Engineering offers great career prospects in some of today’s most exciting and dynamic industries.

Whether your chosen field is mechanical, chemical, civil or electrical, by doing an engineering course at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London, you will gain the skills you need to progress. In addition, CONEL has partnerships with a host of blue chip companies, including Siemens, Bombardier, Hitachi, Thales, Keolis Amey, TFL, Alstom, Miele, Eurostar, Bombardier, Bifa, Virtiv, CBRE, NTAR (National Training Academy for Rail) and many others, which helps students gain valuable work experience.

CONEL’s Strategic Advisor for Engineering Development, Barry Connelly, said: “Our engineering facilities and courses are among the best in the country. Our engineering lecturing staff are all qualified, experienced and industry-trained,. During my time here, we have received several industry achievement awards and endorsements and as a result, our students are well on their way to achieving their career aspirations.

We deliver high quality engineering training programs to a number of Blue Chip companies who we clearly regard as our training partners. We are a centre of excellence for delivering Rail Engineering training and one of our partners is Transport for London (TfL), who have 79 apprentices with us on a number of courses.

TfL’s Teaching, Learning & Assessment Manager, Carley Blythe, said: “Our partnership started when we went out to tender for the contract to deliver our educational needs, in which CONEL was successful in winning.”

“Through regular meetings with the curriculum management, students who attended the Tottenham Centre have successfully achieved the knowledge units that CONEL committed to deliver. We have received confirmation of their good work and through further discussions and centre site visits, we are now sending our apprentices to the Enfield Centre where they will be able to relate their learning even more specifically to the Rail Industry using the infrastructure and equipment at Enfield. 

“Staff at both sites are collaborating well to maintain a productive working relationship which continues to develop. We have gained additional opportunities to share good practice between our own delivery staff and those employed by the college.

“Our relationship is a relatively new one and we are keen to explore how we can work with the college in the future to further develop the partnership and continuously benefit our learners. Our current experience is that the college aims to be responsive to our needs and are working on ways to offer further potential benefits.”

Another key employer partnership is with CBRE, an industry leader in building services management. CBRE’s UK Technical Services Operations Lead, Karl Curtis, said: “CONEL have been committed to working with us on our new apprenticeship programme, showing a huge amount of passion and flexibility in developing a “Best in Class” programme for our future technicians.

“Our partnership developed through engagement sessions and support in developing a new apprenticeship programme. Learners have benefited from this by developing strong foundation skills in engineering during their apprenticeship.

“As an employer we have gained apprentices with core skills that will be ready to move into the workplace and support the business.

“Our 31 London and surrounding county-based Engineering apprentices currently attend CONEL’s Enfield Centre. Our plan is to continue a year-on-year apprentice intake to support our business.”

We caught up with apprentices Catherine Burrin and Pedro Duarte to get their take on Engineering at CONEL.

Catherine is a Thales railway engineering apprentice. She said: “I went to university, studied History and graduated, but didn’t really want to be sat at a desk which is where that career path was going to take me. I took a bit of a chance on a one-year Marine Engineering course and as soon as I started it, I really enjoyed it.”

“After that course I worked abroad for 6 months and when I returned to England, I took the first job I could get. This was as an engineer in a bowling alley, which could only take my engineering career so far. 

“This is when I started applying for apprenticeships, I knew someone who worked at Thales, applied and they got me onto my apprenticeship.

“I’m currently halfway through my Level 3 course, but I aim to progress onto a Level 4 HNC, which they offer here at CONEL. I have an hour-long commute, but what we are getting here makes the journey worth it; I am getting what I need for my career.

“There is a lot of support if you need it here, and there are no stupid questions. Especially the practical side of things, a lot of us have never done this before but the tutors are always there to help us 1-to-1 when needed.”

Pedro, who is an apprentice at CBRE, is completing his Level 3 Building Facilities Maintenance course at our Enfield Centre. He is loving his block release course and is excited by the possibilities of his future career.

He said: “Working in theatre before, I wasn’t enjoying it, so I looked to do something more practical. When looking into engineering I found CBRE who paired me up with CONEL to deliver my apprenticeship. 

