Latest News
Ingenious students from Waltham Forest College headed to CU London to participate in a STEM Day seminar to tackle the world's most pressing issues around soaring energy prices, online security, and using robotics for rescue missions.
The worlds of energy and transport are changing fast and creating new opportunities for oil, gas and renewable energy management.
CU London, part of the Coventry University Group, hosted a STEM Day, aimed at encouraging the next generation to be part of the solution and create their future in Renewable Energy Management, Cyber Security, and Robotic Engineering.
Lecturer, Saga Das Meng led the session delved into the exciting area of oil, gas, and energy management, exploring where the world sources most of its energy, the fuel of the future, and ultimately how we can all play our part to save the planet.
Learners from Waltham Forest College attended to participate in seminar-led discussions with expert academics on ways to tackle environmental issues and save the planet. Students stepped up to the challenge to brainstorm solutions for the current environmental issues and IT students in attendance drew from the knowledge of industry experts as they looked at contemporary computing developments and cyber security as a global emerging profession.
IT student, Mohammed Echchatt, commented saying:
'STEM Day was a really fun and interesting session that allowed me to gain insight into not just the future trends in the industry, but also the discipline requiring the skills and interests of young people to become the cyber security experts of tomorrow. An all-around great experience with the opportunity to experience part of university life.'
Head of Learner Services and Careers at Waltham Forest College, Ali Yusuf said:
'It is important our students get to explore their future careers by engaging in these activities, such as STEM Day. This leads to students further developing their insights into careers and even start thinking about what the jobs of the future will look like.'
The 15th annual, week-long celebration of apprenticeships took place this month, between 7th - 13th February 2022, and received significant attention from both learners and businesses alike. Offering hands-on work experience alongside off-the-job training, apprenticeships act as a paid job that can get you started on your career path without needing years of practice. Making the right decision on which apprenticeship to choose can be daunting when there are so many opportunities to pick from, but luckily that's where Waltham Forest College comes in.
Having celebrated the week by delivering a series of events to support young and adult learners in making informed career decisions involving an apprenticeship, Waltham Forest College are providing a great start for all their students no matter their long-term goals.
With a target to 'Build The Future' , over the course of the week the College offered Apprenticeship Q&As, the prospect of Meeting an Employer at one of several events, as well as the chance to see the opportunities within the local borough at one of their Apprenticeship or Job Fairs. All of this helped to spark conversation, open up doorways into new careers and help students decide where they'll be taking their next steps.
Aston Group, a leading building services and facilities management company, delivered an awareness session to some of the College's aspiring builders and contractors. Rachel Statter, Social Value Manager for Aston Group, said:
'It was very rewarding to see so many Waltham Forest College students attend the Apprentice Awareness sessions today to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week. It's wonderful to promote the benefits of apprenticeships to young people who might not have considered this path a viable option before.
Aston Group believes that it is vital to continue to offer training opportunities to local communities, to develop a pool of talent to recruit from, and encourage social mobility. We are grateful to be given the ability to engage with the students and hope that they found it helpful to speak to our apprentice and mentor to gain insight into the reality of being an apprentice.'
One of the big draws was the Apprenticeship Fair. Here learners were able to discover more about what it means to be an apprentice, discuss their intended career path with potential employers, and even speak with universities about the apprenticeship they have on offer.
Nicola Rovetti, English and maths student who attended the Apprenticeship Fair said: 'Work as well as studying is equally important, and so for me, an apprenticeship offers the opportunity to do both which is great! The Apprenticeship Fair has been insightful and has given me the information required to now explore an apprenticeship in IT.'
Current Apprentice, Charlene Bartolome, also in attendance, said: 'My line manager recommended taking up a Health and Social Care NVQ, Level 2 Apprenticeship at Waltham Forest College. So far, it's been a great experience. The College has impressive facilities, and the teaching staff are extremely supportive. Now I can gain a qualification and improve my employability.'
So, what can Waltham Forest College offer you if you're considering an apprenticeship? With so many courses on offer, you'll be sure to find something that both sparks your interests and can help you to secure an offer in your chosen career.
