Women, people with disabilities and those from ethnic minority backgrounds are being encouraged to try out construction work at a Midlands college.

Burton and South Derbyshire College is promoting equality and diversity in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and maths), after getting funding to offer free training to under-represented groups.

The college was one of just 44 providers from across the country to make successful bids to the Equality and Diversity Partnership Project Fund, run by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) and the Skills Funding Agency (SFA).

Sasha Hubbard, science lecturer at the college, said: “The project is giving people who are usually under-represented in STEM subjects the chance to gain an insight into the area. We are committed to defying stereotypes and ensuring everybody has access to these exciting subjects.”

She said the project was a “real success”, with women from the area learning plumbing, painting and decorating skills.

“We are urging anyone wishing to take part to contact the college,” she said.

Throughout the year women will be able to try electrical courses, carpet fitting, carpentry and joinery, and vehicle maintenance.

London students are looking forward to a bigger dinner hall after work got under way on a new £6.5m college build.

A traditional ground-breaking ceremony at Uxbridge College marked the start of construction on the building that will also be home to engineering workshops.

It will also add two floors of classrooms and staffrooms for health and social care.

Uxbridge College principal Laraine Smith OBE said: “It is really exciting to be adding more state-of-the-art facilities to the Uxbridge College estate, which we are continually developing to meet the ever-changing needs of education and training.

“This project is particularly important because it responds to the increasing need for engineering training, which has recently seen us split this expanding department into two separate areas.”

The work is part of the college’s ongoing plans to update facilities and follows a £6m sports hall and outdoor games area, and a £5m media block. Work on the latest development is taking place during the academic year with the new facilities due to be ready in the autumn.

The cost of the work is being met from college reserves.

Cornish youngsters with designs on a future in business won praise for their scarves, caps, sweatshirts and handmade jewellery.

A team of Cornwall College students on the Young Enterprise programme scooped the best stand title at a trade fair held in Truro.

Trading under their company name MPR Clothing, the students were offering a range of urban clothing printed with their own designs.

The stand was set up and manned by Shauna Stone, 17, from Camborne, and Wassim Imchichi, 18, from Redruth.

The students, who are doing business, retail and IT BTec extended certificates, were in competition with 15 other schools and colleges from across the county.

Shauna said: “The judges seemed really impressed by our stand and our t-shirt designs and the fact we sold extra products to raise capital to print more. We also made sure our t-shirts were made from good quality fabric, that’s also organic, which we feel is important.”

Young Enterprise Cornwall board member Stephanie Vandike said: “I’m very impressed with what everyone did and the effort they made. The MPR Clothing stand looked great, and their t-shirt designs were very unique.”

Sporting Midlands youngsters have scored a studies boost with a post-16 netball academy.

Derby College has teamed up with the Derbyshire Netball Association and Derbyshire Institute of Sport to set up the academy for players aged 16 to 19.

The team will play in the British Colleges Netball League and give players the opportunity to progress into elite level squads.

They will also study a course of their choice at Derby College, with netball training and games arranged around their academic timetable.

Academy head coach Liz Alsop said: “The academy will result in more young women continuing to play netball at an age where traditionally they may leave the sport, while also giving more young women with a talent for netball the opportunity to be selected at regional level and beyond.”

Former England netball captain Olivia Murphy said: “It will be a fantastic opportunity for players to receive dedicated additional coaching and support which could really make a difference in helping them reach their full potential.”

The academy is due to open September 2013.

A university undergraduate with an eye for a picture enjoyed his time at college so much he can’t keep away.

Tom Porter has been back to South Cheshire College twice in recent months to learn more from college lecturers and help students fine-tune their photography skills.

The 20-year-old is in his final year at Falmouth University doing a degree in press and editorial photography.

During his holidays he has linked up again with the college where he gained three distinction grades on a photography BTec national diploma that he completed in 2010.

He spent a week’s work experience shadowing photography lecturers to find out more about teaching the subject and then spent another week at the college helping students with course projects.

