Enterprising OCVC
At Oxford & Cherwell Valley College we are committed to helping our students prepare for a successful working life, and many are ambitious to run their own business when they have finished their studies.
At OCVC our students benefit from strong employer links and gain practical skills in industry-standard facilities. We offer wide range of skills-based courses and are the largest and most successful provider of apprenticeship training in Oxfordshire. We also offer courses which help our students to develop their business skills. Here are just a few examples of enterprising OCVC:
Employer Services
OCVC aims to provide outstanding service to our employer customers by being responsive to the needs of individual organisations and offering flexible and cost effective training solutions. We establish longstanding and mutually beneficial relationships with local employers and encourage their involvement in college activities.
The success of these aims can be demonstrated by OCVC becoming the first training provider in Oxfordshire to achieve the coveted Training Quality Standard (TQS) certification in June 2009.
Peter Jones Enterprise Academy
We are delighted to have been appointed as a hub for the PJEA, headed by Peter Jones of Dragon’s Den fame. The PJEA is the UKs first non-profit educational institution dedicated to teaching enterprise and entrepreneurship.
Foundation Degree in Business and Enterprise
In September 2011 we launched our Foundation Degree in Business and Enterprise. Developed in partnership with Oxford Brookes University and in consultation with local employers, it helps students to further their knowledge of enterprise and good management practice, preparing them to meet the challenges of the continually changing world of business.
Qualify with a Business course
This free course, which 19+ students can follow alongside their main course of study, helps them to get ready for a future as a successful entrepreneur. They earn from experts like Lee McQueen, a winner of The Apprentice, who now runs his own company, Raw Talent, and Mark Harris, Senior VP Global Chemicals, as well as Stephen Cunnell from Business Link South East.
Campus businesses
Our students gain direct experience of the world of work by training in our campus businesses. Members of the public, staff and students enjoy our successful restaurants and hair & beauty salons staffed by our students at Banbury and Oxford, experiencing great service at specially discounted prices.
Our Foundation Studies Store at Banbury, and the Tienda shop at Oxford provide meaningful work placements to students with learning difficulties and disabilities.