The College currently offers apprenticeships in the following areas:
- Automotive Engineering
- Bricklaying
- Business Administration
- Butchery
- Carpentry
- Customer Services
- Electrical Installation
- Fashion & Textiles
- Flooring
- Food & Beverages Services
- Hairdressing
- Health & Social Care
- Maintenance Operations
- Management
- Painting & Decorating
- Plumbing
- Professional Cookery
- Railway Engineering
- Team Leading
Building strong ties within the community is another aspect in which Waltham Forest College excels, which was plain to see with the attendance levels at the Apprenticeship Fair. Local service provider, MNM Property Services Ltd, who delivers high quality property maintenance and refurbishment services across London, was one of the employers represented.
HR Coordinator, Loredana Mihai, commented: 'Giving a young person a chance to start their career is something we strive for, and so we are delighted to have had this opportunity to speak with potential apprentices about our services and the benefits an apprenticeship can offer.'
To discover how an apprenticeship can fire up your career or business, contact the College's Apprenticeship Team via email at
Waltham Forest College has worked in partnership with Jobcentre Plus, London Borough of Waltham Forest and employers on the Rail Network to develop this specialist five-week course as part of the College's Sector Based Work Academy Programme offer.
The course supports local unemployed residents within Waltham Forest and surrounding areas into skilled employment. Learners completing the course achieve a railway engineering qualification, health and safety training, and undergo medical tests to ensure they are certified to work on a live rail track.
The College has a fully installed rail track on-site, providing opportunities to gain valuable experience before progressing onto a live track. The programme has been designed in partnership with Railway employers to ensure training is fit for purpose and meets the demands of a growing skills gap within the industry.
Janet Gardner, Principal & CEO, Waltham Forest College said; 'This is a great example of collaboration between Waltham Forest College, Waltham Forest Council and Jobcentre Plus, helping to address skills shortages in key industries and supporting local people into higher-skilled, and higher paid employment. The programme has been hugely successful in supporting unemployed Waltham Forest residents into work; 90% of learners have progressed to permanent employment within the Rail Industry. We are now seeking to extend the programme further to meet employer demand in the UK's Rail, Transport and Infrastructure sectors.'
Cllr Simon Miller, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth and Housing Development; said; 'All signals point to the rail industry facing the next big skills shortage, partly due to an ageing workforce which hasn't diversified in step with other industries. Waltham Forest College is using their excellent facilities and expertise to help get ahead of the issue with this unique course. As a local authority, we know our local labour market inside out, which makes us best-placed to help supply good candidates for the course ' which also fulfils our key priority to connect residents with high-quality jobs.'
Waltham Forest College has been announced as a partner as part of the Mayor of London's new £44m Academies Programme. The partnership will further enhance the College's delivery of the Mayor's priorities for Londoners.
The overarching programme is aimed at supporting Londoners to access a range of new jobs and opportunities across the region, focusing on priority sectors including creative, digital, green, health and hospitality.
The College is collaborating with partners in PAN London area and aiding the economic recovery through the following hubs:
Local London Green and Digital Mayoral Academy (LLGDMA)
The LLGDMA will focus specifically on digital and green skills, which are vital for London to reach its net-zero targets. Waltham Forest College will collaborate with 11 other FE providers and 9 London Boroughs ' helping to develop a responsive skills plan, create events and further build strategic networks.
This new academy will expand on the Mayor's Construction Academy model. The LLGDMA will complement the existing MCA hubs, ensuring skills needs are met as the need for green and digital technologies continue to grow.
The objectives of the Academy include:
- Reduce barriers to learning and employment unlocking work experience, traineeships, apprenticeships and jobs
- Retrain and upskill current industry experts for transition into new jobs as the Green and Digital sector develops
- Ensure that London's industries access the skilled workforce needed to decarbonise and innovate through digital technology
- Improve recruitment and engagement across our local communities especially among the under-represented groups
- Upskill college staff
Covering an area of over 2.6 million residents, the programme aims to support the creation of over 60,000 new jobs in London by 2030.
Creative Academy Hub
The Creative academy hub is led by the London borough of Waltham Forest. The College is a key partner in delivering the objectives of the creative hub. The initiative includes £250k for the establishment of the Creative Industries Hub over 2 years to support Waltham Forest creative sector jobs and skills training.
