NPTC Group of Colleges’ Human Resources team is feeling extremely proud after hearing they have been shortlisted for a prestigious TES Award.
The team have been named as one of the best Professional Services Teams in the UK, for its hugely successful ‘Supporting Mental Health Initiative’ (part of the Wellness at Work Programme).
The Professional Services Team of the Year Award recognises the commitment of teams that work tirelessly behind the scenes at colleges and FE providers to improve practice in the sector and enhance the performance of its organisation as a whole.
The aim of the HR team’s initiative was to create a working environment where health and wellbeing were at the core of the College and remove the stigma around mental health. The College worked to empower employees to discuss mental health so invested in training managers to have the confidence and skills to communicate with their teams as well as creating a team of dedicated Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA’s) across the organisation.
A programme of activities such as yoga, tai chi, mindfulness and art therapy sessions were introduced with dedicated staff inset days so that all staff (support and teaching) had an opportunity to take part.
As a result, there has been a significant increase in employees feeling valued and staff believe that the College genuinely cares about their welfare. On top of this the College maintained it’s outstanding pass rate of 99.9% demonstrating that staff are giving their best to students.
TES is a global education business which started in print more than 100 years ago as The Times Educational Supplement. Fast forward to today and they’ve grown in partnership with teachers and schools around the world to become one of the largest, professional digital communities, connecting and working with 25,000 schools in more than 100 countries, supporting more than 13 million educators globally.
The TES Awards look to celebrate and reward the dedication and expertise of the people and teams who continue to make a significant contribution to improving the skill levels of young people and adult learners in the UK.
NPTC Group of Colleges will now join Colleges and training providers from across the UK for a high profile gala awards ceremony at The Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London in March where the winners will be revealed.
NPTC Group of Colleges Principal Mark Dacey who was thrilled at the announcement said:
“NPTC Group of Colleges is a special place to work and learn thanks to the many staff who go that extra mile. As an organisation, we take mental health very seriously and are committed to removing the stigma.
It’s only fitting that our dedicated HR team have been recognised for their commitment to staff, providing so many initiatives and opportunities for staff to develop their skills, progress in their careers, feel valued and create a feeling of community within the college.”
HR Manager Melanie Dunbar added ”It feels wonderful to be recognised by the TES Awards, it’s testament to all the hard work and dedication of not just the HR team but all the College staff who have embraced initiatives and made the College such a positive place to work and study”.
