Newbury College's Open Event on Saturday 17 May saw over 400 visitors attend the College where there was exciting activities for all the family that students were holding as part of their Skills Project.
The event showcased students work and the courses available at the College. Animal Care students ran a Dog Show raising money for Dogs Trust and Public Service students held a range of stalls to raise money for Help for Heroes and Air Ambulance. These included a cake sale, raffle, archery, climbing wall and bouncy castle.
The student's activities were part of their 'Skills Project', which help them gain employment skills alongside their studies. Skills Project Co-ordinator, Sian Ellis, who has helped organise some of the activities said, "This was a fantastic opportunity for our students to put their skills into practice as well as supporting fantastic causes. The day was a great success and I'm really proud of the hard work and commitment the students showed".
The day was a fantastic opportunity for the local community to view the College's state of the art facilities, including the brand new training restaurant and state of the art plumbing workshop. Potential learners had the opportunity to see the many courses on offer and speak to subject specialists. Current students were on hand to talk to prospective students and their parents and show them around while talking about their College experience.
For those in Year 11, the day was a chance for them and their parents to discover the options available including to new iGCSE programme for post 16 learners. Adult learners attending the event had an opportunity to find out more about Newbury College and explore ways in which to further their career or to develop a new hobby.
Newbury College took part in last weeks, 'Barclays Money Week' which is a national event, sponsored by Barclays Bank which teaches the importance of managing money effectively. Activities and events were held throughout the week cumulating with a Fashion Show on the final day.
Barclays Money Skills Week is a money management programme which has been designed to strengthen financial skills of further education students. The events help build knowledge and confidence, reduce financial stress and increase chances of achieving their goals. The week comprised of several financial based activities which included, guess how many pennies are in a jar, own brand taste tests and an interactive money saving game. The fashion show on the final day was part of the 'Style on a Budget' activity, which the students planned and organised, including the financial budgeting for the event.
Business Course Leader, Peter Doyle, who organised Newbury College's Barclays Money Skills Week said, "Barclays Money Week is a popular programme on our calendar. Business students look forward to it with a great deal of excitement. The students have been working directly with lecturers and classes providing activities for other students, booking events, rooms and organising resources. I am very proud of all the students."
During money week, students from a variety of courses took part in the 'Style on a Budget' tutorial where students were given £30 per group to go out and buy a suitable outfit for a job interview. They then put together a catwalk show to display what they have bought. The event was judged by students from a variety of courses. After gathering fame on the College runway all students were able to keep their outfits and the winning students received a 'Love to Shop' voucher. In third place was hairdressing student, Amber Stratford from Hairdressing, in second place Eddie Head from Public Services and in first place Benjamin Wrightson also from Public Services.
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.