First announced in March 2021, the programme provides funding for leading training providers to establish hubs allowing jobseekers to reskill and support disadvantaged Londoners into free adult learning.
It forms part of GLA's drive to help Londoners access jobs and skills opportunities, also including a Skills Roadmap and a new marketing campaign to raise awareness of London's skills offer.
Hospitality Academy Hub
Waltham Forest College is also a partner in the Hospitality Academy Hub led by Capital City College Group (CCCG). Hospitality is one of London's most important industries employing 568,000 people and contributing £17 billion to the capital's economy a year. The Hospitality Academy Hub will support those looking for careers as chefs or in front of house, housekeeping and security roles.
Janet Gardner, Principal and CEO of Waltham Forest College, said:
'We are delighted to be part of three Mayoral academies. This opens yet another opportunity for Waltham Forest College to work in partnership with stakeholders, maximising impact, to help drive London's economic recovery and support businesses to thrive. The Mayor's Academies Programme will support Londoners hardest hit by the pandemic into good work in sectors key to London's recovery and long-term economic growth, including hospitality, creative, digital, green, health and social care, and we are excited to be part of the academies programme".
Director of the Local London sub-regional partnership, Sarah Murray, says:
'The Green and Digital Sector Skills Academy is great news for our sub-region. It will be a key component in preparing our future workforce ' both young people coming into the workforce for the first time, and existing employees that need to up-skill. We applaud the partnership of FE colleges which is a testament to the collaborative way in which our colleges work together.
'The development of the digital sector and emergence of the green sector and green economy provide a unique opportunity for our economy to grow and prosper. Partnership working between employers, the sub-regional partnership of local authorities and education and training providers is key to leading that growth for our residents and businesses, and we look forward to working with the sector academy to make that happen' .
Second chance proves successful for college students in November 2021 GCSE resits
Waltham Forest College has announced its latest GCSE resit exam results in English and maths, achieving high pass rates due to the provision of tailored support, strong student commitment and resilience.
Students in England who achieve a grade 3 in maths or English are required to retake these qualifications until they obtain at least a grade 4 in both subjects. Students who joined the College in September 2021 with a GCSE grade 3 in English and maths worked towards exam resits held in November. The College offered a resit opportunity to enhance its students' future aspirations and career progression.
As part of this process, the College offered tailored workshops in English and maths to respond to students' academic development needs. As a result, through collaborative teamwork and effective strategies, 64% of students for English and 62% for maths achieved grade 4 or above.
Head of Curriculum, Ambica Sanger said:
'We are extremely proud of our students' achievement and are delighted to see that the support workshops have proven to be pivotal in achieving these positive outcomes. During these challenging times, these positive outcomes will help empower our students, boost their confidence and extend their career prospects in line with our Skills Recovery Plan.'
As well as school leavers, adult learners were also given the opportunity to improve their career prospects through resitting their GCSE exams.
Awatef, an adult student at the College, said:
'I'd recommend the College for those who want to develop their career prospects or access opportunities for job progression. I am now on track to completing my Teacher Training course which will enable me to pursue a career in teaching biology.'
The College is now taking applications from students looking to enrol on full-time and part-time courses. Those interested in joining the College are invited to apply online or to register for the College's Open Event taking place on Saturday 29th January 2022.
Could Waltham Forest College be the right place for you?
The dawn of a new year is the perfect time to look at the opportunities in front of you and decide to forge a new path for your life. Whether you're looking to progress to a higher-paid form of employment, work on your skills to provide better prospects for yourself or even start over from scratch and pursue a brand-new career, Waltham Forest College could be just the right place for you.
Waltham Forest College is one of London's most successful colleges and has been voted as the best college in London by learners for learner satisfaction for two years running. Boasting a 4.5-star Google Review rating, the College has a lively environment, full of engaging lessons, and staff that will push you to do your best.
Adults looking to continue their education or training to progress their career can enrol on a course at the College. There is a wide range of courses to support prospective learners fulfil their career aspirations, so why not allow the College to help you to springboard your career.
Adult learner, Diandra Malcolm, who studied Access to Nursing and Midwifery before progressing to King's College London, said: 'I was inspired to go into Nursing from my love for caring for my grandmother and great-grandmother in Jamaica. My classmates and my tutors motivated me so much during the pandemic to stay on track and push towards my targets. Everyone at the College was so helpful and I feel proud to be offered a place at such a prestigious university that also is rich with culture and people from across the world.'
