By Telford College principal and chief executive Graham Guest

Well, we’ve certainly hit the ground running here at Telford College for what promises to be a very busy 2023.

One of our top priorities over the coming months is to make it as easy as possible for students to get to our campus on public transport.

We’re aware that there have been some issues with the reliability of local bus services in recent times, and that’s why we are taking action.

This month we have been trialling a new bus route to serve students in the Madeley and Woodside area, and are looking to roll out more new services in 2023.

If you’ve got any requests, questions or suggestions, we are very keen to hear from you. Email them to studentvoice@telfordcollege.ac.uk

We will soon be staging our first open event of the new term. This is the perfect opportunity to visit Telford College’s university-standard facilities, and get a real flavour of life on campus.

It’s also a chance to speak to students, find out more about the curriculum choices, and chat with our expert staff who are on hand to answer questions.

Our next event is on February 15th, from 5pm to 7.30pm. If you’d like to register, or find out more, see our website, www.telfordcollege.ac.uk

Before that, though, we will also be marking National Apprenticeship Week by turning the spotlight on some of the incredible career opportunities which are available.

Apprenticeships have changed a lot in recent times, and are now available from entry level all the way up to degree level.

We work with Shropshire’s biggest employers to provide terrific career pathways in areas such as accounting, automotive, business, computing, construction, early years and childcare, engineering, health and social care, management, logistics, and much more.

With many businesses still struggling to fill vacancies, apprenticeships could play an important role. They allow an employer to mould a candidate to their company’s specific requirements – and from the student’s point of view, they will earn and learn at the same time.

Finally, congratulations to the newly elected members of our Telford College student council for 2023. We look forward to working with them and sharing ideas and issues over the coming months.

The council is a vital link between tutors, curriculum leaders, and students. But it is also a fantastic opportunity to develop some of the ‘softer skills’ which are such an important part of modern-day learning, like leadership, communication and management techniques.