TOGETHER with their tutor, Head of History Jim Thomson, Exeter College A level History students Sam Kewellhampton and Isobel Fraser recently spent a day visiting Auschwitz and Auschwitz-Birkenau as part of a nationwide educational scheme known as the Lessons From Auschwitz Project.

To secure their places on the trip, organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust, the pair entered an essay-writing competition at the College, their task being to write a 500-word submission about Why the Holocaust is Still Important to Learn About Today.

Sam, aged 17, of Exeter, said: “I’ve always been really fascinated by history in general, and interested in how something so horrific could have happened. I saw the trip as a way to learn more about it. The experience was very emotional.

“The most significant moment for me was when we entered the rooms where people’s personal belongings were kept after they had been taken from them. There was a pile of children’s toys and, amongst them, a broken doll. I found it both upsetting and poignant.

“It is so important that young people are given the chance to learn about The Holocaust because torture and neglect still go on in the world today. If you consider more recent events in Rwanda and Cambodia, we still haven’t learned from it. There are examples of terrible abuse of human rights happening around us. Most of my generation no longer has the real accounts of grandparents who lived through World War Two to listen to, so it is vital that we are given a chance to learn about such events through education.”

Isobel, aged 19, of Seaton, added: “Standing on the same ground that was trodden by victims and officers an uncomfortably small time ago, I experienced a fraction of the claustrophobia that the prisoners must have felt.

“It was a warm spring day and I could pause to enjoy the warmth of sunshine, put on a warm coat when the sun began to set, and turn my back and walk out of the camp, following a path laid by workers and trodden on by many cold Nazi boots without fear of death or reprisal, an experience never realised by thousands of men, women and children.

“I left with a feeling of guilt, a shared responsibility for allowing hatred to remain unchallenged, and at the same time recognition for all I take for granted in my day-to-day life, and an eagerness to enjoy that liberty that so many soldiers died to protect.”

Praising his students for their high level of understanding of the subject matter and empathy with people from the past, Jim added: “Discrimination still exists, as do all the building blocks for extremist ideologies to gain power – neither have disappeared. There may never be a situation on the scale of The Holocaust again, but there is nothing to say something similar may not happen somewhere in the world in future. Therefore, it is massively important that young people today learn about the reasons why, and the consequences of, this period of history. While our visit could never be described in positive terms, it was an eye-opener for all of us.”

STUDENTS from Exeter College’s Health, Care and Public Services faculty are holding a Spring Tea Party at Wonford Community Centre in Exeter today, from 2.30pm to 5.30pm.

The organisers, who are currently in Year 2 and working towards their Level 3 National Diploma in Health and Social Care, have financed the event entirely with money raised through donations.

The funding will pay for around 40 residents of Age Concern to be transported to and from the Spring Tea Party, where they will be welcomed by the students, and served tea, coffee and cakes. Entertainment will also be provided.

Speaking on behalf of herself and colleagues Tim Payne, Sam Brindley and Antonia Schofield, Year 2 Health and Social Care Tutor Anna Rawles says: “The pressure has certainly been on the students and they have worked extremely hard to raise the money needed to make this happen.

“They have risen to the challenge admirably and have been busy baking and selling cakes, donating their spare change on a weekly basis, and even took part in a sponsored silence. In addition, they have spent time decorating the hall with spring-themed decorations in readiness for their guests.

“We are extremely proud of them and would also like to thank all the people who have given generously to help make this afternoon a great success.”

Ellie McEvoy, aged 18, of Uffculme, said: “I have really enjoyed being involved in this event and all our hard work fundraising has been worth it, as we have raised over £300.

“I’m looking forward to spending time with older people this afternoon. It is going to be a great experience for everyone and will be a chance to bridge the gap between old and young. Older people are a big part of the community and should not be left out.”

BEN BRADSHAW MP was the guest at the latest Automotive and Engineering Employer Consultative Group event held at Exeter College.

