Josh Ellis, an Exeter College plumbing apprentice from Exmouth, has been crowned the national VQ (Vocational Qualifications) Learner of the Year at a prestigious event in London this week.

Josh Ellis, who earlier in the year won the South West regional Learner of the Year, took the top spot this week in what is quite a year for the 21 year old. Josh started a level 2 apprenticeship with Exeter College and Exmouth based plumbing firm Westmancoat Plumbing and Heating in September 2012.

In November last year he won through the local and regional heats of the WorldSkills UK competition and, after heading to the NEC to participate in a gruelling three day skills challenge, scooped the WorldSkills UK Plumbing Gold medal at a glittering gala finale in front of thousands of competitors, industry representatives and skills judges. In the same year he was named Exeter College's Plumbing Apprentice of the Year.

Now his exceptional ability and hard work has been recognised by the Edge Foundation as VQ Learner of the Year part of the VQ Day celebrations – a national event that celebrates vocational achievement and the benefits of technical, practical and vocational learning to both the individual and the UK economy.

Reflecting on the VQ award which was presented by TV presenter Diarmuid Gavin, Josh said: “It's just nice to be recognised for all the hard work that I've put in. Doing an apprenticeship was definitely a better route for me than university as I'm much better at hands-on training. I would definitely recommend it to other people.”

In the citation read out to the audience at the awards ceremony including Lord Baker, MPs and industry leaders Josh was praised for his World Skills UK final achievement with his work deemed ‘near perfect' by the judges. The citation continued – “since then Josh has progressed to level 3 due to the exceptionally high standard of his work .. and he is successfully juggling a very high demand for his work with his further studies at college”.

Paul Sommers, Josh's employer at Westmancoat Heating and Plumbing in Exmouth is delighted that his small team are now sporting further national accolades. “Josh has been with us for nearly 3 years and came straight from school. He is an excellent member of the team and it's not just his technical plumbing skills which means he is an asset to us. We get lots of very positive comments from our customers who congratulate him on his general manner saying ‘it is a pleasure to have Josh working in our house'. He has exactly the right balance of personal and technical qualities I look for.”

Josh's tutor, Chris Bennett – Plumbing and Electrical Team Leader said “I'm really pleased that Josh has been recognised with yet another national award since this celebrates his hard work and exceptional ability. Josh has had an outstanding year and I was very proud to be with him at the WorldSkills UK competition when his technical skills and personal qualities under intense pressure earned him the prestigious UK World Skills Gold. Despite all these accolades Josh is a very modest apprentice, always willing to learn and open to new ideas and training – a real strength. He is always the first to help explain to other apprentices his work and skills and it is great that someone who doesn't ‘shout from the rooftops' has received this national award. He is a shining example of how successful apprenticeships can be when a keen trainee is supported by a partnership of committed employer and high quality college training.”

Aspiring young journalists celebrated the end of their year with Exeter College's JAx Journalism Academy today (June 10th) with a special graduation event in the college's theatre.

Special guest Bridget Stait, from Academy sponsor Pearson UK, presented certificates to over 20 students who have spent the year writing for global websites, producing magazines, and taking part in workshops with a range of high profile journalists and broadcasters.

Exeter College Governor Chris Hoar then announced the winners of two competitions to find the best feature of the year written by an Academy student, and the best magazine produced by an Academy team or individual.

The award for Best Feature, chosen by JonPaul Hedge, editor of the Express & Echo, went to 17 year-old Katie Ralph, from Crediton, for ‘Emotions and Feeling are Black and White,' which was also published in the Times Educational Supplement (TES) in March. Hedge said, “[Katie] should be incredibly proud of her writing and confident to know that investing emotionally in piece such as this is always treated with respect by the reader.”

Best Magazine Award went to Lauren Sawyer, also 17, from Exeter, for her magazine LEAD, aimed at the women's climbing community. Lauren wrote, designed and edited the whole magazine and intends to make it available to climbers as a digital version.