“I like CONEL because the workshop is huge. Right now, we are on the maintenance unit working with hydraulic rams, air conditioning units and using lathes to manufacture various components. I love improving my skills and using engineering machines that I have never used before. 

“CONEL gives you opportunities. My theory tutor is really patient, especially with someone like me who likes to take his time and get it right first time. He will often sit down with me and explain things through to me. This is the same with the tutors in the workshop. They all have a lot of industry knowledge to pass onto us and help develop our careers.”

NSAR (National Skills Academy for Rail) which works with the UK Rail industry, skill sector bodies and Government to ensure the quality of training standards, have said that the overall performance and growth in apprenticeship numbers achieved by CONEL’s Enfield Centre academy is really impressive. This illustrates clearly what can happen when an FE college works hard to create efficient and effective partnerships with employers.

Barry Connelly said: “It’s vitally important to us as a college to develop and maintain our reputation within the industry as a valued training partner that adds real value to companies’ profitability. We believe a successful college/employer partnership must include a number of things, such as: 

• Personal Connections – the establishment of trust in a partnership is often the result of personal connections between key players;
• Partnerships must have agreed aims and outcomes, be clear about the responsibilities and contributions of all those involved;
• Industry experts working alongside college training providers to develop the preferred standards and expectations.

Engineering apprenticeships have seen a revival in popularity and respect within the country. CONEL have engaged with and committed to the needs of employers, adapting to their requirements and standards to change the landscape through partnership and collaboration.”

As the Coronavirus outbreak has spread, many industries have been badly affected, but we are delighted that we’ve been able to help our apprentices to continue to work and learn. As Barry explains: “We have been successfully delivering remote tuition to our learners since the college closed its doors on 20 March. We have been in touch with our partners to inform them of this and they have all confirmed they are happy with these new arrangements.

“Many of our partners have subsequently contacted me to say how pleased they were with the quality of our teaching delivery (keeping their learners on-track where possible) and thanked CONEL for doing a great job.”

As the Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak means many throughout the UK are working and studying from home, the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London is offering a wide range of free online distance learning courses to everyone.

The college has more than 60 free vocational and practical courses available to study in the comfort and safety of your own home, with more being added all the time – helping people gain new skills and boost their job prospects. CONEL is the only London college with such a wide range of free online courses.

Subject areas include accounting, business, construction, customer service, hospitality, airport operations, engineering, IT and digital skills, modern languages, teaching support, public services, science and sport.

Some of the more unusual courses include storytelling, knitting, creative activities for young children, managing personal finances, how to pitch your business Idea, managing challenging teenagers, getting started in British Sign Language and business in football.

CONEL has been offering free short courses at its centres in Tottenham and Enfield for more than two years, with over half of people who take them going on to study at a higher level. As the college’s Vice Principal Robin Hindley explains: “Our short courses are leading to bigger and better things for many students. Since we introduced them, they have gone from strength to strength, with 60% of those studying on a short course last year staying at CONEL to boost their skills even further, by taking a higher-level course with us.

“Following the COVID-19 lockdown and the closure of our buildings, we wanted to keep giving people the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge – and help families at this difficult time – which is why we’re now offering a wide range of free online short courses.

“All you need to join and learn is a PC, laptop or Mac, tablet or even a smartphone, and access to the internet. We’re committed to making education accessible to as many people as possible, and we hope that many will take advantage of this fantastic and unique offer.”

Many of the new free courses are starting during the week of 20-24 April, with more and new courses being added all the time, so there’s still time to book. See the full range Free Short Courses and sign-up today!

A truly inspirational student, Joe Watson, has overcome a number of barriers in his life to successfully pass the first year of his Media Production Level 3 diploma. Brought up in care and living independently at a young age, he has shown huge commitment and enthusiasm during his studies.

In December 2019, Joe won the Paul Head Excellence Award, (an award in memory of CONEL’s former principal), which recognises learners who have overcome significant barriers to their learning.

