Showcasing the great work of Further Education this Colleges Week

I’ll begin this month’s column with a thank you to everybody who has sent me a congratulatory message following the announcement of my CBE award in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List last weekend.

I really appreciated the response from people nationally, regionally or locally. I’m so proud to lead a group of Colleges that is so intrinsically linked to the fortunes of the people and communities that it serves, and the employers and economy it supports.

I’m a passionate advocate of Further Education Colleges, and the transformative impact they can have on towns everywhere, and I’m hugely ambitious for what Colleges can do for people and businesses when times are challenging, as they are right now.

Championing the great work of colleges brings me neatly onto one of the key events in the diary of our group of Colleges – Nelson and Colne College, Accrington and Rossendale College and Lancashire Adult Learning – and that is Colleges Week, an annual week of events to celebrate the impact of Further Education Colleges nationally.

Beginning on Monday, Nelson and Colne College Group will be fully supporting the campaign which celebrates the great work that colleges do and fights for fair funding for the sector, to invest in staff, students and resources.

This year’s theme recognises how colleges help build communities, boost businesses, and support individuals. The fundamental way in which colleges have responded to the challenges thrown up by the COVID-19 pandemic means that there will be even more inspiring and impressive stories to share this year, and there is a determination to make this the biggest and best Colleges Week yet.

It is a fantastic chance to share the superhuman efforts my colleagues have delivered this year in providing high quality teaching, learning and support for students and businesses both in college buildings, in the community and through live online lessons.  I’m really looking forward to this special showcase that puts the truly brilliant work of colleges into the spotlight.

To keep up to date with everything that is going on, you can follow our social media activity through our channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you are a member of the College Group’s alumni network or you are an employer that has benefited from a positive experience with us, then we would love to hear from you too.

You can get involved in sharing your own stories of how the College Group has supported you by tagging us in a post and using the hashtags #CollegesWeek and #LoveOurColleges.

I hope you will see some of the positive impact we can accomplish together to overcome some of the present difficulties we all share.

Until next month, Amanda.