Junior Apprentices at Bridgend College
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Information about the college
Bridgend College is a further education college with a total of around 7,000 learner enrolments.
The college offers progression opportunities to the next level in many courses. It has approximately 1,864 full-time, and 652 part time learners as well as 545 learners who attend in the evenings or at other times. The college employs around 800 staff and operates across four campuses, with two in Bridgend, Pencoed and Maesteg. It also operates a residential facility for learners with disabilities and severe learning difficulties, Weston House, based within the grounds of its Bridgend campus.
Across the college, 6.4% of full-time learners identified as having fluent Welsh language skills. Around half the college’s learners come from within the Bridgend County Borough, which stretches roughly 20km from west to east, taking in the Llynfi, Garw and Ogmore valleys. The total population of the county is estimated at about 135,000. The college is positioned centrally between Swansea and Cardiff. The college serves a region with pockets of high social deprivation with economic inactivity rates above the Welsh average.
Around 148,000 people live in Bridgend. According to data available, the population of Bridgend grew by 8% between the 2001 and 2011 censuses. Of the current population, about 26,000 (18%) are aged under 16, and around 30,000 (20%) are aged 65 and over.
In September 2021, the employment rate in Bridgend was 72.9% which is slightly lower than the Wales figure of 73.1%. In 2021, average (median) gross weekly earnings in Bridgend stood at £608. This was the highest amongst the 22 local authorities. The Welsh index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) 2019 shows that 40% of Bridgend areas are within the 30% most deprived in Wales.
Nearly all of Bridgend’s residents are of a white ethnic background. The Annual Population Survey of 2021 indicates the percentage of people aged three and over who speak Welsh in Bridgend is 17%, a 3 percentage points rise in 10 years.
Around 19% of adults in Bridgend are qualified up to level 2, which is above the Welsh average. The proportion of adults qualified to level 3 (20%) and to levels 4 to 6 (31%) are below the Welsh averages.
Context and background to the effective or innovative practice
The Junior Apprenticeship programme is a partnership between the college, the local authority and local schools. It originated as part of a Welsh Government post-16 Creative Solutions initiative.
Following a rigorous transition process headed up by the college’s partnerships team, successful learners leave their school environment and join the college community for Year 10 and Year 11. Key to the success of the programme is the wrap-around support each learner receives from specialist learning coaches and a staff team with expertise in youth engagement and safeguarding.
The college has space for a maximum of 90 learners on this programme.
Description of nature of strategy or activity
Junior Apprentices are young people who are struggling to remain in the school environment but demonstrate a flair for vocational learning. These young people are capable of achieving well in an environment that is able to allow them to flourish and learn. Learners attend college for 5 days a week and study an innovative curriculum made up of core GCSEs and a vocational qualification in either construction, hair and beauty, or sport and public services.
Following a morning meeting with learning coaches and staff in their base room, learners attend their classes. Here they are provided with the opportunity to develop vocational skills in fully resourced workshops. Work-related experience is key to motivating learners to stay on programme. The college uses project-based learning, developing entrepreneurial skills as a core component of the programme. Activities include creating products for sale at Christmas markets, producing sustainable products such as bird boxes and holding pamper days for staff and learners, with all learners accessing work experience in Year 11.
Enrichment activities that develop the softer skills learners that need and which are often underdeveloped, are a foundation to the programme and have resulted in learners completing sports coaching qualifications, attend Fitness First courses with the army alongside a range of trips, visits and community action activities such as beach cleaning and providing artwork for areas that need beautifying. These activities provide learners with a sense of purpose and help them to develop pride in their work, the community they are part of and help individuals to develop clear aspirations and goals.
What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards?
In the five years of the programme running, the successful completion rates of the vocational qualifications annually exceed 95%. GCSE results are in line with or exceed predicted grades. In a few cases learners accelerate their studies by joining mainstream post-16 resit classes and have achieved A grades.
Destination data demonstrates the worth of the programme with over 80% of learners progressing onto post-16 qualifications at the college, further study, apprenticeships or employment.
How have you shared your good practice?
As part of a network of institutions who facilitate Junior Apprenticeship programmes, Bridgend college shares successes and examples of processes and initiatives that work.