Business Secretary Vince Cable met some of the furniture makers of the future when he visited Oxford & Cherwell Valley College (OCVC) last Wednesday. The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills met students at the National School of Furniture – part of OCVC – as he visited providers of further and higher education in the city.
He toured the workshops to see how furniture is designed and made, and also discussed how the college’s partnerships with universities, such as Oxford Brookes and Bucks New University, are increasing access to higher education. He also met with college principal, Sally Dicketts, to find out how students are being made ready for employment. Sally explained how OCVC is developing a more commercial approach to education through the setting up of learning companies, and by helping students to develop the enterprise-related skills and behaviours demanded by today’s employers.
Vince Cable says: “Education and training are important for personal development and employment prospects. The college is a good example of how a closer relationship between education and employment can address this need. We believe that further education should be seen as an equal alternative to higher, but OCVC takes this a step further, by breaking down any misconceptions that the two are mutually exclusive.”