We caught up with Joe to ask him about his time at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London so far:

When and why did you join CONEL?

“I joined CONEL back in 2018 when I was looking to find a college that not only had a great media team but also a college that would help me get a foot in the door in the media industry. This qualification will allow me to eventually go to university too.”

How has CONEL helped you develop your skills and knowledge? 

“I had a few self-taught skills, but felt like I really needed to dive deep into media and not just the areas that I was interested in. At CONEL I have learnt about the legal and ethical issues, as well as practical skills like filming a live multi-camera show. I have gained the skills and knowledge that I’ll need to work in the industry at CONEL.”

Has CONEL helped develop you in any other ways? 

“Yes, the college has definitely helped me develop my soft skills, especially my social and communication skills. Being a closed person it was quite a challenge when faced with a group task. I really had to push myself to share my thoughts with my teammates but through the help of the staff and my learning support teacher, I was able to really grow in that aspect.”

Joe’s media tutors say he now demonstrates a real flair and ability to communicate, pitch and develop creative ideas.

You’ve been living in care. How has CONEL supported you through that? 

“CONEL helped me apply for a college bursary that helped support my travel costs as I lived a little way from the college. Being able to receive that fund was really helpful. My amazing form tutor Selda Yuzdik and the rest of the media teachers where aware of my situation and they were amazing in making me feel comfortable and normal and just like any other students, not making my care a big issue. I’m especially grateful to the staff for taking me for who I am, not the label that of a looked-after child. Also, for being there for me in any situation where I felt like I needed to have a conversation about anything home or work-related.”

What is your favourite thing about college and your course? 

“My favourite thing about the college is how diverse it is. Over the years at college, I’ve gained an amazing group of friends and met people that I would have never met in my life if I hadn’t chosen to study at CONEL.

“My favourite thing about my course is the teachers, how driven they are and how they push us to work harder and always obtain distinctions. That mentality has stuck with me and I don’t think I will ever forget the teachers from CONEL. They have always gone above and beyond for me.”

How did it feel winning the Paul Head excellence award, the most prestigious award at CONEL? 

“I was told I was getting an award. I thought it was going to be for media. I sat in the hall thinking ‘where was my name?’ in the little booklet that was on all our seats. I couldn’t find it. I thought there was an error. It wasn’t until my cousin pointed out to me that the Paul Head award was the award I was winning. I cried. I had never won anything before especially a big award like this.

“It was a real sign that all the work and pain that I had gone through was for a reason and that just because you in care or have had been in the system, doesn’t mean that defines your life. You really can go onto doing big things. It was truly an honour.”

You recently appeared in a video for BBC Bitesize about moving from care into college, and are also set to feature in a BBC documentary. What was it like working with the BBC? 

“Working with the BBC and building a relationship with such a massive company is a dream come true. The opportunity came about from me posting some videos on YouTube about my experience in my past care homes and what I went through back in 2012. Someone from the BBC saw them and wanted to work collaboratively on some projects. These projects were BBC three documentaries about living in care homes and more. This was a dream and so unexpected, as even when I posted the videos being 12-15 years old I wanted to change the message that the media portrayed about care homes.

“The idea that care homes aren’t like Tracy Beaker, which was the only media representation that we had about them, was far from true. It was either I get someone like the BBC/ITV to push my content or I write my own book or documentary. So for the BBC to find my content online and them wanting to work with me was honestly incredible.”

What are you plans for the future?

“I plan to attend university and study fashion PR to take my education further. I also want to work with more brands and hopefully write my first ever book and publish it. Apart from that, the future could have anything in store for me, but the college has put me on a path of greatness and brought me closer to my dreams.”

The Coronavirus lock-down means that our staff and students are all getting used to teaching and learning in their own homes. Even though we are isolated from each other, it’s really important that we stay in touch and can learn from each other, so we’re delighted to share this article, written by our Digital Education Coordinator, Kerry Vandersteen, on the Teach Learn Digital website.

