#CollegesWeek offers a great opportunity to focus on the impact of colleges across the country, particularly within the industries and communities they support. Here are some of the ways Hartpury College is making a positive difference.
1 - We’re committed to supporting our specialist industries
Supporting our specialist industries in order to fuel growth is a vital part of preparing our students for employment. We’re lucky to work with an extensive network of industry experts and employers and value their input into the development of our college curriculum. This ensures our students are equipped with the skills and knowledge required by industry and ultimately boosts employability (97% of Hartpury College students progressed into employment, university or further study (Hartpury 2023)).
Claire Whitworth, Deputy Principal of Hartpury College said: “It’s essential that industry informs the skills, needs and attributes required by our students, now and in the future.
“Ultimately, we strive to ensure our students are equipped to really make a difference to the companies they’ll work for. The best way to do this is by ensuring employers that represent our sectors have the opportunity to partner with us to shape our offer. We are very grateful for the time that they give so generously to support Hartpury College and the future workforce.”
Our subject-specific industry curriculum co-creation events allow for employers and teaching staff to collaborate on the development of course content.
Toby Holder, Sport and Physical Activity Skills Hub Manager for the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) said: “Having the opportunity for local employers to not just engage with, but also have influence on the content being taught will help support a clear pathway from education into local employment within Gloucestershire.
“CIMSPA works closely alongside Hartpury to continue engaging with employers, identifying skill gaps, and developing a skills strategy for sport and physical activity within Gloucestershire.”
2 – We’re preparing our students for the world of work
At Hartpury we know that employability and life skills are just as important as academic qualifications.
Our experienced Innovation, Careers and Enterprise (ICE) team provides professional, work and skills-based courses, careers advice and guidance, employability and enterprise opportunities as well as enrichment activities and placement support.
Alongside any college course, students complete the unique Hartpury College Certificate, helping them to develop key life skills, confidence and the independence to support future endeavours. Students can develop a career plan, gain external work experience with one of 3,000+ employers, enhance their skills at one of our on-site commercial businesses and develop further employability skills. There’s also the Hartpury College Certificate Plus, whereby students can sign up for extra enrichment activities to boost their CV and stand out from the crowd, from Student Ambassador schemes, to enterprise and setting up a business.
College students can study a range of additional short courses on top of their main qualification. These include BHS equestrian exams, dog grooming, chainsaw, ATV and pesticide application competency.
Each year, we look for Student Ambassadors to promote, represent and support Hartpury College on campus and around the UK. Jobs are varied but can include representing the institution at career events or those within industry, such as Badminton Horse Trials. The scheme not only offers an attractive rate of pay but also provides further experience to add to their CV.
Taken together, we believe these all play a part in helping our students consistently gain impeccably high employment rates and highlight how well prepared they are for life after Hartpury.
3 - Work-placed learning opportunities allow students to apply knowledge and skills
For students preferring to study a work-based qualification or a course with a greater level of work experience, our apprenticeships and brand-new T Levels might provide the perfect pathway.
Apprenticeships are highly regarded by employers and can help students to progress their career in an existing or new role. Students attend college on a day-release basis, one day per week during term time, applying and developing their skills in a job role. Apprenticeships take between 12-24 months to complete, and assessments are undertaken both at college and in the workplace. Here at Hartpury, we offer a Level 2 General Farmworker Apprenticeship and Level 3 Crop Technician Apprenticeship.
Learn more about apprenticeships at Hartpury or check out 10 reasons to study an agricultural apprenticeship at Hartpury.
T Levels in Land-Based Engineering, Crop Production and Livestock Production as well as T Level Foundation Programmes in Land-Based Engineering and Agriculture are exciting additions at Hartpury College, and will welcome their first cohort of students this September. T Levels are set to become one of the main choices after GCSEs and have been developed with employers and educational providers. These ‘technical programmes’ will see students spend a large amount of time gaining first-hand experience of their chosen career in an industry placement. That’s in addition to the practical and classroom education they receive at Hartpury. At Hartpury, T Level students also benefit from updated workshops and brand-new equipment dedicated to the delivery of these exciting programmes.
Learn more about T Levels at Hartpury.
4 – We’re boosting digital skills
Digital skills are essential across all of our specialist industries, but particularly agriculture.
