• Introduction
• Current Jobs & Careers
• About Wakefield College
  • Message from the Principal
  • Wakefield College Information
  • Facts & Figures
  • College Organisation & Structure
  • Wakefield District Information
  • What Our Staff Have to Say
  • Staff Survey 2006/07
• How to Apply
  • Application Form
  • Guidance for Applicants
  • Information for Disabled Applicants
  • Outline Terms and Conditions
  • Information for Agencies/Employment Businesses
  • Information for Recruitment Advertising Agencies/Businesses
• The Benefits
  • Pension Scheme
  • Holiday Entitlement
  • Flexible Working
  • Discounted Metro Card Scheme
  • Childcare Voucher Scheme
  • Professional Development
  • Well Being
  • Summary of Benefits

Skills Academy

The Skills Academy is within the Directorate of Curriculum and Development. The Skills Academy provides opportunities for full and part time study for young people and adults. The Skills Academy includes programmes in Hair & Beauty, Engineering, Motor Vehicle and Construction trades; it also incorporates the Services to Business unit which includes the Apprenticeship unit. Entry to Employment also currently resides in the Skills Academy. This range of work ensures that the Academy delivers a curriculum from entry level 1 through to level 4 and Foundation degree level. The Skills Academy manages the West Yorkshire LSC contracts for Apprenticeships and Entry to Employment (e2e).

Services to Business
Services to Business is the business arm of Wakefield College and encompasses a large part of the College’s employer responsive provision and works closely with the Academies to support their activities in this area. The College holds the Training Quality Standard for Employer Engagement. 

The Services to Business Manager coordinates the activities of a team of Market Development Managers, the aim being to provide a responsive high quality service for employers throughout the local area, regionally and nationally. This service is flexible and responsive providing both bespoke and traditional accredited training covering a wide vocational range which can be broadly classified into:

• Business and Management
• Engineering
• First Aid
• Health & Safety
• Leadership and coaching
• NVQs for Business, Logistics and Industry
• Professional courses
• Social Health Care
• Special projects and Initiatives

The Yorkshire Leadership Programme is led through the Directorate and is active in developing leadership skills throughout the region.

All College Train to Gain provision is coordinated by Services to Business and much of the delivery falls within this area forming the majority of work done by the Directorate.

The Directorate is proud of its flexible and responsive approach to training solutions providing both traditional accredited provision and bespoke courses designed to meet specific needs of individual customers. Delivery is always arranged at times and locations to suit the customer.

Services to Business has approved Centre/Academy status for:

• Chartered Management Institute
• Institute of Leadership and Management Centre of Excellence
• Chartered Institute of Marketing           
• Association of Accounting Technicians
• Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply
• Chartered Institute of Personnel Development
• NVQ delivery

Apprenticeships
The Apprentice unit manages both Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships in a wide range of vocational areas. Off the job training includes Technical certificate and key skills delivery. This provision is delivered in partnership between the Work Based Learning Unit and the Academy’s schools in order to provide the highest standards of teaching, learning and assessment, which in turn reflects year on year improvement in framework success rates. Work based learning coordinators and assessors are employed within the unit to monitor the progress of the learners, provide pastoral support as well as liaising with employers and delivery staff on all matters related to their training needs.

School of Construction
The School of Construction is made up of six vocational areas delivering Full time, Part time, Apprenticeships and full cost courses to industry. The six areas are; Trowel Occupations, Plumbing, Carpentry & Joinery, Electrical Installation, Professional Studies and the Homebuilder project. Each area has a dedicated workshop area for the delivery and assessment of the practical skills.

The School generates an income of approximately £1.5 million and provides training and education to more than 160 full time students and over 1000 part time enrolments.   The school has 22 members of permanent staff, including the Programme Area Manager. Six Technician support staff maintain the workshops and assist the teaching staff to provide a safe and effective learning environment for our learners. A large number of part time teaching staff are employed to support the teaching across the full range of the school, including Key Skills.

School of Hair & Beauty
The School of Hair & Beauty offers accredited full and part time qualifications at levels 1, 2 & 3 and has excellent fully equipped salons where students can experience a realistic work environment. As well as NVQ’s in Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy the school offers courses in Holistic Therapies e.g. Indian Head Massage, Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Body Massage and Nail courses. As well as delivering the well-established courses we are now expanding our apprenticeship portfolio, this entails working closely with local salons.

School of Engineering
The School of Engineering offers courses from level 1 to level 4 including a Foundation Degree in partnership with Bradford University. The range of provision covers, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Maintenance Engineering and Welding and Fabrication courses. A range of short courses and school link courses are also offered. The school benefits from excellent facilities and provides training to apprentices from a wide range of companies.

School of Motor Vehicle
The School of Motor Vehicle offers accredited qualifications from entry level through to level 3 in its excellent workshops. Training is offered in motor vehicle mechanical repair, body repair and refinishing as well as the increasingly popular motorcycle maintenance and repair courses. A good range of link course are in place with local schools and full time course continue to be popular with school leavers, with approximately 70 full time learners recruited each year. Apprenticeships and NVQ’s are offered at levels 2 and 3 with 90% of assessments taking place in the workplace. Technical certificates to comply with Framework requirements are offered at levels 1,2 and 3. ICT is used effectively within the school and all external tests use the City and Guilds GOLA testing method.

Entry to Employment (e2e)
Wakefield College is the Lead Provider for the Wakefield district in relation to e2e. Alongside its own delivery arm, the unit sub-contracts to a number of local Training Providers including, Rathbone, Best, A & R Training, MPC North, BTCV, Dimensions Training Solutions, Fundamental and works closely with Prince’s Trust.