Hopwood Hall College commits to supporting region's recovery with launch of its 'Build Back Better' pledge

Hopwood Hall College is making a firm commitment to support the local community through the launch of its ‘Build Back Better’ pledge.

The pledge - which is endorsed by Rochdale Borough Council and Rochdale Development Agency - is a written declaration to work in partnership with industry sectors to provide access to the highest quality of training and meet the needs of employers. It also features a charter of promises to work with businesses and help the area recover from the social and economic impacts of Covid-19.

Hopwood makes six assurances in the pledge, including a vow to train 300 new apprentices and build more business relationships that will allow students to gain workplace skills through industry placements.

The pledge also reinforces the college’s commitment to adult education and life-long learning, including a promise to offer a place for all eligible adults wanting to take a university-level course, either through Access or Higher Education.

In addition, Hopwood will continue to provide a wide range of flexible, part-time and online courses as it further establishes itself as a hub for e-learning in the community.

The ‘Build Back Better’ pledge ultimately aims to improve education and employment opportunities for people in the borough. The college will now work closely with a growing number of private, public and third sector organisations to achieve this goal and positively contribute to regional recovery in the wake of Covid-19.

Julia Heap, Principal and CEO of Hopwood Hall College, said: “The ‘Build Back Better’ pledge is our way of proactively supporting the community as it starts to recover from the effects of the pandemic. We want everyone to have access to opportunities that will aid them in reaching their potential and realising their ambitions. 

“It’s fantastic that the pledge is already being endorsed by a number of industry leaders and we look forward to many more businesses joining us in helping the community to build back better.”

John Searle, Chief Executive of Rochdale Development Agency, said: “The RDA fully endorses Hopwood Hall College’s Build Back Better pledge to continue to provide an excellent service to their students, businesses and local community.

“We urge businesses in Rochdale to work with Hopwood Hall College, particularly if they are planning to restructure their existing workforce in light of the economic impact of the Covid-19 crisis.

“The college is in a strong position to help companies and their employees with retraining and upskilling programmes during these challenging times.”

Gail Hopper, Director of Children’s Services at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “We at Rochdale Borough Council are keen to support this pledge and the approach taken by Hopwood Hall College, who have continued to support and enable local people of all ages to learn and prepare for work.

“As we move forward during what has been a challenging time for many, we need to ensure people within our communities have access to the widest range of opportunities, coupled with the right support and guidance to develop, grow and learn new skills for employment.

“This is such an important time for Rochdale and together we can begin to build back better.”

Businesses that wish to join the pledge can do so by emailing employerservices@hopwood.ac.uk.

The full pledge can be read in the attached PDF.

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