Judging the magazine award competitors Jon Severs, Commissioning Editor of the TES, said, “What a fantastic effort from one person — so often the best magazines come from writers passionate about their subject and doing this alone and the way it reads and looks shows a passion.

“The imagery and balance of features is really well done — a good mix of personal stories and helpful features with some great imagery. Everything has its place and it feels like a consistent and well thought through prospect.
“The writing is excellent – I like the way it is more figurative for features and more practical for the tips sections. Again that shows a lot of thought.”

JAx manager Russ Evans said, “It's really good to be able to show how hard the students work and celebrate their successes. It also helps us say thank you to our supporters in local media and at Pearson UK.”

All students who study at Exeter College this September are able to apply to join next year's Academy intake. Visit the College website for details.

Exeter College is delighted to be hosting BBC Radio 4's Any Questions? live on Friday July 24th 2015 in the New Sports Hall, off Queen Street, Exeter. This gives local people the chance to ask a question, influence the debate and challenge politicians, policy makers, writers and thinkers live on air.

Tickets are now available on a first come first served basis (follow the link below).
The doors open from 6.45pm (non reserved seating) and please note that you will need to be seated in the new Sports Hall by 7.15pm for the broadcast from 8pm – 9pm. All audience members are politely requested to wear appropriate footwear to avoid any damage to the new Sports Hall flooring. Strictly no stilettoes/kitten heels etc will be permitted.

Your ticket gives you the chance to submit a question on the night and, if chosen by the BBC, to ask this live on air!

Applications for tickets have now closed.

Exeter College is holding a dedicated fair for adult learners on Tuesday 30th June. The college will showcase all of the university level courses it has to offer along with the wide variety of adult learning courses.

The event will take place from 5pm – 7pm at the city’s Centre for Creative Industries, off Queen Street, Exeter.

Adults thinking of re-training, seeking a career change or looking to try something new will be able to get quality advice and guidance to choose the right course. Subjects on offer from September include counselling, accountancy and hairdressing as well as a range of leisure courses such as holiday French and silver jewellery making.

Lecturers will also be able to talk about the university level courses accredited by the universities of Exeter, Plymouth, Kingston and Marjon. Advice and guidance will be available on finance, accommodation and how to apply and there will be an opportunity to view some of the specialist facilities.

Candice Tooze, Higher Education Adviser said “Higher education students benefit from small group sizes at Exeter College as well as the chance to study locally and affordably. For those who don’t have the formal qualifications to go to university, we will have information on our Access to HE programmes – a recognised route that also attracts 24+ loan funding, so you don’t have to pay anything up front.”

For more information telephone 01392 400500.

A hundred opportunities to progress your career

• Exeter a centre of excellence for apprenticeships in the South West
• Exeter College currently has 100 apprenticeship opportunities available
• Stagecoach South West also has vacancies for its next apprenticeship programme starting in September 2015
• Exeter College and Stagecoach South West have both recently gained national recognition for their commitment to apprenticeships

People in Devon are being urged to consider apprenticeships as a brilliant way to kick-start a successful career.

Exeter has become a highly regarded centre of excellence for apprenticeships, with Exeter College and companies like Stagecoach South West leading the way.

The college, which currently has around 100 opportunities available with local firms, has now been running apprenticeship programmes for a quarter of a century, with thousands of people benefiting in that time. In the last seven years Stagecoach has seen more than 350 people successfully complete its extensive apprenticeship scheme across its 18 operating companies. In the South West there are currently eight apprentices in Exeter and Torquay, with four more roles available from September.

Exeter College and Stagecoach South West have both recently gained national recognition for their commitment to apprenticeships.

Exeter College was recently named Training Provider of the Year at the Apprenticeships4England Awards and Stagecoach scooped the prestigious Large Employer of the Year accolade at the People 1st Apprenticeship Awards.

Staff at the college are available to talk about apprenticeships and current opportunities with companies including Abode Hotels, Clip N Climb, Advanced Media Engineering Solutions, Bishop Fleming, Bovis Homes, Dyfed Steels South West, Exeter Cathedral, Exeter Sports Academy, Liverpool Victoria Life Company, Mercure Southgate Exeter and Virgin Healthcare.

