Plymouth’s employers are increasingly discovering how higher education (university-level courses) can boost their business. Discover how with City College Plymouth.
Faced with the issues that affect so many companies across the South West – the skills gap, attracting and retaining the right people, disrupted supply chains, soaring costs – employers are looking for pragmatic and affordable solutions.
City College Plymouth prides itself on providing a wide range of bespoke higher education courses and technical training that allow businesses to develop their staff.
Over many years, we have forged a bond with companies across the city and the wider region that is based on what they specifically require. Put simply, employers trust us to make sure that the training we provide for our students meets their needs and aligns to business objectives.
These relationships are important because they give the employer the chance to discover how higher education can make a difference for them. But there are still many businesses who don’t realise how our courses can help them retain and attract quality staff, gain a competitive edge and drive growth, so we’re continuing to spread the word.
As the city’s anchor institution for skills training in key areas such as engineering, maritime and construction, our courses combine subject specific knowledge with an emphasis on employability. We are able to do that for a number of reasons. Compared to a large university City College Plymouth is a smaller, more personalised institution, so the education we offer is person-centred and hands-on, delivered by industry-experienced lecturers with first-hand experience of the sectors they teach.
We work with employers to identify the skills they need to reduce the gap between education and employment. And as an employer ourselves with an innate understanding of what’s required, we involve local companies in the design of our courses to ensure our students enter the world of employment ‘work ready.’
We keep our course sizes smaller on purpose, so that when employers are looking to upskill and develop existing staff, we can be flexible and nimble in our response, being sure to deliver precisely what your business requires. We will fit around you – our offering is bespoke, with standards written around job roles, so you can bring on your staff to meet the growth needs of the business, and make it possible for your staff to work and study at the same time.
And we have some fantastic facilities. Our Centre of Higher Technical Innovation and Maritime Skills (TIMS) is a high-tech teaching facility supporting the maritime, engineering, manufacturing, construction and digital technology industries. By giving students access to the very latest industry equipment, we provide employers with staff equipped with the highly technical, specialist skills needed now, and ready for innovations on the horizon, which is crucial to fuel business growth.
Lance Chatfield, Executive of Technical Innovation said TIMS will “play a key role in helping the region address skills shortages, whilst acting as an enabler for the development of emerging new technologies”.
Because our level 4 offer is more focused, there is the added benefit that, on average, our higher education tuition fees are around £3,000 less than at larger universities. Meaning we offer a more cost-effective route to bringing the right skills into your organisation. Flexibility is our watchword, so we work with companies in a way that suits you, to add more value to your business.
City College Plymouth’s Chief Executive, Jackie Grubb, said: “As the anchor institution for skills in the city, City College Plymouth is driven by a strategic intent to transform futures through a curriculum that is flexible, responsive, and employer-led.
“By prioritising high-quality teaching at every level of study, including higher education, we aim to create a skilled, confident, resilient, and motivated workforce that will power the success and growth of business in Plymouth and the wider region.
“Through this commitment, we are creating a virtuous cycle of opportunity and growth, where our students benefit from the thriving local economy, and local businesses benefit from the talent and expertise of our graduates.”
