EXETER College will find out this week if it has won a prestigious industry award for continually improving its student recruitment processes.

The college is a finalist in the European Six Sigma Excellence Awards 2007 taking place in London on Wednesday, April 18th.

Honouring organisations which have run successful projects to improve service quality and time, judges short-listed Exeter College in the category of Best Continuous Improvement Project in the Public Sector.

It received the nomination after piloting an innovative training event to speed up and simplify the process of recruiting student apprentices. The two-day workshop for a range of Exeter College staff focused on using the business improvement methodologies known as Lean and Six Sigma, well known in the manufacturing and financial sectors. It is believed to be the first time in the UK an educational establishment has utilised the methods aimed at achieving fast improvements in customer satisfaction, cost, quality and process speed. The training was run by London-based firm Venturehaus, Europe’s leading specialist for Lean and Six Sigma in the financial services industry. Exeter College’s director of business and marketing Chris Lorimer, who initiated the scheme, said: “Treating our students as individual customers is at the heart of our drive to improve our processes and achieve excellent service quality for all. “Students are demanding better service and we must adapt identify their needs and requirements and adapt accordingly. “We recognise that effective operational and transactional processes are the key areas of delivering a better service to students, employers and the community we serve. “As well as teaching and learning, customer service is crucial in the educational market-place. “Being nominated for this award is a huge boost for the project and college. We have now invested in training a number of staff from our talent pool, in order to convene additional projects across the college.” Exeter College is one of four finalists in its category.

If it wins, the institution will be highlighted and promoted in media across Europe and beyond. Robert Lord, Venturehaus’s operations manager, said: “Education like health and social services has a difficult balance to strike. It has to meet the unique, often complex needs of the individual whilst pursuing opportunities for economies of scale and efficiency. “Central and Local Government are placing increasing pressure on their departments to achieve more with less. The backdrop to these challenges is a well informed public who through information networking is able to exert greater choice and demand better service. “Frontline delivery will always be the duty and responsibility of the teaching staff but many exist to support this critical social function. “Our training event proved to be a real staff energiser, a good investment of time and a multiplier in cementing a culture of continuous improvement.”

EXETER College’s Inspirational Choir performed at the official opening of the first phase of the new Princesshay shopping centre.

The popular group made up of music students and staff entertained the crowds who had turned out to see the city’s new £225m redevelopment in Bedford Street.

EXETER College students held a Ready Steady Let’s Cook demonstration at the region’s biggest food and drink festival recently.

The fourth Exeter Festival of South West England Food and Drink attracted more than 15,000 food lovers to Northernhay Gardens on the weekend of March 30 – April 1.

Top attractions were food demonstrations from some of the region’s best known chefs including Michelin-star holder and former Exeter College student Michael Caines, who helped establish and develop the prestigious festival. Another crowd puller was the cookery theatre in the fun marquee which featured a demonstration with catering students from Exeter College. After an official opening by celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, the budding chefs wowed audiences with their cooking flair preparing dishes such as scallops on a bed of linguine and chicken and asparagus.

NEARLY 100 hairdressers from across Devon have attended a workshop at Exeter College on how to avoid contracting dermatitis.

Up to three-quarters of all hairdressers suffer some form of skin damage, which may be caused by contact with hairdressing products and long periods of contact with water. Small steps such as wearing disposable gloves, thoroughly drying and moisturising hands can help to prevent dermatitis.

Exeter College hosted a free half-day workshop on Monday, 2nd April, to help hairdressers recognise the early signs of dermatitis and understand the requirements of health and safety law. The workshop, which was organised with the Health & Safety Executive, Exeter City Council, Mid and East Devon District Councils and West Devon Borough Council, was open to anyone working in the Hair and Beauty Industry.

Tricia Pugsley, Head of Essential Therapies at Exeter College, said: “We all need to be proactive to ensure that all learners and staff are regularly checking their hands for signs of dermatitis, which, once established, causes lifetime sensitivity to allergens resulting in loss of employment in this field. “We must all develop good habits by using protective gloves for wet and chemical work. We are the happiest work force in the country; our skills are in our hands so we must look after them. “Exeter College Hairdressing and Beauty department will continue to raise the profile of dermatitis with all learners both on full time and part time hairdressing courses and within the industry for our hairdressing apprentices with employers.”

As part of the event, a trial on the effectiveness of different disposable glove brands was carried out by the Essential Therapies department and the Exeter salons, Cutting Crew in St Thomas and Crew 2 in Queen Street. John Shear, partner at Cutting Crew and Crew 2, said: “It was a very interesting and informative day and very relevant for the industry. “Dermatitis is an important issue within hairdressing so the event was very worthwhile.”

EXETER College students attempted to capture the glitz and glamour of Hollywood in a competition today.

