STAFFORD College has announced that it is to sponsor Stafford’s first grand prix cycle race, being held in the town on July 8. Olympic cyclists will pedal the streets of Stafford in the race, which is expected to attract thousands of supporters.
Anne Piercy, vice principal of Stafford College, will be waiting to congratulate the winner of the race which forms part of British Cycling’s National Elite Circuit Series. She said that the College was delighted to be part of the event:
“It is an exciting first for the town and a night which will celebrate achievement, success and the fulfilment of potential. Like hundreds of our students sitting exams this summer, the cyclists will have worked hard for this chance to prove themselves, often at considerable personal sacrifice. Just to be in a position to take part in this event makes them all champions in my eyes and I can’t wait to see them race through the streets of Stafford. As sponsors, we are delighted to have helped bring this very special occasion to the town and hope that as many people as possible take the opportunity to come out and cheer the riders.”
The town centre will be closed to traffic for the event, which begins with fun races and showcases for young cycle enthusiasts. The main race gets underway at 7.30pm, with the finish taking place in the Market Square.

As the LLN enter into its final months, this especially significant occasion played out to great success against the stunning backdrop of Ironbridge Gorge. Attendance was high and throughout the gorgeously sunny day delegates enjoyed a varied mix of impressive keynote speeches, thought-provoking workshops, live acoustic entertainment and inspired theatrical performance. Following the conference's chosen theme of “Landmark Achievements”, the day's intentions were to celebrate the Network’s valued collaborations and to showcase its successes. Many attendees were encouraged on the day to spare five minutes to speak with a roaming camera crew during the action at the venue’s Coalbrookdale site. The LLN would like to extend a special 'thank you' to all who were filmed and this material will be released as a special DVD to be distributed later this year.
The conference, chaired by Keele University’s Pro Vice Chancellor Kevin Mattinson was opened with a presentation by SSTWLLN Director Jill Ward which focussed on achievements, regional impact and the national situation Dr Teeranlall Ramgopal, Pro Vice Chancellor of Staffordshire University took to the stage for the closing address. The day’s informative keynote speeches were supplied by Professor Sir Geoff Hampton, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education Partnerships) and Director of the Midlands Leadership Centre, at the University of Wolverhampton and Dr John Chudley of the National Apprenticeship Service. In addition to the variety of workshops available delegates also witnessed an innovative LLN-inspired documentary theatre performance centred on the student journey entitled ‘Casting the Net’. This exclusive performance was produced by Newcastle-under-Lyme’s award-winning Borderlines documentary theatre group in conjunction with PIPS (Performance Industries Pathways Scheme) students from Dudley College – a Foundation Degree course funded by Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Lifelong Learning Network.
Working alongside its educational partners and some of the region’s notable training providers and employers the remit of the Lifelong Learning Networks is to catalyse innovative new learning opportunities for non-traditional, vocational learners, as well as to deliver formal agreements to enable such learners to progress into, and through, Higher Education, whether into full awards, such as Foundation Degrees, (FD’s) or through other, novel forms of learning.
Since the establishment of the Lifelong Learning Networks, collectively they have achieved over 1,000 Progression Agreements that have resulted in the creation or modification of 250 Higher Education courses and the allocation of 74,000 additional student placements across the UK.
Importantly, the conference also began to look ahead in terms of planning how existing partners can maximise future opportunities to face the challenges ahead once the LLN ceases in 2011.

This is subject matter which will be explored fully at the LLN’s forthcoming ‘Living the Legacy’ event which is set to take place on 29th September, 2010. All speaker and workshop presentations and a photo gallery of the day’s events can be found at http://www.llnstaffordshireshropshire.org/content/conferences. If you would like to know more about the Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin LLN Director Jill Ward is also available for interviews. To arrange this contact Marketing Officer Lisa Black on 01785 353811. Email: l.black@staffs.ac.uk

BEAUTY student Jurate Preimantaite struck Gold in the prestigious World Skills regional competition at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. Jurate, who is studying Beauty Therapy at Stafford College, competed with students from 13 other colleges across the Midlands to take the title.
“The competition took place in front of visitors to The Beauty UK Exhibition, so it was extra nerve-wracking but Jurate did brilliantly and we were thrilled when she won,” said lecturer Helen Vincent.
To impress the judges, Jurate had to demonstrate her skills in a range of treatments including waxing, manicure, make-up and facials. The 23-year-old was competing in the Intermediate Beauty Therapy (level 2) class. Alongside her Beauty Therapy course, Jurate has also been taking English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes at the College.
Beauty Therapy courses such as the one studied by Jurate are taught in the luxurious surroundings of the Stafford Beauty Academy on the college campus. Here, therapists perfect their skills and members of the public can take advantage of affordable beauty treatments in stylish surroundings. The Stafford Beauty Academy was set up in partnership with Hoar Cross Hall and has produced several other model winners in national and international competitions.

