Shipley College

A large SDG impact in the smallest FE College

Shipley College is one of, if not the smallest general FE colleges in the UK. We started our “green journey” back in the 1990s, however, we wanted to make 2023 the year of the SDGs.

 Shipley College has therefore been leading on an SDG training project with the West Yorkshire Consortium of College. Throughout the year we have provided technical guidance and mentorship to other colleges around the West Yorkshire Region.

Seven colleges participated in the project and a small selection of SDG champions undertook an SDG training session, facilitated by Shipley College. The SDG champions then had the knowledge and understanding to cascade the training to other staff and students in their colleges.

Each college has taken a bespoke approach, which means that colleges have created an ongoing impact on the majority of the SDGs. To date, more than 2,000 staff and students have gained an understanding of the SDGs.

What the Judges Thought

This project by Shipley College stands out as exceptional for its impactful leadership in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) training. It is a great example of a collaborative initiative which has led to impact being demonstrated across the sector. It is applicable and could create great impact for the sector due to it's cascading model of empowerment and knowledge transfer and could have the potential to support many more in creating meaningful and ongoing impact on the SDG's ahead of their 2030 timeframe. 

What it Means to Win

"Working in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Saltaire, we cherish our history and safeguard its future by nurturing the next generation of ‘SDG difference makers’. It’s with immense pride that we accept this award on behalf of our students, staff and employer partners – whose selfless actions made this possible."

Greg O’Shea, Vice Principal - Curriculum and Quality

Top 3 Learnings

1. Colleges are not in competition to make the future more sustainable - Lets share best practices!
2. Making impactful change does not require loads of money, it requires collaboration and dedication!
3. Small colleges can make a great impact!