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The College hosted its annual World Culture Day event, recognising differences that unite the student body.
Students introduced peers and staff members to the rich cultural traditions of their countries by delivering an enriching and exciting experience through open dialogues, performances, artwork exhibitions and presenting mouth-watering cuisines.
Students' Union President, Nancy Kuforiji said: 'This was a great platform to meet new people and find out more about their rich culture and how it defines them. There were many stands that represented countries from all over the world, that shared what makes up their cultural identity' .
Staff and students welcomed performances by The London Community Gospel Choir, who supported acts with global superstars such as Pink, Justin Timberlake and Elton John. They delivered a legendary rendition of Bob Marley's hit single ' One Love'.
Other performances included a traditional song entitled ' Under the Orange Tree', by Hospitality student, Isiwatu Fehintola Olokode and an Afrobeat performance by talented dancers Lutfiya Othman and Brian Joel, who both study Sports courses.
Amir Ahmed, College Director said: 'Acceptance and recognition of cultural diversity are conducive to dialogue amongst respect and mutual understanding.'
'This year's event is a true reflection of our diverse student body that makes up the communities we serve. I would like to thank our key sponsor, Sir Mallinson Scholarship Trust who have supported this student-led initiative that celebrates identity.'
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Waltham Forest College students came out in full support to help improve the outdoor immunity space for the wildlife and the local community at Waterside Centre, Stonebridge Lock.
For the past two years, the College have supported and actively participated in the clean-up project to help improve the environmental conditions for the wildlife at the canal. Students took time out from their day-to-day learning activities to offer a helping hand in cleaning the river banks, which attracts various wildlife animals.
The cleaning project has been funded by The Greener City Fund, The Environment Agency and the Canary Trust totalling £50,000 which comes in good time considering the endangerment of wildlife species near the river bed of the canal.
The project focuses on clearing the oil rubbish as well as the debris from the channel to build new weed beds to be installed by the end of July; this will protect the swans from residing in polluted waters and at the same time improve the outdoor immunity space for the local communities.
Sports student, Isaac Sid-Lopez, was excited and pleased to be able to volunteer and help with the clean-up project. He said: 'Our College teaches us about community engagement activities and this project not only allowed me to offer something back to my community, it got me thinking about other projects I can get involved in'
Lecturer, Jarl Allard said: 'It was a joy to support my students partake in this local community project, the 175-meter-long floating weed will not only create a refuge for the wildlife but it will ultimately save the wildlife from being permanently extinct.'
Former alumni, Terri Stacy White, also returned to help out with the project after missing out on the opportunity last year due to an injury. She said, 'It's such a good experience; even though I am no longer a student at the College, I couldn't miss this opportunity to help save the wildlife.'
Project organiser Genevieve said, 'Last year the students did a litter pick and to have them back again is amazing! The students are very proactive and their ability to organise themselves, lead and self-motivate each other is nothing short of inspiring.
Waltham Forest College students recently embarked on a fourteen thousand mile trip to take part in international work placements in Seville, arranged through the Erasmus project in the south of Spain.
Students spent four weeks stepping out of their comfort zone and working with various organisations, gaining a deeper knowledge of running a business and general commercial principles needed to operate successfully.
The work placement focused on enhancing students' employability skills by offering valuable opportunities to put their learning into practice whilst developing the technical skills to improve their chance getting into employment.
Tourism student, Michail Antzaras said: 'This was my first trip abroad and one that I will always remember as I got to work in a well-known hotel chain and experience first-hand the world of work.'
Michail further commented, 'I now feel more confident of my decision to enter the industry that I am studying towards and that I have a real advantage when I apply for roles due to the skills I developed.
College Principal, Dr. Joy Kettyle recently spoke at the Westminster Higher Education Forum, chaired by Lord Blunkett, former Secretary of State for Education and Employment. Dr. Kettyle led panel discussions on some of the challenges and opportunities of the new T Level qualifications which is currently being piloting this year.
Dr. Joy Kettyle said, 'Our students have had the incredible opportunity to immerse themselves in another culture and build invaluable employability skills. This is a life changing experience that one can only hope the UK government will take into consideration when deciding on better funding and investment for further education colleges.'
'Our sector makes a difference to the lives of many young people and we want to ensure we serve our community well by offering them the employability skills needed to enter the industry of their choice and that no-one is left behind.'
Lord Blunkett has a historic affiliation with the further education sector of being educated and later teaching in the sector.
Waltham Forest College launches its three-year strategic plan that sets the direction of travel whilst strengthening its unique position as a standalone London college.
The plan sets five key strategic priorities that align its position with the skills priorities of the London Borough of Waltham Forest as well as the London region. Developed with input from the College Board and Executive members and consultation with staff, students and other key stakeholders. This ensures it is the best possible roadmap for the College's continued journey to success.
Principal, Dr. Joy Kettyle, said: 'The strategic plan outlines our approach to delivering an expansive and progressive curriculum to meet the needs of growing industries and equip students with the skills that meet the demands of the modern workplace.'
'It outlines the College's values at its centre, which define our culture and foster a positive working environment. It also positions the College as a key partner in community planning and partnerships, that lead to the improved life chances of our students' .
The College was awarded a Grade 2 ' Good' by educational watchdog Ofsted and was recognised for the contribution College staff make to meeting the education and training needs of Waltham Forest as well as its broad range of apprenticeship training.