Stafford College student Lia Hall, 18, found success on a plate when she impressed some of the region’s top chefs in the finals of the 2010 Taste of Staffordshire Young Chef of Tomorrow awards. The competition, hosted in the College’s restaurant kitchens, drew together talented young chefs, each of whom either works or studies in Staffordshire.
Lia was challenged to cook three courses in just two hours. The judges stipulated that the chefs must use fillet of sea bass and pork tenderloin in their menus, other than that it was down to their creativity and skill.
At the end of the event the judges named Lia runner –up in the main award. The student also won the food hygiene award. Mentor Sam Dowle said that she was delighted with Lia’s performance: “It’s enormously stressful for any chef and Lia did brilliantly. She’s got a great future ahead of her and we are all incredibly proud of what she’s achieved in the competition.”

TWO Stone residents have been short-listed for prestigious awards. Lilian Ward and Leeson Underhill are both students at Stafford College and were nominated for LearnMore Awards, supported by the North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership to celebrate learning and achievement in the region. They will find out whether they are among the big winners at an awards ceremony at the Kings Hall, in Stoke on Tuesday 18th May.
Lilian Ward, 100, has been nominated for the Wedgwood Memorial College Award for Lifelong Learning. Described by staff as “An inspiration to others”, Lilian joined an Exercise to Music Class when she was 92 and now attends a Lip Reading class at the Christchurch Centre in Stone. In November she celebrated her 100th birthday with an impromptu party thrown by her classmates.
Leeson Underhill, 16, is a full-time student at Stafford College, where he is on the BTEC First Diploma Art & Design He has been put forward for a special achievement award. In an accident just a few weeks before he arrived at College, Leeson lost a leg. His lecturer Ian Cale, who nominated him, said that Leeson had “Demonstrated a quiet determination and considerable maturity. He has shown himself to be an admirable young person who refuses to be limited by his disability. He has learned a lot this year and we have all learned from him.”
Stephen Willis, principal of Stafford College, said that he was “delighted” that Leeson and Lilian had both been short-listed for awards: “We are so thrilled that they have been recognised in this way and hope that they have a wonderful evening at the awards ceremony.”

STAFFORD College has promised a day of colour, song and sound when it holds a series of exhibitions to mark Cultural Diversity Day on the campus. The promotion takes place on Wednesday 19 May.
“It is going to be another great day building on the popularity of last year’s event,” promised Tony Guest, equality and diversity coordinator at Stafford College. “We hope that members of the public will take the opportunity to join students and staff enjoying the very special atmosphere of the event.”
Among the activities taking place on the campus is a taste of Nepalese cuisine, served by some of the Nepali students currently learning English at the College. Campus restaurants will be inviting guests to taste International cuisine, while the campus will rock to the sound of Irish folk songs, Indian Bhangra music, Spanish flamenco, African Mali songs, Belgian traditional music and Jamaican reggae.
The world music will be part of a project by the skilled music technology students but music-lovers who fancy having a go themselves will be able to take part in a steel pans workshop led by renowned Caribbean music exponent, Professor Black.
“We’ll have drama, art exhibitions and even beauty treatments inspired by international specialities,” said Tony Guest. “I am particularly delighted that some of the Ghurkha soldiers based in Stafford have agreed to visit the campus to perform their famous ceremonial dance, the Khukuri. If you are working or shopping in the town centre that day, it’s definitely worth visiting the campus and travelling the world without worrying about an ash cloud!”

STUDENTS and lecturers from Stafford College are hard at work putting the finishing touches to some large-scale sculptures for a new trail at Shugborough. The artists have produced nine sculptures inspired by some of the animals, insects and birds found on the estate.

Visitors to the historic estate will get their first glimpse of the work when the Wild About Wildlife Sculpture Trail is opened to the public on 23 May. The Trail has been funded by the Staffordshire County Council and Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Beauty.

Adam Wilkinson is one of the sculptors taking part in the project. “There are some stunning pieces taking shape at the College,” he said. “We have a magnificent deer, a statuesque copper heron standing some six feet tall, an owl with a wingspan of around eight feet, a great crested newt as big as a crocodile and a crayfish the size of a car!”

Fortunately the staff and students at College have a specially-created roof terrace on which to construct extra-large pieces such as the ones destined for Shugborough. The College has a reputation for high calibre sculpture courses, which it makes available to everyone from people with a leisure interest right up to degree-level students. Those contributing to the Wild About Wildlife Trail are teaching and learning on the acclaimed Foundation Degree course in the subject.

