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Art & Design students from Waltham Forest College embarked on a live brief to design prints of iconic locations in Walthamstow, now for sale in the E17 Art House ' Summer of Colour' exhibition.
The College's Creative Department collaborated with E17 Art House in Walthamstow to create a live brief to visualise some of Walthamstow's most iconic buildings on prints and greeting cards. This was a great opportunity for our students to demonstrate their high level skills in industry and gain valuable experience of the practitioner/client relationship.
Students were asked to consider the interests and constraints of E17 Art House as a creative business. They were encouraged to explore Walthamstow, take photographs and experiment with a series of drawings and image manipulation exercises before arriving at their final outcomes. This process was an integral part of the students' assessed coursework. Students received valuable feedback to help keep them on brief throughout the process.
Emma Bailly, Art & Design Level 3 student, whose artwork of the iconic Walthamstow Assembly Hall is now on sale at the E17 Art House commented:
'It's been a challenging experience that has opened me up to new skills. It was a big surprise to find out my work has been chosen and displayed for sale at the E17 Art House! It has inspired me to experiment further with architectural photography, illustration and design.'
Peter Cottrill, Art & Design Lecturer said: 'An art challenge can be a great way for any artist to improve their skills, build a body of work and is a social activity. It was an enjoyable experience and students came back to the studio to review and share what they had seen before working towards their final pieces.'
The results from the live brief were so positive that E17 Art House co-owners, Kirsten Schmidt and Elaine McCloskey, selected some of the work to sell and exhibit alongside established artists' work.
Kirsten said: 'We are very excited to include work produced by students from Waltham Forest College in our latest exhibition, ' Summer of Colour'. We are so impressed by how talented these young artists and designers are.
"This valuable experience of working to a live brief, deadline and technical specifications will benefit the students in their early careers. We hope that this has given them even more confidence in their work.'
The ' Summer of Colour' exhibition is open and running until Saturday 19th August at E17 Art House, based at 54 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, E17 4PG. The gallery, which champions local artists, is open Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 6pm.
If you would like to apply for an Art & Design course at Waltham Forest College visit www.waltham.ac.uk for more information.
E17 Films and Emerging Talent CIC and Foundation for Future London, in association with Waltham Forest College, present Future Film Focus: Digital Skills 2023, a joint venture to promote emerging young talent in the creative industries.
The event is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 15th November 2023, 2pm ' 5pm at Waltham Forest College, situated in the heart of Waltham Forest.
The event will compose of the 'Be Inspired' panel, young creatives in their first or second role in film, television, or creative industries. The second 'Be Strategic' panel will feature national skills agencies and large-scale employers, training agencies and mentor networks for young people interested in post-production and digital skills needed for roles in editing, special effects, visual effects, animation, virtual reality, 3D design, gaming and others.
Liza Fletcher, Co-Director of E17 Films CIC and founder of the Future Film Focus strand, commented: 'This year's event will focus on reaching out to under-represented communities who identify as neurodivergent and dyslexic with creative skills. I am delighted to have the support of Foundation for Future London and Waltham Forest College, which allows us to train a cohort of up to 45 students to deliver an event, which provides life-changing opportunities to young creatives from across East London.'
Waltham Forest College students are set to gain transferrable skills and invaluable work experience from event planning and organising. Students will receive 3 months of training leading up to the event in event management, hospitality, social media, event filming evaluation and monitoring and photography. In addition, they will also receive training from industry experts and professionals to help develop and improve their career prospects.
Janet Gardner, CEO and Principal of Waltham Forest College, says: 'Waltham Forest College is delighted to partner with Future Film Focus. This exciting event will bring together key employers and professionals and showcase the career opportunities available to young people in the Digital Sectors.'
For more information, or if you would like to exhibit or attend the event, please email
Waltham Forest College students broke the Tarsia challenge record, winning first place in the MEI's FE Maths challenge against 16 other colleges.
