Exeter College continues to set its sights on building and sustaining its international relations. In October the International Office set out on a business trip to South East Asia. It was a fantastic couple of weeks giving us the chance to meet a selection of current and new agents alike, learning more about the culture of our students and their parents and to ensure we are meeting the market’s needs. Our trip took us to Thailand, Vietnam, Japan and Hong Kong allowing us meet prospective students, interact with parents and promote our new full time English course and our Business Pathway programme. We also had two British Council and one educational institution event to attend and the occasional rain storm to navigate ensured we were kept busy!
As well as travelling abroad Exeter College has also welcomed a variety of different educational representatives to view our campus from Hong Kong, Russia, Poland and even Kazakhstan!
Three talented apprentices from Exeter College have been recognised by judges at the regional finals of this year’s prestigious EEF Future Manufacturing Awards. The apprentices were all in the running for awards, recognising the outstanding contribution being made by manufacturing apprentices across the region.
Calum Hutcheon, aged 19, from Tiverton, a first year apprentice at Tiverton based engineering firm HepcoMotion led the way by winning gold in the Business Apprentice First Year Award. He was joined on the podium by Tobias Cowan, aged 20, from Sampford Peverell a first year apprentice at HepcoMotion, who was runner up for the Intermediate and Advanced First Year Apprentice Award.
The awards are highly respected and hotly contested with winners selected by a panel of judges drawn from business leaders, industry experts and academics. These talented young people beat off competition from across the region and won judges over with their commitment, ambition and drive to pursue a career in manufacturing.
Judges said they had been overwhelmed by the high calibre of apprentices nominated this year, making their achievement even more of an accolade.
Two further Exeter College apprentices employed by HepcoMotion also received recognition with 17 year old Jenny Spence named as a finalist in the Business Apprentice First Year Award, and Stevie Anderson named as a finalist in the Higher Apprentice First Year Award.
Calum is now in the running for the national title where he will go head-to-head with regional winners from across the UK at the national awards gala in London in January next year.
Calum Hutcheon, apprentice at HepcoMotion, says: I’m delighted to have been named regional winner. I’m only at the start of my career but already I know I am doing something that I enjoy and winning this will motivate me even further. I hope that others can see my success and are inspired to take up a career in manufacturing too. I can’t wait to meet the other winners at the national final and to see how I get on.”
If you are interested in finding out more about becoming an apprentice then please call our apprenticeship team on 01392 400800 or search through our apprenticeships here.
Our annual Festival of Carols is to be held at Exeter Cathedral on Wednesday 6th December. This year’s festival is in aid of MIND, the college’s charity of the year. The free event, open to the public, will open its doors from 6.30pm to anyone wishing to join the college’s staff, students and family members to celebrate the festive season, with the event starting at 7.30pm.
Karen Bolton, Head of Community & Events Fundraising at Mind, said: “We’d like to say a huge thank-you to all the students and staff of Exeter College for choosing to fundraise for Mind and for all the hard work they have put in to organising fundraising events throughout this term. As well as raising awareness about mental health, every penny raised from the event will help fund Mind’s vital work including the Mind Infoline, our advice services and the campaigning Mind does to secure a better deal for the one in four of us who experience a mental health problem every year. We wish them all the very best of luck for the Festival of Carols, which will no doubt be a wonderful way to kick off the festive season.”
The event, sponsored by Lloyds Bank, includes music from the Exeter College Chamber Orchestra, Music Academy ensemble and Big Band and the audience are encouraged to join in the singing led by the College’s Choral Society.
Principal John Laramy says: “The Festival of Carols provides an opportunity for us to recognise the start of the festive season and celebrate the talent of our student musicians, readers, staff and college community.”
The Festival begins with a stunning candlelit procession, followed by a welcome from college Principal John Laramy and prayers and blessings by the Dean of the Cathedral and Rev’d Christopher Durrant. Guests are invited to sing along with the carols, listen to readings by students, and join in prayer.
Donations will be collected at the end of the evening to go towards the college’s annual fundraising for Mind, whose aim is “to ensure everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect.”
This event is free and open to the public to enjoy, doors open from 6.30pm to anyone wishing to join the college’s staff, students and family members to celebrate the festive season, with the event starting at 7.30pm.
We recently celebrated our annual Apprenticeship Gala Dinner at @thirty-four. This prestigious event was designed to showcase the skills of our advanced apprentice chefs from across the county who have worked tirelessly to succeed in their field. It was also an excellent opportunity to thank our employers for their support and partnership. We were delighted to welcome over 50 representatives from south west employers including Exeter Chiefs, Exeter City Council, Radio Exe, Plymouth City Council, RD&E, South West Water, the University of Exeter and Devon County Council.
The apprentices served a four course menu, devised, cooked and presented by themselves.
