Memorial fund helps paint bright future for artist Tom

A art student has been awarded £500 from a fund set up in memory of a talented Nottinghamshire artist.

Tom Trueman, aged 18, who is studying for a foundation diploma in art and design at New College Nottingham, submitted a range of his paintings to prove his promise as an artist, when applying for a grant from the Joan Oliver Fund, which is distributed through the Nottinghamshire Community Foundation.

He impressed Brian Oliver, who set up the fund to help young artists in memory of wife Joan, who died six years ago, and was given £500 to help progress his career.
Tom said: “I feel very privileged to receive the fund, it means I will be able to continue doing what I love.

“Hopefully with time and practise I can start selling my artwork. It’s not about a hobby or a career, it really is a way of life for me.”

Campus-Banner-template

Seeds of wisdom shared by top florist

Award-winning florist Joseph Massie shared his seeds of wisdom with students of Hugh BairdCollege.

Mr Massie won five consecutive gold medals for floral design and four best in show awards at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show between 2009 and 2013.

He held a masterclass with level one, two and three floristry students at the Liverpool-based college, to help them prepare for the regional heats of the RHS’s young florist of the year competition taking place next month. He showed them how to create a floral collar, made from a variety of flowers including lilacs, orchids and chincherinchees.

Mr Massie said: “The standard of work the students produced exceeded my expectations. They have shown incredible creativity and a real flair for the art of floral design.”

Campus-Banner-template

Jermain delighted to be on will.i.am’s team for The Voice

A former Sir George Monoux College student has been selected to be part of R&B star will.i.am’s team on BBC talent show the Voice.

Jermain Jackman, aged 19, who gained top grades in BTec music at the East London-based college, sang And I Am Telling You by Jennifer Hudson to impress the coaches.

Jermain’s admiration for will.i.am inspired him to audition for the Voice.

He said: “He is one of my favourite artists, so when he was the only coach to turn around for me it felt like fate.”

Louisa Kennedy, course leader of creative performing arts at the college, said: “Jermain is a very motivated young man and an excellent role model for young people. We are all so proud of him.”

Jermain completed his BTec in July last year, but was presented with the college’s Music Student of the Year Award and the Rising Star Award earlier this month.

Campus-Banner-template

Pulling together during sponsored 24-hour rowathon

Students and staff at Stratford-upon-Avon College raised more than £1,000 for local charity SW Heart after completing a gruelling 24-hour rowing challenge.

The event was organised by BTec level three national extended diploma in uniformed public services students, who were joined by learners studying other courses and college staff in completing a combined total of 346 miles on rowing machines. It took place in the college’s Oasis Café, with students rowing through the night.

Steve Wadley, lecturer and event co-ordinator, said: “I am delighted with all the effort put in throughout a very tough 24-hour period. I
would like to thank everone who helped make the event a great success.”

SW Heart, which is based in Warwickshire, supports of heart patients and their families.

Campus-Banner-template

 

Promising rugby players pass the England test

Two talented members of the East Durham College rugby scholarship programme passed through trials for the England college rugby squad.

Lee Little, a second row lock, and Liam Armstrong, who plays in the back row, travelled to Telford, Shropshire, to represent the North of England Colleges’ rugby team in a series of matches against college representative sides from the Midlands and the South East.

The games also acted as trials for the England college squad’s 37-man squad and the 18-year-olds were both selected.

They now hope to play in upcoming matches against the Welsh Charitables, an under-20 colleges and schools representative side, and the Irish Exiles, another under-20 colleges and schools’ representative side.

Lee said: “I can’t wait to meet with the national squad.

“I’m really nervous, but I am sure it will be a fantastic experience.”

Campus-Banner-template

Getting rolling with Starlight Express

Former Starlight Express star Gavin Ashbarry told arts students how he got his musical career rolling during a visit to South Thames College.

The actor recalled how he travelled the world from 2001 to 2013 playing Dustin the steam engine in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, which was a particularly difficult role as he had to sing and dance while roller skating.

He also spoke about training requirements and life on tour for a musical theater performer.