Recently, I had the pleasure of observing some excellent teaching practice online with Google Classroom and Hangouts. Beck, the Head of A Level Media Studies at City and Islington Sixth Form College, invited me to a Year 12 Class on Radio, so I was able to view how she organised a typical lesson for her students during lockdown. I was really impressed and decided to write up my observations as a case study so others can benefit.

Welcoming and signposting

The lesson ran from 9:15am-12:15 on the Friday. The first thing I noticed in the main stream for the class was an announcement wishing the group a good morning and informing students what was required. This directed them to a register activity and a video explaining the lesson content in the classwork tab. Beck also provided a link to a Google hangout half-way through the lesson (at 10:45am) so students could discuss the tasks they needed to complete and ask any questions.

The icebreaker was a lighthearted poll asking students to name their favourite chocolate bar. Beck could then see who was present and working through the main tasks. She also reminded students she would mark them absent if they did not complete the tasks.

One thing I really liked was a screen-recording of the slides introducing the lesson (using Screencastify). It was labelled very clearly and I felt really comforted by Beck’s warm, friendly voice and sense of humour as she explained the lesson, so am sure her students did too.

Beck then provided a range of bitesize activities. Some were due for submission on the day and some were due later. The tasks were designed as scaffolded activities so to build on knowledge which would eventually equip students to complete an independent assignment.

Beck advised students to look through the tasks before the online meeting so they could ask any questions about anything they were not sure about.

Tasks included:

1. A class survey on radio listening – this was a shared Google doc – so Beck was able to monitor who had contributed.

2. A Jamboard (an interactive whiteboard)- students were able to share their previous knowledge about the BBC using coloured notes. This was the first time Beck had used this tool with her class and she was really pleased how well it worked and the students enjoyed it too!

3. Research Task – students completed their research individually.

4. Reflecting on Research – students completed a quiz individually

5. Watch 2 video clips and then take part in a discussion on Jamboard

6. Reading and note-taking activity – a non-digital task for a change

7. Homework – individual written task

How’s it going?

Beck fed back to me that she has been pleased with the level of engagement from her class. Her advice is to avoid talking through PowerPoints. Instead she tries to design stress-free, bite-size activities to get the students active. You should always try to think from the student’s point of view and make the learning as straightforward and as interactive and as possible. Although the tasks are designed to be completed in sequence, it does not matter if they decide to work through them in a less linear fashion.

Beck also regularly checks in to see if her students can cope with what they are being asked to do. Students seem to appreciate the routines and human contact with their teacher and each other because it creates a sense of normality despite the challenges of the current crisis.

Managing Class Hangouts

Beck starts by welcoming her students as she would face to face with a warm smile, by welcoming each student by name and cracking jokes. There is a lovely atmosphere in the class and students feel relaxed and able to ask questions. Clearly, Beck had already done a lot of groundwork for building this rapport previously when teaching face to face but it is good to see this continued online.

While Beck uses the camera, the students keep theirs switched off. Students have their mics muted but unmute them when they want to contribute to the discussion about the task so far and what they have been set for homework.

I asked Beck about those that were not present in the hangout and she told me she was aware why some of the students could not attend and was following up with those that she does not know about. It turned out three students didn’t have questions which is why they didn’t join, one did not want to speak due to a speech and language need but now knows he can use ‘chat’, two were worried about bandwidth sharing with a working parent and the last one felt unwell. While it is good to prompt all students to participate, it is also important to be understanding and flexible towards students’ personal circumstances.

Student Feedback

During the hangout, I asked the students to tell me what they thought of their online lessons with Beck so far. They told me:

• They used Google Classroom at school so expect to use it at College and had been using it for Media Studies anyway.
• They really like what Beck is doing with them now and feel that this is the best type of lesson that they can get currently.
• They like how they can work on the activities at their own pace.
• They like having the hangout as it forced them to do some work!
• They are now using Google Classroom on a daily basis and can also start their own hangouts with each other, which they find useful and empowering.

Finally, a few of the students asked me why some of their other teachers were not using Google Classroom yet and still sticking with platforms like Moodle as they find it far less personalised and interactive. This is something we will need to discuss with some of our teachers but it is still early days and we are are all on this journey together!

