Colors: Green Color

New figures released today show pay growth in the UK experienced a big jump in the three months to August.

According to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), national average weekly earnings rose by 3.1 per cent in the three months compared to last year.

The construction sector enjoyed the largest pay boost, with real wages increasing 4.6 per cent between June and August.

However, the ONS figures also showed stagnant unemployment and inactivity rate figures in the West Midlands. Unemployment in the region declined by just 0.1 per cent since last quarter and inactivity rose by 0.1 per cent.

The region recorded the second highest unemployment rate, 4.7 per cent, closely following London’s 4.8 per cent unemployment.

Business leaders said that ‘flat’ employment figures may indicate a plateau in the region’s development.

Paul Faulkner (pictured), chief executive at the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: “Over the past six months we’ve seen really positive improvements in the employment rate of the West Midlands.

“However, the region still has a higher than average unemployment rate and this month’s ‘flat’ statistics could be a sign of stagnating progress.

“With major investments and job creating opportunities coming our way, like HS2 and the 2022 Commonwealth Games, we must build on the recent momentum seen in enabling local residents to access employment opportunities.

“The rise in pay growth announced today, the highest since October to December 2008, will be welcome news to those in employment.

“However, it is also a sign of the tightening labour market as employment rates remain strong.

“In our last Quarterly Business Report (Q2 2018) 21 per cent of businesses reported pressure to increase prices arising from pay settlements and 57 per cent of firms who had attempted to recruit had experienced recruitment difficulties.

“We will be launching our Q3 Quarterly Business Report at an event later this month and look forward to sharing the latest findings, including whether there has been any continuation of these trends, with the local business community.”

The University of Wolverhampton’s School of Art (Est. 1851) will play host to a prestigious touring art show when it visits the region.

The Hayward Gallery Touring’s British Art Show 9 will open in Manchester in 2020 before going on tour to Wolverhampton, Aberdeen and Plymouth.

British Art Show is the biggest touring exhibition of contemporary art in the UK. It attracted over 300,000 visitors in its tour to four cities from October 2015 to January 2017.

The Wolverhampton School of Art (Est. 1851) covers a range of art, design and media disciplines including Fine Art, Sculpture, Fashion, Textiles, Graphic Design, Illustration, Games Design, Film, Television, Animation, Product Design, Interior Design, Furniture Design, Glass and Ceramics.

Sam Hope, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “We’re delighted that our renowned School of Art has been chosen as one of the touring venues for this prestigious exhibition.

“British Art Show is widely recognised as a significant marker of recent developments in contemporary art, unrivalled in its scope and national reach.

“The opportunity for our art, design and media students, the Friends of the Wolverhampton School of Art and the wider public regionally, nationally and internationally to engage with this exhibition, both at the University of Wolverhampton School of Art and at Wolverhampton Art Gallery, is a real coup for art and culture in Wolverhampton, Black Country and the wider Midlands region.

“The British Art Show is an exciting event for Wolverhampton to host and, alongside the Coventry City of Culture 2021 and Birmingham’s Commonwealth Games 2022, it signifies how the West Midlands is moving into a new era of growth for the cultural and creative sector industries bringing with it the creation of job opportunities for Faculty of Arts graduates.”

City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, Councillor John Reynolds, said: “This is a fantastic honour for the City of Wolverhampton.

“To be chosen as one of just four cities to host this prestigious exhibition shows how highly regarded Wolverhampton Art Gallery and Wolverhampton School of Art are in the world of art.

“It is an excellent opportunity for City of Wolverhampton residents to see world-class contemporary art on their doorstep - and will attract thousands of visitors to our city.”

The exhibition introduces a wide public to a new generation of British artists, or artists practising in Britain, providing a vital overview of the most exciting art produced in this country during the previous five years.