AN increase in demand for highly qualified motor vehicle mechanics has prompted the expansion of Stafford College’s Technology Centre at Palmbourne, with the opening of new workshops described by a College spokesperson as “Some of the best in the region.”

The launch of the new workshops will provide some good news for a sector hit hard by the economic downturn. As head of faculty John Morris explained, the College is seeing signs of recovery both in terms of interest from new entrants to the industry and from local businesses planning to expand their workforce.

“At the moment we are seeing some exceptional levels of growth in the Motor Vehicle work that we do. We have always enjoyed a very good reputation for these courses and even during the worst of the recession we were still seeing a lot of new students hoping to make a career in the sector. Now, though, climbing demand from students is being matched by enquiries from employers.”

The new workshop was opened by Councillor Doug Davis, a link governor at Stafford College. Along with state-of-the-art mechanical equipment, the spacious premises include two new classrooms complete with individual computers for each student, interactive whiteboards and access to the college online learning environment. The facility will cater for students on new degree-level modules available for the first time in September and is also expected to provide a base for short courses aimed at helping qualified mechanics gain the certificate they need to service and recharge vehicle air conditioning systems.

“It’s a fantastic asset for the College and a valuable resource for the sector,” said John Morris. “The new workshop is part of our specialist Technology Centre at Palmbourne, where the levels of activity in specialist courses such as electrical installation, construction plant and mechanical engineering as well as vehicle mechanics, point to a very real recovery in the sector.”

STAFFORD College is celebrating Adult Learners’ Week with a day of special one-off workshops on its town centre campus. The College is offering nine workshops aimed at providing a taste of something different for people new to the subject. All the workshops take place on Saturday 15 May.

Workshops available on this day include life drawing, watercolour painting, clay modelling, creating writing, paper craft, aromatherapy, crystal and gem therapy, wire and bead jewellery making and the opportunity to make and decorate a unique cushion for the home.

“We’re inviting people to spend a very pleasant few hours learning something new on a Saturday, “ said Glenys Coombs of Stafford College. “The workshops are conveniently located in the town centre and led by experts in the subject. They are very affordable, too, with fees ranging from just £10-20. It’s a great day to take some time out of the normal weekend routine and do something different.”

The College is emphasising that places are limited on all the workshops and that advance booking is essential. In all cases, workshops will only run with a viable number of students. More information and bookings can be made by telephoning 01785 275607.

INSPIRED by the success of the television debates which played a major part in the election campaign, students at Stafford College welcomed candidates from the three main parties to the campus. More than 150 first-time voters packed the college theatre, eager to quiz the candidates on issues including university funding, apprenticeships, global warming, the war in Afghanistan, the expenses row and the National Health Service.

Mirroring the format of the television debates, candidates from the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties took questions from the voters. Reflecting the College’s award-winning environmental credentials, the Green party were also invited to talk to students.

“Young people are often accused of apathy but it was readily apparent that they relished the opportunity to hear what the candidates had to say and to seek answers to challenging questions,” said college Principal Stephen Willis.

The College conducted polls at the start and finish of the debate, providing an opportunity to see whether the first-time voters had been swayed by the arguments they had heard. On arrival, 15 per cent of the students taking part in the poll said that they were undecided about which way to cast their vote. At the end of the event, that percentage had fallen to just 4 per cent.

“The students had listened carefully to the views of the candidates on the issues that mattered to them and had allocated their vote accordingly,” said Mr Willis. “The candidates all said how much they had enjoyed the event. They were impressed with the organisation and quality of the debate and said that the College can be very proud of its students.”

• The results of the entrance and exit polls were as follows

The entrance poll
David Kidney (Lab) - 8 per cent
Jeremy Lefroy (Con) - 17 per cent
Barry Stamp (Lib Dem) - 38 per cent
Green - 6 per cent
Other - 6 per cent
Undecided - 15 per cent
Won't vote - 9 per cent
 
The exit poll
David Kidney - 31 per cent
Jeremy Lefroy - 22 per cent
Barry Stamp - 28 per cent
Green - 1 per cent
Other - 6 per cent
Undecided - 4 per cent
Won't vote - 7 per cent 

A new exhibition of work by students is exciting a strong response from visitors. The artists at Stafford College have been working with the charity Changing Faces on a project exploring attitudes towards facial disfigurement. Prints made during the project are now on show in the exhibition space at Broad Eye, home to art and design courses on the campus.