The London Growth Hub have launched a new portal to support London-based businesses and employers manage and mitigate their exposure to COVID-19 (coronavirus) available here.

Supported by the Mayor of London, the portal is now freely available to all London businesses and brings together essential free resources to help you keep up to date with the latest developments, support offerings and all relevant COVID-19 information, including:

• Access to book a free 1-2-1 meeting with an expert business adviser (subject to availability)
• Checklists, factsheets and guides for businesses and employers
• Information on Government and sector-specific support
• Information about financial support, grants and schemes
• Access to COVID-19 webinars, virtual events and external resources
• The latest news and updates
• A feedback survey to help us, and our partners, understand the changing needs of businesses

If you are in need of COVID-19 support, check out the hub here.

In January, a group of Media Level 3 students from the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London were lucky enough to visit the Sky Academy Studios in west London, to see a real studio for themselves and create news reports using Sky’s broadcast-quality equipment.

For our students, a visit to the Sky Academy Studios was a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience. The experience was an innovative way to bring their curriculum to life, as students worked together with talented professional studio staff, in Sky’s bespoke studio to create their own news reports.

All the studios are kitted-out with broadcast-quality microphones and cameras, and touch-screen editing software that can be used to select green screen backdrops, edit clips, and add special effects, sounds and music.

Attending student, Ellis Bocking, said: “It was a surreal experience seeing the Sky Studios. We filmed our own news reports about celebrity culture and my group decided to talk about the Stormzy and Wiley clash. We saw Sky One news being reported live and the facilities were amazing. Sky have their own cinema and we saw the costume that Spiderman wore on set during the filming of ’Spider-Man: Far From Home’. We also had the chance to meet Ovie from Love Island. It was a great opportunity to get a taste of the media industry.”

The students had a very enjoyable time and learned a lot about the industry. Here is one of the clips they produced during their visit:

After working in the studios to create their news reports, the class then gathered for a final screening of their work. The students said it was an amazing opportunity to see what the media industry looks like and many said they will consider applying for a job at Sky through the company’s apprenticeship scheme.

In January, City and Islington Sixth Form College student Muhammad Mahmoud was selected as part of a national educational programme to attend the European Parliament in Brussels.

The Young Visitor’s Programme is a week-long trip to the European Parliament in Brussels designed to teach students about the EU. It’s hosted by Renew Europe and offers 20 spaces for UK students to experience first-hand the inner-workings of the European Union.

City and Islington College was proud to secure a space on the programme for Muhammad, who is  studying A Level Geography, Politics and Economics. His  outstanding application for the programme saw him selected to travel between 27 and 31 January.

“Being able to visit the EU parliament, speak to NGOs like the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and businesses like Facebook, and to discuss work with MEPs,  was a one in a lifetime opportunity”, said Mohammad. “It allowed me to apply my classroom knowledge in the real world and, for that, I am forever grateful to City and Islington College, Renew Europe and the European Union.”

Muhammad is planning to read Geography at university, and applied to the programme to develop his understanding of the EU’s function. Returning from Brussels, he told the college that he was pleased to have a deeper and more balanced understanding of the intricacy of the Union and its role in world politics.

“After attending a few events and lectures at the London School of Economics’ (LSE) European Institute, I was ever so eager to learn more about the EU and understand its role in the world today. I wrote articles that commentate on these lectures and events to inspire other young people to become politically aware.

“Attending lectures at universities only provides so much input, however. The opportunity to visit the European Parliament further helped develop my understanding of such an important global body.

“I was always aware of the EU’s influence, but I didn’t know the full magnitude of that influence.”

Muhammad described the trip as an “emotional time”, coinciding with the country’s formal decision to leave the EU on 31 January. Having shared a lift with Nigel Farage and spoken extensively to MEPs about their various roles, Muhammad concluded his visit, saying: “I believe that by working together, we achieve greater success. My visit taught me how the 28 – now 27 – countries worked together to achieve the EU’s objectives.