A group of five students from Waltham Forest College competed in the Further Education (FE) Maths Challenge, organised by Mathematics Education Innovation (MEI). MEI's Further Education (FE) Maths Challenge is a competition for post-16 students who are working towards gaining a Functional Skills maths qualification or improving their GCSE maths grade.
The finals took place at Goldsmiths University, with 17 colleges from across London competing. The atmosphere was charged with excitement and anticipation as contestants were presented with the Kahoot Quiz and the Tarsia Jigsaw Puzzle. Waltham Forest College students won the first round (Tarsia Challenge) with a record time of 5 minutes and 9 seconds, breaking last year's Leicester College record of 9 minutes and 11 seconds. They went on to battle in other rounds and were crowned 1st place in the MEI's FE Maths Challenge 2023.
Members of the winning team were Ali Sheer Khan Akhtar, Katerina Borisova, Hilal Khan, Erike Markou, and Vladlena-Khrystyna Zaremliuk.
Head of Maths at Waltham Forest College, Ambica Sanger, commented: 'The students worked well as a team, despite only four sessions together before the challenge. This is a great victory for our learners and a tremendous achievement for our college.'
Janet Gardner, Principal and CEO of Waltham Forest College said: 'I am delighted that our students have been able to demonstrate their skills, confidence, and resilience in winning this regional competition. As an aspirational College, we always encourage our students to think big and we are so proud of their fantastic achievement.'
For more information or if you would like to apply for a course, visit the College website at www.waltham.ac.uk, where you can also register for the June Open Event.
Waltham Forest College was presented the achievement plaque by the Society of Public Health Engineers (SoPHE), after securing the status of ' Centre of Excellence' for plumbing.
SoPHE is a national organisation with membership for Public Health Engineers. It sits within The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), the professional body for the building services engineering industry.
The College developed strong links with SoPHE to bridge the gap between domestic, commercial and industrial plumbing and expand the curriculum offer that enables learners to progress onto higher levels of study leading to employment opportunities.
Plumbing lecturer, Rennie Llewellyn, said: 'Through this engagement, SoPHE has provided valuable learning opportunities for our plumbing learners. Teaching and learning have been delivered through specialist seminars and practical demonstrations showcasing techniques delivered by leading industry experts. This has allowed our learners to build their confidence and showcase their skills in regional competitions' .
Plumbing learners from Waltham Forest College, New City College, City of Westminster and College of North West London, competed in plumbing skill competitions. Students demonstrated their technical skills by reading and interpreting planned drawings and mark-out full-scale templates before the installation of pipework and components.
Waltham Forest College students progressed to win the first position in all three categories: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3.
Prizes were sponsored by Mr Saju Shah, from Electrical Distributing Company LTD.
Waltham Forest College students continue their upwards streak by recently passing the blind heats for WorldSkills UK and will be attending the National Qualifiers being held at Harrow College on 13th June.
The skills competition was held in locations across London and designed by industry experts to enable learners to grow personally and professionally by developing their technical and employability skills.
Director of Curriculum, Rochelle Saneria, commented: 'Waltham Forest College would like to show appreciation to Peter WHITE (Chairman of SoPHE) and Sanjay MODASIA member of the Industry Working Group (IWG) for their outstanding service and support to the College and our learners over the past year.
'It's so rewarding to see our students excel and succeed in their chosen career pathways. Our plumbing learners are firing on all cylinders, demonstrating their dedication and technical skills through these competitions. It's a fantastic achievement for those who participated and those who have progressed to the next round of WorldSkills UK competition.'
For more information or to apply for a plumbing course at Waltham Forest College, head over to the website: www.waltham.ac.uk
Aiming to bridge real-life interview experiences, the College has created platforms for students to gain a better understanding of their skills linked to key jobs and sectors.
Psychometric tests help to identify key skills, knowledge and personality and are often used during the preliminary screening stages of interview processes, or part linked to an assessment task of pre-employment. They are objective, convenient and convey strong indicators of job performance - making them very popular with large recruiters.
