We are delighted to announce Ella Fielding, Level 4 Digital Marketing Apprentice from Exeter College, has been awarded the prestigious accolade of Apprentice of the Year at the Pride of Devon Awards 2018.

The Bicton College Pride of Devon Awards, presented by Radio Exe, celebrate the achievements of remarkable people, unsung heroes and hardworking individuals who make our community a better place to live.

Ella, who lives in Exeter, is the inaugural Apprenticeship Ambassador for Exeter College. The role was created for her after it was recognised that her ability to contribute to the success of Apprenticeships for employers and young people was immense.

A major part of her role is designing, planning and implementing marketing activity to raise the profile of Apprenticeships in Exeter and Devon whilst engaging with the 950+ organisations that Exeter College work with.

Mike Blakeley, Exeter College Director of Apprenticeships and Employer Engagement, and Head of Business Solutions, said: “It was our pleasure to nominate Ella for this award. Ella’s work shines out as truly inspirational and the positive impact she has created has been remarkable.

“In a short time Ella has defined the role and made it her own. So much so that people often associate the college and Apprenticeships with her more than with myself, an imbalance I cherish and now actively promote. Thank you to Bicton College and Radio Exe, without their support these awards would not be possible, our gratitude extends to PGL who sponsored this award.”

Ella was delighted to win, and said: “As an Apprentice, promoting Apprenticeships to thousands of businesses and young people for the last three years, winning ‘Apprentice of the Year’ is in itself, such a proud achievement, especially as there are so many brilliant Apprentices in Devon.

“Therefore having won not only ‘Apprentice’ but ‘Apprentice and Young Employee of the Year’ at the Pride of Devon Awards is incredible due to the countless worthy young professionals there are in Devon.”

The Pride of Devon Awards are nominated by local people and organisations, the winners are from all walks of life, of all ages, and from all over the county. Their achievements are inspiring and a lesson to us all.

All of the team at Exeter College are very proud of Ella’s achievement and know she has a very successful career ahead of her. Well done Ella.

Are you a student at the college and interested in the future of the college and representing students’ voices at the highest level?

Then why not become a STUDENT GOVERNOR!

The College Senior Leadership Team and the Board of Governors make strategic decisions affecting the College. The Board includes external Governors, Staff Governors and two Student Governor roles;

• Higher Education Governor
• Further Education Governor

Current Further Education Governor, Kira Lewis said: “Being a Student Governor this year has been such a rewarding experience. We have an equal say and vote on the Board, and are able to be involved in all strategic discussions which is not common in most FE Colleges, so I really value that.

“We are also given the opportunity to attend College events, development programmes, residential weekends and more, which have all allowed me to understand the role better. Ultimately, it’s great for personal development, because there’s always something to learn! All that the College does impacts on our day-to-day life – and our futures – so having a say in that is how we make sure being here is as exceptional as it can be!”

Nominations are OPEN now and the deadline is FRIDAY 8th June 3pm.

Please contact megansnell@exe-coll.ac.uk should you have any questions about the roles or visit http://portal.exe-coll.ac.uk/departments/stew/Pages/StudentGovernors.aspx

Ofsted Outstanding Exeter College has been named by the Government as one of the first providers of new ‘T Levels’ – marking a revolution in technical education.

T Levels are courses, which will be on a par with A Levels and will provide young people with a choice between technical and academic education post 16.

Exeter College is delighted to be amongst a select group of colleges and post-16 providers nationwide – and the only one in Devon – selected to deliver the new T Levels.

Courses in Construction, Digital, and Education & Childcare will be first taught from September 2020.
A further 22 courses will be rolled out in stages from 2021, which will cover sectors such as finance & accounting, engineering & manufacturing, and creative & design.

As the colleges and other post-16 providers, including Exeter College, were named, the Prime Minister, The Rt Hon Theresa May MP, said: “Everyone should be able to have access to an education that suits them, but we know that for those that don’t choose to go to university, the routes into further technical and vocational training can be hard to navigate.

“That’s why we’re making the most significant reform to advanced technical education in 70 years to ensure young people have gold standard qualifications open to them whichever route they choose.

