Graduating students and higher apprentices celebrated their academic success on Friday after successfully passing their university-level studies with the Chesterfield College Group. A special ceremony at the Casa Hotel in Chesterfield saw over 100 graduates come together to recognise their achievements with family and friends.

Graduates received their university-level qualifications in subjects ranging from business and construction through to computer game design, engineering, education, health and social care and sports.

Matthew White (left), from Chesterfield, graduated with a Foundation Degree in Sports Coaching last week and is now studying to gain his full honours degree at college. He told us:

“I really like the familiarity of studying at college. I know the tutors and get on great with them. We work in small groups and get lots of one-to-one time with our tutors, which is arguably the best thing about studying for a degree at college. The students and the tutors have a great relationship; it’s like being part of one big sports team.”

Juggling work and study paid off for Higher Apprentice, Danielle Jones (right), from Chesterfield, who gained a Level 4 Business Administration and is now using her knowledge to help college students to follow their dreams too. After completing her apprenticeship at Chesterfield College, she is now Work Experience Co-ordinator at the College and in her new role in Student Futures she helps students find work experience opportunities to help them kick start their own goals.

She said: “My training has been invaluable as I learned work specific skills in business and management as well as key skills such as communications. It was challenging at times to study while working but it was well worth the hard work. I’ve now got a job that I love thanks to the skills I’ve learned and I’m progressing my career.”

Julie Richards, Principal and Chief Executive of the Chesterfield College Group congratulated the graduates at the ceremony. She said;

“The Chesterfield College Group exists to maximise the potential of every single individual and to work in the heart of our community, inspiring futures and changing lives. We are incredibly proud of what our graduates have achieved and we hope that it will enable them to grow and prosper as they move forward. I know that their achievements are a starting point for greater things to come.”

Chesterfield College works alongside a range of local university partners to deliver university-level courses, including Sheffield Hallam University, University of Derby and Staffordshire University. This gives people from across North East Derbyshire and the surrounding areas who want to work towards higher education qualifications access to quality and affordable provision on their doorstep.

The Quality Assurance Agency, who safeguard standards and improve the quality of UK higher education, recently awarded Chesterfield College the highest grade possible following an inspection which has allowed them to develop a dedicated University Centre.

A free advice evening at Chesterfield College on Wednesday 24 October aims to dispel the myths around apprenticeships and unveil the hundreds of local opportunities out there.

Learning Unlimited’s team will be on hand at the college on Infirmary Road for the Apprentice Advice Evening between 5:30pm and 7:30pm to provide guidance about careers and apprenticeships. There will be the chance to see what apprenticeships are available, hear about success stories and find out how to apply for apprenticeships.

Potential apprentices will hear how Chesterfield – as the UK’s very first ‘Apprentice Town’ – offers a wide variety of options to help people develop their career. The Apprentice Town initiative, which is led by Chesterfield Borough Council, aims to raise awareness of apprenticeships and works with organisations such as Learning Unlimited to develop apprenticeship opportunities.

Leah Shortt, Operations Manager at Learning Unlimited, said: “There are a lot of myths surrounding apprenticeships and the benefits and yet there are so many opportunities available at the moment. Apprenticeships are a great way of making that first step towards a dream career. Apprentices can earn a wage, while learning skills and gaining experience.”

During the evening, potential apprentices will be able to see that apprenticeships cover a wide range of subjects from business, IT and accountancy to customer service and are not restricted to traditional, manual jobs previously associated with apprenticeships. What’s more, apprenticeships lead to nationally recognised qualifications.

Leah added: “We also want to show people that contrary to popular belief, apprenticeships aren’t just for school leavers but for people at all ages. It’s a great way for people midway through their working life to learn new skills and boost qualifications and take careers in a new direction.”

“Our Apprenticeship Advice Evening will provide the ideal chance for people to come and have a chat with us and see what options are right on their doorstep.”

Potential apprentices, as well as parents and teachers, are invited to come along at any time during the evening for an informal chat with the team. They will be able to view apprenticeship vacancies, find out more about the individual apprenticeships and apply.

Councillor Terry Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, added: “It’s really important that local residents benefit from the jobs and training opportunities created by the £1 billion of investment taking place within the borough. That is why we launched the Apprentice Town initiative. This advice evening is an excellent opportunity for young people, employers, parents and teachers to find out more about the wide range of apprenticeships available in Chesterfield.”

Read more about Apprentice Town here.

A leading Chesterfield training provider, which specialises in construction, has announced the launch of its first course centred around the mental health and well-being of workers operating within the industry.

Delivered by Construction Skills People, and designed to teach people how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental ill health and provide help on a first-aid basis, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an internationally recognised training course. Construction Skills People, who deliver a wide range of vocational qualifications and commercial training courses specially for the construction sector, are keen to see a change in the stigma that surrounds mental health, especially in the workplace.

According to the latest figures from The Health and Safety Executive, an estimated 12.5 million working days were lost and 526,000 workers suffered due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2016/17 across the country. Evidence from the Mental Health Foundation further suggests that nearly 13% of all sickness absence days in the UK can be attributed to mental health conditions, and that better mental health support in the workplace could save UK businesses up to £8 billion per year.

In a bid to drive those numbers down, Construction Skills People says MHFA will provide the skills and knowledge of construction workers to be able to identify poor mental health, as well as empowering both individuals in the work place and communities to understand the signs and symptoms and how best to support themselves and those around them in recovery.

It’s official launch comes during the week of World Mental Health Awareness Day – an annual event designed to promote worldwide mental health education, awareness and advocacy, particularly against the social stigma that many people with mental health issues face.