Applications are now open for adult courses starting in January for those looking to retrain, upskill or pursue a new career, and they may be entitled to study for free.
Adult learner, Stephen Upton-Bryant, who studied Electrical Installation at the College, said: 'As a mature student I was apprehensive about returning to education, however, I found my confidence and found staff to be extremely supportive and encouraging to fulfil my career aspirations' .
Director of Learner Services and Marketing, Amir Ahmed, said 'Waltham Forest College is a top performing college for student success with 92 per cent of students, with known outcomes, progressing to further study or employment. Our lecturing and support staff are experienced in their field, and specialists in their industry and students benefit in developing new knowledge, skills and behaviours that prepare them well for their next stage of their career' .
Courses available to apply for in January '
ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION COURSES
PART-TIME / FULL-TIME
- Adult English
- Adult Maths
- Award in Education and Training (AET), Level 3
- Baking and Pastry
- Barbering, Level 2 (Fast-track)
- Beauty Specialist Techniques, Level 2 (Fast-track)
- Counselling Skills, Level 2
- Counselling Skills CPCAB, Level 3
- English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Day
- English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Evening
- Hairdressing, Level 2 (Fast-track)
Waltham Forest College is a vibrant, popular and aspirational place to learn with highly skilled, supportive staff and industry-standard specialist facilities. You can join the growing number of students studying with them by applying online or attending their next open event.
Find out more at: www.waltham.ac.uk.
Waltham Forest College is ready to play its part and help tackle the Climate Emergency. We recognise that every single student can make a difference and we have empowered our students to help us drive that change.
The first termly Student Conference themed ' Climate Emergency' was held on Thursday 25th November, and it focused on ways the College could further help tackle the climate emergency. Action on climate change is pressing and our students attended in their numbers to discuss issues and agree on actions to take forward for the short, medium and long term.
BTEC L3 Business student and Students' Union Green Team Representative, Ashanti Aleica France, said: 'The Students Conference was incredibly inspiring as it opened my eyes to see that achieving the goal of making Waltham Forest College more green, sustainable and climate-friendly is not just a one-man task. It is an operation in need of collective efforts from students and staff members with small objectives to make a bigger impact.
'Sustainability for me is about taking action and developing habits within ourselves to the point where we can still meet our needs without compromising the health of our environment. I will embark on my sustainability journey by educating myself on exactly what is unethical or not and slowly start to make changes.'
The conference was used as an effective platform to initiate these discussions and to help raise the awareness for them to take action now and to highlight ways in which students and staff could collaborate to make Waltham Forest College a sustainable college of the future.
During the event, Class Reps engaged in team discussions on what they can do to help with the climate emergency and the College's green agenda.
Over the course of the discussions, they collaborated on ideas on how to make a difference by doing their bit to help slow the rate and limit the amount of global warming in three ways:
- Reduce ' opt for a reduction mindset
- Replace ' opt for an eco-friendly choice.
- Reuse ' opt to choose to reuse what you have (where necessary)
These conversations culminated in physical changes that could be made, new objectives to aim for and ways in which each individual could make a difference whilst attending Waltham Forest College and beyond. These include the introduction of solar panels, sink sensors, electric car charging points, transport incentive schemes, meat-free Mondays and more.
Ideas such as these were collated by The Student Union Team who then attended the college senior leadership meeting to present their ideas and plan that can be incorporated into the wider college sustainability strategy.
Principal and CEO, Janet Gardner, said:
'We are committed to making our campus as sustainable as possible and making a positive contribution towards climate change. The Student Conference provided an opportunity to improve the awareness and understanding of environmental issues and to capture our students' voice, supporting and empowering them to drive change. These proposed solutions and collaborative efforts will be incorporated in the College's wider strategy to address these environmental challenges together to create a sustainable carbon-neutral college. To learn more about the College, their pledge to help fight the climate emergency and how they will accomplish it, head over to their website: www.waltham.ac.uk.
Industry experts team up with Waltham Forest College to develop an all-new innovative electrical and testing facility for students to further improve their knowledge and develop employability skills.