“T Levels provide a high-quality, technical alternative to A levels ensuring thousands of people across the country have the skills we need to compete globally – a vital part of our modern industrial strategy.”

John Laramy, Exeter College Principal and Chief Executive, said: “As an Ofsted outstanding college, we are delighted that we have been selected as a pilot provider to help develop and implement T Levels. As a college we work closely with employers to ensure that all of our technical provision has a ‘line of sight to industry’ and is relevant to both the industry of today and tomorrow.

“We see T Levels as a great addition to our technical offer and we hope that through the pilot we will be able to further enhance the links between full-time study and our award-winning Apprenticeship programme.”

The Education Secretary, The Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP, said he was committed to working with businesses and learning from our international competitors to ensure these new qualifications lead to a generational shift in technical education.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds said: “T Levels represent a once in a lifetime opportunity to reform technical education in this country so we can rival the world’s best performing systems.

“For too long young people have not had a genuine choice about their future aged 16. Whilst A levels provide a world class academic qualification, many technical education courses are undervalued by employers and don’t always provide students with the skills they need to secure a good job – that has to change.

“Naming the first 52 colleges and providers where young people will be able to study the first T Levels is an important step forward, and we will continue the work with business and the education sector so everyone can benefit from these vital reforms.

“Technology and the world economy are fast-changing, and we need to make sure our young people have the skills they need to get the jobs of tomorrow. This is at the heart of our modern Industrial Strategy.”

Mid Devon student Sharon Birch has spoken of her joy at being award a coveted academic prize after her life changing return to education with an Access to Higher Education course.

Sharon Birch, who is from Crediton, has been awarded the Plymouth University Academic Partnerships Prize for her exceptional University Level studies at Exeter College.

Sharon started her degree journey with an Access to Higher Education course at Exeter College, and then progressed on to a University Level course. She has now completed her her BSc (Hons) in Health and Social Care and is planning to start a PGCE to become a college lecturer.

Sharon said: “Completing the Access Diploma and undertaking my degree at Exeter College really has been life changing.

I left education in the 1980s and I’ve always regretted not doing a degree. The access diploma at Exeter College, which only takes a year, gave me the qualifications I needed to start my degree.

“Now that I’ve completed my degree, I am looking to start a PGCE in September and become a college lecturer.”

Talking about her award, Sharon added: “I feel extremely honoured to have been awarded the Plymouth University Academic Partnerships Prize. It was a lovely, if unexpected surprise.

“Undertaking a degree rather later in life than many people, I have encountered some challenges but also enjoyed so many wonderful experiences.

“I am grateful to all of the brilliant teaching staff at Exeter College, my family, friends and fellow students for their encouragement and support throughout my learning journey.”

The Access to Higher Education (HE) Diploma is a qualification which prepares students for study at degree level. If you would like to go to university but left school without the qualifications you need or you are thinking of a career change, then an Access to HE Diploma could be for you. The Access to HE Diploma is widely recognised as a route to degree level qualifications, and university level providers actively encourage applications from Access to HE students.

Edgar Mihas, who taught Sharon at Exeter College, said: “Sharon has been an amazingly diligent and successful who has shone through the years that she has been with Exeter College.

“Sharon has shown particularly strong commitment and has worked so efficiently even under adverse personal and other circumstances.

“Sharon never compromised the high standard of her, never missed a single deadline, always being supportive towards others, showing unprecedented empathy and being the driving force behind her tutorial group campaign to raise money for the Exeter College charity.”

The Access to HE Leader, Louisa Coates, commented that: “Sharon had a remarkable journey through the Access to HE Diploma. The course did exactly what it was designed to do – it built both Sharon’s confidence in returning to education and provided her with the study skills and subject knowledge she needed for her degree.

“She isn’t alone – we have over a hundred ‘Sharons’ every year that return to thank the Access to HE team who fully prepared them for life as a student on a University Level programme and tell us that the Access to HE Diploma was so rewarding and a turning point in their lives.”

Applications are now open for a wide range of Access to Higher Education Diplomas at Exeter College, for entry in September 2018. Choose from a range of Access to HE Diplomas, including: Art and Design, Business, Computing, Healthcare, Humanities, Teaching and Education (Primary), Science, and STEM. Click here to find out more.