Lecturer Ian Cale explained “The students have spent a lot of time considering how our impressions of others as well as our own self-image are shaped by the extent to which facial features conform to some notion of regularity. We were very fortunate to receive a great deal of assistance from the people at Changing Faces, which is a charity supporting people with disfigurement.”

As part of the project, the artists recorded temporary ‘changes’ to their own features, for instance by winding elastic bands around their heads or wrapping sticky tape across their faces. The exhibition features photographs of the results, together with work using collage and photo-etching techniques. Visitors will also see material from Changing Faces and quotes from the students: “People often view plastic surgery as vanity and don’t realise how it can help people with disfigurement”. There is also an introduction to the exhibition, written by National Diploma student Lucy Jones, who explains: “We have challenged our own feelings and explored how we would deal with changes to our own appearance.”

The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, runs until 27 May.

Students on the animal care course at Stafford College helped out with some special deliveries when they were invited to assist with lambing at Shugborough Park Farm. The classmates were on-hand as some of the rare breed ewes gave birth and lent a hand bottle-feeding lambs.

“The students are all on the BTEC First Diploma in Animal Care course, which includes a lot of practical, hands-on experience with animals as part of the syllabus,” explained lecturer Beth Kibble. “They spent several days at Shugborough before Easter and were delighted to be there during lambing.”

Stafford College has just announced that it will be launching a second course for animal lovers in September. The BTEC National Diploma in Animal Management will be a two-year course leading to university or employment in animal care.

“The new course is the equivalent of three A-levels and will be particularly suited to people who want to work as veterinary nurses, for example,” said Beth Kibble. “Like the First Diploma, it will include practical experience at animal sanctuaries, farms etc - although we can’t guarantee that next year’s students will be lucky enough to be present at the perfect time for lambing!”

Students on the animal care course at Stafford College helped out with some special deliveries when they were invited to assist with lambing at Shugborough Park Farm. The classmates were on-hand as some of the rare breed ewes gave birth and lent a hand bottle-feeding lambs.

“The students are all on the BTEC First Diploma in Animal Care course, which includes a lot of practical, hands-on experience with animals as part of the syllabus,” explained lecturer Beth Kibble. “They spent several days at Shugborough before Easter and were delighted to be there during lambing.”

Stafford College has just announced that it will be launching a second course for animal lovers in September. The BTEC National Diploma in Animal Management will be a two-year course leading to university or employment in animal care.

“The new course is the equivalent of three A-levels and will be particularly suited to people who want to work as veterinary nurses, for example,” said Beth Kibble. “Like the First Diploma, it will include practical experience at animal sanctuaries, farms etc - although we can’t guarantee that next year’s students will be lucky enough to be present at the perfect time for lambing!”

A student bricklayer at Stafford College is laying the foundations for a good career, with a bid to become named the best young bricklayer in the West Midlands.

Chris Hill, 20, is a second year student on the Level 2 Diploma in Bricklaying course at Stafford College, where his lecturer Kevin Ellement spotted his potential for the prestigious contest organised by the Guild of Bricklayers.

“This is a very well respected competition within the industry. We have had winners in previous years and they have all gone on to very good jobs as a result. I think Chris stands an excellent chance in the contest and would not be surprised if he went on to the national finals,” said Kevin Ellement.

The regional championship is being held in Birmingham on 1 April. Like all the contestants, Chris will have no idea what he will be asked to build until he steps into the competition arena. There he will receive a brief and a set of drawings and he will have six hours to complete his project, ready for the discerning eyes of the judges.

STAFFORD College has been celebrating another accolade, after an assessor interviewing staff on the campus on behalf of Investors in People UK described the College as the best organisation that she had visited. The College was successfully reaccredited with the Investors in People Standard, with a glowing report identifying numerous strengths in the way that the College supports and develops its staff.

More than 50 lecturers and support staff were interviewed by the assessor. Chosen at random, the interviewees were asked about their experience working at Stafford College and the access that they had to training to improve their effectiveness in the workplace. Jane Pountney, head of corporate services on the campus, said that feedback from the inspection had highlighted a fair recruitment process, good communication within the college and a sense that the college management team was “Interested in the care and wellbeing of everyone who either works or studies at the college.” The assessor also reported that people working at the College felt highly valued in their role and enjoyed working at Stafford College. 

The College has a reputation for excellence in staff development, an area in which it has been nominated for high-level awards. Training has played a big part in driving up standards on the campus. All lecturing staff now hold teaching qualifications in addition to subject-specific credits, normally at honours degree level or above. Additionally, 44 lecturing and support staff have either achieved or are studying for a master’s degree.

