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

Earlier in the month our Ladies Hockey Academy team traveled to Blundells School to take part in the U18 Devon Schools finals. They won all three of their group games v's Plymouth College, Mount Kelly and Colyton Grammar. They then beat Blundells School in the semi-final and took on Exeter School in the final. After a very tight game they finished 0-0 at full time but our girls won 3-2 on penalty flicks crowning them 2017 U18 Devon Schools Champions.

Winning the tournament meant the girls automatically qualified for the West Hockey Association preliminary round at Millfield School on Thursday 12th Oct.

The girls played matches v's Sherborne, Millfield and Truro High School. The first game against Sherborne ended in a draw followed by a loss against Millfield but the team rallied, and came back strong with an impressive victory against Truro High in their final game of the day.

After a long hard fought, fast paced afternoon of hockey the team finished runners up to Millfield. Our Ladies Hockey Team have successfully qualified for the U18 West of England Schools finals on Thursday the 16th Nov at Clifton College.

Coach, Scott Davies said:

The girls have worked extremely hard in the early part of the season and have done brilliantly to get this far.” Head of Faculty, Ross Morshead added: “This is another great achievement for our Hockey Academy and its coaches.”

Well done to the team who are:

Aimee Scott

Alice Dormor

Aimee Keast

Amy Gear

Annie Hussell

Anya Butler

Beth George

Brogen Algar

Ellie Brooks

Ellie Gullon

Georgia Hallett

Maegan Green

Molly Smith

Rosie Jones

Parent/Guardian Progress Evenings for First and Second Year Students

Our Parent/Guardian Progress Evenings for the Autumn Term will take place as follows:

2nd Year students – Wednesday 8th November, 4.30pm – 7.30pm

1st Year and 1 Year course students – Monday 27th November, 4.30pm – 7.30pm

Both events will take place at the Hele Road site, with the following exceptions: Engineering, Aerospace and Automotive Faculty – will be held at The Technology Centre, Monkerton; Construction Faculty – will be held at Falcon House, Sowton.

University Application Support

All 2nd year students applying to university should now have their UCAS applications underway. UCAS opened the application cycle for this year on 6th September and we encourage students to make an application as soon as possible. Increasingly there is a trend across the country towards making early applications. An earlier application, ahead of the national closing date of 15th January 2018, will help our students to secure the place they want at the institution of their choice.

To support this process we run regular UCAS application clinics as below:

• Every Monday at Victoria House Learning Centre until 11th December 2017
• Every Tuesday and Thursday at the Pop-up Learning Centre, Tower until 12th December

All run 3.30-4.30pm

Students can drop in for support with:

• Researching university courses
• Completing UCAS application form
• Personal statement writing

The progression and employability team were also thrilled to welcome colleagues from the following universities who offered our students all-important personal statement writing advice: Exeter University, Bristol University, and the University of Law. We also look forward to hosting further university colleagues at the college for similar sessions throughout November and December.
This term we also offered specific help and advice to learners applying to Oxbridge, medicine, veterinary and dentistry courses ready for the 15th October deadline.

For those students interested in progressing to medicine the college Medical Society has been supporting with various activities in partnership with Exeter Medical School and we are also now pleased to be partnering with the Exeter RD&E to offer all of our students, particularly those with interest in medicine or the healthcare professions, volunteering opportunities.

Receiving offers from universities and making choices

After submitting their UCAS form, students will start receiving decisions from universities via their online ‘track’ account. Students are only able to keep two offers from the maximum of five original choices applied for. It is recommended that students ensure that they are happy with their programme choice, university location and accommodation before applying and certainly before accepting an offer. Should students fail to receive offers from their first round of applications or change their choice of course they can take advantage of UCAS ‘Extra’ which starts in February 2018. This enables students to make additional choices. Students can visit the UCAS website www.ucas.com for how this system operates or talk to the progression and employability team.

Higher education student finance

It is important for students and parents to be aware of the financial implications of going on to higher education, not only in terms of the loans which will be accumulated over the period of study, but also the level of repayments and the availability of university specific bursaries and scholarships. The Student Finance England website contains information on the financial support available to students. There is also a calculator on the site which will assess how much support applicants can expect from the Government and higher education institutions that they are applying to. All 2018 UCAS applicants will need to make an application for their student finance package. This can be done online from January 2018 and should be completed by the end of May 2018 to ensure arrangements are in place for the beginning of the university academic year in September.

Please ring the progression and employability team on 01392 400330 if you would like to discuss the UCAS process further.

Did you know Exeter College offers a wide range of university level courses?

