A famous painting harking back to Wigan and Leigh College’s historic links with the local mining community has been restored.
Arthur Wasse was commissioned by the college to paint Pit Brow Lasses in around 1887.
The institution was called the Wigan and District Mining and Technical College at the time and the painting showed young women working at nearby Mesnes Pit, which is now closed.
The painting gained international recognition after being exhibited in Paris and Chicago in the 1920s and 1930s and appeared on the Antiques Roadshow in 2004 when it was valued at £50,000. It has now been restored and prominently displayed in the college’s new £5.4m professional studies building.
Gillian Sinnott, the college’s executive director of environmental services, said: “We decided to move the painting to our new professional studies building as we thought it was fitting to have a piece of college history situated in this symbol of our future. Pit brow lasses were an important part of the community of Wigan, and it is important that our students are aware of the role they played in its industrial past.”

Cap: Gill Sinnotwith the Pit Brow Lasses painting

Former student and MasterChef semi-finalist Luke Bryan gave a cooking masterclass to current learners at Fareham College.
Mr Bryan passed an NVQ level three in hospitality and catering at the college in 2007 and has since been working with celebrity chef Paul Merrett in his restaurant The Victoria, in Richmond.
At 23, he was the youngest contestant to take part in the 2013 TV series of MasterChef: The Professionals and made it all the way to the semi-finals.
He returned to the college to show level one and two catering students how to make gourmet dishes including poached beef fillet in coconut milk, masala roast monkfish with red lentil dhal, and cumin roasted paneer cheese.
Mr Bryan also cooked a six-course meal for his former tutors.
He said: “Fareham College was a big part of my career. I wouldn’t have had the confidence to apply for the show without the support I received from my lecturers.”

Cap: Luke Bryan (centre) with basic catering level one students, from left, Callum Garrard , aged 16, Paige Delamare, Dan Miller, and Billy Mooney, all 15, Ryan Oxford, 16, and Casey Saunders, 15.

Former West Nottinghamshire College student and trainee paramedic Lucy Wright is starring in a BBC documentary.
Junior Paramedics, a seven-part documentary on BBC Three, is following Lucy and eight other trainee paramedics.
Lucy, aged 20, studied A-levels in film, media, English and biology at the college between 2010 and 2013, before going on to study a foundation degree in paramedic science at the University of Northampton.
She is currently on a year-long placement with the East Midlands Ambulance Service as part of her course.
She said: “It was exciting to be filmed. Audiences will see a snapshot of what me and my trainee colleagues deal with on a daily basis.”
Junior Paramedics first aired on BBC3 on February 27 and will be screened on Thursday evenings during March and April.

Cap: Trainee paramedic Lucy Wright  Pic: BBC

Design students at Uxbridge College proved they are a fine vintage by launching their own classic clothing and styling company.
The group of eight BTec level three production arts design students secured £5,000 funding from the National Association of College and University Entrepreneurs and £2,000 through the publicly-funded social entrepreneurship group UnLtd to launch the business they are calling Frock & Roll.
They will provide vintage clothing for sale or rent dating back the early twentieth century — including plus-fours from the 1920s, rock’n’roll dresses from the 1950s, and shoulder-padded jackets from the 1980s.
They will also offer hair and make-up styling, as well as clothing, for vintage-themed events.
One of the young entrepeneurs Charlotte Reynolds, aged 19, said: “Getting into this industry is really hard so freelancing and building a company when we are young will give us a fantastic grounding.”
The students decided to set up the company to create work experience for themselves.
Frock & Roll has already styled a Murder Mystery evening, and
is part of a college-wide team working with the Mayor of Hillingdon on a 1960s-themed charity fashion show.

Cap: Shaun Jackson (back row, far right) with other learners behind the new company, (back row, from left) Katrina Lock, 16, and Georgina Scott, 19, and (front row, from left) Rheanna Winter, 19, Abigail Lewin, 16, Charlotte Reynolds, 19 and Lauren Bowrey, 17, Charlotte Reynolds, 19, and Katrina Locke, 17

The thought of diving into a shark-infested tank would be enough to bring most out in a cold sweat, but for Hopwood Hall College student Harriet Barker getting her feet wet with eight of the predators was just another exciting step towards a career in wildlife conservation, writes Paul Offord.

