Joseph Chamberlain College – An Outstanding Institution Anchored to 100+ Local Businesses
Situated in the centre of Birmingham, Joseph Chamberlain College – the region’s only outstanding sixth form – has devoted much time in the last two years to strengthening its relationships with local businesses and entrepreneurs. These relationships are not just a source of immense personal pride for members of staff; they have been recognised by the 2024 Ofsted report, which declared that Joseph Chamberlain is the first Sixth Form College in the country that is making a “strong contribution” (no higher attainment is possible) to the skills most locally and regionally valuable. Whether considered from the perspective of a student or an employer, Joseph Chamberlain College is a hub of opportunity. The roots that connect the college to the landscape of Birmingham commerce are mutually enriching: the talent flows in both directions, with many students proceeding to add to the lifeblood of the city’s economy.
One of the chief individuals responsible for planting these roots is Work Experience Manager, Trina Tiernan, who describes her department’s role by saying: “Everything we do is guided by the understanding that each student has their own unique skills, background and passions. Our personalised approach aims to bring confidence to students and expand their perceptions about the accessibility of certain careers.”
It is thanks to the efforts of Joseph Chamberlain’s Careers Team that business partnerships have been established with more than 100 local employers – a community affectionately recognised as part of the Joseph Chamberlain College Family. Many of these employers pay regular visits to the college to deliver guest lectures, lead workshops, and collaborate with students on live briefs for the purpose of illustrating how present learning will be translated into future use. Such experiences, in which the theoretical is made practical, have the power to incentivise students about the opportunities ahead.
An atmosphere of energy and enthusiasm is also noticeable outside these sessions. The 2024 Ofsted report states that Joseph Chamberlain College students possess: “highly positive attitudes and commitment to their education” and can make “substantial and sustained progress from their starting points” to reach their true potential. The inspection team’s assessment was that Joseph Chamberlain College is characterised by: “highly ambitious curriculums that are designed to enable all learners … to develop the knowledge, and skills they need for their next steps.” These skills are not exclusively academic. The college places additional emphasis, for instance, on the value of effective teamwork and communication, and the ways in which they both fuel successful project management.
Principal of the Joseph Chamberlain College, Tony Day, commented: “Our relationships with local businesses are indispensable in preparing students for future employment. After two years, our students leave the college excited about the path they have chosen and the destination to which it is leading them.”
Joseph Chamberlain College is currently seeking to support its students by providing opportunities for work experience, industry days and mentoring sessions. Interested employers or charities are encouraged to head to the college website: www.jcc.ac.uk or submit an email to wex@jcc.ac.uk.
