Newbury College officially opened its new training restaurant on 22 October at 4pm with special guests, Roger and Sue Jones from Michelin Star awarded restaurant, The Harrow at Little Bedwyn.
The official opening began with a welcome by Newbury College Principal Dr Anne Murdoch OBE followed by speeches from both Roger and Sue Jones. Sue addressed visitors with a talk on how they have developed their business while Roger enthused guests with his experiences in the catering industry including working for Margaret Thatcher and Her Majesty The Queen. Sue and Roger officially opened the restaurant by unveiling a commemorative plaque, which will be placed in the restaurant.
The College is delighted that Roger and Sue Jones agreed to open the restaurant. The Harrow at Little Bedwyn is one of the most highly acclaimed restaurants outside of London and has been recognised for its award winning food for 15 years. Roger and Sue were honoured to open the new training restaurant and said, It is a great privilege to be involved in such an exciting new development at Newbury College. The catering students will benefit hugely from having a real work environment alongside their training and tuition and we are delighted to be on hand for any advice or practical help that we can offer.
VIP guests included Mayor of Newbury Cllr Anthony Pick, Mayoress of Newbury Cllr Catherine Kent and Mayor of Thatcham Cllr Mike Cole. Guests were treated to canapés and drinks reception served by the College's catering students whilst touring the impressive restaurant and training facilities. Principal Dr Anne Murdoch said, We are excited to have this new training restaurant facility. It will be a fantastic opportunity to welcome in the local community and provide dining at affordable prices. The training facilities will also be a great experience for our learners.
As well as running their Michelin starred restaurant, Roger has become consultant to the Park House restaurant in Cardiff, is a judge on Decanter and Imbibe Magazine's regular wine tasting panels and writes as a wine consultant for Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Both Roger and Sue are very committed to their chosen charities for whom they raise funds through organising events both at The Harrow and pop-ups further afield as well as working closely with the next generation of chefs and managers through colleges and local schools.
The new restaurant development has been made possible with the help of funding from a grant provided by the Education Funding Agency through West Berkshire Council. Various departments will see the benefits of this purpose built professional training restaurant. Hospitality and Catering students will have the ability to put into practice what they have learnt in theory classes, while foundation learning students will be able to gain work experience in a controlled environment preparing them for work.
Sue and Roger visited the College recently to meet and talk with catering students bringing with them a rare truffle from the truffle farm which they helped discover. On their visit they were shown the training kitchen, toured the facilities and gave a talk to students about the rare truffles that they have helped discover at a local farm, the only truffle farm in the UK. Roger explained how they find truffles and excavate them from the ground, going on to explain how they are used in cooking. Roger also demonstrated his lobster fish finger specialty which students served at the opening.
Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions, supported by Newbury College, have been named as the first ever winners of the Newcomer Employer of the Year award in the Thames Valley regional finals and will now progress to the National Apprenticeship Awards at the NEC in Birmingham on the 14th November.
The highly commended entries and winners were announced at a high profile awards ceremony which was held at Madejski Stadium in Reading on 19th September 2013.
Pat Frith, Sales and Account Manager at Newbury College said, "We are delighted to have supported Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions in structuring and developing their Apprenticeship programme, and that the quality of the Apprenticeship programme is valued as such an asset to their business. It is wonderful to see this commitment recognised in Hitachi's achievement of the Newcomer Employer of the Year Award for the Thames Valley. Everyone at Newbury College wishes them luck in the National Finals in November".
The awards are organised by the National Apprenticeship Service, who received in excess of 1,600 high quality entrants this year. Hitachi Capital's two-year Apprentice Programme, which saw its first intakes last September was commended for its excellent progression opportunities with apprentices getting thoroughly involved in the business and contributing new and fresh ideas. As well as their day-to-day involvement in the business, apprentices are studying at Newbury College to complete an Advanced Diploma in Customer Services.
Steve Pinchen, Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions graduate & apprentice scheme manager comments: "We're delighted to be the Thames Valley's best new Apprenticeship Employers and that our early progress with our Apprenticeship Programme has been recognised
"It was a big challenge taking on 13 apprentices in one go over two locations but they've really gelled as a group and their ability to share experiences and work as a team really inspires others. We feel we're also making a big and worthwhile investment in the local community and in doing so, encouraging the future development of the business."
Mark Howard, NAS Divisional Apprenticeship Director, said: "This year's awards were an exceptional showcase of the outstanding apprentices and employers we have in our region. Given the high volume and extraordinary calibre of entries we received, those who reached the regional final really are the cream of the crop.
"I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions for this superb achievement. They are a shining example of how Apprenticeships can allow employers to grow their own talent, and enable apprentices to build real careers."
Roc Technologies in conjunction with the National Apprenticeship Service and Newbury College is launching an apprentice scheme to attract and develop talented IT professionals from the local community.
The scheme was launched today with the appointment of Roc's first Apprentice. Mathew Lake joined Roc in July and is undertaking a BTEC Level 3 Diploma in ICT Professional Competence for IT and Telecoms Professionals at Newbury College. In addition to his college education, Mathew will be working closely with Roc's experienced delivery professionals across a range of client environments.
Commenting on his new role, Mathew said "it's really tough to break into the IT industry for younger people, so it's great to be given the opportunity to develop my skills".
Local MP for Newbury, Richard Benyon, said "I am particularly pleased to hear that Roc has launched an apprentice scheme giving life-changing opportunities for people in the Newbury area".
Roc's investment in apprentices is driven by a desire to deliver excellence and value to its customers whilst nurturing the brightest technical talent. The scheme further cements Roc's commitment to support the local community in West Berkshire as well as addressing youth unemployment.
"There are a lot of bright and enthusiastic people in West Berkshire with a passion for technology. By harnessing this talent we can serve our customers better and give people a chance to show what they've got to offer" commented Steve Shirley, Operations Director at Roc.
Roc's Directors have made a commitment to employ four apprentices in the first phase of this scheme, working closely with Newbury College.
Pat Frith, Sales and Account Manager at Newbury College said, 'We are delighted to be working with Roc Technologies, supporting them in developing their Apprenticeship programme. Newbury College has provided expertise to many employers in structuring and implementing Apprenticeship programmes, as well as working with small business owners employing individual Apprentices. We are pleased that Roc Technologies has had such a positive experience, and applaud their commitment to nurturing talent".
Newbury College sports students have a new football training venue where they will be able to play competitively thanks to new links developed with Newbury Wardens.
The new facilities located at Pigeons Farm, which are governed by Newbury Wardens are an ideal location for the College students. The links that have been established with the College mean the impressive football pitch will be used regularly by the team throughout the College academic year. It also means the College can host fixtures for both local and national competitor games.
The team will begin training on Monday nights, and will also be able to compete against other Colleges once a week on Wednesday afternoons over the football season. Sports Maker Joe Pegg, who has developed the relationship with Newbury Wardens said, "It is fantastic to have access to such an excellent venue. This will be used for club training and fixtures and will really move us into a position where we can compete competitively. Newbury wardens have been a great support".
The Newbury Wardens are delighted the venue will be utilised by up and coming sports students and said, "We are extremely pleased to have this space being used regularly by the College and we look forward to working more closely with them in the future".
All members of the local community are welcome to come and watch their local College compete in the West Berkshire and English Schools National Competition on Wednesday afternoons between now and March. Please check the events page on our website for match fixtures and times.