During National Careers Week over 600 students completed online psychometric tests which empowered them to think about how their skills, knowledge and personality match up with career aspirations, based on their talents, personal values, lifestyle and several other factors.
Public Services student, George, said, 'I was unsure of what kind of career to pursue in Public Services and having completed the psychometric test, it allowed me to explore and gain an opportunity to better understand my key strengths by reviewing my personality traits and behaviours and how they can be mapped when planning my next steps' .
The College continues to drive the introduction of technology that is supportive of a learning environment.
Director of Learner Experience and Marketing, Amir Ahmed, said, 'Psychometric tests are increasingly being used to distinguish talent as the job market becomes even more competitive and key sectors such as finance, technology and the civil service have already built psychometrics tests into their recruitment processes. With this is mind, we want to replicate real-life experiences for our students and, more importantly, get them to explore the skills and behaviours required to be successful to land their dream job' .
Waltham Forest College continues to develop the career package on offer to students and the impact of this work has been noted in the most recent successful whole College matrix accreditation, demonstrating the high quality and consistent strength of the College's career information, advice and guidance services for students and apprentices that has led to very good achievement rates, including high grades, with outstanding positive destinations.
If you would like to become a member of #TeamForest please visit the website for more information on courses and how to apply: www.waltham.ac.uk
A college principal has urged Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to increase funding for technical education in the upcoming spring statement.
Janet Gardner, Principal and Chief Executive at Waltham Forest College, has written to Mr Hunt calling for an increase in the budget which takes place next month.
College finances remain below what they were in 2010, according to economics think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Funding cuts mean spending per pupil in 2024-25 will still be around 5% below 2010-11 levels and for adult students it is 22% below 2009' 10 levels.
Janet Gardner said: 'Skills remain a key priority and we need to continue to increase funding so we can continue to support the development of skills needed to boost the UK's economy and ensure the FE sector attracts and retains the very best staff to train the future talent employers need.'
Waltham Forest College is supporting the Mind the Skills Gap campaign, which has been launched by the Future Skills Coalition.
With job vacancies at near record levels of over 1 million according to the Office for National Statistics, businesses are struggling to fill important posts which is reducing their ability to grow, which in turn hampers the health of the local and national economy.
Mind the Skills Gap aims to highlight the important role colleges and other further education providers play in giving people the skills they need to enter these often specialised jobs. Colleges could do even more with greater funding.
The Rt Hon Sir George Iain Duncan Smith recently visited Waltham Forest College to witness firsthand, the important role colleges play in upskilling both young and adult learners in FE. He said:
'Filling the skills gap - it's important that we recognise FE colleges are right there doing that at moment. But the biggest problem we've got, is that they can't afford to do it all, because they need more investment and more funding.
'It's now time that we recognise, without FE colleges, we won't be able to get that reskilling or apprenticeships. The launch of Mind the Skills Gap, makes it very clear ' It's time for us to invest in FE colleges.'
The Future Skills Coalition is supported by sector organisations the Association of Colleges, the Association of Employment and Learning Providers and City & Guilds, has outlined three priorities to tackle this problem: A right to lifelong learning; fair, accessible and effective funding; and a national strategy to support local, inclusive growth.
The organisations held a campaign event in Parliament on Wednesday (1 March) attended by education and training leaders as well as several MPs and peers.
In an increasingly competitive market, Waltham Forest College has launched the Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE) that supports the personal and skills development of young people.
Created in 1956, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award aims to improve the personal development and employability of young people by offering individual achievements that differ from person to person depending on their goals, and by encouraging young people to get involved in exciting and new challenges.
Over time, the award builds and promotes teamwork, self-discipline, empathy, and independence which are important attributes to display whilst at college, in their personal life, and in the workplace.
Waltham Forest College is now a fully licensed DofE centre. The DofE Award is nationally and internationally recognised and favoured by employers and universities due to the skills and attributes young people gain to become more rounded and confident adults.
Public Services students have signed up for the Silver Award and are on track to complete the volunteering and skills aspect of the Award. They are excited to be progressing onto the expedition in the upcoming months.
