City of Bristol College has made multiple great strides to meet our net zero aims, with sustainability becoming a key part of the curriculum, a new e-bike partnership and plans for the renovation of one of our Centres.
Our lecturers have embraced sustainability in their curriculum planning, with the Creative Arts and Media Department already including the theme in their classes.
The Level 3 BTEC Art and Design students have been considering the various issues around sustainability and the impact we are having on the environment. Taking these considerations, they took part in an exhibition which reflected the discussions with two winners being named from the multiple entries.
Art and Design Lecturer, Nicky Payne, said: “We chose this theme as it is in line with the College’s focus on sustainability but also because it is something important to us and our students. We often discuss the topic and, as creative people, it is our job to make work which might create a positive change.”
Our Construction and Motor Vehicle Departments have also been exploring how they can contribute to achieving our lofty environmental ambitions.
Construction lecturers and technical support staff were educated on a range of net zero topics during a series of masterclasses.
The lecturers who attended the session will now be looking to develop a resource bank to launch a new unit, Sustainability in Construction, to embed into the curriculum of the Level 1 and Level 2 trade programmes from September 2022.
Head of Department, Derek Hassack, said: “We’re now in a position to integrate real and significant environmentally-friendly approaches across the Construction curriculum. So, it’s our learners – the workforce of the future – who will be the big winners. The Sustainability in Construction project has given us the chance to deliver meaningful, real-world training which is not just lip-service to the green agenda – it is actually making a difference.”
The Motor Vehicle department is also getting to grips with the fast-paced world of electric cars, with multiple lecturers attending the IMI Level 2 Award in Electric/Hybrid Vehicle Routine Maintenance Activities course. They are due to be assessed next month.
The qualification is designed to help training providers deliver modules on working with electric and hybrid cars and it is hoped the module will be worked into the curriculum once some electric and hybrid cars have been obtained.
If you have an electric or hybrid car which you would like to donate to our Motor Vehicle department, contact the Marketing department on marketing@cityofbristol.ac.uk
We haven’t stopped our sustainable efforts at curriculum; with more than 11,000 students and 800 staff, the impact of our establishment on the environment cannot be ignored, which is why we have invested £1million in making sustainability a key priority.
We have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with The Big Issue Group to secure discounts for all staff and students at City of Bristol College a discount on the company’s new eBikes. Learners and staff will have discounted access to more than 500 eBikes across the city, which will aim to reduce the need for 1,900 car trips a day.
Our Estates team is also looking at how it can renovate its existing Centres to make them eco-friendlier. During the 2021/22 academic year, we sold one of our two Victorian buildings at the Ashley Down Centre, and partially renovating the remaining building. This will include the removal of natural gas in the commercial kitchen and the renovation of the existing windows.
