On Saturday 22 June guests are welcomed from near and far to join the D-Day 75th Anniversary Commemorative Convoy at Newbury College, for their final stop.
The convoy starts at 9.30 AM from MOD Southwick, near Fareham, Hampshire former D-Day Headquarters with 50 vehicles escorted by 25 motorcycle outriders of the Royal British Legion Riders Branch. The route will take them to former RAF Lasham home of the Lasham Gliding Society and onto Milestones Living History Museum in Basingstoke, arriving at approximately noon. Moving on through Kingsclere to Greenham Common, the convoy and guests will be greeted by the Poppy Parachute Team, who will drop on to the common at approximately 2.30 pm, symbolising the returning spirit of the men to the base from which they flew on D-Day. Weather dependent, a Historic Aircraft Flight Auster AOP Mk9 ' XR244 (G-CICR) will be tracking the route above the convoy.
The journey is a recreation of General Eisenhower's drive from D-Day Headquarters on the afternoon of 5 June 1944 when he visited men of the Parachute Infantry Regiments at Greenham Common hours before they were to drop into Occupied Europe. Patrick Kempe, one of the team of volunteers helping to organise the event said, In this 75th Anniversary Year of D-Day it is right that we recognise the dedication and sacrifice of a generation and also take the opportunity to help today's Armed Forces personnel through fundraising for the Royal British Legion. A huge thank you to the many organisations who have come forward to contribute both financially and practically to ensure we can present this historic event.
Newbury College are privileged to host the final commemorations including, Arborfield Military Wives Choir, Army Cadet Force band and dancers, and the planting of a commemorative apple tree. Vice Principal, Lee Hunt (MBE) commented, We are delighted to offer our campus to this momentous event. As a community college, it is important for us to reflect the recognition the event deserves.
Guests are welcome to the College between 2 - 5pm to join in the commemorations, with convoy vehicles expected to arrive around 3:15pm. Entry is free and all proceeds raised on the day will be donated to the Royal British Legion. See the event on Facebook for more details.
Newbury College has been awarded £1.75m from the Local Growth Fund, towards the development of the University Centre Newbury (UCN). Additional funds for the £5.5m project will be drawn from the College and investment from supporting partners and will bring a state-of-the-art, digitally integrated, zero carbon, higher education facility to West Berkshire.
Research by the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (TVBLEP) and consultation with local employers across the region, identified critical skill shortages of employees with high-level skills, particularly in Digital Technologies, Engineering, Business & Finance, Health, Social Care & Education and Construction.
The UCN is supported by foundation partnerships with local businesses including Vodafone, Roc Technologies, Xtrac and Sovereign Housing and aims to address the needs of local employers and ensure training is relevant and specific, not only for new employees, but also to increase the opportunities to upskill existing staff and help businesses utilise their Apprenticeship Levy payments more effectively.
Director of Business & Partnerships, Dr Jo Houghton said, We are delighted to have received the funding and support of the TVBLEP and excited that the Planning Application has been submitted. The University Centre Newbury brings a wealth of opportunity for businesses to meet their workforce requirements to engage and upskill in digital technologies, and provides a fantastic opportunity for students of all ages to achieve a higher level of training locally.
Newbury College has already formed strong relationships with local businesses in the engineering sector, including AWE and Xtrac, enhanced by the opening of the Engineering Solutions Lab in 2017 and the subsequent strength of the Degree programmes in Engineering, which is already expanding to Postgraduate level from September 2019, in partnership with Buckinghamshire New University.
The Careers not Courses campaign, recently launched by Newbury College, marks an open conversation between business and education and designs a curriculum that meets the skills demand of the local community, building and equipping a digital-first workforce with a logical progression from further education into higher education (HE).
UCN provides a solution for the community that sees an expansion of the current HE provision enabling opportunities for young talent to remain in the area and study university-level qualifications alongside their chosen career.
Built to new zero-carbon standards, UCN will be environmentally sustainable. The Centre incorporates digital technologies that enable students the option to study flexibly such as, real-time remote classroom access and blended learning options. Labs will be equipped with the hardware and software that facilitate the delivery of key digital technology including big data, software development, cyber security and cloud computing.
Key partners including, Buckinghamshire New University, QA Ltd, and The Open University, have been specifically chosen for their expertise to support the delivery of a centre of excellence for the development of higher skills.
West Berkshire Council, the Rt Hon Richard Benyon MP, Kennet School and Park House School have also provided strong support for University Centre Newbury.
