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Newbury College will be opening its doors to the public at its first Open Evening of the academic year on Tuesday 10 November 4pm ' 8pm. Whether you wish to further your education with a vocational course, take your GCSEs or A Levels, start an HE qualification or develop your career with a part time course Newbury College can help you decide.

Visitors to the College will be able to meet with course tutors and take part in a range of interactive activities from receiving a complimentary manicure to vegetable carving and photo-shop techniques. Current students will be on hand on the night to discuss their experiences with the College and to take visitors on tours of the state of the art facilities which will include the motor vehicle, engineering and plumbing workshops; computing and media suites; hair-dressing and beauty salons; art workshops; animal care unit; professional kitchen; training restaurant and sports hall.

For those interested in an Apprenticeship there will be talks to de-mystify apprenticeships and explain the benefits of on-the-job training, at 5pm and 7pm, while those interested in working at the College can discover the opportunities available in recruitment sessions running at 6pm and 7pm.

The event will also see the launch of the College's new Full Time Prospectus which details the wide range of courses on offer for next year including, GCSE and A Level courses, vocational courses, traineeships, apprenticeship and Higher Education options.

For more information about the Open Evening, or for any other queries please call 01635 845000

Newbury College is one of three Berkshire institutions selected to become solutions labs' which are designed to raise the quality and profile of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills across the Thames Valley in and respond to the needs of the local economy.

Investment for the Solutions Lab comes as a result of a successful bid from Newbury College to the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership's Local Growth Fund and will focus exclusively on creating resources for fusion, mechanical and electrical engineering that are currently unavailable within Berkshire colleges.

Dr Anne Murdoch OBE, Principal of Newbury College says: We are absolutely delighted to receive this support from the Thames Valley Berkshire LEP, via the Growth Deal, for our proposed Solutions Lab. This new facility will be a great addition for local employers who, along with Newbury College students, will use the Lab to research and develop products for their own industries.

The Solutions Lab will have very high-specification machinery which will help Newbury College research, design and manufacture components for a variety of local innovators. This facility is a great complement to Newbury College's existing high-quality facilities which our students − who are the workforce of the future ' can use to good effect.

More details about the Growth Deal can be found on the Thames Valley LEP website.

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AWE has proudly welcomed 42 apprentices to their organisation, which is providing exciting career opportunities for scientists and engineers.

Of the 42, four are female apprentices steadily adding to the female population studying under the apprenticeship programme. This is good news for the gender diversity of the organisation and further demonstrates AWE's support to the WISE (Women In Science and
Engineering) initiative in addressing the skills shortage in the UK in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

AWE is also a member of the 5% Club where organisations pledge to commit 5% of a company's workforce to apprenticeships, student or graduate training programmes.

AWE currently achieves 5.4% which shows how they are supporting young people into employment and equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to have successful careers.

AWE Skills Academy Manager, Marcus Hutchings, said: It's always exciting to welcome our new apprentices. It's a culmination of many months' work with contributions and support from across the organisation. Our apprenticeships ensure we have a continuous pipeline for highly competent, nuclear specific skills into the business.

The apprentices will receive training in one of five chosen technical disciplines and come from the Tadley, Basingstoke, Newbury and Reading areas and as far as Oxford ' representing AWE's strong links with the local and wider community.

AWE's nationally recognised apprenticeship is a three-year advanced programme. The apprentices will undertake a level three technical certificate and National Vocational Qualification as well as pursue other qualifications. They will also spend one year in the Skills Academy and two years doing on-site placements.

The application process for the 2016 intake will start in November 2015.

Please visit www.awe.co.uk/careers to find out more.

To read more about Newbury College's apprenticeship programme please visit www.newbury-college.ac.uk/apprenticeships

 

Newbury College is now offering the new Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) to people working within, or hoping to work in the construction industry.

The new programme meets all of the latest requirements set out by CSCS for the 'Labourer' green card (formerly known as the Construction Site Operative).

CSCS is the leading skills certification scheme within the UK construction industry and provides proof that individuals working on construction sites have the required training and qualifications for the type of work they carry out.

With most principal contractors and major house builders requiring construction workers on their sites to hold a valid CSCS card, this is an important scheme for anyone working in the industry.

Community Learning Manager for Newbury College, Sarah Hughes, said, We are delighted to be able to run this programme to enable people in the construction industry in and around West Berkshire to benefit from the scheme and allow them to take advantage of the employment opportunities associated with it.

Newbury College will be holding one-day sessions on the first Thursday of every month, beginning with Thursday 1st October 2015. A slightly more detailed two day programme aimed at jobseekers and those looking for employment in the construction industry is also
available.

Both programmes will allow candidates to take their on-screen CSCS tests at the College's Monks Lane campus and will also include the required CITB Site Safety Plus, Health and Safety Awareness (HSA) training.

For more information or to book your place on either programme please call 01635 845000.