Dave Crew, Head of Business Growth and Employer Partnership
Dave Crew is the Head of Business Growth and Employer Partnership at Weston College.
Weston College is the largest further and higher education college in the West of England, rated outstanding by Ofsted, and recognised with regional and national awards including the Bristol Apprenticeship Provider of the Year and Queens Anniversary Prize for Education. Based in Weston-super-Mare, the College delivers education and training to learners and businesses across the West of England, and nationally, delivering its mission of creating brighter futures.
Tell us a little about your background.
I’ve been working in further education supporting businesses in Bristol/West of England for 12+ years, and before that had a career in HR and financial services.
Tell us about your business’ purpose and vision.
The purpose and vision of Weston College, as the largest further education in the West of England, is simple – creating brighter futures for our learners who each year, trust us to help them achieve their future ambitions. In addition, the College works very closely with employers and industry to deliver the training they need, building their future workforce and guiding employers with options to access funding.
Tell us about your Sustainability journey up to today.
I’ve been on a sustainability journey both personally and professionally in the past 12 months, especially since Covid. From avoiding plastic packaging, recycling, and reducing unnecessary journeys, and also adjusting the way we work during and following Covid with flexible, home working now the norm.
Tell us a little about the work your company is doing.
Weston College are supporting our 2000 strong business network to access training options, funding, support with business restructuring included redundancy support for staff, and working closely with partners to ensure employers have a skilled, resilient workforce for the future. In addition, we’ve transformed our College through online learning, ensuring students studying up to degree level have high-quality, digital and Covid safe face to face learning, so they can fulfil their potential.
What does being part of a community such as the Future Economy Network mean to you?
It means we’ll be part of a strong, regional business community focused on the sustainability agenda. A key agenda for us is connecting with leaders for other industries so we can continue evolving as a business and outstanding education provider, and the FEN gives us that opportunity.
Any resource that has helped you in your sustainability journey that you would like to share with our readership?
The Festival of Sustainable Business organised by the Network really opened our eyes to the resources and expertise available in the region. I was also delighted to speak at one of the events to highlight how Weston College is embedding sustainability and alternative building methods into our construction courses.
What does a Future Economy look like for you? (How do you see the future for sustainable businesses?)
The future economy for me looks like a business community, and economy, with sustainability part of the core vision of businesses and within our region. The way we live, work, travel, and co-exist, has to evolve, and I’m confident that it will, making our region a healthier, happier place to live, work and visit.
Anything else you would like to add?
Weston College is proud to be a member of the Future Economy Network and we’re looking forward to supporting businesses in the region to create a highly-skilled, resilient workforce for the future. Reach out to me or my team for advice and support – dave.crew@weston.ac.uk