Mike Blakeley, Head of Business Solutions and Enterprise at Exeter College, said: “Apprenticeships are a key part of our offering at Exeter College, providing a fantastic variety of work and training opportunities.

“Exeter has firmly established a reputation of providing a fantastic range of proven apprenticeships. Right now we have over 1,000 apprentices training with local and national employers in the region.”

Exeter College offers one of the most extensive range of apprenticeships in the South West, including in accountancy, the automotive sector, business and IT, clinical healthcare, construction, engineering, hair and beauty, hospitality, media and performing arts, and sport and activity leadership.

Rebecca Cuthbertson, Exeter College Business Administration apprentice, said: “I chose an apprenticeship scheme because I wanted the opportunity to learn skills in a different environment. I started last April and I'm really enjoying it. If you are unsure about what to do as a career, an apprenticeship is a great way to develop your ideas and thoughts. I plan to build up a good CV and progress in business administration.”

As well as a salary, averaging around £200 a week, from the employer, apprenticeships run by Exeter College offer nationally-recognised vocational and technical qualifications, such as BTEC, City & Guilds, Intermediate, Advanced and Higher Apprenticeship certificates.

Stagecoach runs a four-year engineering apprenticeship programme and apprentices are usually based at its Exeter site, with some opportunities also at Torquay and Barnstaple. Each apprentice has a nominated mentor at the company, as they work towards an Apprenticeship in Transporting Engineering Maintenance Certificate, before then becoming an associate member of The Institute of Road Transport Engineers.

The scheme is delivered in-house, but with opportunities to work with Stagecoach supplier partners as well. The structured programme also offers supplementary courses, on topics like communication skills. Additionally the bus company works with the Prince's Trust, providing opportunities for people who may come from a disadvantaged background.

Josh Wright has been on the Stagecoach South West apprenticeship scheme for a year.

The 22-year-old said: “I decided to join the scheme because I've always been into mechanics. I didn't really know what to do after school and when I found out about the Stagecoach apprenticeship scheme, I thought I would go for it. It's built my skill base, and there's lots of support from Stagecoach which is great.”

Brandon Rutley has been on the scheme for nearly a year. The 19-year-old said: “I decided to apply for the apprenticeship because I like hands-on learning and it gives me a good opportunity to get out there and have a go. I really enjoy learning how to work on heavy vehicles and meeting new colleagues. To others, I would say give apprenticeships a go.”

From September 2015 Stagecoach will offer apprenticeships in combined Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, and Body Repair. During their 4 year course, apprentices will typically earn £220 per week. After completion there are further opportunities available including a diploma course and staff development programme – one former engineering apprentice quickly progressed to become Assistant Engineering Manager.

Mike Bishop, Engineering Director at Stagecoach South West, said: “Given that our apprenticeship scheme is a four year course, it means that apprentices are trained to a high level and get a really robust experience. We have opportunities in the Exeter depot and elsewhere across the company. We really are committed to developing talent from within.”

For more information phone the Exeter College apprenticeship hotline on 01392 400400, email apprenticeships@exe-coll.ac.uk or go to www.exe-coll.ac.uk

Stagecoach has vacancies for its next apprenticeship intake starting in September. www.stagecoachbus.com for more information.

Exeter College Rugby just missed out on the 'quadruple' in a tense and very close AOC Sport League Final at Allianz Park.

Having completed the treble with winners medals in the AOC Sport 7's, Elite Colleges Cup and AOC League, the College lost 32-29 to Coleg y Cymoedd, who were crowned Welsh League Champions only last week. Cymoedd, boasting a number of International and Regional players, were good value for their victory, and shaded the game at the breakdown.

Exeter battled back from a 14 and 10 point deficit in the second half, showing tremendous team spirit but fell just short at the end of a long and gruelling, but extremely successful season. Victory today would have meant that the College Under 19's squad would have won absolutely every tournament and competition they could have won. Today showed just how the fine margins operate in sport!