The first intake for the University Centre Newbury will be September 2020. To find out more about higher-level study options, visit www.newbury-college.ac.uk
7 May 2019 ' Newbury, Berkshire - On Thursday 25 April, Newbury College invited a selection of businesses to attend the launch of its Careers not Courses' campaign, that begins to address skills gaps and dwindling talent pools by creating a forum for conversation and partnership opportunities. The initiative will be driving industry placements and career opportunities to enable students to learn and develop the skills needed to be in demand.
Through recent consultation with local business, Newbury College has identified that 41% of businesses in the area are asking for better channels between business and education so that they can easily reach out, connect with and recruit young talent.
Today's discussion has opened the door between education and the employer. Stated HR Consultant, Mark Dixon.
Lee Hunt (MBE), Vice Principal, Newbury College said As an education provider we understand the importance of providing the right training for our students. It makes sense that we collaborate with the students' future employers to create career-focused courses, teach the right skills and establish business partnerships to enable relevant work experience and career opportunities. These partnerships provides both better career prospects for our students and a valuable pool of young talent for business.
Motor Vehicle Student, Phoebe commented, Work experience is a valuable part of my course in developing the skills I need in the workplace.
The event introduced College students and potential employers in an open discussion that specifically focused on developing the key soft-skills, such as communication, problem-solving and resilience, that 39% of businesses confirmed young recruits needed to develop. Ella Barrington, Corse Concierge, commented, Today's format was great and has provided much more insight into the life of the College and students. It has left me enthused to learn more and participate in this journey.
Careers not Courses' is part of a long-term National Government project to launch a brand new, fully-funded vocational curriculum designed and delivered in tandem with industry professionals; the T-Levels. Newbury College offers a full range of business services including, T-Level placement, Work Experience, Apprenticeships and Training The conversation is just beginning. If you would like to share your business insight in a short survey or to sign-up to future events, click here or contact Steve Greenwood, Employer Engagement Manager, via email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
If you are a student looking to gain the right skills to be in demand, join us at our next full-time open event on Tuesday 21 May between 16:00 ' 20:00.
Newbury College set the stage for a glittering Prom Fair on Thursday 04 April, as school leavers across West Berkshire prepare for the biggest night of their social calendar.
The event, which was supported by Newbury Weekly News and Parkway Shopping, attracted some big name exhibitors from the worlds of fashion, fitness and more to the College's unique, indoor marquee.
School proms have become a cultural phenomenon in recent years, with preparations for the big night getting under way months in advance.
For those young people who were still undecided about what to wear or how to wear it, the Prom Fair was an excellent opportunity to get clued up in the latest trends from Parkway stores Monsoon, New Look and Topman; discover timeless classics with Isabel's Retro & Vintage Clothing and receive expert advice on hair and makeup styling from Andrea King, CJ Beauty & Co, Holly Heimsoth Beauty, Pin It Grip It and Simply Hairlicious, as well as live demonstrations by Hair and Beauty students from the College's own Intuition Salons.
Students from the Newbury College Performing Arts course, a new programme that runs in partnership with Kingsclere Performing Arts College, modelled a range of affordable looks, from classic suits and dresses, to more adventurous outfits for those who dare to make a statement.
Local dressmaker and Newbury College dressmaking tutor, Kim Broughton, was also on hand to offer prom-goers advice on tailoring and customisation.
Other exhibitors included Anytime Fitness, Cascade Events, Chequers Hotel, Dark Star Discos, Double Tree by Hilton, Regency Park Hotel, Infinity Roses, Lucy Booths, NightLights, Nuffield Health, Rosie's Retro & Vintage Studio and Sweet Stories, all offering their services to help make the moment memorable.
Naomi Cripps, Marketing Manager for Newbury College, said: "This is the first time we have run an event like this and it was fantastic to receive the support of so many big brands and local businesses.
"It was an excellent opportunity for us to showcase the talents of our students, as well as our indoor marquee, which transforms the Sports Hall into a unique venue for weddings, parties and other celebrations.
"Newbury College is well-known for offering an exceptional range of opportunities for school leavers to continue their education through career-focussed courses and apprenticeships. The Prom Fair is just one more way we are supporting young people and local businesses in our community."
To find out more about the opportunities available to school leavers at Newbury College, hiring the indoor marquee or to book yourself in for a pre-prom treatment in one of the College's training salons, search Newbury College or visit the Monks Lane campus.