Tour details (exact dates and touring venues to be confirmed):

October 2020 - Jan 2021 - Manchester (The Whitworth, HOME and Manchester Art Gallery)

February - May 2021 - Wolverhampton Art Gallery and the University of Wolverhampton School of Art

June - September 2021 - Aberdeen Art Gallery

October 2021 - January 2022 - Plymouth (The BOX, Plymouth and other venues around the city)

Walsall College have launched a touring ‘Love Wall’ during Colleges Week; a week-long campaign by colleges across the country to showcase the excellent work being undertaken on a daily basis, together with a national lobby of Parliament to raise awareness about the reduction in education funding once a student turns age 16.

The Love Wall will visit each of the College’s campuses, so students can share what they love most about Walsall College on post-it notes.

Students will also be invited to talk about their dreams and aspirations on camera, which will be shared across most of Walsall College’s social media platforms.

The ‘Love Our Colleges’ campaign is a partnership between Association of Colleges (AoC), National Union of Students (NUS), Association of College and School Leaders (ASCL), University and Colleges Union (UCU), Unison, GMB, TUC and National Education Union (NEU).

Walsall College is a vital part of the local area, supporting in excess of 15,000 students to learn, train and leave us as skilled, professional and enterprising individuals, ready for future employment.

We are one of the largest providers of 16-18 apprentice training in the West Midlands, engaging with over 700 employers. Over the last 6 years, Walsall College have invested millions in seven state-of-the-art campuses, including the recently opened Digital Engineering Skills Centre.

Jatinder Sharma OBE, Principal at Walsall College, said: “Students are at the heart of everything we do at the college. If we can achieve a yearly 5 per cent annual increase in the 16 to 19 funding rate for the next five years, we hope to invest further in our facilities, as well as attracting and retaining expert staff so our students learn from the very best.

David Hughes, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, said: “Every single day colleges like Walsall College provide a world class education and transform the lives of millions of people.

Colleges Week is an opportunity to celebrate the brilliant things that go on and a chance to showcase the brilliant staff that make it possible.  It is simple, if we want a world-class education system then we need to properly invest in it.”

The University of Wolverhampton’s Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills (ECMS) has formed an exciting partnership with In-Comm Training to help boost UK manufacturing skills.

The ECMS’ new National Press and Tooling Centre will be located at the training provider’s Aldridge academy and will focus on delivering toolmaking apprenticeships and technical courses for more than 2000 people.

Over £1.4m has been invested in creating a modern toolroom that features a host of new equipment and two 110 tonne state-of-the-art presses sourced by Bruderer UK and Worcester Presses - complete with the latest servo feed, decoiling equipment and robotics.

A £500,000 state-of-the-art BSTA-280 tonne press will also be arriving in November to complete the line-up.

Gareth Jones, Managing Director at In-Comm Training, said: “We have listened to what industry wants and designed a centre that is equipped with world class machinery and where world class training will be delivered by some of the finest technical experts in the business.

“No other organisation in the Midlands is currently offering this kind of training facility and we are expecting demand to be huge, especially with toolmaking considered a dying manufacturing art.

He continued: “We already have a very strong relationship with the University of Wolverhampton, having worked with them on a number of previous projects. Together, we are looking forward to welcoming our first intake of apprentices and supporting more manufacturers in the Midlands and the rest of the UK.”

Ian Fitzpatrick, Chief Executive of the ECMS, added his support: “It’s well known that the manufacturing industry has an ageing workforce and that bespoke training courses -specifically matching industry requirements - can be quite difficult to source.

“Our aim at the ECMS is to give our learners a clear line of sight and a career pathway from Levels 2, 3 and 4, through to Higher National Certificate and Diploma and then Degree Apprenticeships. By partnering with organisations such as In-Comm we can offer a complete or bespoke training package for the manufacturing sector through both practical and theoretical learning.”

In-Comm Training, which operates its own Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ academy in Aldridge and the Marches Centre of Manufacturing & Technology in Bridgnorth and Shrewsbury, is one of the UK’s leading training providers, working across more than 10 sectors and with 250 different companies.

It delivers over 500 apprenticeships every year and more than 100 bitesize and in-depth training courses, covering business improvement techniques, quality, lean manufacturing and applications engineering.

A Public Service student will be hosting a Family Fun Day in Darlaston on Sunday 4th November from 2pm – 6pm to raise money for Molly’s Fund and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Georgia Hardingham organised the free event with her mother, and will take place at the Five Star Community Centre in Darlaston.

