In a special presentation at RAF Hendon yesterday, the College of North East London (CONEL), along with its partners Barnet College and Middlesex University, was officially awarded with Centre of Vocational Excellence (COVE) status in recognition of its outstanding Care training.

The COVE programme is sponsored and implemented by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and governed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). Its main aim is to forge links between colleges, universities, business partners and other vocational training providers to produce appropriately qualified and skilled community care workers.

An estimated 1.6 million people in the UK use care services every day - making it vital that a high standard of health care training is available to the 1 million employees who cope with the increasing demands of this sector.

The consortium of the above two colleges and university has ensured that high quality, multi-levelled courses and modern apprenticeships are now available across the whole of the north London area. Marilyn Hawkins, Principal of Barnet College, firmly believes that the partnership scheme has enabled us to share good practice and we are now much better at providing support to local employers as a group than if we were trying to do it individually.

During the presentation Paul Head, Principal of CONEL, went on to share how challenges met whilst establishing and developing the working relationship between the educational institutions and the NHS has helped all involved to learn lessons that we can now apply to working with local employers.

Paul is also understandably proud of what his college and learners have achieved; the school of Care & Health gained a grade 2 (good) in a recent OFSTED inspection and 100% of the 2002/03 student intake progressed on to either Higher Education or work in Nursing. And as part of its ongoing commitment to providing cutting edge care courses and facilities CONEL has recently created a distance learning care programme and a fully equipped care assessment room.

The plaque denoting the Colleges Centre of Vocational Excellence status will soon be erected at CONELs main Tottenham Centre building.

Notes to editors:

1. Photograph caption: from left to right, Professor Ken Goulding Deputy Vice Chancellor of Middlesex University, Paul Head Principal of the College of North East London, and Marilyn Hawkins Principal of Barnet College receive their COVE plaques.
2. For more information on studying a Care & Health course at CONEL please contact our helpline on 020 8442 3055 or go to www.conel.ac.uk
3. For further information on COVE please visit their website.