Welcome to BCOT

What makes BCOT special? Well, it is undoubtedly a place of opportunity. Not only for the growing number of students who enrol on our courses each year – this year 10,000 of them – but for you, a potential new member of staff.

A general further education college with a superb reputation and first-class facilities, we currently have two CoVEs (Centres of Vocational Excellence) in Construction & Interior Skills and in Retail & Associated Logistics. Our mission is to provide ‘success through learning’. We aim to find flexible and innovative ways school leavers, local employers and those with disabilities, work and/or family commitments can benefit from BCOT’s fantastic range of courses.

In addition to our main campus in Worting Road, we have an outreach IT Community Learning Centre, additional Construction premises and an employer-focused Engineering Training Centre. Our commitment to making education accessible to everyone is evident in the adult education programmes we operate within local secondary schools/other centres.

BCOT is committed to providing a safe environment in which everyone, including children, young people and vulnerable adults, can develop educationally, socially and emotionally, free from abuse. We expect all members of staff to share this commitment.

The college has been a valued part of the local community for over 50 years and we pride ourselves on keeping post-16 education at the forefront of local agendas by means of the college’s extensive links with industry and commerce, and its community networks.

Any organisation is only as good as its staff

It’s our motivated, committed workforce that makes BCOT special and as an “Investor in People” we provide supportive leadership in an environment driven by teamwork and shared values. Workforce development is essential to our long-term success and an active Professional Development Programme caters for every training need.

At BCOT, everyone benefits

What are the other benefits of working for BCOT? Well, there’s free car parking, a generous holiday entitlement, an excellent pension scheme and an enviable location near to the centre of town which includes Festival Place (a multi-million pound shopping centre), cultural venues such as the Anvil Concert Hall and Haymarket Theatre, glorious parks and many attractive public spaces. Access to the town is supported by excellent road and rail links, and in no time at all you’re in London or enjoying the beautiful Hampshire countryside.

Staff are encouraged to access the college’s professional, commercially-run, training environments. You can relax and pamper yourself in the Evolve Hair and Beauty Salons or dine in the Robert Newman Restaurant. If you’re a parent with pre-school children, a college crèche, which was recently judged by OFSTED to be “outstanding”, is also available.

The future of BCOT

The College has a culture of commitment to continuous improvement, recognising the importance of high quality, up-to-date provision which meets the needs of its constituents. We are continually reviewing courses and proactive in our research and needs analysis for new programmes. We offer vocational and academic courses (including some higher education), apprenticeships and work with the schools on the 14-16/19 agenda. We have two Train to Gain contracts and a discrete Business Unit leads on work with employers, much of which takes place on employer premises.

Courses are flexible to working needs and family commitments and come in a range of attendance and distance learning options. The College plays a significant and positive role in supporting and developing the economic and social environment in which it operates. It has been successful in attracting funding from an array of sources. Collaborative activities are highly valued, including partnerships with organisations which support people to define their learning needs. Once with the college, we focus on helping learners achieve their individual goals – on course, progression to further education/training and/or achieving employment.

College facilities include curriculum-specific workshops, individual study areas, a Learning Resources Centre and personal computers with individual email accounts. Student Services are located together in a ‘student zone’; whilst refectory services, offering snacks and hot and cold meals can be accessed in both areas of the main campus.