East Kent College

Maxim goes further

Brief

• Reinforce East Kent College’s (EKC) reputation as a high-quality provider of education and training for the region.
• Reach out to the business community of east Kent and ensure they recognise the commercial value of the training provided by EKC – and use the services on offer.

Results and highlights

• In March 2013, East Kent College’s Ofsted report stated: ‘Highly effective and inclusive leadership puts learners first in the priorities and management of the college. Leaders and managers relentlessly and successfully promote a vision and strategies, fully supported by staff, to improve the prosperity and wellbeing of the college’s local communities.’ The college is recognised as an Investor in People Gold, and has just secured Beacon status. Communicating these important achievements, alongside other positive developments at the college, is at the heart of the work undertaken by Maxim with stakeholders and the media.
• EKC has a strong brand and its management team has secured significant funding to help strengthen the training on offer, including Kent’s only Centre for Environmental Technologies (£6.5m); the £3.3m Centre for Creative Studies; and £10m bid to transform the Yarrow Building into a training hotel to support the area’s tourism, leisure and hospitality industry.
• Each of these investments presents an opportunity to engage with the local community, businesses and important stakeholders, such as the local MPs, South East Local Economic Partnership, and local authorities.
• Highlighting EKC’s partnership with business has seen Maxim promote the new welding training with Cummins Power Generation, resulting in coverage on BBC South East Today.
• EKC has also bid to operate K College’s campuses in Shepway and Dover, which, if successful, will offer significant opportunities to extend the training on offer in east Kent for residents and businesses.