Waltham Forest College has become one of only two colleges in the country to achieve Skills Builder Flagship status, and the only college in London to receive the award.
The Flagship Award recognises organisations that show an exceptional, strategic and sustained commitment to developing the essential skills learners need to succeed in education, employment and wider life.
The recognition comes as further education is increasingly focused not only on technical and vocational expertise, but on making sure learners have the transferable skills to navigate a fast-changing labour market. Employers across all sectors are looking for people who can communicate effectively, collaborate, solve problems, adapt to change and show resilience and self-management — skills that matter for staying in work and progressing.
The college has put those skills at the heart of its approach to student experience and progression, on the understanding that technical excellence and essential skills have to go hand in hand. Its approach helps learners understand the skills employers value, build them up over time and apply them in real educational, workplace and everyday settings.
Flagship status reflects the college's work to move essential skills beyond one-off activities and embed them in the wider culture and learner experience. That includes weaving them through the curriculum and tutorial provision, careers education, personal development and employer engagement, so students get repeated chances to practise and apply them across their time at college.
Amir Ahmed, vice principal at Waltham Forest College, said: "We have deliberately taken a whole-college approach to essential skills. We want every learner to understand not only what they can do, but how they can articulate and demonstrate the skills they bring to an employer, university or future career."