Organised by Exeter College Business Solutions, it gave those working in the automotive and engineering industry locally the chance to put questions to Mr Bradshaw and to discuss how best to take the sector forward in the South West.

The group’s regular members are directors and senior managers from a broad range of companies, ranging from multinationals to small and medium-sized specialist enterprises (SMEs) from across Devon.

Employer Consultative Groups have also been established, or are in the process of being established, for other areas of industry, including Construction, Health and Social Care, and Retail and Commercial Enterprises, and the College expects to roll out this practice to further sectors in future.

Speaking afterwards, Richard Layburn of Business Solutions said: “The Employer Consultative Groups give employers a good strong voice in terms of how they can help determine how policy is set in their area. It is their chance to speak specifically for their sectors rather than for commerce in general.

“Collectively, their views carry far greater weight than if they were to put them forward individually, and the groups themselves can act as a very effective conduit to the decision makers, both locally and nationally.”

Among the panel members was Sean Limbrick, Chief Engineer at Dunkeswell-based Supacat Ltd, one of the UK’s leading independent developers of high-mobility vehicles. Established in 1981, the company has designed a range of specialist vehicles used by defence customers worldwide. In recent years, it has expanded its innovation ethos into marine renewables and the oil and gas sector.

Sean added: “I have embraced the Employer Consultative Group because Supacat and other local engineering SMEs are reliant on the supply of motivated and educated engineers. I believe this requires both the right nurture and the right environment to retain and attract talented people to the area and this is one way to influence this.

“The group represents a diverse range of organisations and has illustrated to me both the complexities and the common threads in the challenge to improve our local engineering landscape.”

Ben Bradshaw MP continued: “From my perspective, the day provided a useful insight into the issues, values and priorities of those currently employed in this particular sector of industry. From the employers’ point of view, it was also an opportunity to establish common aims and to discuss how best these could be approached collectively for the benefit of themselves and others in their sector in the South West.

“I believe such groups are likely to prove extremely valuable to employers in future, not only within the Automotive and Engineering industry but across a number of other sectors too, as a way of working together towards further growing the region’s economy in future.”

BARCLAYS Corporate senior managers took the term ‘mucking in’ to the extreme today as a team of them volunteered for building work on the Exeter Urban Garden.

They had travelled to the Garden’s designated site on Exeter College’s Hele Road campus from as far away as Wales and the Midlands to take part in the exercise, which saw them being encouraged to work together, share initiative, and put their project management skills to practical use in aid of a good cause.

Ray O’Donoghue, Barclays Corporate Managing Director for the Midlands, Wales and South West, was among those laying the foundations for a fence and four raised vegetable beds which he and his peers were hoping to complete by the end of the day.

Spade in hand, he said: “We have come from as far away as Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham, Worcestershire, and Swansea to help with this project this afternoon. Normally, at this time of day, we would be supporting our teams, but at Barclays Corporate we do like to engage in quite a lot of projects in the community and we encourage our staff to get involved as much as they can too.

“Having heard a presentation from the College about this particular project, we offered to help out, and today we are working on building raised beds and levelling out the ground around them, which will help make sure the garden will have disabled access and can be enjoyed by everyone.”

Ray continued: “On a second visit, local staff from here in Exeter will be coming down to help out. We felt that if our staff were going to do it, then we as the leadership should also be getting stuck in, which is why we are here today.

“We couldn’t have picked a nicer day to be outside, and we are enjoying working in the community,” he added. “From our perspective, the Exeter Urban Garden is a local project and it is one that is going to benefit a lot of people in the community in the long-term.”

As well as the raised plant beds, a greenhouse, a tool shed and a wormery are all part of the design for the garden, which is expected to officially open in May this year. Other features will include a seating area, a grill, a pond and an eco-friendly watering system which will use rainwater collected from the roofs of surrounding buildings.

Exeter Urban Garden Project Manager Geoff Brown said: “For the volunteers, I think it has been a useful teambuilding exercise. They clearly enjoy each other’s company and are tackling the heavy labour with a great sense of humour.