Working in partnership with other educational institutions, including Plymouth University, University of Exeter and University of St Mark & St John, we deliver a variety of higher national certificates (HNCs), higher national diplomas (HNDs), bachelor of arts (BA Ord) and bachelor of science (BSc) degrees and foundation degree (FdA and FdSc) programmes. To find out more visit our website or contact our higher education adviser, Candice Tooze, on 01392 400909 or headviser@exe-coll.ac.uk

Other news from the progression and employability team

This term we have been working with the National Citizen Service to promote this fantastic programme to our students. We have had several visits and presentations from the local NCS Team. This programme is designed to support students in enhancing their personal development through an exciting programme consisting of:

• Adventure activities (as part of a residential)
• External speaker workshops and mentoring
• Community engagement project

For more information please visit the website or contact the progression team.

Our dedicated progression and employability team offers advice to all students, whether they are considering university, a foundation degree, an Apprenticeship or a job or training after college. We encourage any learner who feels they need help and support in finding the right direction to come and talk through their options. Students are welcome to book an appointment during the college hours by emailing us.

For more information and advice the team can be contacted on 01392 400330 or progressionteam@exe-coll.ac.uk.

The focus at Exeter College is always on teaching, learning and supportive tutoring which meets the needs and aspirations of our Learners. As part of this, we provide students with an opportunity to attend Big Tutorials across the academic year including a road safety education event called Learn2Live. This event is run by road safety teams made up of representatives from local government and emergency services including, among others, Devon County Council, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service and Devon and Cornwall Police. To date over 100,000 Devon and Cornwall students have seen the presentations.

In the South West young drivers have the highest crash risk of all age groups. This is true for all types of crashes, from those involving only property damage, through to those causing injury, to those resulting in death. The risk is greater in the first few years of driving, when limited driving experience, and sometimes risk taking behind the wheel, can result in disaster.

Providing our students with an opportunity to attend this event will provide them with invaluable skills and knowledge to prepare them for the future. The Learn2Live event this academic year is taking place on Thursday 9th and Friday 10th November. The Learn2Live event is highly impactful and students will all attend with their Tutor/Subject Lecturers to offer information and support. The event is also attended by the College’s Wellbeing Team who are available to support students.

All students attending will also have a tutorial before the event to learn about the event as well as to complete a questionnaire. Students will complete the questionnaire three times throughout the academic year to gain their feedback and to test their knowledge. The questionnaire will also gain learners feedback on how the Road Safety teams should communicate their campaigns to hopefully help reduce road traffic incidents. The event will then be followed up with an opportunity for students to attend the Road Safety tutorials to ensure the knowledge and skills they learnt at the event are embedded.

Learn2Live would also like to collect feedback and views from learners parents to maximise engagement with road safety. If you are interested in taking part and providing your feedback please follow this link. Ultimately the road safety teams hope to use all of the information and feedback from learners and their parents to reduce the number of road traffic collisions on our roads. For more details please contact megansnell@exe-coll.ac.uk.

Exeter College welcomes back internationally acclaimed tenor and alumnus, Thomas Hobbs, for one off show at Exeter’s historic St Michael & All Angels Church.

Thomas has been described as one of the finest tenors in the UK and is in demand, appearing with many leading baroque and early music ensembles throughout Europe and the US. He also has performed as a soloist in key works from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

Thomas was born in Exeter and was educated at Exeter School and then Exeter College before moving onto the Royal College of Music. Iorwerth Pugh, Programme Leader & Associate Lecturer at Exeter College said: “We are thrilled to be hosting this homecoming recital. Thomas was always an exceptional student and his dedication and talent have paid off to make him one of the foremost tenors in the UK today.”

Hobbs works frequently with, among others, Philippe Herreweghe and his acclaimed ensemble Collegium Vocale Gent and Raphaël Pichon and his Ensemble Pygmalion. His most recent recordings of Handel Chandos Anthems with Stephen Layton and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Mozart Requiem with John Butt and the Dunedin Consort have been universally praised, with the latter receiving the 2014 Gramophone Award for best Choral recording.

He will be accompanied on the evening by Andrew Millington. Andrew is well known as Organist and Master of the Choristers of Exeter Cathedral between 1999 and 2015 and has enjoyed an illustrious career in music. He is also active as a composer, and has had several choral pieces published.

The event is being supported by the Chris Wilson Award. Chris was an inspirational singing teacher at Exeter College well into his 80s and the award was established to celebrate Chris and to support vocal students at Exeter College with any profits raised from these events.

