‘It’s been difficult for everyone but we’ve risen to the challenge and no student will be left behind’
PROUD: Mike Welsh, Principal of East Riding College
The impact of Covid-19 on the country’s education system and students’ career prospects has been a major topic of debate throughout the pandemic. East Riding College Principal Mike Welsh told Rick Lyon how his staff and learners have coped, and revealed why he remains optimistic about the future
For many, it’s difficult to find too many positives from the last year, with Covid-19 having changed life as everyone knew it.
Not Mike Welsh.
East Riding College’s Principal doesn’t hide the enormity of the challenge the pandemic has presented to himself and his team, or the struggles they’ve had, but he’s keen to emphasise the good that’s come from facing such adversity.
A renewed focus on working as a team towards a common goal, affirmation of the college’s crucial role in the communities it serves, and learning to adapt to the most difficult circumstances to ensure students are not disadvantaged are all on his list of positives.
“It’s been an incredible challenge for everyone, there’s no doubt about that,” he says. “None of us have been through this before and we aren’t used to working this way.
“What I would say though, is that we’ve coped really well and that’s because it’s been a massive team effort. Everyone has pulled together and supported each other.
“We’re very much learning as we go along, and we’re not alone in that, but I’m so proud of how everyone has reacted here.
“Yes, it’s been a challenge, and it continues to be, but it’s one we’ve stepped up to.”
The college, which has campuses in Beverley and Bridlington and recruits heavily from Hull, runs a wide range of full-time and part-time further education, higher education and adult learning courses, as well as apprenticeships.
Its diverse range of subject areas include engineering and technology, art and design, bricklaying, business studies, beauty therapy and professional cookery, among many others.
As with all educational institutions, Covid-19 has forced the college to adapt its offer and deliver all of its courses online.
Its campuses remain open for vulnerable students, those with high needs and the children of key workers, but the usual enrichment activity such as team and individual sports and trips has had to be shelved for now.
The move has; however, highlighted a number of issues Mr Welsh says the college has been able to learn from, including how it approaches student attendance.
ADAPTED: East Riding College
Despite the obvious disruption, East Riding College is currently reporting 100 per cent engagement and improved attendance.
“We’ve increased the number of online courses we offer and the way we’ve delivered our curriculum through a blended learning model has shown we can do things differently but still very effectively,” says Mr Welsh.
“We’ve learned a lot, including that attendance actually improves if you don’t force people to attend in a particular way.
“We don’t have to disrupt learning because we have a far more flexible approach to what attendance looks like now.
“If a student is ill in the future, or breaks a leg and can’t travel into college or has children of their own at home who are ill, they can actually keep on learning.
“We’re also being creative about how we timetable sessions. For example, if an adult group that’s working during the day wants to shift their 3pm lesson to 7pm and everyone’s happy to do that, then that’s fine.
“Every student who needed one has been provided with a laptop and we’re recording lessons so students who are unable to attend can access them outside the normal hours.”
Mr Welsh accepts the online delivery is more suited to some subject areas than others. Practical skills-based subjects, such as hairdressing and performing arts, rely heavily on in-person tutoring and, in some cases, specialist equipment.
“With subjects such as business studies, computing and media studies, it’s clearly much easier,” says Mr Welsh.
“When you talk about hair and beauty, hospitality and catering, fashion – subjects where you have a high level of skills development – it’s much, much harder.
“But we are still running these courses and we’ll continue to do so because, despite the current situation, they offer fantastic careers. Jobs in these industries will unquestionably still be needed when we come out of the other side of this.
“Those sectors will come back and they’ll come back strongly.”
As well as adapting its course delivery, Mr Welsh says it’s been vital for the college to support the emotional and mental health and wellbeing of both students and staff during such a turbulent and uncertain period.
It’s increased the capacity in its counselling service, is offering online face-to-face support, providing mental health awareness advice, and has been sending out regular updates to ensure all students and staff continue to feel a part of East Riding College.
“We’re doing the best we can and everyone has had a part to play to make sure the academic, emotional and mental health support is in place,” says Mr Welsh.
“It’s been about making sure everyone is engaged and everyone feels supported, staff and students.
“It’s a huge team effort and we’ve had to be honest with people and say, ‘you’re giving too much and you have to give yourself a break or you’re going to burn out’. That’s a measure of the people we have here.”
‘ANCHOR INSTITUTION’: Staff at East Riding College have supported the communities it serves
That team effort was clearly evident during the first national lockdown last March, when college staff rallied to support its local communities.
They used its 3D printers to make face shields for NHS and care workers, offered PPE to local health centres, gave food banks its supplies that were no longer needed because its canteens were closed, and deployed staff to volunteer in the community rather than furlough them.
“It was important we did that,” says Mr Welsh. “We are an anchor institution in the communities we serve – Hull, Beverley and Bridlington – and that means we have a certain responsibility.
“Luckily, we’ve got an amazing team and their ‘can do’ attitude and refusal to be beaten has been incredible.”
The college merged with the TEC Partnership in July 2020. The partnership of colleges and training partners aims to ensure the wider region benefits from a long-term curriculum strategy.
East Riding College is also continuing to look to the future, with work on the construction of its new Institute of Technology (IoT) facility at the Flemingate campus in Beverley having started in January.
It’s part of the Yorkshire and Humber IoT, one of only 12 such institutes across the country, and will have a specialist focus on developing higher level skills required by employers in the engineering and construction industries.
Mr Welsh says the development is further evidence of a bright future for the college, despite the current challenges.
His message to students and parents concerned for their futures in a pandemic-hit world?
“Stay positive and we can get through this together.
“We have a course for everybody and we don’t turn anybody away. It might not be to do the course you originally wanted, or it might not be delivered the way you thought it would be, but we’ll find something for you.
“We are a genuinely inclusive college, so please come and talk to us.
“We are doing everything in our power to make sure no student is disadvantaged and no-one is left behind.”
East Riding College is a Commercial Partner of The Hull Story.