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Engineering Apprentices, studying for their degree apprenticeship at Newbury College, in partnership with Buckinghamshire New University, have successfully achieved their apprenticeship, despite the difficulties surrounding lockdown.

The final element of an apprenticeship is an End-Point Assessment (EPA), in which the apprentice presents an overview of their knowledge, the practical capabilities of the role they are in and evidences that they are qualified to do the job they have been training for. Due to the current lockdown, there was a considerable concern that EPAs would have to be cancelled. However, the Apprenticeship Team at Newbury College worked incredibly hard with the exam body EAL to ensure that the apprentices would not miss out and managed to create a remote EPA.

The apprentices have complimented the support they received from College staff, and the outstanding achievement is a excellent reflection of the hard work and dedication of both the apprentices and the College team.

Tim Coole, Course Leader, commented "This year has shown the second cohort of students who have achieved outstanding results in their degree at Newbury College. It shows the quality and the range of projects completed by the students throughout the year and excellent dedication they have to their studies" he continued It is encouraging for the development of University Centre Newbury (UCN). This year has seen a significant increase in the student numbers in the final year of the Engineering degree programme and adds to the success of this programme moving forward."

Jo Houghton, Director of Business and Partnerships, added We are delighted with the standard of work reflected in these excellent results for the degree apprentices, especially facing the barriers in place during the lockdown. As UCN progresses, we are confident that this standard will continue to provide the community with highly skilled, highly qualified professionals.

The University Centre Newbury will provide degrees and higher-level qualifications in the key sectors of digital technology, business & finance, engineering, health & social care and construction.

The first students of the University Centre will begin their studies in dedicated facilities within the College building, before moving into the state-of-the-art building, once it is completed.

To find out more about higher-level study options, visit www.newbury-college.ac.uk/higher

Engineering Apprentices, studying for their degree at Newbury College, in partnership with Buckinghamshire New University, have scooped outstanding results with six attaining first-class honours and four attaining upper second-class Degrees.

This is the second year that the College has been offering Degree level qualification and the second year of 100% achievement. The outstanding achievement is a great reflection of the hard work and dedication of the students and staff and provides a strong foundation for the degree standard provision available within the University Centre Newbury (UCN) from September 2020.

Tim Coole, Course Leader, commented "This year has shown the second cohort of students who have achieved outstanding results and shows the quality and the range of projects completed by the students throughout the year and excellent dedication they have to their studies" he continued This success follows on from the very successful first year of the degree run at Newbury College and is encouraging the development of the University Centre opening in September 2020. This year has seen a significant increase in the student numbers in the final year of the Engineering degree programme and adds to the success of this programme moving forward."

Jo Houghton, Director of Business and Partnerships, added We are delighted with the standard of work reflected in these excellent results for the degree students. As UCN progresses, we are confident that this standard will continue to provide the community with highly skilled, highly qualified professionals.

The University Centre Newbury will provide degrees and higher-level qualifications in the key sectors of digital technology, business & finance, engineering, health & social care and construction.

The first students of the University Centre will begin their studies in dedicated facilities within the College building in September 2020, before moving into the iconic new building once it is completed.

To find out more about higher-level study options, visit www.newbury-college.ac.uk/higher

On Tuesday 25 June, engineering students studying at Higher National Certificate (HNC) and Higher National Diploma (HND) levels, presented their end of year projects to a panel of expert judges and dignitaries including the Mayor of Newbury, Cllr Elizabeth O'Keeffe, Cllr Graham Pask and Cllr Mike Cole. 
 
Almost 90 students, many of whom are in paid employment as higher-level apprentices, competed with their peers for the Best Project in their relevant categories. Students were able to gain vital feedback on their project design and development and practice their presentation skills throughout the exhibition. Many of the projects have been created for and applied to the businesses in which the students are employed.
 
Newbury College was delighted to welcome back former Degree student and IED award winner, George Collins, to speak about his journey into a career in Engineering, and introduce the awards.
 
The winners are:
HNC Electrical & Electronics (Level 4) 
Runner-up - Megan Purchas, AWE
Best Project - Liam Mundy, STFC
HND Electrical & Electronics (Level 5)
Runner-up - Joe Thompson, Thames Water
Best Project - James Lavington, Thames Water
HNC Mechanical Engineering (Level 4) 
Runner-up - Andrew Male, Diamond Light Source
Best Design Unit - Oliver Hensberg, MSA ' The Safety Company
Best Project - Calan Kenward, LG Motion
HND Mechanical Engineering (Level 5)
Runner-up ' Adam Churchman, STFC
Best Project ' Callum Brown, Reeling Systems Ltd
 
Iain Wolloff, Principal and Chief Executive, Newbury College said, We were particularly delighted to see the outstanding quality of the work on display. Our annual Engineering Exhibition is a fantastic model of our degree level programmes and sets the standard for the expansion of our higher-level provision with the development of University Centre Newbury (UCN).
 
If you want to find out more about a career in Engineering or Apprenticeships contact our business team on 01635 845229.
Plans to establish the University Centre Newbury (UCN) took a significant step forward with the recent granting of planning permission for the multi-million pound new development. The Centre will provide degrees and other higher level qualifications in the key sectors of digital technology, business & finance, engineering, health & social care and construction.
 
The first students of the University Centre will begin their studies in dedicated facilities within the College building in September 2020, before moving into the iconic new building once it is completed. Images of the new building at the front of the College campus show how the UCN will work as a key part of the learning campus for Newbury and West Berkshire. The original timescales for the completion of the building have been extended to focus on the development of the state-of-the-art digital facilities and achieve the demanding zero-carbon standard; constructing the first public building in West Berkshire to achieve this new level in sustainability.
 
 
College Principal, Iain Wolloff said:
 
We are delighted at the fantastic progress with establishing the Centre and look forward to welcoming the first UCN students in September 2020 to study in the dedicated space within the existing College facilities, before moving into the exciting new building. We have been amazed at the enormous support for the Centre from employers and organisations throughout the community and will launch a range of new degrees and other HE courses as planned'. 
 
Geoff Knappett, Chair of Corporation, said:
 
The enthusiasm for the University Centre was been overwhelming and I am thrilled at both the approval of the fantastic new building and the plans for the University Centre project to get underway in specialist accommodation. I would like to thank all those who have worked so hard in the College, in our University partners and across West Berkshire, to turn the long-held dream of a University Centre into a reality'.
 
You can listen to the Principal talking about UCN on BBC Radio Berkshire here or find out more about higher-level study options, visit our higher education page