Thomas Hobbs will be performing on Wednesday 8 November at St Michael and All Angels Church, Mount Dinham from 7.30pm. Tickets are £15 (£5 concessions). Thomas is also joining us for the “Messiah from Scratch” event on Tuesday, 7 November at St David’s Church from 10.00am – 6.15pm. Tickets for both events can purchased from Exeter’s Barnfield Theatre, call 01392 271080 or visit barnfieldtheatre.co.uk for more information and to book.

We are excited to welcome you to our open event.

Maybe you already know what your plan is for next year, maybe you are a bit unsure about what is next for you. Whichever it is, we think that by coming along to one of our open events you are taking the next exciting step into your future. We hope that by visiting us we can inspire you to think about your future and open your eyes to all the amazing possibilities and opportunities that we can offer.

On 14th November all our college sites are open for you to visit including the Technology Centre and our Construction site, Falcon House. Our fantastic specialist facilities are part of what makes us great so it’s really important you visit the subject area you are most interested in. This will also give you the chance to talk to our staff about the courses you are interested in and means we can make sure your next step is the right one for you.

Here are our top tips for making sure you get the most out of your visit.

• TALK to us – if you are unsure about what subjects to take then we are the best people to ask. Our lecturers will be able to inspire you and tell you about what you will learn from their course. We also have specialist advisers who can help you make informed decisions about your choices.
• Step out of your comfort zone – you might have always known which subjects to take next but maybe you should see what else is on offer, just in case.
• Cover all your options – talk to our experts about A Levels, BTECs, vocational and technical programmes, Access to HE, Degrees and Apprenticeships, that way you have all the information you need and you can make an informed decision.
• Visit our facilities – whether you want to study Engineering, Music or Science, it’s worth visiting the buildings where these subjects are based. You will have the chance to see the equipment you will be using on an everyday basis and speak to students who currently take those subjects.
• If there is an extracurricular activity that you are interested in then make sure you take a look at the academies that are on offer with us. We have a wide range of academies covering subjects such as music, journalism, performing arts, sports and even academies aimed at getting you into world class universities.
• Have a chat with our current students – there is no better way to find out about college life. There will be student representatives based in all our city centre sites so if there is anything you’re worried about, just ask!
• Grab a free tea and coffee and just sit down and think it all through, that way if you have any more questions, we're here to help.
• Go to a Principal's talk – this is a great way of finding out about the college, our staff and students and how we can help you on your next steps.
• Gather as much information as you can – As well as teaching staff and college advisers, there will also be people to talk to about travel and bursary.

If you haven't already pre-registered for the event, you can do so here. Can't make this one? Don't worry, we hold open events throughout the year. See here for other dates.

University level students at ‘Gold’ rated Exeter College celebrated their graduation in the spectacular surroundings of Exeter Cathedral.

More than 165 students from the Centre for University Level Studies donned their caps and gowns for a grand procession through the city centre on their way to the Cathedral (Friday, October 20th).

This year’s graduation comes after a year of success for University Level studies at Exeter College – with the college awarded a prestigious ‘Gold’ rating in the UK Government’s assessment of teaching excellence in higher education.

Hundreds of guests, including friends and family of those graduating, the Lord Mayor, partner institutions, community partners, representatives of Exeter College and its Board of Governors, came together at the Graduation ceremony to celebrate the achievements of the students.

Students of all ages from Devon and further afield were awarded University level qualifications ranging from BA to Foundation Degrees, HNCs and HNDs in the broad range of subject areas offered under the Centre for University Level Studies.

The college is one of only 16 colleges in the whole country to be rated gold, putting the college in the top 20 per cent of the 299 colleges and universities in the UK judged under the Teaching Excellence Framework.

Exeter College has been offering University Level programmes for many years and has a strong record of delivering high-quality, student-focused programmes. This is evidenced by the college receiving its Gold Award under the TEF.

The college’s University Level offer is designed to meet the needs of our local and regional communities and employers, giving people not only the chance to start, or change career, but also to advance their employment and life prospects.

The guest speaker at the ceremony was Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw.

John Laramy, Exeter College Principal and Chief Executive, said: “Our Graduation Day is a real highlight of the college year. I would like to congratulate all the students graduating and thank them for their contribution to a truly stunning year for our Centre for University Level Studies.
“The class of 2017 contributed to our most successful year ever for higher education, with the college being ranked as ‘Gold’ in the Teaching Excellence Framework, just one of 16 colleges in the country to achieve this rating. I would also like to thank the staff both at the college and within our partner universities, who have enabled our students excel.”

