Activate Learning and CIFAL Surrey have begun a new partnership to strengthen sustainability leadership, bringing together two anchor institutions with a shared commitment to the communities and employers they serve in Surrey.
Activate Learning serves West Surrey through Guildford College, Farnham College and Merrist Wood College and University Centre. The partnership connects its experience in education and employer training with the University’s research expertise and international sustainability networks.
Activate Learning’s Group Executive Team has completed its Sustainability for Strategic Decision Makers programme, marking an early milestone in the relationship.
The programme is accredited through CIFAL Surrey, the University of Surrey’s international training centre, based within its Institute for Sustainability, and affiliated with UNITAR (the United Nations Institute for Teaching and Research).
The partnership centres on two complementary programmes that connect sustainability leadership with practical action in the workplace, Sustainability for Strategic Decision Makers and the Skills Bootcamp in Sustainability and Carbon Management.
The first is a programme to help senior leaders embed sustainability in organisational strategy, exploring topics including the circular economy, biodiversity and ethical supply chains.
The Skills Bootcamp in Sustainability and Carbon Management develops the practical knowledge and skills participants need to put carbon reduction plans into action within their organisations. Together, the programmes help employers connect the decisions taken at leadership level with the skills needed across their workforce to deliver their sustainability ambitions.
Gary Headland DL, Chief Executive Officer of Activate Learning, said: “Bringing Activate Learning and the University of Surrey together as anchor partners is strategically important for our organisations and for the communities we serve.
“Combining our relationships with learners and employers with the University’s research expertise and international connections gives us a strong foundation for working together on the sustainability challenges facing our region.
“Senior leaders need the knowledge and confidence to lead with intent and purpose on sustainability. That means understanding the consequences of our decisions, making clear choices about where we invest and taking responsibility for the progress we make.
“Completing this programme together gives our executive team a shared basis for putting that into practice as we deliver our Extraordinary Learning 2025–2030 strategy.”
Professor Amelia Hadfield, Director of CIFAL Surrey and Co-Director of the Institute for Sustainability at the University of Surrey, said: “Education as a whole is supreme importance to UNITAR, and the role of CIFAL centres like CIFAL Surrey are hubs bringing together higher education, further education, as well as training options, particularly with local stakeholders.
“CIFAL’s capacity-building philosophy is strongly aligned with local partners here in Guildford College but cutting-edge learning leaders like Activate Learning.
“Activate Learning has a fantastic reputation. They’re flexible and responsive to the current needs of young people. They understand the current skills crisis and employment challenges.
“CIFAL Surrey is really proud to be working with Activate Learning, who are an education champions, just like the University of Surrey.”
CIFAL Surrey is part of a global network of training centres coordinated by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), supporting leaders to put the UN Sustainable Development Goals into practice.
The partnership also includes accreditation of Activate Learning’s Skills Bootcamp in Sustainability and Carbon Management. Participants completing either of the accredited programmes receive a UNITAR CIFAL Surrey gold certificate of completion.
Sue Sturgeon, Chair of Governors at Activate Learning, said: “As governors, our responsibility is to look beyond immediate pressures and consider the organisation we are building for future generations of learners. Sustainability needs to inform that judgement, with clear priorities and accountability for delivery.
“Our senior leaders are showing that the commitment to learning we ask of our students applies equally to those leading the organisation. I welcome this partnership with the University of Surrey and the opportunities it creates for our communities.”
Completing the programme also makes all members of the Group Executive Team Activate Learning alumni, underlining the group’s belief that learning continues at every stage of a career, including at the most senior levels.
Find out more about Sustainability for Strategic Decision Makers and the Skills Bootcamp in Sustainability and Carbon Management at Activate Learning’s website.