Congratulations to all the apprentices cooking on the night, supported by our commercial trainees:
Ethan Macdonald – Salutation Inn
Isabel Searson
Robin Kumar-Das
Kerry Wright
James Volrath – Kentisbury Grange
Steve Gratton – Northcote Theatre
Joshua James – The Greyhound Country Inn
Erin Reeve – The Hickory Inn
This event was supported by Exeter College hospitality and front of house students and also helped to raise money for the college’s charity of the year – Mind.
Mike Blakeley, Director of Apprenticeships and Employer Engagement and Head of Business Solutions and Enterprise at Exeter College said: The Apprentice Gala Dinner has been a firm favourite with both our employers and apprentices. It’s an opportunity for Exeter College to not only thank our apprenticeship employers for their support but showcase the exceptional skills of our apprentices. I think you would be hard pushed to find food of this quality anywhere else. Our guests were impressed by the execution of the menus and the approach of all of the apprentices on the night. In a year of record employer satisfaction we know that small gestures of this kind keep the college at the forefront of business engagement.”
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our employers for attending and to thank our sponsor, Natwest. We were delighted to receive such outstanding feedback from our guests, who were thoroughly impressed with the exceptional talent of the apprentices.
If you are interested in becoming an apprentice then please take a look at our current listing here.
If you would like to find out more about employing an apprentice for your business then please contact our Apprenticeship Team on 01392 400400 or click here for further information.
Photos by Richard Norvill.
This week 9 Exeter College apprentices were invited to launch the National Young Apprentice Ambassador Network at the NEC, Birmingham, hosted by Skills Show UK. The event was addressed by Anne Milton, The Minister for Education.
Some of our talented Exeter College students were selected from thousands of apprentices across the South West to join this prestigious national body. The regions ambassadors came from Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucester and Dorset and totalled 19.
These distinguished roles were awarded for our young apprentices who are seen as leading lights amongst their peers.
Rebecca Feeney – South West Water
Ella Fielding – Exeter College
Amber Bassett – The University of Exeter
Maddy Green – The University of Exeter
Chloe Causer – Plymouth City Council
Troy Wheeler – MB Aerospace
Connor Howis – MB Aerospace
Bertie Purser – Centrax
Louis Holmes – Centrax
Ella Fielding was one of the apprentices selected and attends Exeter College. This is what she had to say;
I feel so proud to have been invited to this high profile apprenticeship conference. As an apprentice I feel it is so important that young people are involved in inspiring others into considering employment with training to develop themselves both personally and professionally.
It was great to see the minister of apprenticeships and incredible to meet so many other young people from across the country with the same visions as me and who are working so hard as ambassadors of apprenticeships.”
The scheme began in the North of England and Midlands initially with 6 young apprentices and this year it has been rolled out nationally.
On Thursday 8th March next year the college will be hosting the Apprenticeship Expo that runs during National Apprenticeship Week, 5th – 9th March 2018. The event is funded by the Devon and Cornwall apprenticeship ambassador network and is a great opportunity for students to meet a host of exciting and inspiring companies and brands.
Mike Blakeley, Director of Apprenticeships and Employer Engagement and Head of Business Solutions and Enterprise at Exeter College said:
The role of ambassadors regarding apprenticeships has always been critical to their success. We have been well served across the region with the South West Apprenticeship Ambassador Network. To now have a recognised young person ambassador network to compliment the work of the employers is fantastic.”
He went on to add;
The launch showcased the amazing work of apprentices and their ambition to promote the key benefits of quality programmes was exceptionally high. To have our own apprentice, Ella and 8 other apprentices from Exeter College representing the South West region was testimony to their hard work and support of their fantastic employers. “
It is a common misconception amongst students and parents that you need A Levels to progress to university. This is not always the case. Some BTEC courses allow you to gain enough UCAS points to study at your chosen university.
At Exeter College we offer a range of BTEC courses, some can be combined with A Levels and some are designed to be studied on their own as stand alone courses. BTECs are vocational courses that can be studied at Level 1, 2 or 3. They don’t generally involve exams, however there may be some element of external assessment. They focus on coursework, and give a balance of practical work and theory. BTEC Level 3 courses include Certificates, Extended Certificates, Foundation Diplomas and Extended Diplomas. You can read more about our course types here and have a look through our School Leavers’ Course Guide here.
Many of our BTEC students go on to successfully study at university. We recently caught up with Lucy Lefebvre. Lucy studied a Level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma in Uniformed Public Services. She is now studying Criminology at Cardiff University and was awarded a bursary to help with her studies because of her excellent grades.
Lucy said: Exeter college was one of the main reasons I actually made it to university. Without the support of the staff I really don't think I would've made it, I’m so thankful to all the Public Services staff that helped me through my studies and prepped me well for higher learning.”