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.

If you aren’t quite ready for higher education, the college has a number of Access to HE programmes and other routes for you to start your higher education journey.

Thinking about your future? Looking for teaching excellence? Looking to start your career, change career, a fresh start, or improve your employment prospects? Returning to education? Do Your Degree Differently with Gold rated Teaching Excellence.
Applications are now open for entry in Sept 2018.

Subject areas include:

Access to Higher Education

Art and Design

– Fine Art

– Graphic Communication

– Photography

Business and IT

– Business

– Business Management

– Computing and Systems Development

Construction

– Civil Engineering

– Construction

Creative and Professional Writing

Engineering, Aerospace and Automotive

– Aircraft Engineering

– Electrical and Electronic Engineering

– Manufacturing Engineering

– Mechanical Engineering

Healthcare, Childcare and Public Services

– Early Childhood Studies

– Health and Social Care

– Public Services

Media and Performing Arts

– Film and TV Production

– Journalism

– Music

Sport, Leisure and Tourism

– Applied Outdoor Adventure

– Coaching and Fitness

– Football Coaching and Development

– Sports Therapy

Teaching

See our website for full details about our Centre for University Level Studies.

Would you like to find out more? Come to our Open Event on Tuesday, 14th November, 5-8pm. Register online today by clicking here.

Enrichment is an important part of your time at college, that's why we encourage all our students to join one of the many clubs and opportunities available. Some enrichment activities involve giving up an hour a week whereas some will require a bit more time but you could end up with a qualification at the end of it. As well as having the chance to meet new people and make new friends, you can use this time to relax and learn something new. It’s always a good idea to have a hobby that you are passionate about on your personal statement or CV too, so what are you waiting for?

There is a whole wealth of clubs and activities available to choose from, from self defence to big band and learning sign language and volunteering opportunities. Take a look at the list on the portal here.

If there isn’t something that takes your fancy then why not think about setting up your own group?

For many students time for enrichment activities is built into their timetable on a Wednesday afternoon so joining a club doesn’t mean you miss out on study time. We spoke to some of our students about why they love their clubs and this is what they had to say.

Rory: Debating Society

Clubs at Exeter such as Model United Nations and Debate society – and the wealth of talks and lectures from notable figures – have engaged me with the issues of society and the wider world, and have provided insight into a range of topics.”

James: Student Representative Committee

The opportunities I’ve got here (from the SRC to TEDx to extracurricular societies) are second to none. I’m confident in saying I’ve grown so much as both a person and student since starting at Exeter. I know I just wouldn’t be the same if I’d gone somewhere else!”

Hannah: British Sign Language course

The course was fun, relaxed, and ideal for beginners, and when it ended I came out with recognition of my achievement that I can show off to employers and universities, but most importantly the beginnings of a new way to communicate with the people around me. I would recommend this enrichment opportunity to anyone on any course who wants to learn a new skill outside of the college curriculum.”

Holly: Bike Club

At the Fresher’s Fair, there’s a wealth of enrichment activities to take part in. I’ve been cycling in a velodrome with Bike Club.”

Kira: Debating Society

College opportunities are great, as well as fascinating guest lecturers, I have been fortunate enough to go to TEDxExeter and the BBC’s South West General Election debate because of the fantastic Debating Society. These have complemented my studies brilliantly.”

Charlotte: Volunteering

Charlotte decided to raise money for the Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT) after doing some work experience with them. Along, with some friends, she climbed Snowdon this summer and managed to raise £150.

I did a week’s work experience with the GCT in 2015, and another week last summer. The GCT is the only UK registered charity to focus on the sustainability and conservation of the Galapagos Islands and wildlife. My personal motivation for donating to the GCT, was due to my interest in Marine Biology. The others liked the idea of helping the turtles too!”

Harry and Sarah: Big Band

We spoke to Harry and Sarah who have been part of Big Band for 2 years, as well as enjoying performing to the public, they said it’s a great way to meet people with the same love for music.

Sarah said: It helps to build confidence and it’s a great social thing. You learn a lot, it prepares you for a future career.”

Harry added: It gives me the chance to play the sort of music I like, I’m a jazz musician at heart so it means I can play with people who actually like the same sort of music. It’s great experience being part of a band like this, it’s good to prepare for things beyond college.”

This is the first in a series of features focusing on Exeter College Alumni. Our aim is to showcase how our students go on to fulfil their ambitions in a wide range of sectors and to encourage past students to get in touch and tell us their story.

