The North Hertfordshire College Senior Leadership Team attended the Association of Colleges Annual Conference last month!
On Tuesday 18th November, the team headed up to Birmingham’s Crowne Plaza Hotel to register for the conference. The day kicked off with an opening address delivered by David Hughes CBE, Chief Executive of the AOC, before the NHC team got stuck into a range of insightful workshops and breakout sessions.oHH
Some of the standout sessions from the first day included the ‘AI Framework and Strategy’ session, delivered by Director of AI at Jisc, Michael Webb. The session provided useful insight into how we can maximise the benefits of AI in the FE sector, and within individual colleges.
But by far the best breakout session of the Tuesday (we might be biased!) was our very own Health and Social Care team’s session about our fantastic Care Academy partnership with the Lister Hospital.
Nina, Head of Health and Social Care, and Cheryl, Deputy Head of Health and Social Care took to the stage to discuss how our pioneering Care Academy programme aligns our curriculum with workforce shortages to support NHS recruitment and retention.
From high-impact T Level placements and guaranteed interviews to employer-led masterclasses, curriculum alignment and our incredible new simulated hospital facilities, the team showcased a model that truly delivers for learners and the NHS.
One attendee at their session commented:
“I was so pleased to attend you session today and learn more about your fantastic placement model for Health and Social Care!”
After a very busy first day, the team headed to Dishoom for a delicious dinner, ready to go again the next day!
Wednesday started on a super exciting note with the announcement of the Good for Me Good for FE Awards finalists for 2025. We’re incredibly excited to say that our very own Autumn Barker, a Health and Social Care student at NHC, has been shortlisted for Student Volunteer of the Year! Woop!
NHC Principal, Kit Davies will accompany Autumn to the awards ceremony at the House of Lords on Friday 5th December! We wish Autumn the very best of luck.
After the finalist announcement, the team headed off to some more interesting sessions. Some of their favourite sessions from Wednesday included the launch of the AOC’s Adult Learning Pays campaign.
The Adult Learning Pays campaign champions the importance of adult education in addressing skills gaps, social isolation, inequality and more. We completely agree that adult education isn’t just a cost but a strategic investment in our collective future.
Another super insightful session was ‘Cost Effective Steps to Net Zero’, focused on energy usage, reduction and sustainability initiatives.
Lizzie Jones, Executive Director of Corporate Services at NHC, and attendee at the AOC Conference 2025 commented:
“I had a fantastic time at the AOC Conference this year! Gaining insight from further education-professionals is incredibly useful when it comes to shaping our own strategies and curriculum. I was super inspired by some of the workshop sessions, and I’m looking forward to putting the ideas into practice!
“The whole team were so proud to watch Nina and Cheryl deliver their session, too. It was great to hear so much positive feedback on our Care Academy programme. Already looking forward to next year!”