One of Lucy’s lecturers, Edgar Mihas said: I taught Lucy in Year 1 of her BTEC course and said right from the start that she was a brilliant student. Lucy showed a genuine interest in crime and it’s effects on society. She always did her very best to participate in class and to complete all assignments to distinction, often including very good quality research which went above and beyond the Level 3 standards, requirements and even expectations.”
If you are thinking of studying a BTEC course but are unsure as to whether it’s right for you then why not come along to our next open event on Wednesday 17th January for advice on suitable courses? You can pre-register here.
Alternatively, please call our College Advice Team on 01392 400600.
Exeter College has, for a second consecutive year, been placed at the top in an annual league table of colleges published by FE Week, a leading publication focused on the further education sector.
The table was compiled using a points based system, with points awarded against a number of key criteria published by the Department for Education (DfE). The index included scores for learner and employer satisfaction, as well as taking into account information about young and adult learners’ progression, post-college.
“I am delighted that for a second year in a row Exeter College has been ranked as the best college in the country.
“Our success is not down to luck. We have amazing students, great partners, committed employers, exceptional staff and astute governors. I would like to thank everyone who is either involved with or connected with Exeter College for their engagement and support!” said Exeter College Principal and Chief Executive, John Laramy
Exeter College was placed at the top of the table which included over 200 further education colleges.
High flying Exmouth aircraft engineering student Oliver Barnard has won a prestigious national aerospace scholarship.
Exeter College student Oliver Barnard, from Exmouth, who studied an Aircraft Engineering Foundation Degree (FdEng) at the college, has beaten competition from across the UK to win the coveted Coachmakers’ Sir Sydney Camm Scholarship 2017.
The scholarship is awarded to a UK student who has shown outstanding ability, determination, ambition and potential. The award will allow Oliver to make a start on a career in aerospace engineering.
Oliver studied for his Foundation Degree at the Centre for University Level Studies, Exeter College. He recently graduated in his degree at Exeter Cathedral along with more than 160 other graduates. Exeter College is ‘Gold’ rated for teaching and learning through the Teaching Excellence Framework. The college was awarded Gold by the Higher Education Funding Council for England for ‘delivering consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for students. The Foundation degree in Aircraft Engineering Foundation Degree is delivered by the college in partnership with Kingston University London.
Oliver said: “It’s a great honour to have been awarded this scholarship. It makes all of the time dedicated into the studying even more worth it.
“I am also very grateful to the Coachmakers to have invited me to attend their Aerospace Industry dinner at the end of November to receive my awards certificate alongside the other scholarship winners.
“I am looking forward to celebrating the evening with them and will try to meet as many interesting and influential people in the aerospace industry as I can.”
Ollie is now topping up his degree to an Honours degree while also working to get hands on experience. Oliver said: “I needed to do something different and more practical, so I found out about this course. I liked the fact the course was made up of different subjects which rotate and the practical element breaks it up well too.
The support at college was very good. I would recommend my course – it’s definitely beneficial if you want to get practical experience along with your academic studies.
Each summer a shortlist of candidates from students studying toward Foundation degrees in the field of Aerospace. The students are interviewed by a panel from the Coachmakers Company and one scholarship, currently worth £4,700, is awarded as a contribution towards fees in the ensuing top up year.
Graham Noon, Oliver’s tutor during his course, said: “From the beginning of the Flybe Diploma in Aircraft Engineering Oliver showed determination to succeed in what is a very specialist course for prospective aircraft engineers. The course is run as a partnership between Flybe and Exeter College where the college deliver the theoretical aspects of the course and Flybe provide the practical training.
“Students even get six months ‘hands on’ practical training at the end of the course in the Flybe hangars where they get the opportunity to work on live aircraft in a real working environment, ideal preparation for a career in aircraft maintenance.
“I am very proud of the fact that Oliver has won this award in the face of fierce competition from across the country, it reflects upon his hard work and drive to succeed in an industry which is in need of a lot more young men and women of the calibre which Oliver has displayed.”
Dr Peter Barrington, Head, Department of Aerospace and Aircraft Engineering at Kingston University, said: “This is the fifth year the scholarship has been offered and the panel said that this year was one of the strongest fields.
“I teach on the top up programme at Kingston and I have always been impressed by those students coming from Exeter College. They show a good balance of practical and academic skills.”
About our Centre for University Level Studies
Exeter College is a ‘Gold’ rated college that offers a wide range of University Level courses with our partner universities including BA, Foundation Degree, HNC and HND programmes.
University level education at the Centre for University Level Studies is a critical and growing part of the college’s learning community. The college works in partnership with well-respected university partners and awarding bodies, enabling students to study in Exeter and at the same time benefit from teaching excellence and a wide choice of courses.
Exeter College apprentice Jordan Picot is competing against the very best in the country after wowing judges with his skills.