The industry is currently adopting digital technologies to address the many challenges faced by farmers as they look to sustainably feed the population and manage the land. That’s why we’ve created our Digital Innovation Farm strategy, with the launch of an Agri-Tech Centre and Tech Box Park on the site of our commercial Home Farm. The Digital Innovation Farm is a hub for innovation, bringing industry experts and employers onto campus and providing networking and collaboration opportunities for staff and students alike.
In June 2023, Hartpury College unveiled the Digital Skills Framework in Agriculture, a national benchmark for education and training providers. The framework acts as a reference point for learners, teaching staff and businesses to support the future needs of the agricultural industry.
Tom Bradshaw, NFU Deputy President said: “As farmers and growers our role is not just to produce the nation’s food. Our work also safeguards rural communities in some of the most challenging areas of the country. We do so when our businesses offer rewarding careers and attract new people to our industry and local areas. We must continue to be technology pioneers, building upon our wins.
“As I look forward, I see exciting new opportunities for people to develop and contribute in new ways. This Digital Skills Framework from Hartpury College will help farmers and growers, as well as those who support us with learning and advice, understand the digital landscape and how we adapt and grow our people, as well as our businesses.”
We also launched a new Agriculture Digital Studio in May 2023, setting a new standard for agri-tech innovation in Gloucestershire. Designed to inspire the next generation of farmers, the innovative new teaching facility gives students access to the latest in agri-technology and precision smart farming simulation. They can safely train on the latest farming equipment, using augmented reality and virtual reality simulation to take farming to the next level.
5 - We’re making a difference in the community
In addition to helping our specialist industries and the economy, our staff and students are also always looking to make a difference in the community. We support events such as the No Child Left Behind Awards, the Hollie Gazzard Trust, SoGlos Business Awards and have an ongoing partnership with the St James City Farm.
In 2023, 104 students studying Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport (Physical Education and Coaching) volunteered to help out at the 15th Annual Big Health Day at Oxstalls Sports Park in Gloucester. Students supported the event, which was aimed at helping people with learning disabilities with complex physical and health needs and those with physical and mental health needs to stay active and healthy. The day brought together many of Gloucestershire’s amazing organisations and services as well as partners from surrounding counties that are making a difference in reducing health inequalities and improving quality of life for people in the region. This is just one example of our staff and student involvement in the community.
Laura Simmonds, Subject Leader for General Sport at Hartpury College, said: “It’s such an honour for us to be part of this important event and I’m delighted that our students really embrace their opportunity to promote the power of sport and activity for all.
“Our students always find experiences like these extremely rewarding and volunteer straight away whenever we offer them the opportunity to get involved. Events like these are a great chance for our students to learn new skills, gain confidence and make a real difference to the lives of everyone taking part.”
Volunteering opportunities play an important role in life at Hartpury, adding valuable work and life skills to the students’ academic studies. Opportunities to get involved with volunteering exist right across campus including at the equestrian events, sports matches and through the running of student-led events and initiatives.
6 - We prepare students to develop their knowledge and skills at university
Uniquely, Hartpury has a university on site, so students have many options to progress onto a range of undergraduate degrees right here at home. In 2023, Hartpury University became the only university in Gloucestershire to be awarded triple Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). Hartpury University ranks 6th in the UK and 1st in the South West for Teaching Quality, according to The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024. Hartpury University also ranks 2nd in the UK for Student Support, 4th in the UK for Teaching Excellence, and 1st in the South West for Teaching Excellence and Student Support according to the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
97% Hartpury University graduates are in employment, further study or other purposeful activity, placing the Gloucestershire institution first in the South West and in the top 10% of UK universities for graduate employability (Graduate Outcomes 2023, reflects graduates from 2021). Hartpury University was also named as the number one university in England in the ‘Academic Support’ category, according to results from the National Student Survey (NSS) 2023 - the largest survey of its kind in the world.
For students looking to study a degree without the qualifications they need, an Access to Higher Education (HE) diploma offers a potential pathway. Similar to A-levels, Access to HE diplomas are full level 3 qualifications. Around 40,000 students take advantage of this entry route to university every year. Access to HE diplomas can be completed in one year and provide students with the knowledge, skills and qualifications to move onto university study.
At Hartpury, students can choose from Access to HE qualifications in Sports Studies and Land-based Studies. Our students at all levels of study benefit from a specialist and hands-on learning environment with world-class facilities and expertise.
