Milton Keynes College Group is running informal courses for people who struggle with the digital world to beat online scammers and to stay in touch with friends and family.

The sessions take place at the South Central Institute of Technology in Bletchley on Mondays and various other local community venues within Milton Keynes. They are open to anyone who is struggling with their phones, ipads or any other digital device. 

74 year old Maureen Gibbons says when she came to the classes she had very limited knowledge.  “The world has changed so much.  It’s like learning a new language, I couldn’t have told you what a browser was before.  The sessions have been so helpful.  They keep it simple.  It’s not a big class so you can ask if you’re stuck.  Everybody here is at a different stage of their adventure with it, but we all know we need to have it.”

The Group’s Project Director for Adult Learning is Di Cook, who says the sessions are very relaxed and friendly, and led by the problems people face in real life.  She says, “People ask us how to use their banking apps, how to book doctor’s appointments, getting onto What’s App or just sending and receiving text messages and calls.  It may seem obvious to a lot of people, but if you don’t know these things you just don’t know, and it can be very isolating for those who feel left behind.”

The problems people want solving are all discussed over a cuppa and some biscuits in what has become a social event as well as a learning one.

Di says, “We have people coming along who are quite elderly and they’re making friends, which is really lovely to see.  There are some great benefits for many of them.  We had one lady who, now she has the skills, has got back in touch with a friend who moved abroad years ago.  We’ve had people who haven’t been to the doctor when they’ve needed to because they didn’t understand how to book an online appointment.  We’ve had people who’ve been scammed and we’ve taught them how to avoid it happening in future.  From online shopping to watching films, they want to know how to do the things the rest of us take for granted.”

“With the speed of technological change, it’s so easy for people to get left behind.  Tea and tech gives them the chance to do a bit of catching up, and it’s great to see their confidence building as they realise they can do it.”

The courses are free, and anyone who wants to come along or to find out more should call 07961 504476.

14 female students from MK College took part in a week-long work experience event with Steven Eagell Group, Europe’s leading Toyota and Lexus retailer. The event was held to inspire female students to pursue a career in the automotive industry, highlighting the benefits of working in this dynamic and fast-evolving sector. 

The week kicked off with a workshop hosted at Steven Eagell Group head office. The students experienced a deep dive into the Steven Eagell Group and listened to talks from and engaged in a Q&A with female members of staff working for the Group, as well as taking part in a Careers Workshop where they received advice on interview skills, CVs, LinkedIn and much more.  

The students then visited the company’s Lexus Milton Keynes dealership, where they received a tour of the branch, experienced some of the brand’s latest models and took part in a range of interactive games and activities designed to develop and test their knowledge.  

For the remainder of the week, the students took part in work experience placements in different departments across the business, including marketing, accounts and customer services, as well as in sales and service roles at the company’s Toyota and Lexus branches. The work experience placements enabled the students to gain hands-on experience, while developing their skills, knowledge and understanding.  

The Steven Eagell Group Work Experience Week was held as part of the Automotive 30% Club’s Work Experience for Women campaign, in which members each developed their own initiatives to provide work experience opportunities to women. The campaign aims to encourage women into roles not previously considered, increase their confidence and dispel myths about working in the automotive industry.  

Gary Smith, Managing Director of Steven Eagell Group, commented: “We were thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome 14 talented young women from MK College into our business, providing them with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and explore the wide variety of opportunities available in the sector.  

“We’re committed to continuing to work towards creating a business that attracts, retains and nurtures the top female talent in the industry, fostering a diverse workforce that’s better equipped to meet the challenges of the future. To achieve this, it’s vital that we play our part in reshaping the perception of the automotive industry, while demonstrating to young women just starting out in their careers that this is a sector in which they can thrive. This was our first event of this kind and we hope it has inspired those who attended to consider pursuing a career at Steven Eagell Group.” 

Jim Nowell from Milton Keynes College commented: “At Milton Keynes College, we’re committed to delivering Fairer Futures so when Steven Eagell Group approached us to take part in their initiative to encourage more women and girls to consider careers in the automotive industry, we were very excited to take part. Our students were thoroughly engaged in learning about the Steven Eagell Group, the wider automotive industry and the individual departments for their placements. We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone at Steven Eagell Group for involving the College in this fantastic initiative, and we hope we can work together again very soon”.

Milton Keynes College Group has opened a new hi-tech Green Skills Centre to provide the experts needed to install energy storage systems, electric car charge points and solar panels. 

Milton Keynes Central MP, Emily Darlington, cut the ribbon on the new centre at the Group’s Chaffron Way campus, saying that it would train precisely the skills the city and country needs to meet net zero climate change targets. 

She said, “We are planning to build 1.5 million new homes to higher energy standards, but also there are 25 million existing homes across the UK that are going to need retrofitting.  This is so timely as it means we can help businesses get the skills they need and it’s absolutely the right thing to be doing.  I’m so excited and I think you’re going to have lots of demand.  We know how much green issues matter to young people who’ll want a career in this, so it’s huge for those looking to retrain, and a chance for young people coming up who want those cutting-edge skills that are going to help us as a country deliver the homes we need, deliver them warm enough and save on our energy bills.” 

The centre was built with funding from the Local Skills Improvement Fund.  Research in the city found what knowledge and expertise companies are crying out for if they’re to play their part in the green revolution, and the three skillsets on offer were those they most need. 

Head of School for Engineering and Construction at MK College, Clifford Clarke, says, “A lot of these installations need two or three trades people with different skills, making them more complicated and expensive for consumers.  What we’re doing is showing people how to carry out the entire job to a high standard.  We’re looking at employers and electrical professionals looking to expand into these more sustainable areas of the sector.  They can sign up for one course, two or even all three, as we know all the skills we’re teaching are going to be in increasingly high demand.” 

MK College Group CEO and Principal, Sally Alexander, says the Green Skills Centre has been designed specifically to meet local need with lots of input from businesses already working in the sector.  As the centre expands its offering there will be further talks with employers to make sure everything taught is in line with those requirements. 

“By bringing in local businesses such as SJD Electrical Contractors & Engineers, and Eden Solar And EV in the design of our courses we know we’ll be teaching in-demand green technologies.  MK College Group is committed to delivering Fairer Futures, not only for our learners and wider communities, but also for our environment.  What’s more, the centre itself has been designed with climate change in mind.  A wastewater system collects rainwater for use by our Horticulture students, and there’s a machine to turn sawdust – leftover from our carpentry students’ classes – into pellets, which will be used in the biomass boiler in the Green Skills Centre.  The boiler will be used to train students to use domestic heating control systems to cut energy consumption.” 

It’s hoped the green improvements made as a result of the skills learnt at the centre will not just help nationally, but also support Milton Keynes City Council’s local sustainability targets. 

Sally Alexander added: “While the courses we’ll be delivering at the Green Skills Centre will initially be targeted towards existing professionals, we’re hoping to expand our offering to a wider range of learners in the future, enabling us to support our wider communities with preparing for a more sustainable future”. 

To find out more about MK College Group’s Green Skills Centre, visit Green Skills Centre – MK College