NEIL WATERHOUSE JOINS EAST RIDING COLLEGE AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The role which Neil was appointed to late last year encompasses responsibility for Commercial and Finance, developing opportunities for the College and establishing closer links with the business community to become a training provider of choice.

Neil was an enthusiastic East Riding College Governor for several years and knows how the College has developed its very special place in the communities it serves over the last few years with its new Beverley campus at Flemingate, its extensive facilities at Bridlington and its city centre site in Hull. Taking students from entry level right the way up to Masters, with apprenticeships, degrees, short courses, full-time, part-time and even distance learning courses, the College has so much on offer.

Its key curriculum areas are Creative Arts and Digital Skills; Early Years and Care; Hair and Beauty; Construction and Engineering; Hospitality and Retail and Business and the Leisure Economy with many people taking courses, not only for
training or career-progression but also for fun! Although it offers mainstream skills, it is also a specialist Trades Union Studies Centre. Not a lot of people know that! 

Neil said: “The College was recognised as good by Ofsted overall, and for the quality of
teaching, learning and assessment, leadership and management, outcomes for learners, 16-19 study programmes and apprenticeships at the last inspection. It gained outstanding grades for personal development, behaviour and welfare and
adult learning programmes.

A growing area at the College is apprenticeships, with the College actively talking to businesses to find out their needs and how it can help meet them. For many businesses, utilizing the apprenticeship levy is complicated but the College can help businesses not only with the professional development of their staff but with the development of the business itself. Neil’s previous career in banking means he knows many of the businesses he is now engaging with so he has insight to the way those businesses work and how the College can help them achieve more. This in turn is helping employers understand how the College can help their business. It also means new programmes are launched every year to meet the demands of employers and the labour market.

The appointment of Neil as the commercial expertise of the College enables Principal and Chief Executive Mike Welsh to further the College’s mission of driving economic regeneration and sustainable growth across the region by providing high quality training for local people, communities and employers.

As Neil says: “East Riding College has the ability to transform everyone’s lives so they can fulfil their potential. It’s a great privilege to be working for the College, with enthusiastic members of staff and a loyal and supportive Governing Body.

I want to see our students achieving beyond their dreams and East Riding College recognised for being the best training provider in the area.”

Whatever your age, you might be surprised to see what courses are on offer and what other services the College provides. If you are in Beverley, do visit Elwell’s Restaurant, treat yourself to a hairdo at Inspire and see where New Horizons Travel
Agency can tempt you to visit - you can check out opening hours on the website - where you might also just find a course teaching a new skill to sign up for.

For young people looking for their next steps after GCSEs, East Riding College could be the learning provider they are looking for. www.eastridingcollege.ac.uk