Exeter scored tries through Dan Powell (2), Harvey Ridgeway and Billy Searle, with Searle also adding a penalty and three conversions.

Captain George Gosling commented:

“This season has been huge for all of us. Nobody would have thought that we could win our league, win the cup, and also become British colleges Champions at 7's. The experience of us all playing at Allianz Park, and going back to last year playing here twice and also at Twickenham, shows just how much we have achieved and how special this journey has been for us all.

“We are all so proud of each other's efforts and are fortunate to have been given the amazing opportunities we have been given at Exeter College. For me personally, it has been a pleasure to captain the college team this year and hopefully a number of our players will now gain the recognition they deserve on the back of this seasons huge successes.”

The college's learning centres have been granted a Grade 1 Excellent award – the highest rating possible – for its outstanding support for teaching and learning from the national independent watchdog – the Council for Learning Resources in Colleges – CoLRiC.

The CoLRiC Peer Assessor team, which is made up of senior learning resources specialists from other colleges, said the wide range of Exeter College's learning resources services meet the needs of the users and that the service is an integral part of the college success.

Assessors praised the department headed up by Richard Brine, head of information and learning services and Simon Bowler, learning media services manager describing it as being a 'flexible and responsive service' with 'highly motivated and professional staff.'

The customised Learning Centres across the college were noted as offering a variety of welcoming and attractive areas that are well used and that the college's use of the Learner Voice enabled areas for improvement or development to be identified for example the creation of a 'pop-up centre in response to the need for more learning space.
The integration of information and learning services into all teaching and learning processes was praised, including the 'comprehensive and highly effective programme of induction and bespoke information and research skills programmes'.

“We are delighted that the range of information and learning services we offer across the college has received this national recognition after such a demanding scrutiny,” said Richard Brine. “Exeter College is unusual in combining its learning centres, ICT, web, media and print services into a single department. This benefits learners and staff who are supported by dedicated and professional staff who offer these services in a very joined up way. Our CoLRiC assessors recognised the strength of this integration judging it to be a coherent and effective service and I'm proud that they praised how we identify, design and implement effective services that support and enhance the learner experience in the college. I am also delighted that our motivated and professional staff gained such praise as well as the way that we continue to listen to all our users.”
CoLRiC summary of strengths of the college's information and learning services are:

• Integration of information and learning services into all teaching and learning processes
• The integration of the Learning Centres service with ICT, resulting in a coherent and effective service
• A highly motivated and professional staff
• A coherent approach to creating a cross college self assessment review that focuses on areas for development and therefore addresses these issues; for example the pop-up centre to respond to the need for more learning Centre space
• Customised Learning Centres offering a variety of welcoming and attractive areas that are well used
• The use of the Learner Voice to identify areas for improvement or development; for example the adjustment of student time on network computers
• A flexible and responsive service, listening to all its users
• A comprehensive and highly effective programme of induction and bespoke information and research skills programmes to support teaching and learning; for example the Head of English identified that learners were working at a much higher academic level than they would have been without the input from the service.

The CoLRiC teams have a particular focus on the impact of Learning Centres on curriculum development and reported on strengths and developments in four key areas – leadership and management; resources; integration into teaching and learning and quality assurance – with the overall Grade 1 Excellent award for the college's performance against key criteria in each of the four sections.

The stage is literally set and actors and production teams are going through their final paces as the college's BTEC Performance Arts students enter the final stages before their performance of Arabian Nights opens at the Yard Gallery on Monday 11th May.

As reported by the college's Journalism Academy Student, Imogen Matthews and featured in the local Express and Echo the production of Richard F. Burton’s translation of ‘One Thousand and One’ Nights’, ‘Arabian Nights’ is hot off the back of last year’s sell out run of C.S Lewis’s ‘The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe’ and tells the classic tales of; ‘The ‘City of Brass,’ Sinbad the Seaman’ and ‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves’ like you’ve never seen or heard before.

Imogen continues:

Meet the play’s protagonist, Shahrazad, whose husband the king, executes each of his wives after only a single night of marriage. Believed to be the greatest storyteller of them all, each night Shahrazad begins to tell the king a different tale, but does not end it. Will her stories be enough to save her?

