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Waltham Forest College has partnered with three partner institutions to deliver an exciting new project called Digital Futures, funded through the Mayor's Digital Talent Programme and co-funded with the European Social Fund (ESF).
Project Partners:
- Newham College (project lead)
- Digital Skills Solutions
- Barking & Dagenham College
Who is this course for?
The project provides digital skills training and employment opportunities to London residents aged 16-24-year-olds who are no longer in the education system, not working or being trained for work, or at risk of becoming NEET.
What will I study?
The intensive two-week courses include the following areas within the digital skills sector:
- Digital Landscaping
- Cyber Security
- Using Digital Media to Improve Personal Profiles
- Website Design
- Introductions to Coding
- Principles of Digital Marketing
- Understanding Analytics
- Training in various software applications
- Soft skills; confidence building, presentation skills etc.
How to apply?
If you are interested in this course, either at Waltham Forest College or at our partners' centres, please contact Abbi-Gale Henry on 020 8501 8069 or by email:
Waltham Forest College has signed up to become the first institution to join London Metropolitan University's ' Partners in Education' scheme, a new initiative aimed at enabling more young people to transform their lives by progressing into higher education.
As a Partner of London Met, students at Waltham Forest College will receive a package of expert advice, guidance as well as practical support designed to help them consider their future and develop a plan to help them achieve their academic and career ambitions.
Professor Lynn Dobbs, Vice-Chancellor of London Metropolitan University said: 'I am delighted to sign this agreement with Waltham Forest on behalf of London Met. They share our passion and values for opening up access to education and have an inclusive and diverse student population that mirrors our own, so they are natural partners.
'Too many bright, talented and ambitious young people fail to progress to higher education which is not only a huge loss for them and their families but also for their communities, London and the country as a whole. We hope partnership agreements like this will empower many more students to continue to transform their lives through education.'
The partnership agreement was signed earlier today by Professor Dobbs and Dr Joy Kettyle, Principal of Waltham Forest College, at London Met's Holloway Road on campus.
Dr Kettyle, said: 'We have chosen to be the first College partner in London Metropolitan University's Partners in Education's scheme as this will strengthen the support we offer to our students who are considering options into higher education.'
'This game-changing opportunity will ensure our students have access to the same life-chances as anyone else in the UK and that no-one is left behind'
Waltham Forest College has recently been assessed under the matrix Standard, which is a unique quality standard used to assess and measure the delivery and impact of the overall careers service.
The two-and-a-half-day assessment involved a matrix assessor interviewing key stakeholders such as staff who lead and deliver the careers service, to students, partner schools and employers who all receive the careers service as end users.
Student Services and the Business Development departments underwent the review and were able to demonstrate the careers service in practice and articulate key strategies used by the College to show effectiveness in improving its key outcomes.
The assessment report outlined clear leadership and direction for staff who deliver the service and further highlighted how staff are being developed to ensure that the College is able to meet and respond to the demands within the sector.
Careers Lead for the College, Amir Ahmed, said 'The accreditation was welcomed by all involved and not only signifies the strength in the careers service but reinforces the delivery of high-quality, impartial careers information, advice and guidance'
There have been many sector updates with the most recent introduction of the Gatsby Benchmarks, a framework of eight guidelines that defines what a good careers service looks like.
Mr. Ahmed, said: 'These benchmarks are now unpinned into our thriving Careers Strategy, which allows us to define our service improving accessibility to everyone. We want our careers provision to be labelled as world class to help our clients understand the range of opportunities available to them in today's economy and acquire the skills and qualifications they need to succeed in the workplaces of the future' .
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.'
Enrol now for September 2021 courses
We can help you Create Your Future for your chosen career. We have a large number of courses for young people and adults starting in September 2021. Click on a course area of your choice for more information.
16-19 Study Programmes
Apprenticeships
Access to Higher Education
ESOL, English and maths
Adult part-time courses
Prince's Trust Team Programme
Join the Prince's Trust Team programme, our 12 week personal development programme for 16-25 year olds, for a chance to gain new skills, take a qualification and meet new people.
The course is free and will not affect your Jobseeker's Allowance.
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.
Click HERE to access the video.
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.