Kevin Hithersay, the Mental Health Training Provider at Construction Skills People who is delivering this course, said: “Mental health affects most of us in some way, and it’s important that we work to eliminate the stigma around mental health and encourage people to reach out if they are struggling.”

“This training course not only will help workers assess and support colleagues who struggle with poor mental health, as well as their family members and friends; but it is also designed to help to reduce the impact of absenteeism caused by such struggles on construction businesses.”

“The course is proving exceptionally popular to date which we hope is indicative of the recognition that this very important and very prevalent issue is now receiving.”

On completion, trainees will gain a qualification in Adult Mental Health First Aid, with the certificate issued by Mental Health First Aid (England). The MHFA standard course is split into four parts, including topics such as depression, suicide, substance misuse, anxiety disorders, self-harm, eating disorders, personality disorders and psychosis.

As of April 2018, levy-paying employers are now able to transfer up to 10% of their levy funds to other organisations – giving them extra flexibility in how they use it to help close skills gaps.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency said that employers wishing to transfer a proportion of their annual levy funds will be able to choose who they want to give it to – providing their designated recipient wants to receive it and both parties are registered on the apprenticeship system.

Ashgate Hospicecare is an example of how local charities could benefit hugely as a result. Ashgate Hospicecare is an independent registered charity that provides vital hospice care and support to patients and their families across North Derbyshire, both at the Hospice and in the community.

Ali Ward-Foster, Partnerships Manager at Ashgate Hospicecare, said: “This is just one of the amazing ways you or your company can support the Hospice and make a huge difference to the lives of local people in North Derbyshire. If you would like to get in touch just call on 01246 568801 or email: Alison.ward-foster@ashgatehospicecare.org.uk.”

Barbara-Anne Walker (right) was appointed as Chief Executive in January 2018.

The RISE initiative is looking for more local companies to take advantage of its free graduate recruitment programme.

RISE helps connect the region’s network of innovative and exciting businesses to graduates with energy, enthusiasm and fresh ideas. It aims to help SMEs based in Chesterfield, Bolsover, North East Derbyshire and the Derbyshire Dales to find the best graduate talent for their business.

As part of the service RISE will write or assist with the advert, advertise a graduate role across the UK and put candidates through a variety of recruitment tasks. Companies also have access to line manager training, interview guidance and tool kits.

To date, the RISE initiative has helped over 300 businesses to fill over 400 graduate vacancies, from Manufacturing to Marketing. A recent survey of RISE businesses showed that businesses benefit in many ways by taking on a graduate and believe that hiring a graduate helped their business grow.

“RISE worked really well for us. We wouldn’t have had the resources to interview the number of initial applicants ourselves.” Riverside Automation

A spokesperson from Sheffield Sustainable Kitchens said: “The RISE scheme was a breath of fresh air and I learnt a lot about recruitment. All the information was there if we needed it, but wasn’t forced on us if we didn’t.”

Local organisations that have been involved in the project to date include Chesterfield Champions Casa Hotel, Global Brands, Roaring Mouse, MSE Hiller, and BHP Chartered Accountants.

There is no cost to use RISE except the graduate’s salary and employers NI. Plus, businesses signing up to the scheme for the first time will receive a £1000 subsidy.

The deadline to sign up to the scheme is 25th September so get in touch with Gabi Binnie (gabi@gradconsult.co.uk) to discuss advertising a vacancy.

Derbyshire County Council organise the free Derbyshire Skills Festival event with Derby City Council and it’s aimed at students aged 13 to 19, particularly those in year 11 who are considering their options after school. The event is the county’s largest careers event.

This year it’s coming to the Proact Stadium in Chesterfield on Wednesday 26 September 2018. There will also be two dates at Pride Park in Derby.

More than 50 employers, colleges, training providers and voluntary organisations will be at the events, offering the support and guidance needed to help make future career choices – all under 1 roof. There’ll be ‘have-a-go’ activities for young people to test their skills and get first-hand experience of engineering, media, hair and beauty and much more.

Councillor Alex Dale, Cabinet Member for Young People at Derbyshire County Council said:

“We’re really excited for this year’s Derbyshire Skills Festival.”

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for young people to come along and find out about lots of different careers and take part in some fun activities too.”

“If you know someone aged 13 to 19 please encourage them to pop along – last year more than 10,000 people attended over 3 great days.”

There’ll also be sessions for young people with special educational needs and disabilities and young people who are not in education, employment or training.

Find out more about this year’s Derbyshire Skills Festival.

Councillor Angelique Foster, Cabinet Member for Council Services at Derbyshire County Council, welcomed 23 young people who are doing apprenticeships in customer services, ICT, electrical, pipe fitting, civil engineering and transport planning.

During September and October 2018 more than 80 young people will start their apprenticeships with the Derbyshire County Council.

Councillor Foster said: “Creating opportunities for young people is a key aim for the council and I’m delighted that I was able to meet with some of our new starters.

“These apprentices will join 140 who started with the council since May 2017.

“Apprenticeships are a great way for a young person to get a start on the career ladder and I’m delighted that we have been able to create so many opportunities.”

In 2017, Chesterfield was the first town in the UK to declare itself an Apprentice Town, demonstrating its commitment to growing the future and careers of young people alongside business and the economy by retaining and developing young talent in the town in order to attract more employers to invest here.

Derbyshire County Council are involved in the initiative and sit on the Apprentice Town steering group, alongside Destination Chesterfield, Chesterfield College, University of Derby, East Midlands Chamber, Jobcentre Plus and Enterprise Adviser Network.

To find out more about apprenticeships in Chesterfield click here.