“In addition to building the beds in the garden today, Barclays Corporate helped finance them and are also funding and building the garden’s fencing along New North Road. Here at Exeter College, we are hugely grateful for their support. We hope that they have found today’s experience as rewarding as no doubt the Exeter Urban Garden’s users will do once it is complete.”

Plans to create a world class centre for Engineering, Aerospace and Automotive training on the eastern edge of Exeter by 2012 have moved a step further forward with the submission of exciting plans to the city’s planning office this month.

Exeter College will build an £8.5m Technology centre which will provide workshops, laboratories and teaching spaces for c.300 Automotive, Aerospace and Engineering students from 14-16 year olds, all the way through to university-level courses and dedicated employer training. This innovative and exciting development follows talks with the city and county councils and other economic training and funding bodies over many months, and will accommodate the College’s expanding Technology Faculty, currently housed in separate facilities across the city.

“It is essential that we continue to invest in training for these essential and popular industries despite the current gloom about the economy”, said Rebecca King, Deputy Principal, Exeter College. “We have seen an increase in the demand for industry-standard training from young people as well as employees and employers who are keen to improve their skills and keep ahead of the global technological advances. We are excited about creating this new purpose built centre of excellent for our long standing automotive and engineering provision as well as our new aerospace activity which has grown rapidly through our dynamic partnership with Flybe”.

The 3.16 acre site, at Cumberland Way, has been earmarked for education and training within the Monkerton and Hill Barton Masterplan which aims to build a “new sustainable community on the eastern edge of Exeter – a well planned, fully integrated and connected part of the city – known as an attractive place to live and work”. The plan, commissioned jointly by Exeter and Devon Councils, Exeter and East Devon Growth Point Team and landowner representatives in 2009, included feedback from workshops and consultations with landowner, statutory bodies and local interested parties.

“The detailed plans have been submitted following consultations and the Technology Centre will house technical workshops and classrooms, and MOT testing bay, CADCAM IT suite, motor vehicle and motorbike diagnostic testing lab and a 3 storey learning and IT centre and coffee shop”, continued Rebecca King. “The location is perfect for both local, county and regional interest since it already has excellent transport links with new public transport links planned, and is sited close to Exeter’s new Science Park as well as the new M5 junction developments.

Ian Fitzpatrick, the new Head of Engineering, Aerospace and Automotive is looking forward to the brand new build saying “Our two automotive centres based in Marsh Barton will now benefit from being consolidated and will still maintain their very strong links with the motor franchises that are such a focus of Exeter’s industrial estates, whilst our engineering and aerospace training will move from their city centre sites. Since we are able to expand into a purpose built site there will be no disruption to our students’ and trainees’ progress while we build and we’re able to spearhead up to date training with all the current industrial equipment and facilities”.

“This is a very exciting time for Exeter College and the local area” said Richard Atkins, Principal. “We are proud that due to our outstanding student success rates and prudent financial management, Exeter College is one of the very few in the country that is facing the current economic gloom with cautious optimism. We certainly have the confident to continue to invest in providing modern industry- standard training facilities, particularly in those sectors which have been identified as local and national priorities. East Devon and Exeter is well placed for future economic development, and this new centre will provide a world-class training infrastructure to support these developments”.

THE LORD MAYOR and Councillor Christine Channon were Guests of Honour at a celebratory event at Exeter College’s @34 restaurant to acknowledge the quality of an award-winning partnership between Exeter College, 22 schools, the local authority and key employers in the area. The award was for exemplary partnership and collaboration across Devon which focuses on offering educational opportunities to young people aged 14 to 16.

Welcoming his audience, Richard Atkins said: “Collaboration has always been something we have embraced and championed at Exeter College and this success story is clearly due to the continued effort and support from the many schools and partners we work with.

“We are delighted and proud to receive this award, and we look forward to continuing to work with our colleagues across various partnerships at a time where collaboration remains the key to a thriving learning community.”