Steve Crouch heads up the staff development team at Stafford College. He said that he was “Delighted” that the College had exceeded the requirements of the Standard: “The assessor found that staff were very positive and happy to be working at the College. I am sure that is something that will be readily apparent to those studying and training on the campus. While the majority of the training that is undertaken here is directly related to the jobs that people do, we also support a range of other activity to build strong teams, teach colleagues how to relax and generally enrich their experience of working here. The enthusiasm that the assessor noted is something that characterises the College.”

Stafford College operates a salary incentive programme to reward members of staff who maintain high standards of professional development. It also operates dedicated staff development weeks when lecturers and specialist support teams can devote themselves to raising standards.

TEENAGE adventurer Mike Perham made a special appearance at Stafford College. The remarkable young sailor made a solo trip across the Atlantic Ocean at just 14 and took the record for a solo voyage around the world that began when he was just 16. He visited Stafford College as the guest of students on the hugely popular Sports, Outdoor Adventure and Public Services courses.

“We are thrilled that Mike was able to visit the campus,” said Richard Jones, head of the faculty of Professional Studies at Stafford College. “His story is immensely inspiring to students of the same age, especially as he is also studying towards a BTEC National Diploma in Sport and had his text books with him on his voyage!”

Mike talked about his determination to succeed on his marathon journey and showed exclusive film of his record-breaking trip.

“We were particularly pleased that schools, sailing clubs and members of the public who have been inspired by Mike’s story took up our invitation to come and meet the remarkable teenager behind the headlines,” said Richard Jones.

View the photos click here

Stafford College is delighted to have struck Gold at the recent FE First Awards. The College was presented with a prestigious Gold Award at the ceremony which celebrates outstanding marketing work by UK Further Education Colleges. Recognition came for the college's Annual Report, which this year was designed as a calendar.

The Awards took place at the Hilton Hotel in Coventry, following judging in which marketing material from Stafford College was measured against work by colleges throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Cathy Webb, Marketing Manager, said:

"We were delighted to be presented with a Gold Award, having had no idea that we were among the evening's big winners. It is an enormous accolade for the College to receive this kind of recognition at a national level."

Youngsters attending Butterflies Day Nursery have some extra-special new arrivals to look after. Staff at the nursery, which is part of Stafford College, hatched a special treat for them when they took delivery of ten eggs in an incubator.

The children have been keeping a close eye on the incubator and got their reward when the first chicks began packing their way out of the eggs on 11 November.

“The children were incredibly excited and watched very patiently as each chick hatched,” said nursery manager Susan Tatler. “They have learned such a lot through the experience and of course they have enjoyed naming each chick.”

The birds will spend the first two weeks of their lives at the nursery, allowing the children to chart their development.

View the photos click here

CHILDCARE students have been busy raising money to support their contribution to the Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box appeal. The big-hearted students on the CACHE Level 3 course raised a brilliant £266.02 which will be used to buy extra-special gifts to be packed in shoe boxes destined for needy children across the world.

The students hit their total by running two cake stalls to tempt hungry staff and students on the campus. They also ran a ‘Guess the name of the Lion’ contest while teams of their classmates offered a bag-packing service to customers at nearby Wilkinsons and invited donations.

“Nearly thirty students took part in the fundraising efforts this week,” said lecturer Sheila Brown. “They did really well to raise so much money and it will go towards a very good cause, buying gifts to pack in the shoe box parcels. We would all like to offer a special thanks to the manager and staff of Wilkinsons, who have generously supported our contribution to the Operation Christmas Child appeal for a number of years.”

View the photos click here

STAFFORD College collected one of the major prizes at the Stafford Borough Council Green Awards 2009. The town centre campus was named Climate Change Champion and described by the judges as: “The organisation that has done the most to raise awareness of climate change and how customers, staff, pupils, members or local people can do their bit to reduce their carbon footprint.”

The Climate Change Champion Award was sponsored by Our County, Our Climate, Our Choice (OC3). In addition to a cash prize, the College received a sapling, a pack of energy saving light bulbs and free consultancy services from the OC3 Partnership to help the campus green team drive down carbon emissions on the campus even further.

The College now recycles 50 per cent of its waste each year and the recycling bug has spread across the campus, with furniture, cabinets and files regularly finding new homes within the college environment.

Students surveyed said that they considered environmental issues second only in importance to finance and have been quick to back the college green initiatives. Students led a Sustainable Development Week on the campus, culminating with a day when many made individual pledges to make small but significant reductions in their own energy consumption.

The College has also been working with community partners and Staffordshire University to develop a Foundation Degree in Sustainability Communities. This new course will commence in January 2010.

View the photos click here