The Hadlow College Business and Community Unit has been formally launched to industry and regional representatives.
Hadlow College has been completely re-structured to meet the needs of businesses and the farming community in what a fast-changing sector.
The new unit will focus on improving links with both local and regional employers, land-based organisations, national bodies and to ensure that the college can provide the training and best practice business support that businesses have identified as a priority.
Key staff have been appointed to ensure that a full range of learning options are available. Sarah Calcutt has been appointed as skills advisor, to ensure that new developments are targeted to pro-actively meet the needs of industry and to publicise new training and skills opportunities available in horticulture and agriculture.
The Work Based Learning (WBL) programme, led by Sally Flanagan, has been extended to include retail skills as well as the full range of agricultural and horticultural subjects. Funding is now available for some applicants and a new initiative starting in September will provide funded places on a level 3 NVQ programme for people over 25 living and working in Kent.
Essential short courses will be available either through the college or the network of excellent local training providers. These include a range of arboricultural and livestock skills as well as a broad range of NPTC qualifications.
In parallel with the WBL programme a new range of foundation degrees is being developed in consultation with local employers to meet the needs of industry at a higher education level.
The business unit will also provide grant application support, for example Vocational Training Scheme (Defra VTS) applications to fund staff training and development.
Hadlow College continues to grow, with new courses in development each year. This September sees the arrival of the first students to study international agriculture; this course aims to prepare students for positions such as management or consultancy work in agriculture in the UK and internationally.
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