As well as listening to speeches about the partnership, guests were treated to a buffet which had been prepared for them by pupils from Southbrook School.

Ian Munro, Regional Director of the Association of Colleges (AoC) South West, was among the speakers at the event.

He said: “The national AoC Beacon Award, now in its seventeenth year, attracted over 300 applications from Further Education colleges across the country. After rigorous short-listing and assessor visits, Exeter College were crowned as the winner and we are very grateful for the generous support of AQA, who sponsor this award.”

Examining board AQA’s Head of GCSE Maths Andrew Taylor, who also spoke at the event, added: “It was a pleasure to visit Exeter College and to present this award, on behalf of AQA, for exceptional partnership and collaboration between the College and an impressive number of schools, both local and further afield.

“In reading the assessor’s report recommending Exeter College for the award, I was particularly struck by the range of learners benefiting from this partnership and the truly collaborative and democratic character of the partnership. Such exemplary work that builds links between pre- and post-16 learning and smoothes the transition for learners is great to hear about, and AQA is delighted to be involved as a sponsor.

He continued: “The importance of this partnership for learners is clear and, in the changing and challenging educational landscape, it seems that such collaboration is going to be even more vital in giving young people the very best opportunities to acquire the skills they will need to succeed.”

Among the representatives of the 22 14-16 Partnership schools working with Exeter College who were present on the day was West Exe Technology College Deputy Head Vicki Carah.

She said: “In terms of being able to offer the very best to our students, the partnership is ideal. What really stands out about it is that it is not just about numbers; the College offers students the kind of individual support that they are used to in their own schools, and that is certainly something which has strengthened the relationship. What is particularly nice about this award is that it reminds us of how special this partnership is.”

Every year, the AoC Beacon Awards provide national recognition for excellence and innovation within the Further Education sector. This is the second Beacon Award which Exeter College has been presented with, having previously won the CoLRiC Beacon Award in 2009, in recognition of Exeter College’s outstanding 24/7 Learning Resources provisions.

At this year’s national ceremony in London, John Hayes MP said: “I am pleased to be part of the AoC Beacon Awards which recognises and celebrates the greatest successes of the further education sector. The Awards highlight the exceptional ability of many Colleges to respond to the needs of students and local businesses and revitalize the communities they serve.”

WOULD-BE interviewees gained useful advice and top tips at an Exeter College event that was the brainchild of members of Exeter’s Young Chamber.

Hosted in the Exeter Business Suite at Exeter College, students from across the College attended mock interviews given by representatives of the local business community who then provided constructive feedback. In some cases, they were experiencing for the first time what it is like to be asked questions by a prospective employer.

Jenny Lyons, Head of the Business and IT faculty at Exeter College, said: “The Business and IT Faculty set up the Young Chamber in collaboration with Exeter Chamber of Commerce more than a year ago. Since then, its members have been listening to both student and employer feedback on how best to develop employability skills, and this activity was the perfect opportunity to develop valuable skills to help learners prepare for when they leave college.”

Young Chamber President Sharena Sivlal, in the second-year of her BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Business, was among the Chamber members who organised the event. The 19-year-old from Exeter continued: “Young Chamber’s committee thought hard about what sort of event might be useful to young people at Exeter College going on to university or applying for jobs upon completion of their studies. We realised how our performance at interview can affect our future plans, so we decided advice on interview techniques would be ideal.

“We thought the only way of giving students a real feel for what an interview is like would be to invite in local successful employers. They would be able to ask challenging questions and offer students the useful feedback they needed. No two interviews will ever be alike in a person’s career, but a day like today will ensure they are ready to give their best from the start.”

Charlotte Hayes of the YESS Project, which offers a drop-in service for young entrepreneurs and is based on the College’s Victoria House site in Queen Street, added: “At interview, you need something that is going to give you the edge. Today was about giving young people a chance to find out what it might be like, but in a less pressured environment.”

