 04 | Our Vision Our Shared Values | 05 92% of our students have positive destinations into higher levels of Our Vision study or employment. To provide students with an excellent learning experience, education and skills development to support them into higher levels of study and jobs. Our Shared Values Passion The student is at the heart of everything we do. We create and deliver opportunities for prosperity to students, employers and our communities. Integrity We value professionalism, dedication, quality and excellence in our staff. We practice and promote respect, wellbeing and empowerment for the individual. Innovation We are committed to the needs of the modern economy and champion innovation, creativity and enterprise. Equity We are committed to an environment where we purposefully focus on fairness in our policies and management of the issues of diversity, equality and inclusion, in our college society and community. Collaboration We develop strategic partnerships with employers and wider stakeholders to ensure we lead and shape the education and skills landscape. We work positively with and value our partners. Sustainability We promote personal development and build confidence and ambition in our staff and students. We manage our resources responsibly for the benefit of our college community. 06 | About Us Walsall Context | 07 About Us % The Context 91 Walsall Walsall has a lower proportion of people aged ACHIEVEMENT Population 16-64 classified as students at RATE on vocational programmes. 285,000 25.2 % 11,000 of which 173,300 are aged 16-64. compared to the WM (28.2%) and GB (26.3%). Students 4,000 14-19 year-old students, 5,000 adults, % 2,000 apprentices and over 200 higher education (HE) students OF % 92 STUDENTS 74.2 OF PEOPLE positively progress onto further or higher levels IN EMPLOYMENT The College aims to provide Working with over of study or into employment; this is despite the compared to 76.2% nationally opportunity for more adults from social, economic and environmental challenges underrepresented communities to within Walsall. Walsall is an area of high economic and social access higher level study and progress deprivation with low skills and a low-income into highly skilled and well paid roles. 1000 economy. Full time workers earn an average of Employers Links with partners locally, regionally and nationally are strong and interactions with businesses have become a prominent focus for £518.50 the College The College has continued to successfully grow its 16-19 provision and on the 1st April 2018 PER WEEK acquired the Walsall Adult Community College, compared to £550.80 (WM) and £587 (GB) TOP JOBS SECTOR expanding adult widening participation across COMMUNITY BY INDUSTRY SUBJECT wholesale, retail, repair of motor vehicles and AREAS 30 VENUES motorcycles (18.3%), manufacturing (13.8%), 12 The amount of people holding a human health and social work activities (11.9) and The College offers courses in twelve sector subject administration and support services (11.9). areas on a full-time, part-time day and evening basis, in the classroom and in the workplace. STATE-OF- LEVEL 4 Walsall Local Authority has an average rank of THE-ART AND ABOVE CAMPUSES qualification in Walsall has improved in recent OUT % 6 years from 24.3% in 2015 to with the main Wisemore Campus and the % OF 317 of the curriculum offer aligned Walsall Business and Sports Hub situated 31 27.6 local authorities nationally on the Index of with local skills priorities. centrally within Walsall. 89 but this is still 12.7% lower than the 40.3% for GB Multiple Deprivation (IMD 2019) 08 | Our Teaching and Learning Philosophy Our Teaching and Learning Philosophy | 09 Our Teaching and Learning Philosophy Walsall College believes in preparing students for the world of work with skills and attributes that go beyond the mastery of their chosen discipline. The Walsall College Graduate will be skilled, professional and enterprising. Upon completing their courses, and in addition to their main qualification, students will have demonstrable qualities that enhance their value to employers. The Walsall College Graduate programme equips students with the attributes required to make a positive impact in the workplace with wider interpersonal skills, professional confidence, positive attitudes to work, motivation, and health and wellbeing. Walsall College prepares students to be active, thoughtful and caring citizens by sustaining a culture that promotes positive attitudes to learning, work and those around them. 10 | Our 7 Strategic Pledges Our 7 Strategic Pledges | 11 Our vision for the Walsall College of the future is of a college that truly meets the needs of all our students whilst delivering the skills needed for digitalised and greener economy Our 7 drivers nationally, Strategic Pledges regionally and locally. We are committed to 7 Strategic Pledges, which outlines our intent to ensure Walsall College is at the forefront of providing innovative, high quality education and skills for a modern Britain. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Work with an Build a culture that Develop the maths, Become a truly Proactively engage Create a high quality Promote rapid employer and celebrates and English and digital innovative digital to upskill the regional and seamless progression between business connection prioritises excellence skills of all our college. workforce by experience for all levels and settings in every curriculum and innovation in students in order helping people learn stakeholders, which with an aim to area to endorse and T,L&A. to prepare them for throughout their is sustainable and increase numbers at enhance provision the world of work lives.