Embracing an innovative way of learning has helped Nelson and Colne College’s apprenticeship team become one of the country’s first colleges to receive a Gold Smart Assessor accreditation.
The College’s apprentices have been using Smart Assessor e-portfolio software for the past two years for online teaching and assessment. The software allows apprentices to use web cams to work remotely with their assessors in smart rooms, record every detail of their learning journey, keep track of their progress and share it with their employer.
With almost 400 apprentices at the College this year, the Smart Assessor software has significantly reduced the amount of paperwork needing to be completed, helping the College achieve its ambitious sustainability targets.
“It is a fantastic achievement to be one of the first colleges in the country to receive this Gold accreditation,” said Debbie Howard, Work-based Learning Manager for the college.
“Our apprentices and apprenticeship team have loved using the Smart Assessor software because it allows the apprentices to take charge of their own learning journeys and assessors to eliminate a lot of paperwork and administration from their roles.
“The software is also highly regarded by Ofsted and external verifiers, so we can now work more efficiently with inspectors as they can access all of our records remotely whenever they need to. We are excited about future plans for all assessors to be awarded individual accreditations by Smart Assessor and it is our next aim for all of our team to be amongst the first to receive these awards.”
Government data shows that Nelson and Colne College is the third in the country for 16 – 18 year old apprenticeship success. Its Apprenticeship Academy has an excellent relationship with local businesses and a reputation for providing the local workforce with the next generation of highly-trained, professional employees.
To find out more about Apprenticeships at Nelson and Colne College or apply for current vacancies call 01282 440 317.
