Colleges Week 2022

This week we have been supporting Colleges Week 2022 by celebrating and showcasing our staff, students, and skills as these three things are what make Hartlepool College who we are.

Kicking off on MONDAY, we were able to share our appearance on BBC North East and Cumbria's  Sunday Politics programme, showcasing our excellent Health and Care and Brickwork provisions as well as commentary from our Principal about Levelling up and FE Funding.

On TUESDAY our brilliant Inspire and Choices Students (SEND/Alternative Education) got into the Halloween Spirit early, with a team-building exercise: Creative Pumpkin Making as part of their Creative Crafts Unit. Look at their unique and amazing spooky creations.

and also on TUESDAY we hosted our 3rd Prevent Seminar this morning; 'Keeping Everyone Safe' to help employers and College/Training Providers know their responsibilities for #Safeguarding, #Prevent, #Protect, and #Ofsted

An excellent event for networking, gathering employers and representatives from Colleges and Training providers from across the north, and a series of brilliant talks, information, and insights from our invited guest speakers.

On WEDNESDAY our LGBTQ+ Forum we're delighted to invite Jack Cummings (LGBTQ+ Youth Worker at Hart Gables) to talk to our students about celebrating diversity and support for mental health on offer from Hart Gables, Teesside's Leading LGBTQ+ Service, as well as promoting their 'We Stand Together Against Hate' campaign too.

And with more Halloween fun going on THURSDAY, when our L3 Childcare and Education & L2 Early Years Students had a blast picking pumpkins at the East Grange Pumpkin Patch. Check out our socials @hartlepoolfe for their brilliant pumpkin carving creations.

Also on THURSDAY in partnership with our local Job Centre plus we hosted a Job Fair here at College, and the awful weather didn't deter many visitors, with many opportunities for those in our community seeking employment and bettering their prospects.

..and finally, on THURSDAY we went to visit one of our inspiring Level 2 Apprentices; Jessica Lees who has taken up Barbering and working at Ronnie's Barber's (Hartlepool) Three Days a week, catch her talking about her experience and why she choose Barbering over traditional hairdressing on our socials next week @hartlepoolfe 

...and this FRIDAY we hosted an event for Tees Engineering Network - TEN with guest speakers from Protium, one of the UK’s leading green hydrogen companies, and the Director of The Green Vroom and Formula Academy Junior about an exciting new motorsport academy that encompasses electric and hydrogen engines that will be moving to Teesside, giving our Engineering students future opportunities employment in green energy industries. 

and finally, every Friday in term time our brilliant Hospitality & Catering Students have 'The Great FE Cake and Bake Stall, as well as a 'Grab n, Go' Lunch Menu for staff and students, on the menu, today is Hot Shot Chicken Parmo, Mushroom Stroganoff and Roast Pork, some of the students pictured here in the busy training kitchens

So what a week it has been celebrating and showcasing what we do, and this is just an average week here at Hartlepool College of Further Education.

And the week was summed up perfectly by our Principal, Darren Hankey who said; "This is the fifth annual Colleges Week and once again Hartlepool College has embraced the occasion.  We’ve been on regional TV, hosted two employer events and students have engaged in a range of activities across the whole of the week.  These are not necessarily exceptional things for the college; these activities are a part of standard college life and we’re privileged to show the world what we do in order to help deliver our mission of transforming our students’ lives."

#LoveOurColleges #CollegesWeek2022 #TransformingLives