A big hello!
Welcome to the foundation studies department and the beginning of a very exciting and fulfilling career! This area is one of our most exciting and challenging areas within the college as we can really specialise and target your programme to meet your individual needs and aspirations. Once you have completed the course you will be perfectly placed to apply for other courses within the college or some may want to go straight into employment or an apprenticeship.
Foundation studies is much more than just learning from the book or to meet your qualifications. We specialise in life skills and give you the opportunity to taste various independence and employability pathways that you would like to try but are not get ready to undertake for a full year.
Students can develop their community awareness and independence skills eg. money skills, safety and wellbeing, healthy relationships, shopping, cooking a meal and other life skills, if appropriate.
Some of our students have progressed onto other courses within foundation studies or onto vocational courses within the wider college community, such as IT and computing, childcare, hair and beauty, motor vehicle and construction crafts, hospitality and catering to name a few. Our lecturers are experts within various industries and all have very diverse experience, from animal care to health and social care.
We offer excellent opportunities to all of our students including the chance to travel and visit the workplaces in action, or to undertake practical life skills such as travel training, eating out, booking facilities etc. Some of the taster pathways you can partake in include; beauty, travel, catering, animal care, adult and child care, gardening, IT, business admin, creative arts and motor vehicle.
We are very proud of the outstanding progress achieved by students to ensure that they have the very best opportunity to gain employment within the sector or progress to other courses including the new supported internship. The supported internship is for learners with an EHCP as a step into employment. You get the opportunity to work out in industry two days a week and spend a day in college.
We really look forward to welcoming you at the college and look forward to helping you develop your knowledge, your skills and ultimately aid you on your journey to success.
Helen Wilcockson
Head of Department – Travel, Hospitality, Animal Care and Foundation Studies