Further education institution City College Plymouth has launched a 10-year plan which aims to see it grow student numbers, work with more businesses, earn an additional £5m in revenue and rebuild parts of the campus.
The strategy, revealed to dozens of business leaders and politicians at an event at the college, is predicated on the intention for the college to “be the learning destination of choice”.
The college has worked with students, staff, businesses and key stakeholders to set out eight “strategic actions”.
These are:
- curriculum - build a vibrant and exciting curriculum that is distinctive, flexible and skills led. By 2026 the strategy will ensure the college achieves a 3% increase in student numbers year-on-year, and is graded “outstanding” by OFSTED.
- developing people - empower staff and create a culture of trust based on the values of respect, integrity and ownership for all.
- digital - become a leader in digital education to improve connectivity within the college and the wider community. By 2026 the strategy will ensure all core college activity will be undertaken through digital technology.
- finance - maintain good financial health and improve it to reach outstanding in order to drive growth and partnerships. By 2026, strategic action will ensure “outstanding” financial health, a minimum 2% of turnover as operational surplus, sustain staffing costs no greater than 65% of income, and secure £5m in new income.
- health and wellbeing - become a key trainer of future health and social care workers, and improve the health and wellbeing of staff, students and beyond to lessen the demand on crucial services.
- maritime, manufacturing, construction and the built environment - become a leader in delivering skills training for these key sectors, By 2026 strategic action will mean 20% of Plymouth businesses sign service level agreements with the college, and it delivers new training and curricula to help hit the target of £5m in new income.
- estates and assets - use its space to carefully respond to development in education. The long-term plan will consider demolishing and redeveloping buildings “nearing the end of their useful life” or not cost-effective to renovate. There will be a full estate review.
- opportunities - support the region through collaboration with the civic and commercial sector.
The college has produced which feature a timeline of proposals. These include making a “multi-million pound” investment in digital systems in 2022, opening a £1m T Level Construction Centre in September 2022, and opening a Health and Active Wellbeing Community Hub by 2025.
Jackie Grubb, City College chief executive and principal, said: “It was a privilege to officially launch the new visionary direction for our college. Our organisation is very clear on the vital role we play in our city and the positive impact we have on the lives of our community.
“For the past 18 months there has been a cross-college effort involving students, staff, governors, employer partners and other stakeholders in developing our strategic plan in line with the city and employer needs.
“This includes investing in exciting, cutting-edge facilities that are aligned to industry requirements and will make certain our students are receiving the very best and most up-to-date training.”
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Richard Stevens, chair of governors at City College, said: “Those who call Plymouth their home are fiercely proud of their city, and rightly so. We all want to see it develop and thrive, and through this new vision and purpose, the college has clearly stated the role it intends to play in achieving this, which involves working closely with the city’s employers to ensure it is equipping their workers with the skills they need.”
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In addition to videos setting out the college’s intentions for areas such as staff development, finance and its estates, guests at the launch event also heard from the leader of Plymouth City Council, Cllr Nick Kelly, whose speech pointed out how closely aligned the college’s vision is to the council’s. He said: “I’m looking forward to seeing the impact this investment will have.”
Since the event, the college said it has been inundated with messages and social media comments about the strength of its new Vision and Purpose. In a tweet, Sharron Robbie, managing director of the Devon and Cornwall Training Provider Network, said: “Fantastic event. Good to hear how the college of the city is gearing up to meet the skills needs of Plymouth, whilst fostering robust partnerships with key stakeholders to enable economic growth and success.”
Both the college’s Vision and Purpose and Strategic Intent for 2021 to 2031 documents are available to read in full .