Training and Development

We believe in life-long learning for all our staff and support colleagues to access a range of training courses, webinars, qualifications and industry connections to give everyone the opportunity to develop themselves and fulfil their potential. 

Our staff are able to develop new skills or hone existing ones through a number of college initiative including:

• Dedicated CPD (continued professional development) days
  • Every year the College dedicates a number of days to CPD. Often these are themed to align to cross-college initiatives such as Equality and Diversity, Health and Safety, Safeguarding and use of technology. 
  • We hold an annual cross-college learning festival where all staff descend on one campus to take part in a full day of bespoke training sessions, team building events and activities that enable staff to learn new skills.
• A rolling programme of training events available throughout the year
  • We run a range of events throughout the year and these take place in the classroom or in a virtual space. These short, easily accessible sessions keep skills and knowledge fresh in a range of topics, from teaching and learning, health & safety, leadership and management, wellbeing, safeguarding, equality and diversity.
  • There are classroom-based short courses too. This could be anything from an IOSH qualification (Institute for Safety and Health) through to First Aid, Mental Health First Aid, Food Hygiene and much more. All staff have the opportunity to express interest in one or more of our many short courses and with their manager’s say so, can enrol and complete the course, for free.

On-line courses

The College has a comprehensive online course offer to enable colleagues to fulfil not only mandatory training requirements but also courses specific to their profession or area of interest. We offer online training programmes in digital skills, teaching and learning, health and safety, Prevent and Safeguarding, soft skills, Leadership and Management and much more. 

Industrial updating

For our teaching staff and other professional colleagues it’s vital that we are in step with industry and what is real and current. We provide opportunities for colleagues to shadow, conduct visits and explore other opportunities to develop up-to-date knowledge of industry. For teachers, it’s vital that their lessons match changes in their sector. For automotive lecturers, for example, it’s important that they stay ahead of what is happening in the sector with regards to electric and driverless vehicles for they are training the mechanics not just of today, but of tomorrow. 

Studying for qualifications to support a specific role

All of our lecturers are qualified teachers or are able to receive support to work towards a teaching qualification. For some of our courses, having a teacher who comes from industry, is just as important than a formal teaching qualification. We support all new lecturing staff joining us from industry can gain their teaching qualifications, for free. 

Apprenticeships

As a large employer the College pays an Apprenticeship Levy. This means that every year the College pays a proportion of its salary budget into a training fund to invest in apprenticeships for existing staff who may want to upskill. Depending on their role, we look to offer apprenticeships for staff ranging right up to Level 7 post graduate qualifications. So whether you are looking to gain a masters, formal professional qualification or complete a specific vocational qualification, you can complete your studies in any one of these areas as an apprentice. You’ll learn more about these opportunities, and more, during your induction to Nottingham College.