The panel of employer representatives interviewing students were: Sarah Witheridge of WBW Solicitors, Rebecca Weaver of The Business Portal, Katie Ryan of Lloyds TSB, Hannah Murdock of Really Good Recruitment, and Rick Smith, Non-Executive Director of Devon Partnership NHS Trust. As well as judging would-be candidates on the quality of their responses, other aspects such as body language and presentation skills were also observed.

Speaking between seeing students, Rebecca Weaver, who runs The Business Portal, said: “It is important for young people to learn about face-to-face meeting and greeting and interview techniques, and to develop their existing skills so they are ready to use them in a real-life situation. At interview, everything from your initial handshake to how you talk about your personal attributes matters. I think today’s event is a great opportunity for young people to practice these skills.”

Katie Ryan, a Relationship Manager for Lloyds TSB, added: “It is nice to come here today as a member of the local business community and be able to help young people to get where they want to be in business in future. Recognising what is going to give you that edge at interview is so important. Standing out that little bit more could be the difference between you being offered the job rather than someone else.”

Among the Exeter College students attending on the day was John Paul Cristales, aged 19, of Exeter. In his second year of a BTEC Level 3 National Diploma Business course, he hopes to continue his studies at College next year and begin an HND in Business.

He said: “Today has been a really fantastic experience for me. I’d never been to an interview before. I wasn’t nervous at all and the interviewer was really helpful. She didn’t put any pressure on me and she helped me to express what I needed to say. The feedback was also very useful and it has been good for making contacts.”

Dale Morrish, aged 19, of Exeter – also a second year studying towards his Level 3 National Diploma in Business with a view to progressing to an HND at the College – said: “I’d been to a couple of interviews before for part-time jobs, but this one was more in-depth. An event like this is really useful for young people. It teaches you how to get yourself noticed at interview so that you can give it your best shot.”

Olga Shadura, aged 18, of Exeter, is in her first-year studying AS Biology, AS Chemistry, AS Maths and for her IT (Level 3 Certificate). She thought having the opportunity to take part in mock interviews was a great idea too.

She said: “It gives you a real picture of what you do when you go to an interview for a job or a university course. On the day, I was given good advice and quite a few tips which I will now use when I go for an interview. Also, the feedback I’ve was given was very helpful. It made me feel so much more confident about myself, because now I know the strengths and weaknesses I can improve.”

Students at Exeter College will build their financial knowledge, skills and confidence during Barclays Money Skills ‘week’ from the 7th and 11th March. This initiative is designed to give students an awareness of money management issues and provide them with the tools they need to stay in control of their budget. Students will participate in entertaining and informative money management activities based on topics such as food, fashion, family and independent living.

Barclays and the National Skills Academy for Financial Services are working in partnership to deliver the learning week across the UK and are seeking to strengthen the money management skills of over 90,000 students across 150 FE colleges nationwide. Barclays employees will be volunteering their time and expertise to help colleges with the planning and delivery of activities.

Recent research commissioned by Barclays has highlighted that young adults face significant challenges when managing their money, at a time when they are likely to be entering financial independence and needing to stretch their constrained incomes to meet their day to day needs. More than a third (36 per cent) run out of money regularly, with a further 27 per cent of unemployed young people saying they are always running out of money.

Michelle Smith, Head of Consumer and Community Affairs at Barclays, “We know from our research that young people face a particularly challenging set of circumstances, and need all the help they can get to manage their money effectively. We’re investing £15m over three years in projects such as Barclays Money Skills ‘weeks’ and are working to support one million people to build their financial skills, knowledge and confidence.”

Jennie Hamilton, Deputy-Head of Safeguarding, Equality, Tutoring and Well-being (STEW), said “During Barclays Money Skills ‘week’ we will cover topics such as budgeting, saving and spending; and offers practical guidance on what to do when something goes wrong. Making good financial decisions is an essential life skill, and by building students’ financial skills we are empowering them to reach their goals.”

