DCG Impact Review 2024 - Flipbook - Page 27
TWENTY SEVEN | STRATEGIC PRIORITY TWO
AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE
For students keen to enhance their life chances and
earning potential, DCG’s higher education offer now
embraces everything from Animal Management to
Software Development, Professional Construction to
Sport.
In policies set out in the Skills and Post-16 Education
Act, the government has reasserted that
universities should not be the only choice for higher
level quali昀椀cations. DCG therefore continues to
revamp its own portfolio, often in collaboration with
universities, to provide progressive solutions that
meet local demand.
Its part-time and day release modes of delivery give
maximum convenience to students juggling their
learning with work and family commitments.
The Group is also adding Higher Technical
Quali昀椀cations (HTQs) to its roster to provide further
alternatives for those who want a more practical,
employer-led study programme.
A hallmark of DCG’s provision is nurturing the
educational leaders of tomorrow. The College’s
Professional Education, Training and Development
Academy provides 昀氀exible routes to recognised
quali昀椀cations.
Opportunities range from the Certi昀椀cate for Higher
Level Teaching Assistants to Cert Ed and PGCE
teacher training programmes run in partnership
with the University of Derby. Among those boosting
their careers as a result are:
• Latvia-born Teaching Assistant
Inta Zdanovska who left her
home country to 昀椀nd new
opportunities in the UK. Having
taken Teaching Assistant
quali昀椀cations, she now works at
Longdon Park School in Eggington.
She says: “I’d absolutely
recommend the TA courses
at DCG.”
• Will Broderick, Assistant
Associate Head and Head of
Maths at Derby’s Kingsmead
School, who completed the Cert
Ed as a follow-up to entry level
teaching courses early in his
career. His studies enabled him
to achieve Quali昀椀ed Teacher
Status to ful昀椀l his ambitions. He
says: “I’ve learned so much about
learning theories. It’s enabled me to see
the bigger picture and to be a leader now.”
• Kirsty McKay, an elective
home education adviser with
Derbyshire County Council. Kirsty,
who completed a Higher Level
Teaching Assistant Diploma,
supports parents who home
educate their children. She says:
“Our lecturer didn’t expect us to
write long essays. Instead, she
asked us to produce posters,
lea昀氀ets and booklets. It gave us
design and IT tools we could use.”