Dr. Kettyle, said 'Our growth plans are ambitious. Key to this is maintaining high quality and increasing agility so that we respond quickly to opportunities. We want to be future proofed, not just as a financially viable organisation, but one that is able to invest for growth and sustainability.
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The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) is piloting a new Management Dashboard for its Enhance Digital Learning Platform with 14 providers across Britain, including Waltham Forest College.
The pilot aims to help learning providers in the Further Education (FE) and Training sector to support staff in adopting educational technology.
Darren Kirwin, Head of Quality at Waltham Forest College, said:
'I think the management dashboard is a great idea. We've asked all of our staff at Waltham Forest College to use the Enhance modules because we want to achieve a level playing field where everyone understands how technology can enhance teaching and training. The dashboard will give us the opportunity to see which teams are engaging with it and which teams need more support and development, so we can assign our digital champions, our eLearning co-ordinators, to those areas.'
For further information on the Enhance Digital Teaching Platform visit the ETF website or to the Platform's website.
Street violence across the capital continues to grow and so does Waltham Forest College's commitment to keeping learners safe by hosting practical seminars that protect learners and their friends from being drawn into vulnerable positions.
The College delivered ' Protect Your Mate' week in February and held bespoke seminars on themed topics that directly affect young people. Over 400 learners engaged in the practical seminars arranged by the College's safeguarding team, supported and delivered by professional agencies and the in-house security team.
Seminars included ways to defuse confrontation, self-defence, basic first-aid and other awareness raising workshops that equip learners with the skills and knowledge on how to avoid being drawn into susceptible situations.
The week-long sessions proved to be a hit with learners, who were able to share and discuss skills that they learnt and how to embed what they learnt in their day-to-day life, feeling more empowered to look out for their friends.
Students Union Vice-President, CiCi said: 'The sessions were very engaging and it encouraged me to think about what active role I can play when my friends are making poor decisions.'
Principal, Dr Joy Kettyle commented: 'College's play a crucial role to support young people not just academically but through personal and social development. Our learners are fully aware of topics that affect them and their friends. As a result, the College delivered seminars that challenge learners to think twice, allowing them to become self-assured, ambitious and motivated, enabling them to grow in confidence and make decisions that lead to positive outcomes.'
The week of activities forms part of the overall awareness campaigns embedded into the College calendar to tackle topics on youth crime.
Dr Kettyle said: 'Ofsted described that our learners' behaviour is exemplary during our last inspection and we want to drive this further and empower our learners to create better futures. There are so many positive role models here at Waltham Forest College and our role is to ensure our young people are prepared well for life in modern Britain and are making the best decisions for their future.'
On Friday 8 January, Leyton Orient Trust College Study Programme held an awards ceremony. The event recognised and rewarded the outstanding achievements of learners since the beginning of the year. The College study programme is delivered in partnership with Waltham Forest College.
The event celebrated learners from ASDAN Level 1 Certificate in Employability, BTEC Level 1 Diploma in Sport and Active Leisure; NCFE Level 2 Diploma in Sport; BTEC Level 3 subsidiary Diploma in Sport; and BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Sport.
Teachers Joshua Seal, Chris Middlemas, Alex Leslie and Lloyd Boateng handed out the awards with Leyton Orient Trust's Head of Education, Andree Selner.
There were four winners of the Progress Award, nominated by their teachers. This award recognises a great attitude, good commitment to work, a positive approach and being a good role model to other learners. Winners were presented with a certificate and a £20 voucher for Westfield, Stratford.
There were also awards for 22 learners who achieved 95% attendance or above as part of the Three Week Attendance Challenge. All learners received a certificate and were entered in to a prize draw to win either £100, £75 or £50 vouchers for Westfield, Stratford.
Andree Selner, Leyton Orient Trust, Head of Education said: 'It's always good to regularly reflect on the progress the learners are making. Now we are halfway through the year, it's important to reward those that still have excellent attendance, are excelling in their grades, and showcase the effort they are putting into their learning.'
Waltham Forest College organised a visit to the National Grid's gasholder site for a live demo of a demolition site. The site in Leyton is currently being dismantled and industry experts from the National Grid and their demolition partners were on hand to help facilitate the session.
The future engineers were invited to witness the experience first-hand and discuss the process involved which included a detailed tour of the gas site. They also learnt how the gasholders were once used to supply energy to the local community.
Samantha Rendell, National Grid's Land Regeneration Manager, said;
'We were delighted to host students from the College and provide a unique experience for them. National Grid is always keen to have a positive impact on the communities in which we work. It was also a great opportunity to highlight the importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) skills in addressing the UK's shortage of engineers, and actively encourage them to consider a career in this industry' .
Engineering tutor at Waltham Forest College Zartosht Atropatene, said; 'The interactive session was a great opportunity to get our learners to think about how the skills they are developing here at the College can be applied directly to the industry. Learners were excited with the visit as it allowed and motivated them even more to consider a career in engineering.'
Councillor Mohammad Asghar, a representative for Lea Bridge at Waltham Forest Borough Council, attended the session and said, 'It was great to see National Grid involving young people from the local college and providing a beneficial experience to get people into STEM careers. Many of the learners I spoke to were passionate about the subject and knew exactly what pathway to undertake to reach the end goal of getting into their career.'
The College's STEM centre was officially launched by the Deputy Mayor of London, Jules Pipe backed by a £4m development funding from the Greater London Authority (GLA) in recent years. The STEM centre stands as a unique venue giving students access to state-of-the-art facilities and industry standard workshops and resources, designed to inspire them to succeed through its highly-integrated learning systems.