For more information, come to the Adult Training and Learning Event, Tuesday, 19th June 2018, 5-7pm, at the CCI, Queen Street, Exeter College, Exeter. Register online to let Exeter College know that you are coming: Click here to register.

Staff and students in the Hospitality Faculty have been working hard to create a small kitchen garden on the college premises. The team have had great support from the local community with wood supplied by RGB in Marsh Barton, the compost donated by a local farmer and plants from Dawlish Garden Trust.

Students have worked hard to raise money to buy additional seeds. They are currently running a competition to name the garden, with all money raised going towards buying additional plants.

Stafford Pitts, Programme Lead for @34 Restaurant said:

This has been a great project for students to get involved with and will really help with teaching them about seasonal produce. We have had great support from local businesses, so I would like to thank them for their input. We are looking forward to using our college-grown produce in the restaurant.”

Dawlish Garden Trust is a charity which helps adults with learning disabilities. They now have “an extensive and well-developed site with buildings developed for specific needs.” You can read more about them here.

The team hope to work with the charity more next year by using their fruit and vegetables and by cooking for them. We look forward to seeing more about this project.

If you are interested in studying Hospitality with us, then please check out our wide range of courses here. It's not too late to apply for this September.

Did you know our college restaurant recently won a prestigious award? Read all about it here.

The Exeter Chiefs Rugby Academy Team at Exeter College has returned home after successfully representing England at a coveted international contest.

The team was requested to represent the England RFU at the Sanix World U18 Rugby Tournament, held on the island of Kyushu in Japan. The students played teams from the very best young rugby players from across the globe during the competition, widely seen as the pinnacle of the sport for schoolboy rugby.

During the tour, the students played teams from around the world including Australia, Japan, and Taiwan. Overall, the team returned having won four and lost two games one of which was literally the very last play of the game! The result was they finished in 9th position overall. As well as the training and intense competition on the field of play, the students also participated in a number of cultural activities during their trip – providing a real insight into Japanese culture.

John Laramy, Exeter College Principal, said: “I am thrilled that our 16-18 Rugby team has performed so well in Japan and benefitted from the experience as a whole.

“The team has been a real credit to the college and to the RFU. This is a great example of the power of partnership and I am sure that as we continue to work closely with Exeter Chiefs, more international success will follow.

“I would like to thank the coaches and teaching staff who have guided and trained the team and congratulate the players for a stunning success in our very first international tournament.

“Companies like South West Comms made this trip possible, so my final thanks goes to the businesses and local sports teams who supported the trip and the parents involved who have been brilliant!”

On one of their rest days, the students played touch rugby with local children, teaching them the game. During another rest day, the team visited the site and museum of the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb, described as a very moving experience. They also had the opportunity to visit a community centre to find out more about the culture of ‘cat doll’s’, as well as being taught how to make sushi.

Exeter College would like to thank sponsors SW Comms, LWS Interior Solutions, Mortimers Jewellers, DFP Wealth Management and Unleashed Web for all of their support.

Exeter College is the first FE and HE institution in England to gain cyber essentials plus accreditation as part of its commitment to cyber security.

The college has achieved the Cyber Essentials Certificate (currently held by only 2% of colleges), as well as the higher level Cyber Essentials Plus Certificate. It has also achieved the IASME Certificate of Assurance to make it a hat-rick of accreditation.

The college’s Information and Learning Services (ILS) department is celebrating the trio of accreditations, which followed a rigorous self-assessment and external auditing by an accredited body.

The Cyber Essentials scheme is a government-backed, industry supported scheme that demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to cyber security.

The certification is a requirement for bids for central government contracts which involve handling sensitive personal information or the provision of certain technical products and services.

Steve Campion, Exeter College Vice Principal (Finance and Business Operations), said: “Congratulations to the ILS team on their hard work in achieving this accreditation. Exeter College is always trying to strike the right balance between operational effectiveness and IT security for our students and staff.

