Last week I was delighted to join Alex Burghart, the Minister for Skills, who visited Franklin Sixth Form College in Grimsby to see the facilities that the College has to offer and meet students and staff.
Alex Baxter, Chair of Governors at Franklin, said: ‘we are very pleased to be welcoming the Minister. We are a College who put students at the heart of everything we do and we work hard to continue providing first-class student experience in all aspects of our College and to positively impact on the community we serve’.
Peter Kennedy, Principal, said ‘we are excited to be able to show the Minister the huge range of courses on offer at the College, from Adult classes in English, Maths and Health and Social care, through Level 2 courses in a range of topics to our Career Ready students who will be participating in one of our regular discussions with senior managers from local and regional businesses.’ ‘Our Humber region has a bright future and its future needs Franklin students. They are the highly skilled, highly educated and highly motivated young people the region’s employers are crying out for, whether as direct higher apprenticeship entrants or in post-graduate roles.’
This was followed by a visit to Grimsby Institute, where we spoke with staff and learners about the amazing work taking place in Hospitality and Fabrication and Welding Department.
Ann Hardy, Chief Executive, TEC Partnership welcomed the fantastic opportunity to show Alex Burghart, Minister for Skills, around the Grimsby Institute. It allowed the TEC Partnership to show him what we deal with on the ground, in terms of both the challenges we face and best practice we provide. It was heartening to hear his many positive comments about our facilities as well as the support learners receive from all our staff; be it in the classroom or through our mental health and personal development services.
"Whilst we have demonstrated the wonderful opportunities we provide for our learners, I hope the Minister now also has a greater understanding of the areas we can develop further with government support. One of these is Apprenticeships, which signify a huge opportunity for our region. They equip young people with the valuable skills and experience they require to progress in their career, enabling them to aspire to higher levels of employment.”