New employer academies aim to boost opportunities for Worksop college students

The new academies – designed to ‘enable learners, educators and employers to identify collectively the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviours essential for success in industry – cover areas such as construction, hair and beauty, sport, animal care, education and childcare services and engineering.

RNN Group, which also runs Rotherham and Dearne Valley colleges – has linked up with Brunton Shaw, Equans, Europa Engineering, Marshalls, Nexus, Rotherham Titans, South Electrical, Spa at Ye Olde Bell and Thornbury Animal Sanctuary for the scheme.

Jason Austin, RNN chief executive officer and principal said: “Employer academies are the result of the RNN Group’s investment toward consistently improving skills and job opportunities for learners and employers.

“By involving employers in the design and delivery of our curricula, we are showing our integrity to further align our strategy with employer needs by ensuring our learners develop modern and sector specific skills for success.

“A central feature of our sector specific academies will be the opportunity for employers to become an active

member of our new initiative.

“In time, with an academy for each of our subject areas, employers can become an integral part of our comprehensive and collaborative approach to academic and hands-on learning and progression onto securing employment.

“We look forward to welcoming new employer academies and partners on board in this initiative in the coming months and year to ensure an inclusive approach to developing academies across all our curriculum areas.”

AN RNN spokesman added: “This collaboration allows us to ensure employers influence our curriculum to deliver a future workforce that develops practical skills and experiences that employers need in their employees.

“The benefits are numerous for companies including leading on a number of activities for our learners such as masterclasses, workshops, site visits, volunteering opportunities and industry placements; alternatively,

businesses can run projects and competitions that our learners can take part in, testing their knowledge and skills in a real business context.

“The academies also offer businesses the opportunity to recruit from our pool of talented and

ambitious learners, giving employers the chance to choose their future workforce from the local area.”

See rnngroup.co.uk/employer-academies