This spring we launched our first ever alumni magazine, EXE. We are excited to build on this and to share more amazing stories with you. You can read this magazine online or request a copy here.

This month we are talking to Kim. She first came to Exeter College in 2010 to complete an Apprenticeship in Vehicle Maintenance and Repair. After college she continued to work at the garage where she completed her apprenticeship for a further 6 years. Kim described winning ‘Apprentice of the Year 2010’ as a defining moment for her.

Winning 'Apprentice of the Year 2010' was a definite high point for me, this gave me a lot of confidence when moving from the apprenticeship stage and into the full time employment stage of my career.”

Kim recently moved jobs to a national garage and has since returned to Exeter College to gain an MOT testing qualification to continue her professional development as a skilled technician.

Talking about her time at college, Kim said:

I think my favourite part of being at Exeter College was working with the tutors, who were an excellent help in all aspects of the course. I was very keen to learn everything to the fullest of my abilities, and in return they were able to teach me everything I needed to know in order to become a highly skilled technician. This is also true of my recent time at the college completing my MOT testing course, the support given definitely helped me to pass with a very high percentage in both the practical and theory aspects of the course.”

Programme Lead for MOT Training, Darren Smyth said:

Kim completed her college automotive apprentice qualification with us here in 2010. She originally worked alongside her father who owns a local family run garage, since then she has decided to spread her wings and move to a bigger garage to gain more experience, part of this move was to also become an MOT tester to increase her qualification portfolio. As the Programme Lead it was lovely for me to see her choose to return to Exeter College to take her MOT qualification, I was proud to see her back to do this. She is now a fully qualified Class 4 tester and the first female MOT tester that we have had on the course. She was also the 100th candidate to come through the door, I would personally like to wish Kim all the best with her Automotive career.”

Kim says that the MOT course helped her become a more competent technician in all aspects of the motor trade.

I can now carry out a full vehicle turn around – from an incoming second hand/ trade-in car needing repairs, to putting it back on the forecourt, repaired, serviced and with a full new MOT, completely by myself, making me an invaluable asset to my employer.”

You can find out more about our Automotive courses here, or you can call us on 01392 400500 for more information.

This summer we caught up with Cameron Boland, Model United Nations (MUN) Secretary General for Exeter College to find out more about the upcoming conference on 23rd September.

So what is Model United Nations?

Model United Nations, also known as Model UN or MUN, is an extracurricular activity in which students role-play delegates to the United Nations and simulate UN committees. Although many schools and colleges have their own MUN Club, most use it to prepare for MUN conferences, a day or more of structured debating. At the end of most conferences, outstanding delegates in each committee are recognized and given an award certificate; the Best Delegate in each committee, however, receives a gavel. Many thousands of students in the UK participate in Model United Nations, which involves substantial researching, public speaking, debating, and writing skills, as well as critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership abilities.”

The theme of this year’s conference is change. Each delegate will be allocated a country and they will be asked to put forward their country’s view on various issues. At some point during the proceedings a crisis will be issued with individuals and delegations aiming to find a solution that suits not only their country but the wider global community too. You can read more about the order of proceedings, along with the guides and paperwork on the Exeter College MUN website here.

Cameron first signed up in his first year where he was coached by second years on how to develop his arguments, “When I started in my first year, I couldn’t really debate at all. I didn’t have any experience and had never done anything like it. Over time I could see I was developing, not only in confidence but in forming arguments and getting the most out of my classes.” Cameron went on to help the first years in their development towards award-winning performances, during his second year at Exeter College. Having studied A Level History, Chemistry and Maths, he has gone on to begin a career in accountancy with Big Four firm, EY, in Leeds.

The fourth Exeter College Model United Nations Conference will be hosting to approximately 100 delegates from a wide range of local sixth forms. If you want to take part or find out more then you can find more information on the website here. Students can come along and take a look at how it works, just fill out the form here to let the organisers know. There will be guest speakers such as Dr Vik Mohan, who appeared at TedxExeter. You can read more about Vik here.

If you are interested in taking part in Model United Nations in the future then Cameron would highly recommend it. He said:

I joined in in my first year and I was quite within myself, to an extent, but now I am quite outgoing. You build up a lot of friends too as you are all going along to the same conferences. Frankfurt was a highlight, a 3 day university level conference with people from places such as France and Germany. I’ve been to a lot of conferences this year. With the experience and confidence I gained, I was able to win awards at many conferences. For those thinking about university applications, to be able to put something like winning at an MUN event into your personal statement, it highlights an interest in the world around you and in personal development, which are two huge plus points for any application.”