Tom, from Crewe, said: “I have a real passion for photography and I’m loving university life but I had a great time at college too which is why I offered to come back to help students and do some work experience.”

He added: “I definitely want to work in photography as a career and teaching photography appeals to me because the lecturers at college have all been great with me.”

A female apprentice and mum-of-one rubbed shoulders with Labour Party bigwigs at a national energy conference in the House of Commons.

Lowis Marshall, 29, from Gillingham, was at the event alongside colleagues from Chatham-based Prestige Solar & Heating.

Shadow energy and climate change secretary Caroline Flint was among those to meet Lowis, who is studying plumbing and heating at MidKent College.

“She [Ms Flint] seemed pleasantly surprised that I was an apprentice in that particular field, but she said it was a positive thing and encouraged me to carry on.” said Lowis.

“She seemed very interested in my studies at MidKent College and I told her it was difficult, but that I was enjoying it.”

Nick Whatley, director of Prestige Solar and Heating, invited Lowis to the conference so she could view their profession from a different angle.

“A few years ago solar energy was very popular and lots of people were having panels installed on their homes, but now things have slowed down and one of the aims of the conference was to explore how we can get solar back on the agenda,” said Lowis.

Two women who run four childcare nurseries are now recruiting staff from the college where they first met.

Sarah Saint and Leah Clarke are making business look like child’s play as they employ 45 employees who have been trained at Barking and Dagenham College.

The successful business women who studied childcare in the late 1990s struck up a firm friendship after a recruitment fair held at the college. They both started working for the same company, a large nursery chain, but branched out together and now have four nurseries in Barking, Chigwell, Dagenham and West Ham and are now setting up their head office.

Ann McDaniel, curriculum manager for childcare and beauty at Barking and Dagenham College, said: “They are so passionate and have lots of energy and drive. They have both been brilliant supporters of the college, helping our childcare students by providing practical placements. They employ our students once qualified and also take some on as apprentices.”

“They truly are exceptional role models and are playing a key role inspiring the next generation of childcare professionals in our local area.”

A cow called Olive has moooved into a college campus in Durham.

East Durham College’s Houghall Campus has introduced the pure breed Hereford cow to help show agricultural students different breeding techniques and systems for cattle.

Agriculture was reintroduced at the campus last year and a new herd will be introduced over the next seven years.

Curriculum leader and farm manager Keith Cook said: “The new herd will give students the chance to study how artificial insemination works and how important pure bloodlines are in the livestock industry.

“In order to deliver excellence in learning
the farm is embracing modern farming techniques and is currently undergoing a GPS mapping process to demonstrate to students how we ensure accurate use of inputs onto the arable crops.

“The students have also experienced a diversification project rearing turkeys which have gone through the farm’s newly established butchery and sold for the Christmas market.”

As the course continues to grow, said Keith, the new projects at the farm will teach students the most modern and up-to-date farming techniques.

Students in Yorkshire are helping a charity bring hope to a community.

Apprentice plumbers, painters, joiners and electricians at Middlesbrough College have teamed up with The Hope Foundation to breathe new life into the Brambles Farm Community Centre in the north east town.

The students are part of Middlesbrough College Build (MC BUILD) – a not-for-profit company which provides work experience for students – and they have worked tirelessly on the centre for several weeks.

It now boasts a new suspended ceiling in the main hall, new learning areas, new storage space, improved security, and the interior has been given a fresh coat of paint.

Hope Foundation chief executive, Sue Kearney, said: “As a charity that helps people improve their employability skills it made perfect sense to involve Middlesbrough College.

“We wanted to give the building a complete refurbishment and the students’ help has been invaluable.”

Mark Purvis, 43, a painting and decorating student, said: “It’s been rewarding to see how our efforts have transformed the community centre.”

Mark was long-term unemployed before he enrolled at Middlesbrough. He has now launched his own painting and decorating business.