RNN’s Recap of 2024
As we hurtle towards the end of 2024, it’s time for a quick look back on the year we’ve had at RNN Group.
And what a busy year it’s been for both students and staff. From awards and events to guest speakers and trips off campus, here’s a round up of what happened in 2024.
January
To start the year off with a bang, we launched our new monthly employer awards to recognise those businesses that support our students with apprenticeships, work placements and employer academies. Esh Construction were worthy winners of our very first employer award.
It was also a good start to the year for our T Level construction students at North Notts College who were awarded the CITB certification from the Construction Industry Training Board.
This covered three integral parts of construction: levelling, total stations, and robotic total stations.
February
In February, we celebrated National Apprenticeship Week, topped off with plumbing apprentice, Nathan Knowles winning the regional heat in the HiP Magazine Plumbing Learner of the Year.
There were also some big developments across our campus. New signage went up at University Centre Rotherham. While over at Dearne Valley campus we opened the new state-of-the-art health suite for our health science learners, complete with two AI mannequins and simulation hospital wards.
The sustainability team also planted 950 donated tree stems in the grounds at Dearne Valley to create a new wildlife corridor.
March
Higher Education was on the agenda in March as we launched our #mytime campaign to raise awareness of both University Centre Rotherham and the extensive range of HE courses available to adult learners. Thank you to the students past and present who shared their experiences for the campaign.
Our motor vehicle students at Dearne Valley College had a visit from Autotech Academy. And we celebrated National Careers Week across our campuses with events taking place throughout the week.
March also saw the launch of our quarterly business breakfast meetings at Business Centre Rotherham in conjunction with Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber.
April
After the Easter break, the spring term saw us celebrate Earth Day with plant-based menus, litter picks, pebble painting activities, and projects to make bird boxes.
We also hosted a T Level event at the Bridge Skills Hub with Bassetlaw District Council. Construction and surveying students were invited to see what job opportunities are available within the council.
North Notts joinery apprentice, Matt Lee, came third out of 27 students from across the region who took part in the Merlane Trophy carpentry competition.
And we welcomed stakeholders to Dearne Valley College’s business centre, 7 Enterprise Way, for an event to gather feedback on how we can improve our offer in 2025.
May
May saw students from across the Group recognised for their achievements.
Foundation degree graphic design student, Taleb Cherif, was named Inspirational Individual at Sheffield Hallam University’s Inspirational Student Awards.
Joinery apprentice, Matt Lee, scooped his second accolade in as many months by winning the regional heat of the SkillsBuild bench joinery competition.
Art students from University Centre Rotherham and Rotherham College were commissioned by National Rail to create 16 pieces of art for Rotherham Railway Station.
Our performing arts department held a musical theatre showcase to a packed-out audience at Rotherham College’s theatre.
And aviation students with high attendance won the chance to fly an aircraft from Nottingham Airport to Rotherham and back.
We also marked mental health awareness week with wellbeing walks, events and workshops, physical activity sessions, mini treatments, and mindfulness activities across all campuses.
June
We kicked the summer off with the launch of our new football programme in partnership with Momentous Football Academy. Based at Dearne Valley campus, trials started in June ahead of the course beginning in September.
We also announced a partnership with clean energy company, Aira, to offer new apprenticeships in green skills development.
Students were in for a busy summer as we worked towards the end of the academic year.
Business students from Rotherham College hosted an awards evening at The Wharnclffe Restaurant to raise money for Rotherham Hospice.
Protective services students from North Notts College went on a two-week placement at Holcombe Moor and Chetwynd barracks.
Dearne Valley plastering student, Warren, won learner of the year from the Thistle Plastering Partnership team.
And students on our Turing Scheme jetted off to Cyprus, France and Italy for an unforgettable three weeks of work experience in the sunshine.
Back here, we ended the summer term with two special events. At North Notts Campus, we held an Ibiza-themed awards and celebration event complete with a DJ, buckin’ broncho, hair braiding and temporary tattoos, photo booth, food and mocktails.
And over at Dearne Valley Campus it was the return of our summer festival, where we welcomed the public on site for a day of stalls, activities, food vendors and live music.
July and August
Our campuses might have been closed to students during the summer break. But learning didn’t end. We ran a successful adult summer school, with lots of free courses taking place at all three College campuses for adults over 19.
