College wins two Beacon Commended status awards for sustainability and ESOL student progression

New City College has won two high-profile national Commendations in the Association of Colleges (AoC) Beacon Awards for its work on sustainability and for the successful progression pathways established for ESOL students.

One of just 4 colleges nationally to receive the Commended status in The AoC Award for Widening Participation, New City College was recognised for its exceptional initiative to provide otherwise marginalised ESOL students with vocational and employability skills, ultimately leading adult learners to securing good jobs.

The bold, whole-college curriculum strategy has been very successful in establishing progression pathways for ESOL students so that those starting on entry level qualifications have been able to progress to higher level vocational qualifications. Through the initiative, these students have been able to take advantage of unrivalled life and work opportunities which has led to upskilling within local communities.

Career routes for ESOL students at NCC now range from teaching assistants and healthcare through to service industries, accounting and specialist computing subjects, with many more individuals who speak English as their second language, realising their career goals.

In the Inenco Award for Education for Sustainable Development, New City College was one of just 5 colleges nationwide and the only college in London, to receive Commended status for its implementation of a whole-college Green Strategy over a period of several years, which has created a reduced carbon footprint and real change on the ground.

NCC’s work towards net zero has included the launch of two low carbon technology labs which deliver training in retrofit skills and the installation and maintenance of low carbon energy systems. A heat decarbonisation project to stop the reliance on fossil fuel-based gas boilers and upgrading them with low carbon alternatives, will bring ‘green’ heating to college buildings.

Together with student-led climate change events and a teaching and learning research project on replacing printed materials with online tools, these have led to NCC becoming one of the leading FE providers on environmental sustainability.

The Beacon Awards, launched in 1994 by the AoC, offer colleges the opportunity to showcase the inspiring ways they support students, staff and communities. Commended status is given to those demonstrating a high level of innovation, impact and sustainability to meet the needs of local employers and the career aspirations of their students.

The finalists will be announced on Tuesday 14 November at the AoC Conference in Birmingham and good practice will be shared with other colleges in the FE sector.

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