Fancy taking a swim with some fearsome tiger sharks, or perhaps a nurse shark and a black tip reef shark? What about getting up close and personal with a white tip reef shark and a bamboo shark?
For most, including those who’ve never even seen Jaws, the answer would be no.
But 18-year-old Harriet Barker jumped at the chance.
The level three animal management student at Hopwood Hall College, in Rochdale, was offered a two-month placement at the Blue Planet Aquarium, in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, after taking the plunge with two impressed safety divers.
“Sharks are wild animals so you can’t know how they are going to behave, but I wasn’t nervous to be in there with them, just really excited,” she told FE Week.
“There were about eight sharks in there. They were tiger sharks, a nurse shark, a black tip reef shark, a white tip reef shark, and a bamboo shark — which are all potentially dangerous to humans.
“There was also a spotted eel swimming around and they can dangerous too — but the professional divers communicated with me throughout using hand signals and I knew 100 per cent that they would be able to get me out if I got into any problems.”
Harriet, a qualified advance open water diver, also went on a tour of tour of the aquarium and further impressed staff.
She said: “I kept asking really awkward questions, like: ‘What is the PH or salt content per gallon of water?’
“The man showing me around asked if I was studying marine biology. I said it was part of my college course and I was just interested because I love marine animals.
“He must have been quite impressed as he took me to meet his boss and they asked if I wanted to do a work placement.”
Sarah Whitehurst, life sciences lecturer at the college, said: “Harriet was very brave to swim with sharks, but I think it’s her thirst for knowledge that keeps on pushing her to find out more about the animals around us.”
The placement, which Harriet said she was likely to complete over the summer, will include feeding sharks, eels, and other marine wildlife including sting rays, star fish, and sea horses.
But taking a walk (or a dive) on the wild side is nothing new for Harriet.
Her interest in wildlife was sparked ten years ago when her mum, Joanne, aged 37, and dad, Paul, 40, took her to an animal sanctuary in Pinnala, Sri Lanka, and later on safari in Tsavo, South Africa.
Her next big adventure will be volunteering in July and August at a South African game reserve, where she will track endangered animals and join gamekeepers in protecting them from poachers.
She said: “My friends don’t know how I have any free time, with all the wildlife work I do, but they love hearing about my experiences.
“They say I’m mad because I’m not scared of doing things like swimming with sharks, but I really enjoy it.”
Harriet is in her final year at college and has been given an unconditional offer to a study wildlife conservation and zoo biology degree at Salford University.

Cap: Harriet Barker (front right) with two safety divers looking up at a grey tipped reef shark at Blue Planet Aquarium

An engineering apprentice from City of Wolverhampton College has been awarded for her conservation work on a German Second World War bomber.
Bethany Colburn, aged 19, is serving her apprenticeship with the Royal Air Force Museum, in Cosford, and City of Wolverhampton College.
She was named Wolverhampton apprentice of the year by the local Rotary Club, for her work restoring parts of a German Dornier 17 aircraft that was shot down 72 years ago during the Battle of Britain and was retrieved from the English Channel in June last year.
Bethany said: “I was delighted to have been chosen as apprentice of the year. It’s great to gain recognition for the conservation work we do.”
The museum launched its apprenticeship scheme in 2005, to counter a shortage of people with the special skills needed to look after its historic aircraft collection.

Cap: Bethany Colburn holding her apprenticeship of the year trophy.

Senior staff from MidKent College and Duchy College were awarded the Queen’s anniversary prize for further and higher education at Buckingham Palace.

The Queen and Prince Philip presented medals and certificates to Sue McLeod, MidKent College principal, Andrew Brader, managing director of subisidiary firm MidKent College Training Services (MKCTS), Andrew Counsell, principal of Duchy College, and Amarjit Basi, principal of the Cornwall College Group, which oversees Duchy College.

MidKent College was recognised for its construction and engineering training to soldiers, through MKCTS, at the Royal School of Military Engineering (RSME), in Gillingham. Duchy College was honoured for research and training by its rural business school that had helped improve local farming skills.

Ms McLeod said: “It was a very special day and fantastic recognition of the unique skills taught at RSME.”

Mr Counsell said: “It was such an honour. I’m so very proud of all those who have worked so hard to make this happen.”

Cap: Amarjit Basi (front right) and Andrew Counsell, from the Cornwall College Group and Duchy College, being awarded by the Queen worked and Prince Philip.

Learners from Coleg Gwent secured 15 places in the regional final of the Association of Hairdressers and Therapists national skills competition.
Level one, two and three hair, beauty and theatrical makeup learners from the Welsh college competed against students representing providers from across South West England and Wales in a regional heat at Bristol College.
They included level three diploma hairdressing students Victoria Windle, aged 30, Sara Moylan, 21, and Frances Downing, 22, who entered the “avant garde” hairstyles category. Victoria won, Sara came third and Frances was unplaced.
Hairdressing lecturer Alison Edwards said: “In the fast evolving hair and beauty industry, competitions like this allow students to progress and make links within the business, as well as share knowledge and be inspired.
“Taking part in this event allowed our learners to build their artistic and creative vision, and the impressive set of results really boosted their confidence.”
The Coleg Gwent team achieved seven first, four second, and four third place finishes — which were all good enough to qualify for the UK-wide final at Blackpool Winter Gardens on March 17.

Cap: Stephanie Maddocks, modelling for Sara Moylan, Carla Edwards, modelling for Victoria Windle, and Ellie Moss, modelling for Frances Downing