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 offered a place at Leeds University to study midwifery.

Vanessa, from Linthorpe, has wanted to be a midwife since she was 13, when her mother Carole told her about her own traumatic delivery; Vanessa was born blue and was whisked away to be resuscitated. She then suffered a fit that doctors were worried would cause brain damage.

“I was about three hours old before my mum actually got a chance to hold me — she didn’t even know if she’d had a boy or a girl,” said Vanessa.

“It was quite scary for my mum. She was very grateful to the midwives and she’s passed that on to me.”

Vanessa has worked hard to achieve her dream, completing a part-time ‘steps into healthcare’ apprenticeship alongside her GCSEs when she was still at school.

At college, she completed a range of placements including working with youngsters with disabilities, joining community nurses on their rounds and caring for the elderly in residential homes.

Vanessa, who also volunteers with the Teenage Cancer Trust and St John Ambulance, believes these placements and experiences helped her application to Leeds, but admits that she was still surprised when she got the news.

“I’d been unsuccessful at four other universities, so I was a bit apprehensive. It took me quite a while to open the UCAS application,” she said.

“I actually did a little jump for joy when I read it because I was on my own. Then I rang my mum and she was screaming down the phone.

“I’m looking forward to moving to a new city . . . it’ll be a big change.”

She thinks that the favourite part of midwifery will be parents’ reactions when their child is born. “They’ll have been waiting for it for nine months and then they’ll have the relief and joy of that moment,” said Vanessa.

Her personal tutor at the college, Laura Birch, described Vanessa as a “very ambitious student” who was on target to achieve three distinction stars when she completes her course this year.

“We’re so proud of her,” she added.

Vanessa said: “I can’t thank the tutors at Middlesbrough College enough for their help and support. I’ve worked hard for this and it’s thanks to the quality of the course and the great placements I’ve had that have allowed me to follow my dreams.”

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 Ruby Vince, 25, from Teddington, received a certificate of merit.

Hampton 17-year-old Abbie Coggins, a VRQ level one student, also got a certificate of merit.

A college spokesperson said: “She produced two portions of roasted red pepper and Mediterranean vegetable soup with goat’s cheese quenelle plus two portions of smoked chicken and porcini broth.

“Over the years, the Wessex Salon Culinaire has become a prolific platform for student chefs wanting competition experience on a high profile stage.”

Featured image caption: Frying pan fortunes: Winning catering students Freddie Davis and Abbie Coggins

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 the career development opportunities and the support we get from our trainers, colleagues and the other apprentices.”

Research by Pearson, which held the reception as part of Adult Learners’ Week, found 23 per cent of people who took part in the day were doing accredited training six months later.

Mr Hancock said: “Learning on the job and learning the job at the same time is such a positive way to increase your lifetime earnings, to gain experience and to increase the skills of the nation.”

Featured image caption: From left: Fujitsu apprentices Kirk Hay, Stephanie Palmer, 22 and Manisha Mistry, 19

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 a buffet for 350 people attending a parade through the town square to St Margaret’s Church where a special blessing for the new Mayor was held.

Barking & Dagenham food studies curriculum manager Adrian Crabb said: “The students do an incredible job and really enjoy being part of such prestigious events.

“Catering for so many guests can be tough but the whole team has been working really hard.”

Featured image caption: Kyle Snow, 19, from Barking, who is studying for a Diploma in Professional Cookery, Level two

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 academic professional development course.

“We have worked on it all year and we hope we have pulled the task off successfully,” Emma said.

Free books by six different authors were handed out and stands run by the Dyslexia Support Group and Reading for children gave out information.

Ian McMillan said: “It was one of the best organised events that I’ve attended.”

Featured image caption: From left: Ian McMillan with Emma Carlyle, Jade Fisher and Laura Mason

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 a clean and friendly environment that has ended in a real community spirit.”

The learners also raised money to provide six picnic benches.

Nick Pepper, secretary of the cricket club, said: “It’s great to see young students getting involved with a local club, helping it to receive the makeover that it thoroughly deserves.”

The materials and paint were supplied by Alun Watkins, operations manager at Blaenau Gwent County Council, and the plants were donated by Ebbw Vale B&Q and Price’s shop in Beaufort.

Featured image caption: Hairdressing, construction and A-level learners ready to renovate the cricket club

Cheshire performing arts students sold out a recent production of We Will Rock You, the musical based on songs by Queen.

The show, which ran over three nights and sold nearly 400 tickets, featured more than 60 Priestley College BTec students in onstage, offstage and design roles.

“The hardest part is living up to Queen and the audience’s expectations of how their songs should be performed. But our students rose to the occasion,” said tutor Abbie Rippon.

“They created a real rock concert atmosphere by taking the performance out amongst the audience.”

The show took four months of preparation. “It was a great team effort and really was a memorable show,” said Abbie. “The students enjoyed it and the audience’s response was amazing.”

Featured image caption: From left: Emily Knight, Tom Sentia and Daniella Everett, all aged 17 or 18                   Picture courtesy of John Hall

Former Really Wild Show presenter Nick Baker was the guest speaker at a Devon college’s animal and environment conference.

Mr Baker, who has also hosted Spring Watch and Weird Creatures, was at South Devon College’s University Centre for the event early this month that covered topics including animal health, ecology, marine conservation and sustainability.

It involved academic staff from Plymouth University and all the college’s foundation degree animal science students.

Lucy Foster, who is in her second year of a foundation degree in animal science, said: “It was so nice to be in a room full of people who care about animals and the natural world as much as I do.”

Samantha Law, programme manager and lecturer in animal science, said: “It was fantastic to see our degree students engage in this event. It gave them a valuable opportunity to expand their academic skills.

“There was a real variety of projects and the audience asked some challenging questions. Everybody was inspired by Nick’s fun and informative lecture.”

Featured image caption: TV presenter Nick Baker (centre) with South Devon College students