Amir Ahmed, Director of Learner Experience, said: 'The introduction of the DofE Award is a key part of our strategy to develop a ' can do' culture amongst our student body and the opportunities offered to students are an essential part of the curriculum. Students bring skills and qualities learnt back into the campus, applying them in lessons and improving our college community' .
If you would like to know more about the College, please visit the College website at www.waltham.ac.uk to access more information and register for the Open Event.
Waltham Forest College continues to provide exciting opportunities for learners to develop ' essential skills' that prepares them for their future careers through impactful community collaboration.
Waltham Forest College positioned itself as an anchor institution within the community and supports the skills development of learners, not just with qualifications, but with an all-rounded learning experience bringing a positive impact to the community we serve.
November was a hive of creativity at Waltham Forest College as students were given the opportunity to collaborate with local curators Artillery and their associated designers towards the unveiling of a new sculpture to appear on Walthamstow's High Street.
A stunning 3-metre wall mounted sculpture of a griffin, created by Sandie M Sutton, with a celebratory event that launched its arrival to a sea of vibrant flags. Participatory Public Artist and Designer, Alisa Rusavina, led workshops with local community groups and students from Waltham Forest College to create eight flags that reflected the diversity of trades seen and how our community interacts with its high street, a project granted by the Mayor of London's 'Untold Stories' initiative, sponsored by Waltham Forest Council.
The project was hugely successful. Artillery CIC said: "As curators and creative producers, Artillery grow unique projects that forge a cultural ecology within our community. We make visible real pathways into the Creative Industries by partnering with schools and colleges like Waltham Forest College"
The project helped to bring the College and its local community together, whilst enhancing the learners' experience.
Director of Learner Services, Amir Ahmed said: "The College is considered a vital partner to the business community as it continues to provide London with a workforce that closes the skills gap across various industrial and professional sectors. Work-based training and community projects are essential work-experience for our learners, and opportunities to engage with the industry designers met during Artillery's event are vital enrichment to our Curriculum Programmes".
If you would like to partner with the College on a project or community venture, contact the College at
Waltham Forest College has been recognised for its commitment to a fair workplace, being as open and as inclusive as possible, ensuring its #TeamForest workforce are able to fulfil their potential, and make the College and economy more innovative and productive.
The Mayor of London launched his Good Work Standard as part of his commitment to making London the best city in the world to work.
Waltham Forest College is the only further education college to be officially accredited as a leading ' Good Work Standard' employer, incorporating the College value - ' Focus on People'.
Principal and CEO Janet Gardner said: 'We are pleased to be one of the Mayor's Good Work Standard employers in London. We believe this is an important recognition of how we value our most important asset ' our staff.'
The panel was particularly impressed with:
- Commitment to providing health, wellbeing and development of staff.
- Consistent and effective communication across the organisation.
- Focus on continuous development of an inclusive and diverse workforce.
The Mayor's Good Work Standard sets the benchmark for the best employment standards and helps employers contribute to a fairer and more inclusive London economy. This means an economy that works for all Londoners and means more Londoners can access good jobs.
The Good Work Standard recognises best practice across four pillars: fair pay and conditions, workplace wellbeing, skills and progression and diversity and recruitment.
To make this happen, the Mayor is working with businesses like ours to celebrate excellent work practices and assist businesses in adopting best practice approaches by bringing together a range of support and resources. Accredited employers currently cover retail, care, finance, banking, local government, media, the culture and creative industries, charities and more.
By signing up to the Mayor's Good Work Standard, employers signal that they are committed to healthy, fair and inclusive workplaces; an important step in attracting and retaining a diverse, talented and successful workforce to assist other businesses in realising these benefits.
To read more about the Mayor's Good Work Standard, visit The Good Work Standard (GWS) | London City Hall.
If you are interested in progressing your career at Waltham Forest College, visit the College website for more information and vacancies: www.waltham.ac.uk/vacancies.
