New College will be celebrating Colleges Week from Monday 15th October to Friday 19th October. The initiative is part of the national ‘Love Our Colleges’ campaign, which sees colleges across the country showcasing the brilliant work they do, as well as a national lobby of Parliament on Wednesday 17th October.
A display celebrating the learners of New College will be presented in the main foyer throughout the week, as well as a trail of posts on social media, voicing the views of students, explaining what makes college special to them.
New College offers a range of courses, qualification types and study modes, so each student experience is unique. Helen Telling studied an Access to Higher Education course at New College in order to progress onto degree level study. She said: “The start of my journey as a New College Access student not only gave me the academic skills, but also confidence to believe in myself. For anyone considering studying on an Access Course, I cannot recommend it enough.”
The ‘Love Our Colleges’ campaign is a partnership between Association of Colleges (AoC), National Union of Students (NUS), Association of College and School Leaders (ASCL), University and Colleges Union (UCU), Unison, GMB, TUC and National Education Union (NEU).
Whether it’s through top-class technical education, basic skills or lifelong learning, colleges help people of all ages and backgrounds to make the most of their talents and ambitions. Rooted in local communities, they are crucial in driving social mobility and providing the skills to boost local and regional economies.
‘Love Our Colleges’ is calling on the Government to increase 16-19 funding by 5% a year for 5 years. It is also asking the Department for Education to provide exceptional funding, ring-fenced for teacher pay.
Carole Kitching, CEO and Principal of New College Swindon said: “New College has had such a positive influence and impact on the lives of so many different people in our communities. We’ve worked incredibly hard on stretched resources to educate and train people and to add value to all of the courses and services we deliver. We welcome and fully support this campaign to raise awareness of and celebrate the wonderful work that Colleges and New College, in particular, undertakes.”
David Hughes, Chief Executive, Association of Colleges, said: “Every single day colleges like New College Swindon provide a world class education and transform the lives of millions of people. Colleges Week is an opportunity to celebrate the brilliant things that go on and a chance to showcase the brilliant staff that make it possible. It is simple, if we want a world-class education system then we need to properly invest in it.”