“Seeing the UK depart from the EU first-hand was a touching moment.”

The Renew Europe Group is a pro-European political group of the European Parliament. While City and Islington College is an unaffiliated and non-political institution, we believe it is important students have the opportunity of diverse experiences relevant to their courses.

Mahdi Radmehr, a Maths teacher at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London, beat stiff competition to win the prestigious ‘Maths Teacher of the Year’ award at the National Skills Conference earlier in March.

The awards are a celebration of outstanding English and Maths delivery, and reward the quality and diversity of educational delivery and achievement. Mahdi was recognised for his innovative, creative and effective teaching strategies and his support for learners.

Mahdi said: “This is excellent news and I’m speechless. I am very honoured and proud that all of my hard work and dedication has paid off. Teaching is my passion and I love what I do. Through this passion my students can see how beautiful Maths is.” 

Mahdi joined CONEL in 2010 teaching Functional Skills and managed to get an impressive 100% achievement rate. He went on to lead GCSE Maths and recent results for adult learners were the best national achievement rates for those with no previous qualifications. His students have started at Functional skills Entry Level and progressed to Level 1, then GCSE and even Level 3 Core Maths.

Iranian-born Mahdi discovered his talent for teaching after being asked to privately tutor his friend’s daughters. “I found it so rewarding to see what a difference I could make in a single session,” he said. “I then found a part-time job teaching maths in a secondary school during the final year of my Engineering degree. This changed the course of my career forever. I found teaching fun and rewarding. Teaching is a platform to change people’s lives for the better.”

A student of Mahdi’s was ready to quit education after failing his A Levels. With Mahdi’s support and guidance, he continued studying and went on to achieve a Master’s in Civil Education. He is now a Minister of Transport in the Middle East. “This is just one example of why I take such pride in being a teacher,” said Mahdi. 

Mahdi is also currently delivering Core Maths at CONEL and has worked above and beyond to support learners to get into the financial sector in the City. He recently worked with a 16 year old GCSE student who had only been in the country for 4 years. Mahdi committed many hours, including the weekends, to working through exam questions with him and the student went on to achieve an astonishing Grade 9.

Director of Curriculum, Sheila Rai, said: “Mahdi is a teacher that every learner dreams of. He loves his time in the classroom, where. he is at his best – teaching, discussing, coaching and solving everything from long multiplication to simultaneous equations. He makes the hardest of questions look simple and has turned many nervous Maths students into confident learners. 

“It’s absolutely exhilarating to have one of our team win the Skills Award. Mahdi deserves it more than anyone as he lives and breathes Maths. His recent initiative is to open a breakfast club offering orange juice and a croissant while chewing over those algebra formulas that always pop up in exams. He has developed a subject which is a golden nest for learners to huddle into.”

Over the past year, our employability team has run over 300 employability programmes, helping thousands of local people thrive as part of a greater initiative to support the local economy. Here are just a few highlights of our employability work over the past year.

BAME Into Employment

In September, the team ran a ‘BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) into Employment’ course for two weeks. It saw participants improve their employability skills, including communication, collaboration and organisational skills.

As part of the programme, the students participated in industry-relevant work experience with a number of employers, including Bombardier, Cubic and Lanes Rail.

Student Tairat Shote said, “It was an overwhelmingly positive programme. The employers were informative, accommodating and forthcoming with how they operate, and what they have on offer. Cubic, who I did my placement with, tailored the programme so that there was a lot for me to engage with. I had a very positive experience. At the end of the programme, I was really pleased with how easy the company made getting access to an interview, which I hope will result in a job.

“Finally, Julie my tutor has been extremely helpful and resourceful.”

Women in Construction

For the last two years, CONEL has run a number of initiatives to help women access construction roles. Through our employability team, we ran a range of workshops to give women the knowledge and skills they needed for a successful career in this traditionally male-dominated industry.

Back in January 2018, CONEL and Transport for London (TfL) launched an employment programme to inspire women into construction and engineering careers. The college and TfL worked with not-for-profit organisation Women into Construction to run a pre-employment training programme with the aim of recruiting women into these industries. It was a great success and inspired the employability team to run more sessions, such as the recent Women into Construction programme, which has worked with three groups of students so far.

