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Concerns to be highlighted at National Apprenticeship Conference
Employer engagement and the delivery of quality vocational training is to be scrutinised at the first national Apprenticeship Conference next year.
The event, organised by the LinkedIn group Apprenticeships England, will be held at the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) on March 7, and debate how best to communicate apprenticeships to young people, parents, schools and colleges.
Peter Cobrin, event organiser and National Education Director at www.notgoingtouni.co.uk, said: “It gives us a chance to focus on the major concerns that have been repeatedly echoed in the Linked forum over the last months.
“Our members are the people who are actually at the sharp end of delivery and they want the chance to discuss what concerns them and what can be done to improve things.
“It’s this demand we’re responding to with this conference.”
Confirmed speakers include Ruth Spellman, Chair of the Careers Professional Alliance (CPA), Graham Hoyle, Chief Executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP), and Scott Upton, Vice Principal of Sandwell College.
Meanwhile the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) will be represented by two individuals including Karen Woodward, a Divisional Apprenticeship Director at NAS.
They key topics include improving employer engagement, ensuring the delivery of quality training and communicating apprenticeship opportunities.
“We are focused on getting the apprenticeship message into secondary schools, and embedding the apprenticeship pathways at the earliest opportunity,” Mr Cobrin said.
“This appears to be going by default at the moment according to our members.
“There is also concern which FE Week has highlighted in response our members over short-term apprenticeships, and we welcome the SFA’s cracking down on the worse examples.”
The conference was set up in response to high demand from the LinkedIn group, which has grown from 850 members to almost 1,300 since the event was announced.
Mr Cobrin said: “We were fed up with high priced conferences, £500 plus per delegate, at which grey suits spoke to grey suits, sheltering behind their Powerpoints, spouting the party line, while all the time there were real issues to debate.”
Over 300 people have expressed an interest in the National Apprenticeship Conference so far, and event organisers say they’ll be taking bookings once Apprenticeships England is established as a Community Interest Company (CIC) next week.
Leyton Sixth Form College sporting success
Sporty sixth form college students are celebrating a top performance at a festival.
Leyton Sixth Form College (LSC) finished third in the Host Borough Inter College Sports Festival after a week of fierce sporting competitions.
LSC triumphed in two sporting categories: men’s basketball and mixed badminton, and secured second place in women’s trampolining.
The Inter College Sports Festival is a sports participation and volunteering initiative where students from each of the nine participating colleges have the opportunity to compete in a series of free sporting competitions.
During the festival, 70 LSC students competed against other colleges, including; Newham College of Further Education, Greenwich Community College, BSix Sixth Form College, Newham Sixth Form College.
This year’s Inter College Sports Festival was the biggest since its inception three years ago, with LSC participating for the first time. LSC hosted activities on day 4, where participants from six colleges competed in a mixed badminton tournament.
Amy Rogers, PE and Sports coordinator, said: “Every LSC student represented the college proudly and displayed great sportsmanship, respect, enthusiasm and commitment to their opponents and their chosen sports.”
The Festival has been granted the InspireMark; the badge of the London 2012 Inspire Programme, which recognises innovative and exceptional projects that are directly inspired by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Seb Coe, chairman of London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games said: “The Inter College Sports Festival is encouraging young people to fulfil their potential. I am proud that with the help of partners such as LSC we are delivering on our vision to use the power of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to boost young people’s participation in sport.”
NCN’s gourmet dinner is even better in 3D!
In collaboration with renowned French video game designer Eric Chahi, New College Nottingham’s (ncn) head chef Tom Edwards and the College’s Hospitality and Catering staff and students have pushed culinary boundaries, designing and implementing a five-course menu to rival Heston Blumenthal‘s creations.
My Dinner with Eric, part of Nottingham’s annual GameCity videogame festival and held at ncn’s training restaurant, presented a multi-sensory evening which surprised diners and tantalised their taste buds through combining touch, taste, sight, and smell.
The event also showcased the skills of ncn Technical Theatre students who designed and set up the lighting.
GameCity Director Iain Simons said: “Like most kids, I remember being told not to play with my food. Eric and Tom are now bringing something totally unique to the table, literally, and its time to ignore that rule.”
City College Norwich makes trails for new outdoor adventure courses at Eaton Vale
Two impressive Mongolian yurts are the centrepiece of an exciting new link up between City College Norwich and Eaton Vale Activity Centre.
The Sport (Outdoor Adventure) BTEC Extended Diploma is a practical, work-related course that prepares students for careers in outdoor adventure.
The course is unique in being able to offer students the BCU UKCC Level 1 Coach in Paddle Sport, the Climbing Wall Supervisors Award (CWSA) and Mountain Bike Instructors Award Scheme (MIAS) Level 1 and 2 training.
Whilst on the two-year course students develop skills, logbook experience and qualifications in outdoor pursuits, while at the centre they will gain invaluable work experience throughout the year and assist in delivering outdoor activities for some of the centre’s 24,000 annual visitors, including scouts and guides, schools and corporate groups.
In addition, the centre will take on six students as full-time employees during the busy summer season.
City College Norwich principal Dick Palmer said: “Combining classroom study in the on-site yurts alongside access to a full range of outdoor activities means that the students can spend more time gaining their instructor qualifications and getting relevant industry experience under their belts. This is a fantastic development that will really help prepare the students for successful careers in outdoor adventure.”