Jordan, who is from Newton Abbot, is taking part in the National Final of SkillPLUMB at the WorldSkills UK competition at the NEC in Birmingham from 15-18th November 2017. He won his place after impressing the judges in regional heats – where he won the Southern heat.
WorldSkills UK brings together apprentices and young people from across the UK to compete to be the best in their chosen vocation. The competition encourages students and apprentices to be ambitious in their pursuit for excellence, while equipping them with lifelong, world-class skills.
Jordan, 20, is a Level 3 Advanced Apprentice in Domestic Plumbing and Heating, and is employed by specialists in sustainable energy, Go Green Engineering. He said: “I am a little bit nervous. I think it will hit me when I get there at the competition where everyone will be there. I’d be over the moon if I win, but we will have to see!
“Whatever happens, to get through to the finals has given me a massive boost in confidence and has helped me learn a lot of good skills.
“I’d certainly recommend Exeter College if you are considering an apprenticeship. It has been a fantastic experience for me, has opened up doors, and has allowed me to start my career. I would have never have believed you if you’d have told me I’d be in a national competition if you told me a few years ago!”
John Laramy, Exeter College Principal and Chief Executive, said: “As a college, our vision is to be exceptional. This achievement by Jordan is exceptional and shows the talent of our students and impact of the strong partnership that exists between our employers and our talented college staff.
“I would like to congratulate Jordan, as well as thank his employer and the college staff for their critical support. Good luck at the finals Jordan, we will all be rooting for you!”
Chris Bennett, who is Jordan’s tutor at the college, said: “We are very proud of Jordan. He has proved his quality by attending both of the national plumbing competition finals this year.
“Jordan and his employer deserve all the credit they get as they both support the need for high standards and excellence in the plumbing industry.”
Rob Woodger, Head of Faculty, Construction & the Built Environment, added: “Jordan has earned his place in the national final by showcasing his skills in the regional heats earlier this year.
“Jordan has prepared well for the national final which will be a fantastic opportunity for him to demonstrate his skills on the national stage. We wish Jordan the very best of luck and would like to take this opportunity to recognise and thank Jordan’s apprenticeship employer and tutors for their support.”
Go Green Engineering are specialists in sustainable energy solutions, designing and installing energy efficient systems, ranging from solar thermal hot water systems, heat pumps and biomass systems.
Award winning apprenticeships at Exeter College
Apprenticeship are an exciting alternative to full time study and offer an opportunity to gain work experience, develop industry specific skills and get qualified – all while getting paid. We are placing record numbers of young people into our award winning Apprenticeship programme year on year.
To find out more, visit our Open Event on Tuesday, November 14th, 5-8pm. Register online today
Exeter College is thanking employers after being ranked in the Top 10 of all further education colleges in England for exceptional employer satisfaction.
The college is ranked seventh out of 202 colleges across the whole country, scoring 98.5% against a national average figure of 82% for employer satisfaction in the Government’s national FE Choices employer satisfaction survey 2016 to 2017.
The high ranking is testimony to the strong culture of partnership and collaboration that exists between Exeter College and the region's employers. It comes on the back of the college’s exceptionally high Apprenticeship success rates which are well ahead of the national average. The college won the coveted Times Educational Supplement FE Award for the best Apprenticeship Programme of the Year in 2016.
John Laramy, Exeter College Principal and Chief Executive, said: “Our success with employers is the result of a genuine partnership, which places students and the needs of employers at the heart of all that we do. We now work with over 950 businesses and to be rated by them as one of the very best Apprenticeship providers in England is a truly exceptional outcome. This success, however, does not happen by accident, so I would like to thank the employers who work collaboratively with us to shape our provision, our Apprentices who continue to excel in all that they do, and our staff who continue to go the extra mile!”
Jonathan Cresswell, Head of Apprenticeships, at the University of Exeter said: “As an employer, we work in genuine partnership with Exeter College. Our opinions and requirements are valued and listened to. This results in a high quality learning and a development experience for our new and existing staff on Apprenticeships, which is aligned to our business needs. In a recent survey 100% of our Apprentices were satisfied with their overall Apprenticeship experience, and the relevance of the training to their career or job”.
Mike Blakeley, Director of Apprenticeships and Employer Engagement at Exeter College said: “More employers than ever before are recruiting Apprentices through Exeter College. We placed a record 1066 Apprentices last year. It is essential we continue to develop our approach to ensure our Top 10 status continues for years to come.”
Are you an employer?
If you would like advice on taking on an Apprentice for your business call our Apprentice Hotline 01395 400800.
Are you a potential apprentice?
If you would like more information on becoming an Apprentice, Exeter College is hosting an Open Evening across all sites, 5pm-8pm on Tuesday 14th November. Register online today www.exe-coll.ac.uk
