Key Partnerships
The College is committed to working in partnership with key stakeholders, employers and the community
to enable us to further develop curriculum and services to reflect the continually evolving employment and
economic needs of the wide College catchment area.
The College had established a good and supportive working relationship with the local Learning and Skills
Council. It is endeavouring to build the same strong relationships with successor bodies: the Local
Authorities of Thurrock Council, Essex County Council and Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, the Young People’s
Learning Agency (YPLA), the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and National Apprenticeship Service. The College, in
its own right and through FEDEC (Federation of Essex Colleges), is working to establish good links with the new
sub regional grouping of Essex, Thurrock and Southend which has replaced the Learning and Skills Council for the
commissioning and funding of 14-19 provision from April 2010.
The College has key strategic links with Southend Borough Council through its links with the Local
Authority, and also through its contribution to the social and economic regeneration development of
the area. The College is a core member of Southend Together, the Local Strategic Partnership. The
College also links closely with the Children’s Services of the Council. Southend Borough Council has
given strong support to the development of the College and University new campus, recognising its key
contribution to the regeneration of Southend within the wider Thames Gateway area.
The College’s link with the University of Essex, its HE developments and new campus plans are critical
to the regeneration of not only Southend but of the wider Thames Gateway South Essex area and have been
identified as central to achieving the vision of TGSE for Southend to be recognised as a cultural and
educational hub. In the Southend area an Urban Renaissance Company, Southend Renaissance, has been set up
to take forward the Thames Gateway agenda locally and oversee all TG funded projects and the College was a
founding member with a senior representative on the Board.
The College also has good links with the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Homes and
Communities Agency and the East of England Development Agency which support projects in the Thames Gateway.
The College plays an active part in the Thames Gateway Education and Skills FE and HE Group.
Partnership in Basildon
The College is a partner in a joint venture project led by SEEVIC College and with Prospects College to
develop a new campus (New Campus Basildon) in Basildon in response to an LSC Competition to develop new
provision for 14-19 year olds. The project is supported by Basildon Council and Basildon Renaissance.
Partnerships in Thurrock
The College is the lead partner in a Consortium to develop a new campus in Thurrock (The Thurrock
Learning Campus) also in response to an LSC Competition to develop new provision for 14-19 year olds.
In developing the Campus Project the College is working closely with Thurrock Council, Thurrock Thames
Gateway Development Corporation, Thurrock Learning Partnership, Higher Education Institutions and a
range of other stakeholders.
The opening of the Thurrock Learning Campus interim building has presented the College with the opportunity
of developing similar key strategic links with Thurrock Council. The College is a core member of the Local
Strategic Partnership (Shaping Thurrock) and had been invited to attend meetings held by Children’s Services
of the Council and the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board.
Higher Education Partnerships
In an area with limited HE provision and low participation rates, the College’s Partnership with the University
of Essex is developing local HE opportunities for over 1,000 students and is taking forward the College’s Higher
Education Strategy to develop provision which meets the needs of potential young and mature students and the
requirements of employers in the sub region. Together the College and University are developing an exciting
and innovative approach to further and higher education with a new integrated campus in Southend town centre.
The University of Essex, Southend is developing a range of complementary and additional programmes including
access to higher degrees. The merged College also has provision with Anglia Ruskin University and the
University of East London.
Our degrees validated by Anglia Ruskin University in Engineering and Teacher Training are designed to enable
employees in Thurrock and Basildon in particular to improve their skills and employment prospects. Our
degrees validated by the University of East London contribute to the regeneration activities in the Thurrock
area, including the development of the Royal Opera House training facilities at Purfleet and retail management
development at Lakeside.
Apprenticeships
The NOVA Partnership is seen as a model of good practice and in 2004, with support from the local Skills Funding Agency, the consortium was expanded and now has 14 partners covering work based learning across the
Thames Gateway South Essex area. The partnership offers Entry to Employment/Foundation Learning Programmes and
a wide range of Apprenticeship programmes. It has also been successful in bidding for some additional project funding.
Collaborative Partners
The College’s Collaborative Partnerships have been in existence for many years and have been
extremely successful offering additional learning opportunities with a focus on widening participation.
The College has partnerships with:
The Federation of Essex Colleges is an association of Colleges located in Essex (including Southend and
Thurrock) working together to develop and promote access to education, training and development opportunities.
It provides a forum for members to meet and discuss matters of mutual interest; it promotes the interests of
members and those who are or may wish to be enrolled as learners at member Colleges; it provides a means for
the representation of the views of the Colleges to other organisations and it encourages the establishment of
Partnerships both between members and with other organisations in furtherance of the objectives of the Federation
or members. It has helped establish a particularly good partnership and approach to working with the local LSC.
The Principal and Chief Executive of the College acts as the Chair of FEDEC.
Adult Provision
The College has established the Southend Learning Consortium with Southend Adult Community College and other
partners to ensure a more coherent and coordinated offer to adults making the most of the organisations’ respective
strengths, to avoid duplication and ensure the best use of available funding. Other bodies represented include
local voluntary and community organisations, the NOVA Partnership and the University of Essex. As the consortium
developed it was agreed in 2007 that the partnership would benefit from re-branding and the new identity of ‘Southend
Learning’ was agreed. The more accessible branding will improve the opportunity and take up of adult learning in the
Southend area. Southend Learning opened the Learning Kiosk in the High Street in January 2009 this is proving to be an
excellent access point for adults to obtain information of provision across the Southend area. In Thurrock the College
has good links with Thurrock Adult Community College and works closely with the College to provide a complementary
curriculum that encourages learners to enrol on a wide variety of courses. The Thurrock Adult Community College
operates a large Skills for Life provision which helps to support learners to progress onto other adult or Further
Education provision either with the Community College or South Essex College.
