Sir Vince Cable hails 'model FE College' following Campus tour
Sir Vince Cable believes his late father would be “massively proud” with how his old workplace has evolved into “a model FE college”.
The one-time Liberal Democrats leader and Coalition Government Cabinet Minister was the Guest Speaker at our Degree and Higher-Level Graduation Ceremony at York Minster on Thursday and then enjoyed a tour of the York College & University Centre Campus the following day.
Sir Vince was particularly interested in College’s £5.5million Construction and Skills Centre Extension, which opened earlier this year, with his dad having worked as a Bricklaying and Building Science tutor at our former Clifford Street site.
He also requested to see the Motor Vehicle Workshop and our York School of Art facilities, with his mother having studied Art at College.
Commenting on his tour, Sir Vince said: “It’s been a very heart-warming and incredibly informative visit. I came here partly because of the connection with my late father.
“He taught in the college’s building department 75 years ago on a slightly different scale and he would be massively proud of what the college has evolved into. This college is a real example of what you can achieve in FE (Further Education).
“If an institution is well-organised and geared around student needs and employer’s demands, you can achieve a great deal, which is clearly what the college is doing in York. I believe you have a model FE college.”
During his tour, Sir Vince met a group of apprentices who are combining tuition at College with working roles for property developers Barratt Homes, as well as a class of vocational carpentry students.
“Everything I have seen has been hands-on,” the former Secretary of State for Business and Trade said. “I’ve seen bricklaying and carpentry students learning on the job and, if Britain is going to grow and we are to get the revival in house building that the Government is promising, you need the people to do it, so I’m really glad to see lots of young people taking the courses and taking them seriously.
“We have a large number of youngsters in this country who are very talented but are much more comfortable doing things in a practical way, so it’s about recognising those strengths and giving them some dignity around that kind of work. The Graduation Ceremony I attended was very heart-warming in that respect, because I saw so many students who have progressed to advanced and degree level in the trades that are offered here.”
