Sparsholt College Group (SCG) which incorporates Andover Campus, University Centre Sparsholt and Sparsholt Campus were proud to attend the 2024 UK and Ireland Green Gown Awards ceremony, held at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, and is delighted to announce that it has been named as the winner of the ‘Tomorrow’s Employees’ award.
The award recognises the pinnacle role that SCG is playing in ensuring both its staff and the region’s employers can deliver green skills which will continue to shape the future of our planet through its Triangulating Green Skills works.
SCG were also proud to have been nominated for the ‘Creating Impact’ Award with the Equine Carbon Calculator project in collaboration with Farm Carbon Toolkit, White Griffin, Hartpury College and Derby College. The Equine Carbon Calculator was developed to pioneer change in sustainable practice management within the equestrian sector.
Established in 2004, the Green Gown Awards recognise the exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges across the UK and Ireland. With sustainability now high on the agenda for many institutions, the awards have become established as one of the most prestigious recognitions of best practice within the further and higher education sector.
Reflecting on the ceremony, Suzanne Grant, Deputy CEO at Sparsholt College Group said:
“Winning the ‘Tomorrow’s Employees’ award at the 2024 UK and Ireland Green Gown Awards is a wonderful achievement and a testament to the power of our collective commitment to sustainability across Sparsholt College, Andover College and University Centre Sparsholt. This recognition makes us even more passionate about driving to shape a greener, more responsible future, empowering each of our staff members and students to bring our values to life in their future work. We’re excited to be building a legacy of positive change that will inspire future generations of employees to lead with purpose and make a lasting impact.”
The Judges shared their thoughts commending Sparsholt College Group in helping tomorrow’s employees adopt more sustainable behaviours, and the positive impact the organisation is having raising awareness in local business of sustainable approaches.
About the Triangulating Green Skills Project
A multi-layered approach to encouraging the adoption of green skills and green technologies
Sparsholt College Group’s model of delivery is based upon developing students who are trained to meet the needs of the modern workplace. As such, developing students who have actively engaged with employers throughout their course of study through insight visit, guest lectures and work placements and practicing the vocational skills needed in the workplace in Sparsholt’s training environment to develop competence and confidence.
In short, the model of operation is ensuring Sparsholt College Group’s students are competent at the point of entry to the workplace and able to provide added value to the workplace beyond the core requirements of the qualifications that are offered by the College Group.
Added value in terms of Green Skills are delivered by:
- SCG provides all students with additional Green Skills learning materials hosted on the Innovation South Virtual Campus site, including courses in Carbon Literacy, Domestic Retrofit, Sustainable Resource Management, Sustainable Food, Renewable Energy, Tree Planting and more.
- Providing students and employers access to green technologies to provide for exposure and market confidence.
- Making green skills courses available to future employers and employees to prompt the modernisation of sustainable workplace practice.
- Facilitating workplace sabbaticals for teaching staff to ensure that teaching is informed by modern industry practice and need.
- Retraining academic staff and providing them with green skills learning materials to update their knowledge and reduce the challenge (hence delay) of the incorporation of green skills in delivery.