Furkan Uddin

About Furkan

Tell us about your journey with Bradford College?

I began my journey in Bradford College over 3 years ago as the Head of Professional Services and Leisure. I was honoured to have the responsibility to lead a diverse provision across multiple campuses and lead on college-wide projects. I have recently been promoted to Assistant Principal at Bradford College with a remit of Skills, Young People and SEND.

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What does a typical working day at Bradford College look for you?

No day is the same! My days are so varied which makes each day interesting. I could be involved in celebrating student/staff achievements to collaborating with external stakeholders, to coaching & mentoring colleagues, to deliver a presentation on sector reforms and then to dealing with an urgent student issue – all on the same day! Occasionally, my days do include some wellbeing activities at the renowned Signature salons at Bradford College.

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How did you first get intoEducation? Where did you start out?

I found my calling in education 18 years ago as a teacher in Business Studies, I’ve never looked back since. I studied A-Level at a sixth form college so I thought my teaching experience would be similar to how I was taught – I was wrong! As soon as I started teaching on vocational programmes, I was overwhelmed with how students develop confidence and skills and were so articulate in applying their learning in real life situations. As a teacher I was able to bring the subject to life through practical and real scenarios.

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How has Bradford College helped you develop and progress?

Bradford College has allowed me to be me. A phrase I heard when I first joined was ‘few rules, clear boundaries’. There is no one right way of doing something which meant I was able to take ownership and drive purposeful change with my students at the centre of my decision-making process. The autonomy to make the role your own is empowering. You have the opportunity to develop new skills and learn from experts. There are always people willing to support your development – you just need to take a proactive approach.

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What do you enjoy most about your role and working at Bradford College?

I am passionate about creating better opportunities for young people particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. I see a lot of myself in the students. I was fortunate to have some amazing people guide me and now in my role I am able to create opportunities to positively transform lives through sharing my learning and experiences.

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How do you feel BradfordnCollege promotes diversity in the workplace?

Bradford is a beautifully vibrant, dynamic, diverse and often misunderstood city. Being one of UK’s youngest cities and the city of culture 2025, the limelight has really shone over Bradford showcasing how amazing we actually are. This is also reflected in Bradford College. Our college reflects our community and champions social mobility which enables us to support creating a thriving economy. The college has a widespread of wellbeing activities and celebrations to ensure that all students and staff feel a sense of belonging. An example is our student led grand iftar meal during Ramadan which has been overwhelmingly popular with the local communities.

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How would you describe working at Bradford College to someone looking at applying for a role with us?

Bradford College is a fabulous place to work. We have high expectations for our students with a common mission to work together to transform lives. Colleagues at the college live and breathe this ethos regardless of what role they undertake. We are passionate in getting the best out of our students as well as our staff. We like to do things a little differently here so there will be plenty of opportunities to grow as an individual and thrive.