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Welcome to our Q3 Partnerships Newsletter
A very warm welcome to our partnerships newsletter. It has been a couple of months since our last one, and it is fair to say that the college has been very busy in this time.
We have had our best set of results for our students in recent memory, which is testament to the hard work of our students, apprentices, and staff. This reemphasises our position as the lead college for York and North Yorkshire.
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Once again, we had some wonderful results in our T Level provision. These fairly new qualifications offer students the opportunity to study with the college for around 80 percent of their programme and then take part in a valuable, well planned, and insightful industry placement for the rest of their programme. The number of students who have used their placement to find employment or a higher-level apprenticeship is staggering. We are very grateful to the employers who invest time in supporting an industry placement, however, they really do reap the rewards when they have the opportunity to employ a placement student permanently.
Our apprenticeship results are – yet again – some of the best in the country, something we are very proud of. We have apprenticeships available in a range of different sectors and would always be happy to connect you with one of our skilled development team who can speak to you about what the best options will be for your training and development needs.
Should you want to speak to us about an apprenticeship opportunity, or wish to find out more about how you can support the next generation of employees for your company through a T Level placement, please contact our Apprenticeships Team or Placements Teams, who will be delighted to talk to you about the options available.
In the meantime, thank you for your continued support of the College, our students and apprentices, and the community we serve.
Ken Merry
Principal and Chief Executive
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Our Students Get Invaluable Experience On Their Work Placements
Work experience is an essential part of our T Level programme and the practical skills students learn during their industry placement are invaluable to ensure they are fully skilled up for their future careers in the workplace.
Below are just a few of our T Level students placement experiences... |
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Chase and Ethan - Jorvik Electrical
Hear all about Electrical Installation students Chase and Ethan's experience at Jorvik Electrical.
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Abigail - Chocolate Works Care Home
Watch our video about T Level Health student Abigail and her experience of working at Chocolate Works Care Home in York.
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Corbin and Cameron - Lloyd Motor Group York
See how Business students Corbin and Cameron enjoyed their placements at Lloyd Motor Group York.
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REACH winner Anns on pathway to uni and Health & Social Care career after move from India at 16
Health & Social Care student Anns Antony was a winner of the 2025 REACH Brilliance Award for Health and has thanked York College for putting her back on the pathway towards a career in the medical field after studying on the Level 3 Health & Social Care programme.
All our Level 3 Health & Social Care Level students are required to undertake 175 placement hours as part of their course and going into her second year Anns has already completed 145.
“I have shadowed care workers and the manager and I now know how things work there, like how patient you have to be with people who have dementia,” she said. “I want to eventually go on to work in a hospital setting in a fast-paced environment, where it’s important to problem solve and keep calm under pressure and I think I am gaining those skills where I am now.”
The progress Anns has made on Campus was rewarded with the St Leonard’s Hospice-sponsored Brilliance Award for Health at our REACH Awards Ceremony this summer.
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REACH Award 2024 winner Sophie reflects on her 'Grand' five-year journey with York College
We caught up with one of last year’s REACH Awards winners, Sophie Newbould, who explained how her time at York College and on work experience at Café West and The Grand has elevated her confidence, communication and cooking skills.
Sophie’s first taste of work experience came when she was on the Pathways to Work and Independent Living programme at College when she completed a work placement at Café West, one day a week over a five-month period as part of her course.
She then went on to win the college’s REACH Business, Tourism and Hospitality Student of the Year Award in 2024. Having made a brilliant impression on representatives from The Grand, as they attended last year’s REACH Awards and sponsored the prize she won, Sophie was then invited to work at the five-star hotel over a six-week period this year.
Following her work in the Rise Restaurant at The Grand and Sophie commented: “I was a bit nervous at first, but gradually got used to it and it’s gone well. I was doing napkin folding, clearing tables and washing up, but the thing I enjoyed most was talking to the customers". Sophie really impressed The Grand with her positive attitude and strong work ethic.
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Get Help Towards Essential Costs with the T Level Employer Support Fund The newly launched T Level Employer Support Fund helps contribute towards essential costs associated with hosting industry placements commencing between 23 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. Eligible employers can claim funding for necessary expenses such as PPE, ID passes and security checks, equipment and tools.
- All employers hosting Construction and Health T Level placements are eligible
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) qualify for placements across all other
T Level routes
Please note that funding is limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Claims must be supported by itemised receipts along with a completed Employer Declaration Form. If you are interested in supporting a T Level student on placement and would benefit from access to the Employer Support Fund, please get in touch with the Work Placements Team on placements@yorkcollege.ac.uk or 01904 770830.