Sarah Slade, performing arts tutor at the college, said: “Gavin gave a real insight into what it is like working within the industry today, the highs, the lows and how fun it can be.

“The whole visit left students feeling motivated and inspired. It is proof of how important it is to relate industry experience to our courses to help students understand how their studies connect to their future ambitions.”

Mr Ashbarry is now preparing to play the cowardly lion in a production of the Wizard of Oz in Dubai in April.

Campus-web-banner

Government announces nuclear college plans

The nuclear industry looks set to benefit from the country’s second new college in 21 years, Skills Minister Matthew Hancock has announced.

Speaking at the PoliticsHome Skills Summit in London today, he said the college could “provide the specialist, advanced skills” for the industry.

It comes just weeks after the government unveiled proposals to create a new college, the first since colleges were incorporated in 1993, to support the engineering skills needed for the new HS2 rail project.

“In the next 20 years, some £930bn will be spent across the world on new reactors — and £250bn on decommissioning old ones. In Britain alone, 40,000 jobs could be created,” said Mr Hancock.

“So the new college will build on the industry’s work — and provide the specialist, advanced skills to meet that demand — and then sell that expertise to the world.”

Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, manager director of EDF Energy New Nuclear Build, said: “Today’s announcement of a proposed elite college for nuclear skills is an important step forward for the UK and its nuclear future.

“The college would offer quality technical vocational training and a route to higher education qualifications in a nuclear industry which is growing here in the UK and around the world.

“EDF Energy has a long and successful track record of working with further and higher education colleges to develop the skills it needs in its existing and planned nuclear power stations. This initiative will help generate jobs and skills, allowing the UK to benefit fully from the massive investment being made in new nuclear power.”

The minister also laid out plans to develop a software engineering college to respond to the needs of the information technology sector and was expected to speak about a new £18m Manufacturing Training Centre, in Coventry.

It would provide advanced, four-year apprenticeships in areas such as automation, additive layering, laser machining, offering international placements with the best engineering firms.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills was unable to give details of the estimated cost or site of the new nuclear college. No details of the site of the proposed HS2 college have been released yet either.

Read edition 91 of FE Week for more on the nuclear college proposal and for coverage of the Skills Summit, featuring the results of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills’s Employer Skills Survey.

Skills Minister says education cut needed because there’s ‘no money left’

Skills Minister Matthew Hancock told MPs it was “difficult being a minister when there’s no money left” as he defended plans to cut the full-time education funding rate for 18-year-olds.

He was speaking at a Westminster Hall debate this morning on government plans to reduce the funding rate for 18-year-old learners to 17.5 per cent less than that of 16 and 17-year-olds.

However, Mr Hancock came in for tough questioning on the plans, which many claim will hit the most vulnerable learners hardest.

He defended the cut after Shadow Junior Education Minister Rushanara Ali described the way the decision had been made as “reckless and irresponsible”.

“We are faced with a cut across the government to make savings to reach the goals we have to reduce budget deficit,” said Mr Hancock.

“It is difficult being a minister when there’s no money left, but we all know whose fault that is.”

A government impact assessment on the cut shows that FE colleges will be among the worst-hit of all institutions — with an average reduction in funding of 3 per cent.

For land-based colleges it’s 2.5 per cent, for commercial and charitable providers it’s 1.5 per cent, and for sixth form colleges it’s 1.2 per cent.

But for school sixth forms it’s just 0.4 per cent. However, the report does not say how much cash the funding rate cut, due next academic year, is expected to save. The Association of Colleges is among those to have objected to the cut and has estimated that it could save the government £150m.

Nevertheless, Mr Hancock told MPs that the reduction would only take funding for 18-year-olds back to 2012/13 levels, but he admitted the decision to target older learners “wasn’t easy”.

The new rate for 16 and 17-year-olds is expected to be announced in March, but at the current rate of £4,000, 18-year-olds would be funded at £3,300.

See edition 91 of FE Week, or read FE Week reporter Freddie Whittaker’s Twitter feed (@FCDWhittaker), for more coverage of this morning’s debate.