Around 40 first-year Essential Therapies students showcased their hairdressing, beauty and styling skills at the college’s Bishop Blackall site in Pennsylvania Road. The theme of the contest was ‘Hollywood’.

The contest was split into two categories. Some students worked on training dummy heads – ‘Creative Block Work’, while others displayed their hair, beauty and styling skills on other students -‘Total Look’. First, second and third prizes were awarded in each category.

Hairdressing lecturer Tracey Lloyd said: “Many students have been looking to the Oscars ceremony for inspiration. It was very interesting to see what they came up with.”

First place in the Creative block work went to Kirsty Hook, followed closely by Yasmin Leverton, Second place and Devon Carter in third place.

The ‘Total Look’ first place went to Anna Briant for her ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ model. Second place went to Rachel Stanbury and third went to Lisa Darragh, both with red carpet inspired models.

Exeter College’s Essential Therapies department is a training salon which is open to the public. It offers a full range of hairdressing services and beauty treatments. Prices start from £3.50 for a wet cut and £10 for a facial.

EXETER College students who have experienced gaps in their education are learning important lessons about citizenship as part of a pioneering course.

The students from the foundation studies department are among some of the first in Devon to have taken a GCSE in Citizenship. Only a handful of schools and colleges in the county currently offer the course but this is the second year Exeter College has run the programme. It is taught under the Foundation Studies Fast Track programme which helps learners aged 15-20 who have been out of education for a period of time return to full-time learning.

As part of the citizenship course students had to choose subjects to research. The results of all the students’ work was showcased in an exhibition held in the college’s Ted Wragg Building.

Sixteen-year-old Dave Turner wrote and recorded a song about homelessness which has been played on Vibraphonic FM.

Students Elize Goozé, Ellie Burgin, Lucy Carpenter and Megan Lewis carried out a demonstration about factory farming. Lucy Carpenter, 17, said: “A lot of people do not know what is going on in the production of the meat which they eat. We did the demonstration because citizenship is about getting involved in the community and being aware of many different issues.”

Meanwhile Beth Chafer, 17, is to do a sponsored skydive to raise money for ChildLine. James Baille-Hamilton, Craig Bryant and Jade Quinn carried out a survey among Exeter College students about their views on poverty.

Janie-Lea Eton, 16, said: “Citizenship is about raising awareness of laws, human rights, cultures and religions. I wanted to raise awareness about children who are seriously ill and are helped by Children’s Hospice South West, which is also Exeter College’s chosen charity this year.”

Thierry Mujjuze said: “I wanted to highlight the problem of racism in football, not only on a professional level, but even sometimes when children play.”

Last year 100% of Exeter College students who took GCSE Citizenship passed compared to a national pass rate of 79%. The Government now wants more schools and colleges to teach citizenship in its own right as a GCSE course. A recent Ofsted report on the subject said citizenship is educating children about public institutions, power, politics and community and “equipping them to engage effectively as informed citizens”.

World number six trials bike rider Andrei Burton has been wowing Exeter College students at a prize draw for all those who took part in a travel survey.

The Exeter-based cyclist who travels the world taking part in events showcased his amazing stunts on Wednesday 21st March, shortly before students found out who had won a new bike.

All Exeter College students and staff were encouraged to take part in a recent travel survey, as part of the college’s green travel plan. By completing the survey, they were entered into a free prize draw to win a bike, amongst other prizes.

The survey is part of a wider scheme by Exeter College to promote sustainability. It was completed by over 250 staff and nearly 1,000 students and will form the building blocks of the college’s new travel plan. The college has recently set up a Bicycle User Group which supports and promotes cycling to the college. It also works closely with the Cycle Exeter Travel Plan Adviser, a partnership project between Devon County Council and Exeter City Council. This will aim to reduce the use of the car and improve travel facilities at the college, including the provision of up to 160 new bike shelters at its main Hele Road site and Centre for Creative Industries base in Queen Street, which will be part funded by the Cycle Exeter project.

Andrei, who is also a county council ambassador, said: “Devon is a brilliant place to cycle as it’s like being in a great big outdoor playground with so much to offer to cyclists at all levels. You can ride to suit your own abilities and needs – push yourself on challenging mountain bike routes, enjoy more leisurely traffic-free routes across the countryside or use your bike to avoid congestion by cycling to work or school.”

A PIONEERING new Exeter College centre dedicated to the late professor of education Ted Wragg has opened.

The Ted Wragg Building at the college’s main, Hele Road site, caters for students with a wide range of learning difficulties and disabilities. It has been fully refurbished under a multi-million pound college-wide construction programme and opened to students for the first time this week. It features innovative facilities including a mock ‘flat’ where teenagers can learn skills to be able to live independently. There is also a specially-adapted kitchen where students with additional needs are taught about healthy eating and cooking.