“This is the culmination of three years work by the team and the wider college in recognising the heightened cyber related risks which are prevalent in all organisations, not just the education sector.”

Exeter College has been recognised for its excellence in teaching science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and put forward for a national award.

The college has been awarded a regional ENTHUSE Celebration award for STEM FE College of the Year, from STEM Learning, the largest provider of education and careers support in science, technology, engineering and mathematics in the UK. It is one of the ways the organisation is creating a world leading STEM education for all young people across the UK – and Exeter College is proud to be recognised for playing its part.

Exeter College is recognised locally and nationally as an award winning leader in the provision of STEM subjects. Learners are able to take advantage of excellent facilities and expert teaching which positively impact on their achievements, supporting their progression to higher levels of STEM study and employment.

Specialist facilities include the college’s state of the art Maths and Science Centre, which provides inspiring academic science labs and classroom spaces.

According to Ofsted: “Learners’ progression to science degree courses is exceptional and many learners obtain places on the best university courses.” (Ofsted Report, 2013/14).

John Laramy, Exeter College Principal and Chief Executive, said: “Exeter College is delighted to receive this award, for many years the quality of our STEM teaching and learning has been outstanding, recognised in 2014 by Ofsted, but this is the first award that shows this internal quality to the external world.

“We have, with the support of partners, invested heavily in STEM subjects with the opening of a dedicated Maths & Science Centre and the recent completion of an extension to our Technology Centre, for advanced engineering.

“For me this award recognises the passion and talent of our staff and the calibre of the students who chose to study with us.”

STEM Learning’s Chief Executive Yvonne Baker, said: “We all remember our inspiring teachers, and how much impact they can have on our future aspirations. Excellent teachers like these ENTHUSE award winners lie at the heart of how we will achieve a leading STEM education for all young people across the UK.

“It is an absolute honour to celebrate the amazing teachers and technicians through the ENTHUSE Celebration Awards – every one of the nominees is a winner, and I know that each of them will continue to make a difference to young people’s lives across the UK.”

The national awards will be held at The Royal Society in London on June 26.

Supported by a partnership of Government, learned bodies, charitable trusts and employers, STEM Learning’s facilities include the National STEM Leaning Centre at York, with state-of-the-art facilities for intensive teacher CPD and an extensive library and repository of resources.

Find out more about STEM Learning’s ENTHUSE Celebration Awards, here.

Are you a school leaver in 2018? Considering STEM? Exeter College offers a broad range of programmes in STEM starting this September 2018. For advice about applying speak to our College Advice Team. Click here for more information and to apply.

We just wanted to let you know that we’ve updated our Privacy Statements to make it easier for you to understand what information we collect and why.

We’ve made these changes as the new General Data Protection Regulation (known as GDPR) comes into effect across the European Union.

We wanted to let you know that our Privacy Statements can be viewed in full here.

Exeter College is delighted to announce that Engineering Apprentice, Tobias Cowan, from Sampford Peverell, has been invited to attend the Royal Wedding this weekend.

Tobias is a Level 3 Apprentice with Hepco Motion at its Tiverton-based engineering centre.

Julie Skinner, Exeter College Vice Principal for Standards and Student Experience, said: “We are delighted that Tobias has been chosen to attend the Royal Wedding. It is a huge honour for one of or students to be granted this opportunity and one I'm sure he will never forget.

“Tobias is well known in the college, having won a variety of awards during his time with us. Tobias is an excellent student and we are sure he will go on to have an exceptional future.”

Tobias, along with 1,200 members of the public will be able to watch the wedding from within the grounds of Windsor Castle. These specially selected guests will watch the arrival of the bride and groom and the carriage procession as they leave after the marriage service.

Tobias said he was stunned when he received the invitation. He said: “I really was not expecting it – but then again, would anybody? I am really excited for the weekend. It should be a really fun event and an unforgettable opportunity.

“I think the best bit will be the procession after the wedding. That will be really cool!”

Apprentice Training Manager Maurice Porter, at Hepco Motion, said: “Toby is passionate about promoting apprenticeships to allow others to benefit from the opportunities he knows apprenticeships can bring.

“We are very honoured that he has been rewarded for his efforts.”