Also in partnership with Transport for London (and in support of the international ‘Women Into STEM’ movement), CONEL has run a Women into Transportation and Engineering Pre-Employment Programme (WiTnE), which had 22 participants. All learners who attended their work placements as part of the programme were guaranteed interviews with their employers if they wanted full-time work at a later date. The event was a success for students and employers alike, and four learners: Chelsea, Fiona, Catherine and Vanesha, were even fast-tracked to the second round of interviews in their applications with Arriva Rail.

Sophia Nicola from Transport for London (TfL) congratulated CONEL and partners for the successful delivery of the WiTnE pre-employment programme, saying that “The candidates completed the programme with a greater appreciation of the transportation and engineering sectors, and the opportunities that are available, regardless of gender.”

As well as these partnership initiatives, CONEL also runs FREE short courses specifically for women aiming to get into construction.

Get into Transportation

The ‘Get into Transportation’ programme started in October 2019 and was designed by CONEL, Transport for London, HS2, Heathrow and NSAR (The National Skills Academy for Rail) to help unemployed Londoners kick-start their careers in transportation. This sector-wide programme offers two weeks of pre-employment training, which focuses on getting candidates ready for work, followed by a two-week work placement at one of a number of different organisations supplying these key transport sector clients.

Placements are available for both site and office-based roles and are matched as closely as possible to the needs and wants of the individual students. Upon successful completion of the programme, students are guaranteed an interview or assessment for vacancies that the participating employers have.

CONEL also ran ‘Go Ahead London’ last year, a programme with Transport for London (TfL) designed to help people get into careers with TfL. 18 CONEL learners were on the programme, of whom 16 were fast-tracked into assessment, getting them closer to that all-important job.

London Ambulance Service

CONEL ran a Maths and English course for 28 London Ambulance Service technicians who needed Functional Skills qualifications to become paramedics. The course was delivered by CONEL at Unison’s offices in Central London and all 28 learners achieved their qualification.

Head of Employability at CONEL, Shiv Emmimath, said, “Mark from London Ambulance Service (LAS) approached us to see if we can help some of his colleagues with Functional Skills. These learners work for the London Ambulance Service and not having a Functional Skills certificate would disadvantage them from progressing within the service to become paramedics.

“Mark worked tirelessly behind the scenes, organising open days and marketing this great opportunity to his colleagues. He organised a fantastic group of learners who were determined to do their course with us. These learners – who have very busy work schedules and long hours at LAS – made a commitment to the college that they would attend and complete the course. Mark played a huge part in coordinating things, arranging rooms in central London and constantly keeping track of his colleagues attending their course. We’re delighted that all the students on the course fully achieved both Maths and English.”

The London Ambulance Service won a CONEL Employer Excellence Award this year as a result of this project.

Tottenham Hotspur Foundation

Over the last year, CONEL has been working closely with the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, which has a commitment to supporting their local community. CONEL is currently working with the Foundation on three projects:

1. Functional Skills and Customer Service courses for the local community, with job opportunities at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium
2. Build Enfield Project – CONEL and the Foundation are delivering this fantastic community-based project in the heart of Enfield to deliver jobs, work placements and apprenticeships
3. Spectator Safety Training for Stadium Stewards – CONEL will be delivering the Spectator Safety training for match day staff employed by the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation was also an award winner at the CONEL 2019 Excellence Awards.

Coming Up

CONEL’s employability team are halfway through their first cohort of delivering a Spectator Safety Level 2 to a group of Premium Stewards at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. This is an exciting project that further enhances the college’s excellent partnership with Tottenham Hotspur FC.

We have also started delivery of our Enfield Council European Social Fund project to help Enfield residents into local jobs. The £500,000 project has been designed to get unemployed people in Enfield into construction to meet the demand of the local workforce. If you want to get involved in this programme, please contact semmimath@conel.ac.uk