Well, when I sat down with two of the company’s principal cast members to find out what we could expect from the show, they promised it would be an exciting night of theatrical storytelling. Describing the play as both ‘explosive and exciting’, they informed me that they have introduced many new elements which are set to surprise the audience. Including a possible new character…

Bethany Burns who plays Shahrazad, and Bethany Court, who plays Shahrazad’s sister, in the production explained that they have taken this piece down a spiritual route and have touched on themes which are more relevant to modern day audiences, “We split into smaller groups to each tell a different story, combining all of the different creative and dramatic elements. These I am told, include lots of interesting movement pieces and music. “The play is mainly devised and experimental.”

Overseen by director Nigel Paul, they told me that this magical production has something that the whole family will be able to enjoy. “We have made lots of new discoveries, we’re really proud of it!” These are a few of the reasons you should follow Shahrazad on her journey to discover her fate- spinning fabulous tales about genies, princesses, ghouls and monsters, as the production takes you inside the king’s tent, for a night of Arabian enchantment.

Arabian Nights is showing at the college’s Yard Theatre, off Queen Street in Exeter from Monday 11th to Saturday 16th May. Tickets are priced from £5 and suitable for those aged 7 years +. Tickets are available from the Box Office at the Exeter Northcott Theatre please visit www.exeternorthcott.co.uk/arabian-nights

Exeter College Rugby team head to Allianz Park, the home of Saracens, next Wednesday for the AOC Sport League Play Off Final, having beaten Myerscough College 28-10 in the semi final yesterday.

Only a week after lifting the AOC Sport Elite National Cup, to add to the League Championship and the AOC British Colleges 7's trophy, the college team have the opportunity of achieving a 'quadruple' next Wednesday in what has been a remarkable season.

The victory over Myerscough College was impressive considering that the Sale Sharks outfit finished third the AASE league north section behind Hartpury (Gloucester) and Oaklands (Saracens), and boast the vast majority of the Sale Sharks Academy Team.

Exeter College raced into a 17-0 lead playing against the wind with Billy Searle (Launceston and Cornwall) once again pulling the strings behind the scrum. A 23-0 half time lead was a comfortable cushion and well deserved for some entertaining and expansive play. At 28-5, Myerscough scored a try in the 17th minute of second half injury time with a well worked and well deserved consolation try.

Back Rowers Jack Rouse (Exmouth and Devon), Joe Burden (Exeter Saracens) and Harry Wright (Honiton), Centre Dan Powell (Exmouth/Sidmouth) and man of the match Matt Handford (Cullompton) were all instrumental in the victory, which takes the college side back to where they played their quarter and semi final of the NatWest Vase last year.

Exeter College has a close working relationship with Exeter City Football Club and this has enabled the college to provide comprehensive provision for footballers attending the college from 16 to 19 years of age.

Currently the college has:

• a non Academy Football Club which allows students from across the college to participate in training and fixtures once a week;
• a comprehensive Sports Academy programme which nurtures talented players who have gained selection through the college’s performance trials and
• an apprenticeship scheme for those players who are contracted to the club.

An integral aspect of the partnership is the coaching support which occurs at every Academy training session and 1st team games.

The women’s football programme runs in much the same way as the men’s but no formal partnership has been agreed until now. Exeter City Football Club Ladies section have recently appointed Gareth Young who works for the club’s Football in the Community charity and Performance Centre scheme. Gareth Young (pictured below with Katy Sheffield, Academy coach at the college’s new training facility at Exwick) in conjunction with the college will be looking to support our training and provided excellent progression routes into the Exeter City Ladies set up.

This is excellent news for the Women’s Football at Exeter College who will be looking to increase participation numbers and improve on the Academy’s recent successes after being crowned AoC Sport SW Category 2 League winners and South West 5a-side champions.

For more information about women’s football and Exeter College’s Sports Academy contact

Chris Wall, chriswall@exe-coll.ac.uk or 01392 400309