Sylvia Perrins, CEO at the Skills Academy said “Rising costs, lack of funds and the continued instability in the job market serves as a poignant reminder that the financial decisions students make are of utmost importance. Through our fun activities and learning sessions we hope that students will gain a better understanding of budgeting and an increased awareness of financial issues and products. This will guide them when making financial decisions which affect their future.”

Seventeen pupils from Dawlish Community College enjoyed a taste of what it is like to be an aerospace engineer during a recent visit to Exeter College’s Engineering Workshops.

The group of 14-year-olds not only learned from some existing high-flying students at the College about the exciting careers they could one day enjoy, but also about the different kinds of apprenticeships and engineering courses available to study at Exeter College, including those run in partnership with Flybe.

The day started with a presentation on the Theory of Flight which led to their challenge of designing and building a model aircraft. The teams whose aircraft flew the furthest won the Top Achievers Award and were given certificates and prizes for recognition of their effort and enthusiasm.

Dawlish Community College’s Head of Technology Fred Woodhead, who accompanied the pupils on the day, said: “The pupils are already studying towards their BTEC Level 2 in Engineering here in Dawlish, so for them to have the opportunity to actually meet students already on the Flybe course and to be able to ask them questions really sparked their enthusiasm, as did the practical exercise.

“There is a tendency to think Engineering is largely about ‘fixing things’. This event showed our pupils just one of the many exciting specialist areas they could go into if they choose to continue their studies in this subject. As we left, some of them were already talking about how focused they now are on securing a place on the Flybe course at the College as the next step in their career.”

Speaking after the event, The Flybe Training Academy Operations Manager John Tenner added: “Pupils from Dawlish Community College enjoyed a day of aerospace engineering which, we hope, encouraged their interest in becoming engineers of the future.”

Graham Wilson, who heads up the Aerospace team at Exeter College, continued: “For centuries, this country has produced some of the greatest engineers in history, but the number of students choosing engineering as a career has been in decline for some time. At Exeter College, the Flybe Fly-off programme is our way of encouraging children in our secondary schools to look at the exciting possibilities that are available in modern engineering.”

Of the eight second-year students on the Flybe Diploma in Engineering programme who gave support and guidance to the Year 10 pupils as they designed and built their model aircraft, he added: “We hope their enthusiasm for aviation will have inspired the visiting pupils to view engineering in a positive light and that, recognising it as an extremely worthwhile career option, one day they may decide that they would like to go into aerospace engineering themselves.”

EXETER COLLEGE’S efforts to ensure it is a healthy environment for its staff and students have been officially acknowledged with the awarding of Healthy FE College status.

The title has been granted to the College by the awarding body Tribal on behalf of the Department of Health, meaning the College is one of the first to have received it in the South West, and one of around 100 so far nationally.

It has been given in recognition of the following:
• Exeter College’s commitment to continuous improvement across a range of health support services for staff and students;
• Exeter College’s collaborative work with other local health support services and organisations; and
• Exeter College’s active engagement in the promotion of health and wellbeing to its staff and learners, leading to increased performance and achievement.

Upon hearing the good news, Exeter College’s Health and Wellbeing manager Nick Bridge said: “We recognise that health and wellbeing is integral to what we do, so this is great news for the College. Giving us recognition for our achievements in this area at national level, it demonstrates how seriously we take this matter and how committed we are to ensuring we provide a healthy experience for everyone who comes here.”

The announcement follows on from Exeter College’s second annual Being Healthy and Sexual Health and Guidance Week, which took place across the College campuses last month.

The 2011 programme of activities – organised by Health and Wellbeing Manager Nick Bridge and Student Welfare Officer Sammy Davies, together with the College’s nurses and members of Exeter College Students’ Union (ECSU) – were designed to encourage student involvement as part of the College’s Every Child Matters agenda.

They included everything from visits from external health organisations, tutor group picnics, fitness classes and healthy food give-aways to staff and students of all ages to dance classes for the College’s youngest attendees – the children who attend the College Nursery.