Newbury College welcomed Richard Benyon to open the West Berkshire Work and Careers Fair on Thursday 27 March which gathered over 40 organisations with both work and training opportunities for people in West Berkshire.
Following on from the success of last year, this event is the largest of its kind staged locally and is produced under the direction of the West Berkshire Skills and Enterprise Partnership with the support of Newbury College.
Dawn Ray of dawnrayconsulting who has helped organise the fair said, "We are thrilled with the success of the event and grateful to all the organisations that have supported it. The Careers Fair is a great way for people of all ages and skills to speak to advisors and employers about possible career options and to gain advice".
With over 40 exhibitors, the Work and Careers Fair has bought together businesses and organisations from a wide range of sectors who are actively offering opportunities via Apprenticeships, full and part time jobs, internships and voluntary work. Amongst the exhibitors, some of the big named organisations include ADP, AWE, Barclays, the JobCentre, Wetherspoons, David Wilson homes and BMW.
In addition to meeting employers, there were a series of workshops and one to one sessions taking place throughout the day. Experienced advisors were on hand to offer visitors professional help, with regards to starting a business, writing CV's, preparing for interviews as well as learning how to effectively job search.
Engineering HNC students at Newbury College have successfully achieved student membership of the iED and were presented with their membership certificates by Principal Dr Anne Murdoch OBE.
In order to achieve student membership, the HNC and HND courses in Mechanical and Electronic Engineering have been assessed by the Institution of Engineering Designers Education and Training Committee to ensure that the courses meet the academic requirements for the students membership of the Institution.
Newbury College Engineering Lecturer, Richard Willis is delighted with the students achievements and said, "Student membership of the Institution provides our learners with an opportunity to benefit from the membership of a professional body whilst continuing their study at HNC and HND Level".
The Institution of Engineering Designers of Engineering Designers (iED) is the UK's leading independent professional body representing designers within various fields of engineering design. The iED enables professionals from both the private and public sectors to share best practice enhance their knowledge and complement their professional development. They provide access to accredited courses and qualifications enabling members to improve their knowledge of the theory and practice of design and engineering on recognised courses.
Newbury College officially opened its brand new state of the art Plumbing Workshop Centre on Wednesday 5 March, with special guest, Dr Steve Ingle President of the Institute of Plumbing.
Following a welcome and introduction to the official opening by Newbury College Principal Dr Anne Murdoch OBE, Dr Steve Ingle cut the ribbon to officially open the workshop. Guests had the opportunity to view the purpose built training facility, see the equipment in use and sample refreshments in the new restaurant made by the College catering students.
Principal Dr Anne Murdoch is excited about the new development and said, "We would like to thank Dr Steve Ingle for opening the state of the art plumbing workshop. We are delighted with the workshop which was built to a very high standard. Our aim is to educate, train and supervise students in dedicated work areas and recreate the conditions they will experience in the Building Services Industry. The plumbing workshop now has the space and equipment to ensure that the training we offer gives our students and trainees the skills to equip them for a future in the plumbing industry by providing them with Industry standard work experience".
The new Plumbing Workshop, allows students to undertake a diverse range of plumbing training. Students will learn about installation tasks including guttering, central heating systems and a complete bathroom suite. The centre houses four bathroom suite areas, three airing cupboards along with visual learning aids all designed to improve and build the knowledge of students.
Curriculum Manager for Technology Brian Evans said, "The new workshop will give young people the opportunity to experience first-hand the type of activities a domestic plumber would carry out and at the same time achieve a nationally recognised qualification".
Budding Entrepreneurs from Newbury College have set up a jewellery company as part of the National 'Young Enterprise Programme' which teaches young people about business.
The team, made up of Art and Design students, attended the Young Enterprise Annual Trade Fair on Saturday 8 February 2014 in Newbury's Kennet Centre.
Young enterprise companies across West Berkshire showcased their businesses and sold their goods. The students' business, named 'Idylic', sold refurbished and upcycled jewellery and other individual handmade pieces for both men and women. The 'Young Enterprise Programme was founded in 1962 by merchant banker Sir Walter Salomon and allows students to take on business roles, and selecting and sourcing a products using innovation before selling to the public.
Course Leader of Art and Design and Young Enterprise Link, Jackie Heggs said, "Young Enterprise has given the students the opportunity to acquire business skills alongside their main programme. The Trade Fair supports students in developing customer service and selling skills and really helps to develop learner confidence. The students have had a brilliant experience and have been supported with practical advice by business advisors and volunteers from local businesses. They really enjoyed the challenge of selling their jewellery at the Trade Fair and competing against other Young Enterprise Companies for sales".
Other Young Enterprise companies from schools across West Berkshire were selling goods and services at the Trade Fair and competing to be the best 'Trade Stand'. This was judged by people from local businesses including the manager of the Kennet Centre.
Young Enterprise is the United Kingdom's largest business and enterprise education charity. Every year Young Enterprise helps 250,000 young people learn about business and the world of work in the classroom under the guidance of a network of 5,000 volunteers from 3,500 companies. The programmes range from the Primary Programme and Company Programme to the university-level start-up initiative with many variations in between. Young Enterprise offers programmes for a variety of age groups, from the age of four-25 and is one of the UK's leading figures in enterprise education delivering over four million learning hours each year. Since they were established, 3.8 million young people have taken part in Young Enterprise programmes in the UK. One million of these have run businesses for a year on the Company Programme.