Community Links
The College has a number of links with organisations in the community such as voluntary organisations and
community partnerships in the local wards of Milton, Victoria and St Luke's. The College provides advice
and guidance throughout the community via a range of events and activities. The College is an active member
of the new Forums which have been set up by the Voluntary Association and incorporate all aspects of the
Every Child Matters Agenda and the key strands related to Equality and Diversity which impact on community
developments. The focus by the Voluntary Sectors on Community Cohesion is key for the College and provides
the external facing viewpoint which complements the internal College community and supports its continuing
development.
Schools
For a number of years the College has worked to support partners to offer vocational education and increased
flexibility for 14-16 year olds. We have recently reviewed our offer and have published a brochure aimed at
Year 9 pupils in schools and their parents. This brochure outlines the programmes on offer to 14-16 year
olds and the steps they need to take to access them. We have also recently appointed a 14-19 Development
Manager whose main function is to liaise with schools across South Essex and ensure that our curriculum is
developing in a way that offers improved choices for their pupils at both pre- and post-16.
Aimhigher Funding has enabled the College to support local schools by providing two vocationally focused half
day careers conferences each year. These are based in the College and provide the opportunity to introduce
theme based key speakers, interactive activities and exhibitions. Conferences have covered vocational areas
such as Health & Social Care, Science and Technology, Business, Engineering and Technology with the latest
being Sports and Leisure. A ‘partnership approach’ and decision making process has moved to the Aimhigher
Co-ordinators and has enabled a more holistic approach to planning aspirational events for learners, both
at Schools and in the College. In 2008-09 an application was also made to the Scollar Trust for financial
support for Southend School Conferences which achieved sufficient funding to run one Conference; this type
of funding application is now being extended to a wider remit based around support continuing if Aimhigher
funding is withdrawn.
The College is also a member of the14-19 Strategic Partnerships in Southend and Thurrock plus the 14-19
Planning Groups in Castle Point and Rochford and Basildon, Billericay and Wickford. Through these groups
the College works with Southend Borough Council, Thurrock Borough Council, Essex County Council and the
recently formed South Essex Regional sub-Group as well as training providers and schools with the aim of
continuing to provide a coherent 14-19 phase for young people. These partnerships provide better opportunities
to increase progression post-16 and will consequently reduce the NEET category of young people.
In February 2010 the College is involved in organising two School Conferences. One will address the very
popular area of Health & Social Care and the other will address aspects of Travel & Tourism and Enterprise).
S.o.S.H.A/A.s.H.E
This is the local Secondary School Heads Association. The College Principal has been a member since 2002.
This is enabling better communication, dialogue and discussion of matters of mutual interest with regard to
14-19 issues between the College and all local secondary and special schools.
Southend Teacher Training Partnership
The College is a member of the Board of the Southend Teacher Training Partnership. Work is being undertaken to
set up interdisciplinary workshops and communities of practice between the STTP trainees and our students.
Business Partnerships
The College is seeking to increase the extent of its employer engagement across the Thames Gateway South Essex
by playing an active role in a number of key partnerships. The College is an active member of the Southend
Business and Tourism Partnership, Southend Learning Consortium, the Essex Chambers of Commerce and the Thurrock
Business Forum. The Deputy Principal and the Vice Principal, Business Development, are each Partner Governors of
the Basildon and Southend NHS Trust University Hospitals respectively. The Vice Principal Business Development is
also a Board member of the Southend Town Centre Partnership Group. The Head of Business Development chairs the
Thurrock Business Association Workforce Development Group and is a member of the local Chartered Management
Institute Group.
The College also works with the University of Essex to develop its services to business through its Business
Development Team, complementing the activities of the University and Business Link in its Southend Centre.
Further important links are maintained via regular meetings between the Business Development Team and
representatives of the Economic Development Team of Southend Borough Council and Rochford District Council,
Business Link, the University of Essex (Southend) and the Federation of Small Businesses.
The College continues to lead the Thames Gateway Train to Gain Consortium and is also now actively
working with Job Centre Plus (JCP) to provide re-skilling opportunities for the unemployed. Strong
working relationships have been built up with JCP staff in Southend, Basildon and Thurrock.
The College continues to work towards membership of certain key National Skills Academies. During 2008 -09
the College became a founder College member of the National Skills Academy (NSA) in Creative and Cultural
Skills and is now a member of the NSA in Advanced Manufacturing, Financial Services and Retail. Membership
of these NSAs provides the College with valuable links to Sector Skills Councils and key national employers.
Working with the Port of Tilbury, the College plays a key role in the Logistics Academy, East of England and
the Vice Principal Business Development has been invited to chair the Strategic Planning meetings of this group.
It is intended that membership of the newly created NSA in Logistics will follow during 2010/11.
Jan Hodges
Principal and Chief Executive
Sue Coole
Vice Principal Learner Support and Community Links
August 2010