The college’s Foundation Studies department started seven years ago with just 70 students and has been housed in four different sites. But today it is one of the college’s biggest departments and caters for around 400 young people with varying needs from across Devon, from pupils who have been excluded from school to those with severe learning difficulties and others working at entry level and level 1.

The department’s ethos is to encourage non-traditional learners and there have been outstanding success stories involving students who have been out of education for long periods going on to university. It is now one of the biggest further education centres for students with special needs in the region.

Joy Mosley, Head of Foundation studies, who won a national award for her work helping teenagers with learning difficulties, said: “The department suggested it be named the Ted Wragg Building because he was so supportive of the college and especially young people with learning difficulties. One of the last projects he did was The Unteachables documentary for Channel 4.

“There are a lot of students out there who think that college is not for them. Education has let them down. They have not found their potential and can have very low self-esteem. “We have a very supportive and experienced team who are able to deal with the students’ learning difficulties and design a curriculum that suits their particular needs. “We treat them as adults. We give them respect and expect respect from them in return.”

BUSINESS leaders have been told about the importance of high quality staff training if they are to stay competitive within Exeter’s rapid economic expansion.

The message came at a high-profile breakfast seminar hosted by Exeter Centre of Vocational Excellence, or CoVE, a partnership between Exeter College and Education and Training Skills.

A delegation of Devon business representatives heard about the range of high-quality, flexible and bespoke staff training courses CoVE offers to help firms stay competitive.

The seminar took place on Thursday March 1st in the city’s newest conference centre, HSBC Bank’s commercial base at Stratus House, Exeter Business Park, which opened last month. Delegates heard a talk given by Cullompton-based leadership expert Vanessa Cobb entitled: “Taking Leading for Granted – The Cost of Complacency”. Nick James, HSBC’s area service manager also gave a speech on how the bank continually trains and develops its staff. Exeter CoVE manager Andy Brewer said: “Against the backdrop of Exeter’s rapid business expansion such as the Princessshay development, it is vital that local firms stay competitive with up-to-date, industry-led, high-quality training for staff. “We specialise in providing training for employers and employees at all levels in a wide range of business vocational areas.”

Business leaders attending included representatives from Business Link, Connexions, Devon & Exeter Law Society, the Federation of Small Businesses, Effings, Handle With Care, KMS Computing and Francis Clark. Several schools also took part to find out about money available from Exeter CoVE to fund Young Enterprise projects. Maria Hoyle, senior business development officer for HSBC in Exeter, said: “We aim to use our state-of-the-art facilities to benefit both our customers and the wider business community.”

Floella Benjamin, Chancellor of the University of Exeter and former children’s TV star, has officially opened Exeter College’s new Hele Building.

The popular ex-Play School presenter and ambassador for young people met delighted students and staff in the newly built £5.5m structure housing the college’s Department of Health, Care and Public Services on Thursday, March 8th.

She was also met by a Royal Marine who abseiled down the Tower Building to deliver her a pair of scissors for the unveiling of a new plaque in the Hele Building.

Ms Benjamin said: “I am absolutely delighted to be at Exeter College. As soon as I arrived, the affection I felt was enormous. “I am thrilled to be opening this magnificent building. It has a lovely feel about it. As soon as you walk in you know you are in a space that is welcoming, fresh and light. Staff and students are working in early years here and that is what you have to feel in your heart when you are dealing with this important age group. The money spent on this building is a really important investment for the future. “I am so thrilled and happy that the university and college are encouraging young people to think about higher education.”

Early years students who take the BTEC National Diploma in the Hele Building said they were inspired by Ms Benjamin. Emily Harris said: “She was inspiring because she was telling us what we were learning was really important.” Hannah Reeves said: “She has children herself so she is a really good role model for us.” Olivia Spry said: “She said the children we are working with are the new generation.”

Margaret Emson, head of health, care and public services, said: “We are delighted to have welcomed such a well-loved and popular figure who has a lifelong passion for the type of areas our students will progress into.”

The Hele Building on Exeter College’s main, Hele Road site, was completed last September and is home to around 550 students on health and social care, early years and public services courses. The department offers vocational courses ranging from Level 2 (equivalent to GCSEs) to foundation degrees, with the bulk of students aged 16 to 19. It also runs courses for school pupils aged 14-16, adult learners and those training in the workplace.

The two-storey Hele Building also houses a student restaurant, learning centre with library, two IT suites and dedicated study rooms.

Ms Benjamin also visited the Foundations Studies department in the Ted Wragg Building which caters for students with a wide range of learning difficulties and physical disabilities.

Exeter College is currently undergoing a £25m construction programme. The Centre for Creative Industries in the city centre’s Queen Street was finished in 2004 and the Ted Wragg Building was opened earlier this year.
The college’s Essential Therapies faculty and Day Nursery will relocate from their Bishop Blackall sites in Pennsylvania Road to Hele Road next spring.