Industry and education have joined together on a workday at Waltham Forest College to develop a new and innovative electrical and testing facility for the College's electrical installation students. The day saw three electrical companies on-site volunteering their time and expertise to help get the new workshop up and running.
Mark Allison from Power Sonic Electrical and Apprentice 121, along with two colleagues, worked on installing isolators for the workshop's booths to ensure a safe working environment. He said: 'It's evident the amount of investment the College makes in providing safe, practical and innovative workspaces for vocational learners and our work here today will further assist them in creating their futures.'
The new workshop and classroom space have been designed to not only teach students the skills required on the curriculum but also additional electrical skills to prepare them for what they will encounter in the world of work, adding extra value to the course.
Ryan Davis from R Davis Electrical said: 'I know what it's like being an apprentice and then going out on your own encountering electrical systems you hadn't trained on. The three-phase system I've helped to install is something many apprentices don't get to work on so it's great to see a college adding it to their training and allowing students to experience it beforehand.'
Part of this additional value is a commercial grade three-phase distribution board donated by Schneider, along with industry-standard surge protection device modules and metering equipment. This will allow students to get hands-on with understanding three-phase equipment learning skills not typically taught in a college environment.
The training facility has been developed in the same year Waltham Forest College was announced as part of WorldSkills UK's Centre of Excellence, one of 12 new member bodies, and the only college in London to have joined in 2021; The College now has access to world-class expertise and insights into global best practices that will be used to influence curriculum development.
Craig Buist, Head of Electrical Installation said: 'At Waltham Forest College, we inspire excellence in teaching, learning and assessment and are advocates for world-class skills in every setting to support continuous improvement and innovation to develop high performing and qualified apprentices and students ready for work, and we are pleased to have industry experts' involvement in this project.
The extra equipment installed will allow students to see how the real-world works allowing us to stretch their knowledge to elements that may be outside the qualification but are important for industry.'
Other companies that have donated equipment towards the project include Terlok, showcasing their studbite technology as a faster and more modern way to install cable trays, and AICO who have donated smoke detectors and carbon monoxide equipment for students to learn how to test.
If you would like the opportunity to see the construction workshops and other course facilities, why not register for the Open Event taking place on Saturday 29th January here.
The partnership is one of 22 winning bids chosen to take part in a £9.5 million government pilot to bolster teacher training in further education.
World-class further education is essential if we are to meet England's skills needs and ensure that everyone is empowered to succeed. The FEPDG pilot has been designed to support the commitment made in the Skills for Jobs White Paper to strengthen the professional development of teachers working in the sector to boost teaching practices and so that young people and adults receive top class education and training. This is important because evidence shows that the quality of teaching is the single biggest driver of student outcomes.
The FEPDG pilot supports groups of Further Education (FE) providers to develop collaborative approaches for teacher professional development and to share good practice that already exists within the sector.
Waltham Forest College is leading on a successful collaborative bid in partnership with Capital City College Group. The development project will focus on subject specific professional development to improve the quality of curriculum design and teaching, learning and assessment, helping colleges to further develop a world class workforce ready to deliver the skills needed for future generations.
Janet Gardner, Principal and CEO of Waltham Forest College said: 'We are delighted to be working in partnership with Capital City College Group on this important pilot that will help to further develop the skills of our valuable workforce. I welcome the recognition and support for the Further Education Sector with this much needed boost, developing expertise in higher level technical skills and specialisms which will further support economic recovery and support a world class workforce, preparing students to compete in a global market.'
The £9.5m pilot will run throughout 2021/22 and the pilot has been designed to support the commitment made in the Skills for Jobs White Paper to strengthen the professional development of teachers working in the sector to boost teaching practices and so that young people and adults receive top class education and training. The pilot will strengthen professional development in key areas of need and test approaches that could be extended to other providers in future. Evidence and resources created through projects will be shared with other FE providers in order to maximise reach and to make sure the sector as a whole benefits from the pilot.
Kurt Hintz, Executive Principal of Capital City College Group said:
'We are delighted to join Waltham Forest College in this project. Our teams are really excited to be collaborating with their peers and partnerships like these show how joined up the London Further Education sector can be in when given the opportunity.'
