South Essex College has been announced as the 34th member of the Collab Group of colleges. This comes only days after West College Scotland joined the group as the second Scottish member of the UK-wide group, and weeks after the group changed its name from 157 Group. It has now increased its membership from 26 to 34 in less than a year.
South Essex College, made up of three main campuses in Basildon, Southend and Thurrock, recruits almost 10,000 students and 3,200 apprentices a year. Collab Group chief executive Ian Pretty said: “South Essex College aligns with the vision and attributes we look for in a Collab Group college. It has a strong track record of apprenticeships with more than 3,000 a year, a focus on level 3, 4 and 5 provision, and strong links with employers and its community.” He added that South Essex College had demonstrated “fantastic leadership” for its community and learners.
Angela O’Donoghue, principal of South Essex College, said: “We are looking forward to working with like-minded and forward-thinking colleges like ourselves, to share ideas and jointly confront some of the challenges facing the sector. The group really does represent the best of the sector, and together we will take the lead in shaping the professional and technical skills agenda to ensure the long-term growth of the UK economy.”
FE SPECIAL OFFER: click here to try out a TES Further Education subscription for just £1 for 4 weeks.
Want to keep up with the latest education news and opinion? Follow TES FE News on Twitter, like us on Facebook and follow us on LinkedIn