Richard Lang, operations manager at Eaton Vale Activity Centre, said “The real benefits of this partnership are that we are producing work-ready staff for local and national providers of outdoor activities.”
Outdoor adventure student Ryan Wiltshire (19), from Taverham, said “The yurts add to the outdoor aspect of the course much better than a modern classroom, and we’re right next to the water.”
Newham College students ace English tests
Dozens of migrants have successfully completed English language tests at a college.
Around 50 learners, with family and friends, attended a special ceremony at the Newham College’s East Ham campus to receive English for Speakers of Other Languages certificates.
The classes were attended by migrants from Asia, Africa and South America.
One course graduate, Subashini Garisan (27), who came from Sri Lanka over a year ago and now lives in East Ham said: “When I came to the UK, I did not know any English. I couldn’t even answer the phone. It was like being a new born baby. Now, I feel I can speak English to people.
“I am doing voluntary work and I’m looking for a job. I feel very happy about the opportunity the course gave to me.”
Course manager Beverly Cook said: “For many, one of the biggest impacts is confidence.
“Before the course, most learners needed someone else to translate for them. The classes have enabled them to use English on their own to do normal tasks, like go to their doctor or buy a train ticket.”
The college offered 15 different classes for the learners who spent one day a week for 17 weeks studying English at various levels.
Tutors took learners out of the classroom and encouraged them to carry out everyday activities such as visiting a museum or shopping on the high street.
Burton and South Derbyshire College student shows business flair with online company
A college student has launched his own e-commerce website selling IT components for big brand names.
Thomas Jenkins (19) achieved two distinctions and a merit on the BTEC National Diploma for IT Practitioners in June from Burton and South Derbyshire College.
However, within weeks of completing his studies, he was successfully operating his own online business – www.thomasjenkinscomponents.com.
He originally caught the self-employment bug when he entered an enterprise competition at college alongside fellow members of his course.
He said: “Studying at the college was a delight. The staff were friendly and the module I most enjoyed had to be the enterprise project. “I could really express myself and my ideas to the group and I found that my idea could be very profitable.”
Throughout his time at college, Thomas worked as a system developer at a local company and this helped him to develop the contacts and industry knowledge to get ahead.
Thomas Jenkins Components was officially registered as a business in mid-June 2011 just after he completed his full-time studies.
By month two, he was making a profit and developing a reputation through his eBay shop and by September he had created his own e-commerce site and secured a license as a reseller for companies including Apple, Samsung and Asus.
The business is now generating a healthy profit while Thomas has taken up his place at the University of Gloucester studying a BSc in Business Information Technology.
He added: “I want to have a good life and creating a business that I know will work is great.
“This is only the start. I hope to become one of the leaders in the industry and my future plans are to set up another business which helps people set up their dreams.” However, he is modest about his achievements to date.
He said: “Basically I’m just a really self-motivated person. I always work to achieve my goals and doing something I love is amazing.”
Catherine Whitehead, programme area manager for technological industries at the college, said: “Thomas has been an astute and hard-working student and we’re delighted that the course has helped to give him the confidence and entrepreneurial flair to start his own business so soon after completing the course.”
Labour leader and Shadow Business Secretary Q&A with Warwickshire College
Labour Party Leader, Ed Miliband and Shadow Business Secretary, Chuka Umunna, visited Warwickshire College’s Rugby centre last week.
They met students studying electrical engineering before visiting the Power Industry Academy for a question and answer session with students, apprentices, employers, staff and governors.
Questions were asked on a number of topics including tuition fees, the environment, industry investment and new business opportunities.
The need to increase and value apprenticeships was highlighted, as well as the importance of education providers working with businesses to provide skills training for the future.
Team UK praised for WorldSkills triumph
Record breaking youngsters were honoured by an Olympic winner for their achievements at WorldSkills London 2011.
All 43 members of Team UK were celebrated at a Welcome Back Reception at One Great George Street, London, which included a visit by the team’s ambassador and Olympic 100 metre relay gold medallist Jason Gardener MBE.
At WorldSkills London 2011, held at ExCel in October, the team triumphed spectacularly, winning an impressive five gold, two silver and six bronze medals, which placed the UK 5th in the world – the best ever placing in the medals table.
Jason said: “Each member of Team UK should be incredibly proud of what they achieved at WorldSkills London 2011. “Competing on an international stage takes a huge amount of training, dedication and focus and the team demonstrated they can take on the very best from across the world. Team UK are great ambassadors for the UK’s youth and I hope their achievements inspire future generations to achieve success.”
Team UK is managed by the National Apprenticeship Service and they were supported by Edge, the independent education foundation, the premier supporter of Squad and Team UK and Brathay Trust, the Premier Training and Development Partner of Squad and Team UK.
Following the success of WorldSkills London 2011 it was announced by the Skills Funding Agency and the NAS that the annual cycle of WorldSkills UK National Competitions will culminate every year in a major event.
The 2012 cycle of WorldSkills UK National Competitions are now open for entry. Exceptional participants in this cycle of competitions may be invited to compete for a place in Team UK for the next international WorldSkills Competition, which takes place in Leipzig, Germany in 2013. For more, visit www.worldskillsuk.org