Visitors will be able to take part in a wide range of fun activities, including a raffle, face painting, tombola, an auction and karaoke.

There will also be a bouncing castle for children, as well as cake and craft stalls for families who have a sweet tooth or who want to try their hands at something creative.

A café and licensed bar will be available, and male volunteers will be having their legs waxed by participants willing to donate £1 for a wax strip.

Georgia, who is studying a Level 1 BTEC Diploma in Public Services, said: “Molly’s Fund and Macmillan Cancer Trust are charities that mean a lot to my mum and me, as there are so many people affected by the illness. We organised the Fun Day so families can help us raise funds whilst having fun.”

Established by National Hospital Development Foundation, Molly’s Fund has been set up in memory of five-year-old Molly Lane Fox, who tragically died following a seven-month battle with a brain tumour.

Money raised through the charity goes towards the Brain Tumour Unit at the hospital, as well as developing treatment for brain cancer.

Similarly, Macmillan encourages members of the public to raise funds to help those affected by cancer. The charity aims to reach every single person who is diagnosed with the disease and to be there for them at every stage of their cancer journey, no matter who they are, what part of the country they live in, or what type of cancer they have.

Jo Hughes, lecturer for Public Services at Walsall College, said: “Cancer is a devastating illness that affects millions of people in the UK alone.

So we are proud of Georgia for organising this event with her mother to ensure that funds are raised for two worthy causes that provide support with those living with the condition.

At Walsall College, our students are always eager to support charity events and raise much needed funds, which is a strong part of our values in fostering good will and a positive community.”

Walsall College opened its brand new engineering centre at the start of the new academic year. Now, parents and prospective students have a chance to see the state-of-the-art facilities for themselves at the College’s Open Day on Wednesday 10th October, between 4pm - 8pm.

 

Launched in conjunction with 2018’s ‘Year of the Engineer’, the Digital Engineering Skills Centre includes the latest equipment to meet the needs of the engineering and construction industries.

 

The centre, based at 21 Portland Street, will include robotic and design technologies, and is also home to advanced construction facilities, including those that assist with the planning, design, construction and maintenance of buildings.

 

Parents and students can come to the College’s Open Day to find out more about the courses held in this new centre, as well as its wider range of courses. Whether you’re a school leaver, an adult or someone aspiring to university, careers are available in everything from plumbing to hairdressing and law to childcare, with expert tutors on hand to plot your journey to employment.

 

The Open Day takes place at all the College’s campuses, including, Green Lane, Portland Street, Hawbush and Whitehall. Visitors can also tour the state-of-the-art facilities and find out why our students love studying here.

 

Jatinder Sharma OBE, Walsall College’s Principal and Chief Executive, said: “Walsall College continues to put our students on the right pathway for success through our exceptional facilities, outstanding vocational training, excellent work experience opportunities and curriculum developed in partnership with industry leaders, which ensures that students are work ready and graduate with the skills that employers want.

 

Engineering, manufacturing and technology offer real tangible long-term opportunities to people, especially in the West Midlands. Hundreds of apprenticeships and jobs are vacant in the sector and businesses continue to report skills gaps that are key barriers to efficient productivity.

 

Our new Digital Engineering Skills Centre will enable the expansion of the College’s provision of full-time, part-time and apprenticeships within engineering and construction to meet industry needs across the region.

 

He added: “The Open Day is an excellent opportunity to welcome members of the community to have a look around our state-of-the-art facilities and talk to our outstanding tutors about courses. All enquiries are welcome, from school leavers to people looking to change their career direction.”

 

There are a range of qualifications to suit every need, including full-time, part-time, professional, higher education and apprenticeships. Students can also now study for an Honours Degree level course in a range of subjects at a considerably lower cost than at university.

 

Courses are available in a variety of exciting areas, including, Care, Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, Business & Management, Engineering, Construction, Creative Arts, ICT & Science and Hair & Beauty. In addition, the college’s award-winning student services team will be available to offer impartial advice and guidance.