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Interested in offering a work placement to our students?
We are always on the lookout for new employers. If you’d like to find out more about work placements and/or are interested in offering our students a work placement within your business, please email placements@yorkcollege.ac.uk
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Are You a Local Company that is Considering Recruiting an Apprentice?
Or do you have a member of staff who you would like to upskill through an apprenticeship programme?
We are always on the lookout for new employers to help us train the workforce of tomorrow and would like to hear from any interested businesses in the following sectors: Construction, Hair & Beauty, Engineering, Business & Hospitality and Early Years.
Did you know, for example, that we run Level 3 Craft Bricklayer and Carpentry & Joinery apprenticeship programmes?
And, for employers with a payroll of less than £3million, at least 95% of the apprenticeship programme’s costs will be covered by the Government and, in some cases, that will extend to 100%.
All employers, meanwhile, are responsible for paying the apprentice’s wages, but could also access a £1,000 incentive for recruiting somebody between the ages of 16 or 21 or between the ages of 19 to 24 if they have an EHCP (Education, Health & Care Plan) or have spent time in the care of the local authority.
Like the sound of all the above?
Then, please contact our Apprenticeships Team for further information by emailing apprenticeships@yorkcollege.ac.uk or calling 01904 770368, option 1. |
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Upskill your workforce this September with Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) HTQs are designed in collaboration with employers to equip staff with the advanced, job-ready skills your business needs. Our next cohort starts soon, so if you have team members who could benefit, now’s the perfect time to secure their place.
Both the construction and engineering HNCs can be also be done as an apprenticeship. To find out more please contact the Apprenticeships Team at apprenticeships@yorkcollege.ac.uk
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Graduation 2025 Sponsorship Opportunities Still AvailableWe will be holding the York College & University Centre annual Higher Education Graduation Ceremony on 25th September 2025 at York Minster, and we have two award sponsorship packages available. This sponsorship ensures that we are able to continue to hold such a prestigious event to recognise the achievements and contributions of our Higher Education students and also enables us to cover the cost of the student prizes and then graduation gowns for students who might otherwise be unable to fund their gown, including students who have accessed our hardship fund and various bursary funds. Graduation Awards Sponsorship Package: £250 plus VAT per award. (£300 total) The sponsorship package will also include:
- A prize for the awards winner to the value of £100.
- Logo in the event programme.
- Logo and links on York College website and inclusion in the Graduation Award blog posts and/or news article.
- Social media (Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram) posts and mentions on website pages in relation to the event.
Award CategoriesCreative Studies – Outstanding Achievement AwardProfessional Studies – Outstanding Achievement AwardInstitute of Technology Award – SPONSOREDProgression Award - SPONSOREDFor further information email our Partnerships Team partnerships@yorkcollege.ac.uk
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Other Sponsorship Opportunities for YouYork College & University Centre is pleased to offer a wide range of specialised partner sponsorship packages that go beyond just supporting education:
- Supporting our annual Graduation Ceremony, REACH Awards and Construction Awards. These are all major events in the College calendar offering an opportunity for students and apprentices, family and friends, College staff and local employers to come together to celebrate the hard work and achievements of students and apprentices.
- College sports packages – covering a range of sporting disciplines, you can sponsor student team sports kits, general events and training costs, as well as specific items for outstanding College sports students.
- Partnership display areas – available across college or within areas relevant to students pursuing careers in your industry sector – recent examples include our Construction & Engineering ‘brick wall’ and our training restaurant, The Cookery, ‘plate wall’ displays both imprinted with local company logos.
- Customised packages to promote your company through targeted curriculum areas or workshops, specifically aimed at students pursuing careers in your industry sector.
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Open Events 2025/26
Come along to one of our Open Events to see our facilities and meet our Placements, Apprenticeships and Partnerships Teams.
TUESDAY 7TH OCTOBER 2025 5.30pm - 8.00pm
SATURDAY 8TH NOVEMBER 2025 10.00am - 12.30pm
THURSDAY 20TH NOVEMBER 2025 5.30pm - 8.00pm
THURSDAY 12TH FEBRUARY 2026 5.30pm - 8.00pm
WEDNESDAY 29TH APRIL 2026 5.30pm - 7.30pm
To book your place, visit our Open Events web page.
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