FE Week Reporter | FE Week

How to make your career blossom

Several past WorldSkills UK competitors were among the gold medal winners at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, writes Joseph Massie. The Chelsea Flower Show celebrated its centenary this year, but 2013 should also be remembered for the high numbers of WorldSkills UK alumni taking part in the annual event. I was competing for RHS Young […]

Let’s get down to business

The FE sector and business are failing to lay the foundations for tomorrow’s innovative workforce, says Sandra O’Neill. Too many young people are leaving college without the knowledge, awareness and aptitude for business and entrepreneurialism that is vital to employers and to creating the future business leaders that our economy needs. As the first cohort […]

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‘I did a little jump for joy’

Vanessa Ward tells Rebecca Cooney why achieving a place to study midwifery is the stuff of dreams A Middlesbrough College student who was saved by the skills of midwives is set to become a midwife herself. Level three BTec in healthcare student Vanessa Ward, 18, was one of 50 from around 1,000 applicants to be […]

Success on a (bronze) plate

More than 700 budding Gordon Ramsays from colleges and hotels across the UK competed at Wessex Salon Culinaire 2013 last month. Among the winners at the event, hosted by Hampshire’s Brockenhurst College, was Richmond upon Thames College level two student Freddie Davis, 17, from Roehampton. He won a bronze medal, while part-time level two student […]

What a difference a day makes

Apprentices from Fujitsu celebrated National Learning at Work Day at an evening reception in London attended by Skills Minister Matthew Hancock. The day encourages employers to provide workplace training for their employees, including one-off taster sessions. Apprentice Kirk Hay, 22, said: “Learning and working at the same time has been very good, just because of […]

Tall orders for trainee chefs

Trainee chefs from Barking & Dagenham College cooked for 450 people, including their mayor and mayor-elect, during a ‘mayor-making’ weekend. The 15 students served a hot and cold buffet for 150 guests at a ceremonial council meeting, where current Barking and Dagenham Mayor Anthony Ramsay, handed over to Councillor Hardial Singh Rai. They also prepared […]

Thumbs up from the Barnsley Bard

Ian McMillan, the Barnsley Bard, popped into a Yorkshire College to speak at an event organised by students. The poet, playwright and broadcaster entertained around 60 people at Doncaster College with anecdotes and readings. The event was organised by English BA students Emma Carlyle, Jade Fisher, Laura Mason and David Powney as part of an […]

Brush strokes in Ebbw Vale

Hairdressing students in Wales have swapped brushes in a bid to renovate a cricket club’s grounds. More than 130 hairdressing, construction and A-level students from Coleg Gwent spent two months painting, sweeping, clearing and planting shrubs at the Ebbw Vale Cricket Club. Coleg Gwent lecturer Tracey Waterhouse said: “We’re proud of their efforts in achieving […]