Animal management students breathed new life into a community park with the planting of several donated trees.

The hard-working youngsters got their hands dirty at the Lower Lines Park in Gillingham – next to MidKent College’s Medway Campus.

Open to the public since 2010, the former Ministry of Defence land is managed by the Lower Lines Trust in partnership with the local community.

The plants, which were a mix of cherry trees and Field Maple, were donated by local contractors Hortech.

Park manager Kevin Woolford said: “This is the biggest classroom the animal management students have available at the end of the day. It’s a fantastic resource.”

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg became a cake decorator for the day during a visit to City of Bath College to meet young apprentices.

Mr Clegg, who was joined on his visit by Bath MP Don Foster, met apprentices from several different industry areas at the college’s Shrubbery Restaurant, before trying his hand at cake decorating in the college’s new kitchens.

During his visit, Mr Clegg also took the opportunity to meet with local business leaders in the new multi-million pound Roper Building.

Mr Clegg said: “I think it’s brilliant. I go and visit a lot of colleges and I really do believe this is a very strong college.

“It has a great new building and it is offering the most fantastic opportunities for its students.

“I have always been a massive fan of apprenticeships.

“So many people talk young people down but when you see these people, working in the college and the experience they are getting, it is so uplifting.”

Matt Atkinson, college principal, said: “It was a pleasure to have the Deputy Prime Minister visit us and meet with our talented apprentices.”

An assistant principal at Rotherham College of Arts and Technology swapped the warmth and comfort of the office for an afternoon of dirt and sweat as she went to work alongside construction students.

Ann Hardy spent the afternoon work-shadowing a group of apprentices to see how they are settling in to their roles. She joined the apprentices in their first block paving job at Clifton Park Museum and was on hand to help cut the bricks into different shapes for the design.

She said: “I’m really enjoying the apprenticeship so far and block paving is new to me, so this is a first. I enjoy plastering the best and it’s an area I’d like to learn more about.”

City College Southampton student Sarah Jacobs is hoping to be a cut above the rest at a national hairdressing competition.

The Level 3 hairdressing student will compete in the Wella Professional Xposure competition in London on March 8.

Sarah will compete against over 15 other colleges and hair academies around the UK, where she will be required to recreate her look and present it on a catwalk in front of the judging panel.

Julie Burrows, co-ordinator for Level 3 hairdressing, said: “I’m delighted to see Sarah at this stage of the competition.

“She is a very talented student and this is an amazing opportunity for her. I know she will do City College proud.”

Sarah (19) said: “I’m really happy about getting this far in the competition and while I’m a little nervous about presenting my look in front of the judges I know it’ll be a great experience and really help me develop my skills.

“I’m hoping to get into a salon once I leave college in June so this will be brilliant for my CV.”

Alfreton Town Football Club is launching the second phase of its Community Academy initiative.

The latest development gives local young people the chance to gain sports leadership qualifications through a pioneering apprenticeship programme.

The club, promoted last season to the Blue Square Bet Premier Division, works with Derby College to recruit the apprentices.

The aim is to have up to 40 apprentices at the club in the next 12 months who will be working full time with local schools and community groups to provide free or low cost sporting activities for children and young people whilst working towards NVQ level three qualifications in Activity Leadership.

April Hayhurst, head of employer engagement at Derby College, said: “Having recruited the first four apprentices for the club, we are now working with coaches and young people to start qualifications which will be invaluable for their future working lives.

“We are starting recruitment for the next stage of 20 young people and are confident that we will be a great response from young people who will be keen to take advantage of this exciting and pioneering programme.”

Northampton College kicked off a global education initiative by hosting the 1,000mph Bloodhound Car as part of an innovative new programme to inspire the County’s budding Mathematicians, Scientists and Engineers
A life-size replica of the Bloodhound car along with its V8 Cosworth F1 engine, which drives the rocket fuel pump, was based in the college’s brand new engineering studios at Booth Lane for three days last month.

The public, local businesses and hundreds of school children from across the county were among those who came to see the car.

West Thames College’s talented makeup students performed live-demonstrations at the Treaty Shopping Centre in Hounslow.

Stopping shoppers in their tracks with an incredible display of bodypainting and theatrical makeup techniques, the students also applied the makeup for a series of spectacular fashion shows organised by students from the University of West London and produced by the Watermans arts centre.

It was held as part of the Hounslow Fashion Weekend celebrations. The Outer London Fund event also saw music displays and hair-art performances.

A group of Havering College apprentices employed by leading companies met Prime Minister David Cameron last month.

Fourteen apprentices from energy giants EDF, technology company e2v and the Cycle Systems Academy – all taking Level 2 courses through the college – were on hand as the Prime Minister announced a new round of government funding to support thousands of apprenticeships up to degree equivalent.

The event was held at Crossrail’s £13million Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy (TUCA) in East London.

The Havering College students were accompanied by interim director of technology Stuart Woosnam who is responsible for the delivery of apprenticeships and bespoke training to some of the most successful technology companies in the region.

He said: “It was good to be invited to this event and it was a positive experience for the apprentices.

“They were eager at the prospect of meeting the Prime Minister and were very interested in what he had to say.”