Learners from South and City College Birmingham are offering their building skills and services to local cricket clubs.

The college and the Warwickshire Cricket Board, which is based at Edgbaston Stadium, have agreed a partnership through the ECB NatWest Cricket Force Programme that will allow construction students to gain work experience, while giving a helping hand to cash-strapped community cricket clubs.

Ed McCabe, the board’s development manager, said: “This partnership is the first of its kind in Birmingham but I think it will be mutually beneficial . . . Some small cricket clubs find it hard to raise the funds for expensive renovations.”

Mike Hopkins, the college principal, said: “We understand that employers are looking to hire people with experience under their belts, and we know the importance of getting our students great work experience to help them to get jobs when they leave college.”

From left: Jack Ordidge, 18, Waqar Ahmen, 21, Deeq Sharif, 18, and Kane Sadler, 17

Two days before WorldSkills 2013 kicks off and already many competitors have been getting comfortable with the Leipzig Messe (Trade Fair) venue.

Milton Keynes florist Chloe Woolf  (pictured) was among the Team UK members to have a look around the impressive glass-structured buildings today (Monday).

The team travelled together from London on Saturday, but today was the first time they were allowed full access to the venue and to view areas they will be competing in.

“I’ve had a look around to get used to the place and it’s much bigger than I imagined it would be,” she said.

“It’s starting to sink in that I’m here and it’s a good combination of nerves and excitement, so now I’m just eager to get going.”

Competitors were allowed up to seven hours in which to familiarise themselves with their workstations.

For competitors in skills that are heavily reliant upon machinery, such as CNC turning, that time can be invaluable in getting to grips with equipment.

But 21-year-old Chloe, who works for Bluebell Flowers, in Newport Pagnell, will be using tomorrow (Tuesday – the second, and last, of her familiarisation days) to condition the flowers she is assigned so they last the four days of the competition.

“We’ll all get the same flowers, but we don’t know what they’ll be,” said Chloe, who has a national BTec diploma level three having begun her floristry career working as a Saturday girl.

“I’m hoping we get something rustic, like grasses. I like it when there’s a lot of texture to my work and I can use different bits and bobs.

“I’m a sucker for buttons and wool, but the flowers must be at least 70 per cent dominant in the final piece of work.”

She added: “But we don’t know the timetable is yet either, or what we’ve got to make.”

Chloe, who trained at Moulton College, near Northampton, arrived in Germany on Saturday evening and, along with her UK teammates, has already been kept busy ahead of the start of competition on Wednesday, before her mum and dad (Sarah and John) arrive for the closing ceremony on Sunday (July 7).

“We’ve done lots of team-building and met other competitors from other countries and had a meal together,” she said.

“It was really nice, but there were so many I couldn’t get around everyone.

“It was fun and there was a competition for the loudest team cheer – I think we may well have won.”

(Pictures by Shane Mann)

Check out the first Team Uk video below.

http://youtu.be/ReDkUN3_GUw

Emotions ran high at an annual celebratory evening as students from Stoke-on-Trent College were recognised for their achievements.

The learners, their families and special guests heard tales of triumph during the college’s annual Celebrating Success evening, held at the Kings Hall in Stoke on June 20.

Major winners included first-year interactive media student Rhona-Anne Breeze, 18, who got the innovation and creativity award, and student of the Year Manisha Khan, 18.

Manisha, who is deaf, is a second-year childcare and education student who has gone from a level one qualification through to level three and has already been accepted for a degree at Staffordshire University. She said: “I feel very proud that my determination and hard work has led to this award.”

Featured image caption: Student of the year Manisha Khan shows off her award after the annual celebration

Students at a Staffordshire College finished in the top 10 of an artillery competition for the fourth year in a row.

A team from Buxton and Leek College took part in the Junior Leaders’ Naval Field Gun Challenge at naval base HMS Collingwood in Fareham, Hampshire.

In the competition teams raced to assemble an antique field gun, running with it, disassembling and reassembling it to get around a course, before dragging the gun home.

The 21 uniformed public services and sports BTec extended diploma students battled 15 other teams completing the challenge in 1min 31.35sec, to secure them 10th place.

Richard Robinson, lecturer on the course, said: “I’m immensely proud of all the students . . . many were well out of their comfort zone, especially having lost one of their crew members through injury. But they all pulled together to perform commendably on competition day.”

Featured image caption: Buxton and Leek College finished 10th in the Junior Leaders’ Naval Field Gun Challenge

Relay racing, tug-of-war, cricket and benchball — it was all in a day’s work for Cheshire students.

Around 40 entry level learners teamed up to take part in South Cheshire College’s annual sports day on its multi-use games area.

It was organised and supervised by students on the sport and active leisure BTec level one diploma course, under the guidance of sports lecturer Rob Pickersgill.

Students were split into four teams and went head-to-head in a host of sports, with the red team emerging victorious.

Jacqui Gregory, head of curriculum for entry level, which target students with learning difficulties and disabilities, said: “Our students thoroughly enjoyed the day and the opportunity to take part in some fun activities.

“We are very grateful to the entry level staff, learner mentors and sport and sports massage therapy students who supported the event and helped to make it such a great success.”

Featured image caption: Students and tutors join in the fun at South Cheshire College’s entry level sports day

A voice coach broke from her busy schedule warming up the vocal cords of tomorrow’s stars to train young singers in Kent.

Jai Ramage, vocal coach on The Voice, spent two days refining the talents of students at MidKent College.

Jai, who has also starred in a number of major West End musicals, taught students exercises to help to control breathing and to correct potential vocal faults.

“Young people who are just starting out do not normally have access to this kind of knowledge,” she said, conceding that she only learned the techniques in her early 30s.

“It would have helped me a great deal if I’d known them from the beginning.”

Musical theatre student Martin Fearon, 21, said: “I feel like I’ve definitely improved as a singer, even though she was only with us for two days. All of us on the course have raised our game as a result.”

Featured image caption: David Jarrett, Jade Adams, Ben Brooker, all 19, with coach Jai Ramage