City College Plymouth brought together civic leaders, industry partners and stakeholders on Friday 15 May for its ‘Opportunity Creators’ event – an important occasion to engage partners and stakeholders in shaping the College’s developing Strategic Intent and future direction.
Taking place at TR2 in Plymouth, the event focused on collaboration, consultation and shared ambition, as the College outlined its evolving priorities and invited feedback from employers, partners and the wider community on the next phase of its journey.
At the heart of the discussion was the College’s role as an ‘opportunity creator’ – creating meaningful opportunities for students, staff, employers and communities through high-quality education, skills development, inclusion and innovation.
The event included presentations from high-profile guests, who gave their perspectives on the impact of the College locally, regionally, nationally and internationally..
Speakers included Adrian Bratt, General Counsel & Chief People Officer at Princess Yachts; Ben Rhodes, South West Regional Director at the Confederation of British Industry; Rt. Hon Robert Halfon, Executive Director for Make UK; Rebecca Tomkinson, Agent General at the Department of Energy and Economic Diversification, Australia; and Richard Stevens, from the College’s Chair of Governors..
Guests acknowledged that we are living through a pivotal time for Plymouth and the South West, and a period of great change and opportunity – with City College leading the way. Following its recent designation as a Defence Technical Excellence College, the College is set to play an increasingly important national and international role in developing the highly skilled workforce required to support the UK’s defence capability and wider economic growth.
This recognition is strengthening partnerships, attracting investment and positioning both the College and the city at the forefront of technical education, innovation and workforce development.
The College’s developing Strategic Intent is centred around four connected strategic actions – Industrial Excellence, Professional Capabilities, Health & Inclusion, and Culture & Belonging. Together, these provide a framework for how the College intends to continue creating opportunity, responding to change and delivering impact for students, employers and communities.
Jackie Grubb, Chief Executive of City College Plymouth, said: “Today was not about launching a finished strategy, but about engaging openly with our valued partners and stakeholders as we shape the next phase of the College’s journey together. The strength of City College Plymouth has always come through collaboration, and we want our Strategic Intent to reflect the ambitions, opportunities and challenges of the communities and industries we serve. As such, we’re exceptionally grateful for the perspectives of our partners that we have heard today.
“We are entering a significant period of opportunity and transformation for Plymouth and the wider South West, and as the city’s anchor institution for skills, we have a responsibility not only to respond to that change, but to help shape it. Our role as opportunity creators is about making lives purposeful and fulfilled so people can grow and flourish.
“We believe that the future of Plymouth and our region is looking very bright indeed, and we’re proud to be working with so many innovative and passionate individuals and organisations to make it happen.”