Trafford and Stockport College Group

The five colleges within the Trafford and Stockport College Group each cover some of the most deprived wards of Greater Manchester, including Brinnington, Partington, and Edgeley and Stretford. The serve impact of the pandemic on young people’s soft and essential skills has directly affected employability, and employers have noted a lack of necessary skills in the future workforce.

In response, TSCG have introduced a range of inclusive and supportive initiatives to support aspirations and opportunities within the local community, and young people in particular, have the best possible start to their working life. The activities were designed to provide opportunities usually reserved for more affluent backgrounds, helping break down social and class barriers.

Four full-time dedicated members of staff make up the Student Enrichment Team, and a group of volunteers run the award-winning "Community College Kitchen," which provides a "just ask" service to address basic living needs, ensuring students can focus on their studies.

Other initiatives include providing breakfast and other essential items free to students to ensure they all start their day ready to learn, as well as dedicated programmes for oracy, personal presentation, leadership, and civic engagement. The college actively engages with its local community, and in 2023/24 hosted the Muslim Arts and Culture Festival, African Ancestry Month, and Widen Our World Week. It also is leading on political engagement across Greater Manchester; hustings were held in the run-up to the local and general elections, and the Student Enrichment Team continue to coordinate major events such as Student Question Time. TSCG is also the first college group to integrate voter registration into the enrolment process, empowering students to have a voice in their community, and have had 1,000 students sign up so far. Students have also been involved in interviews with political and business leaders, leading research on local services, presenting to council scrutiny committees, and directing debates at local primary schools. Student engagement has significantly increased, with notable successes including the election of the youngest councillor in Greater Manchester.

Combined, these initiatives have reached 59% of 16 to 18-year-olds, with 51% of underrepresented minority students and 30% of bursary recipients engaged.