Also over the summer, three of our students were recognised at this year’s Rotherham Advertiser Apprenticeship Awards. Idris Muneer won the Supported Internship Award for his placement at Rotherham Council, business administration apprentice at Rotherham Council, Abeer Asad, won Apprentice of the Year – Advanced category, and James Stretton, a joinery apprentice at Equans, was highly commended in the intermediate category.
As the summer ended, it was great to welcome lots of new faces to our enrolment events ahead of the new academic year.
September
It was back to college in September for hundreds of learners across all our sites.
This year, we ran eight weeks of welcome events to help our new students settle in. Each week of the first half term had a different theme, from careers to skills and wellbeing. It was great to see so many of our students taking part.
Students on our FLEX programme also had a memorable start to the academic year. They made and served lunch to the elderly community in Dinnington, dishing up a tasty shepherd’s pie and cheesecake to the luncheon club.
There were also Macmillan Coffee Morning events that took place at North Notts Campus and The Wharncliffe Restaurant to raise money for the cancer support charity.
October
October saw the launch of our new Skills for Employment programme open to all learners at RNN Group. By taking part, students can work towards certification in ten job-related skills that employers are looking for, such as leadership, problem solving and time management.
We also welcomed various guest speakers to share insights into their careers with our students. Hairdressing students at Rotherham College had a talk and demo from Simon Shaw, global artists director of Wahl Professional.
Fashion design students had workshops with Retribe Sustainable Fashion and former fashion student, Emma Briggs. And esports students at Dearne Valley College were presented with certificates from Kalam Neale, the head of education at British Esports, for passing level 2 of the leadership skill foundation.
Other departments went on trips in October: protective services at North Notts went to Leeds Armouries; and Early Years and Education, also from North Notts, attended a two-day forest school adventure at Blyth Tournament Ground.
And our FLEX students from Rotherham College welcomed their families and friends to campus with their annual celebration coffee morning. These learners sent out invites, designed menus, baked treats, and served their guests on the day.
November
November was a busy and exciting month at RNN Group.
We launched a new counselling service for North Notts students and announced a pioneering apprenticeship in low carbon heating, the first of its kind.
Catering student Theo Battersby won silver at the WorldSkillsUK final, while media hair and makeup student Jaimee Medley also made it through to the final.
Health science student, Samantha Osborne, was presented with the nursing bursary from Rotherham Sitwell Rotary Club.
Seven of our catering and hospitality students from Rotherham College were chosen to go to Birmingham to support the lunch and banquet service at this year’s Association of Colleges (AoC) annual conference and exhibition.
Kind-hearted crafters on our community crochet course made 37 pairs of comfort hearts. These were donated to Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity who will give them out to people who are grieving their loved ones.
And the month culminated in a very busy day at the AESSEAL New York Stadium for our graduation event and inaugural employers award celebration. Over 100 graduands from across the Group collected their Higher Education qualifications in the morning at the graduation event, joined by the family and friends in the audience.
Then in the evening, we welcomed over 100 people from our stakeholders, employer academies and corporate network for a special awards night. There were ten awards up for grabs and another ten businesses were recognised as highly commended. The first awards event was a great success and we hope it will be back in 2025.
December
As thoughts turned to Christmas, many of our students organised their own festivities and took gave back to the community for the season of goodwill.
FLEX students at North Notts College hosted a Christmas market selling personalised gifts, Christmas decorations and handmade treats. They raised £328 which will go towards a group trip in 2025.
Students at Dearne Valley College also organised a festive fundraiser for Christmas Jumper Day, with stalls by FLEX and animal care students selling handmade items and bric-a-brac. We raised money for Mission Christmas, Save the Children, and a group trip for our FLEX learners in 2025.
Five of our early years and education students from North Notts College volunteered at Bassetlaw’s From The Heart Charity, packing toys for disadvantaged children. While their fellow early years and education students at Rotherham College raised £240 from a Christmas stall. This was donated to Rotherham Hospice’s Sunbeams project which provides bereavement support for children and young people.
And finally, Rotherham College graphic design student, Izzy Taylor, won the Mayor of South, Oliver Coppard’s Christmas card design competition. Izzy’s winning design, which features a Yorkshire pudding, will feature on this year’s cards, with Izzy also winning £250 to spend on art supplies.
We’re proud of everything our students and staff have achieved this year and look forward to all that’s to come in 2025.
Wishing you all Merry Christmas and a healthy and Happy New Year.