News from Dunstable College

Steering their way to success

2008-07-22T09:31:00.001Z

The 14-16 year old Motor Vehicle group went go-karting on 16 June at the international race track at Wilton Mill, Northamptonshire.

The group has been at College now for two years and built the go-karts themselves with the help of tutor Mick Cox.

The go-karts comprise a fixed rear wheel drive system with a single rear disc brake. They run a 5.5 horse power Honda lawn mower engine; this gives the students more than enough speed to have a good time and negates the need for a clutch, so anyone can have a drive.

The students started out slowly and gradually built up their speed, until they achieved some very good lap times. Tutor Matt Hall comments, "It was a very nice way to finish with a very pleasant group of students. Derek and I wish them all the best for their future careers."

Great British Hero Ride

2008-07-22T09:29:00.001Z

Ricky Murphy, Public Service Student, reports

On 1 June three students from Dunstable College Public Services department grabbed our bikes and made our way to London Whitehall for a sponsored bike ride. Joining a further 3,000 riders, the aim was to raise money for a charity HELP for HEROES that supports injured troops across the country and helps them back onto their feet.

Chris Robinson, Joel Freeman and I arrived in London and made our way to Whitehall. We were met by 3,000 other riders, a TV crew and the press. We chatted to other riders who had just completed a 350 mile ride around Europe visiting WW1 and WW2 battle sites and laying reefs.

At 1:45 an RSM from the army gave us a final talk on the ride and then a representative from HELP for HEROES set us off and 3,000 riders entered the roads of London surrounded by the public and veterans. Every so many miles we stopped and laid a reef at different memorials on the way.

We arrived at the horse guard parade just after 3:30 where we were applauded by hundreds of bystanders and then received a final talk by the chief of the army who congratulated all the riders on the amount of money that had been raised so far. After the talk, we spoke to more of the riders and had photo opportunities with the horse guards.

We all agreed that this was an experience of a life time and were proud to have been applauded for the effort and money we had raised.

We are all signing up for next year to complete the 350 mile ride across Europe and hope to double the money we have raised this time, which is estimated at just under £400.

Student lays the foundations of success!

2008-07-22T09:27:00.001Z

The Year 10 first years on the City and Guilds 6217-01 have had a go at Bricklaying on a recent taster. The students have just completed their first year with Paul Bailey on Joinery. Paul wanted to extend the course to let them have a taste of another trade. Paul comments, "This was very successful and excellently run by Tony Summers. We will include this in the curriculum next year and maybe extend it."

Success again for students at NOAH

2008-07-22T09:26:00.002Z

Students based at the NOAH outreach centre in High Town, Luton, have had another successful year.

The City and Guilds Furniture Making courses Levels 1-3 have just had their yearly visit from the external verifier. A very high pass rate was achieved, with the majority of students gaining Distinctions and Credits. The EV praised the work commenting that the products were made to "industrial and marketable standards" and the Level 3 veneered jewellery boxes were "exquisite".

Course tutors Judy Eaton and Mick Thomas were delighted with the achievements and praised students for all their hard work.

Students Enter National Creative Competition

2008-06-13T11:47:00.002Z

Students studying a BA in Graphic Design for Print and New Media at Dunstable College have been invited to submit entries for The Shelf – a national creative awards competition. The Shelf is opening its invitation to graduating creatives from a wide pool of universities for the very first time. Judged by a panel of leading Creative DIrectors, The Shelf helps to bridge the gap from graduation to employment.

Celeste Henney, Course Leader, comments:

“It is often the first initial contact with agencies that students most struggle with so I didn’t hesitate to encourage my students to enter The Shelf Awards. Any industry is a good one and the chance to network with graduates and leading creatives is always a valued prize to any competition.”

Founded seven years ago by Gary Sharpen, Executive Creative Director of WDMP, a leading advertising agency, The Shelf is now run with MajorPlayers – the UK’s number one creative recruiter – and offers a huge career boost for the winning graduates. It was established as a way of uncovering and supporting the best in young creative talent, by helping to channel it into some of the best creative agencies.

The closing date for submissions was the start of May. Entries will be judged by a panel of leading Creative Directors who will select six teams. These will then be invited to attend a special awards ceremony on 3 July 2008 at the unique “Under the Westway” members' bar in Westbourne Studios. Those who make the shortlist will have the opportunity to showcase a range of their work, with the opportunity to meet leading Creative Directors as well as other industry experts. Importantly, they will also have the chance to secure work placements at top agencies – a vital step towards full-time employment.

The evening will conclude with the awarding of The Shelf, which will have been decided by votes from the guests on the night. The overall winners will receive The Shelf, which is so called because upon it the young creatives will be able to place the future awards they are sure to gather throughout their careers.

Gary Sharpen comments:

“Extending the reach of The Shelf will enable us to seek out and support even more fantastic young creative talent. Through The Shelf we aim to make the leap from college to the industry a positive and well structured one. This benefits both the individual creatives and the future of our industry. Thanks to the excellent support of MajorPlayers we are aiming to support more and more bright prospects.”

Rachel Gott, Divisional Head of Creative at MajorPlayers, added:

“It’s a real privilege for MajorPlayers to work alongside Gary Sharpen – a real innovator within the creative industry whose heart for encouraging new talent resonates strongly with our own. As the UK’s number one creative recruiter, MajorPlayers constantly looks for ways to support the industries that we recruit into and The Shelf Awards are a really fantastic opportunity for graduates looking to get a leg up into their first creative role within one of the top marketing or advertising agencies.”

This event is one of a series of creative and marketing industry events to be held this year by MajorPlayers. As well as supporting the industries MajorPlayers recruits into, the programme of events reflects one of the company’s founding principles – that a candidate’s career history is a journey in which a recruiter should play a constructive ongoing part. MajorPlayers sees these networking events as an opportunity to feed the talent in the industry rather than prey on them.

Design Award for College Student

2008-05-01T16:07:00.003Z

Congratulations go to Dunstable College’s Hazel Snell, from the BA (Hons) in Graphic Design for Print and New Media course, who has just won Silver in the Starpack Student Awards for Best Package Design. Her winning concept for a festival pack got outstanding marks and was said by the judges to be "both fun and practical."

The awards ceremony on 22 May will take place at Carlton House and her award will be presented by the Senior Packaging Technologist from Marks and Spencer, Mark Caul. Her design will then be on show at The Cafe Royal, where it will be viewed by the contenders for the Starpack Industry Awards. Printed in the winners’ book, Hazel’s work will go on to represent UK colleges and universities in the World Star Student Awards, an International competition open to all winners.

Hazel, aged 21, is from County Wicklow, Ireland and currently lives in Luton. After graduating, she wants to work as a designer. Hazel says, "I was delighted to win such an award, it felt like all of the hard work paid off and will be great on my C.V." Hazel's winning work will be on display at the London D&AD Show in June and also at the College's End of Year Art, Design, Media and Performing Arts Show, which is open to the public June 19–24.

Mature student attracted back in to education by Art & Design courses at Dunstable College

2008-04-24T13:39:00.001Z

Art & Design courses at Dunstable College are attracting mature students who have been out of education for some time, and providing a route for them to return to study in their chosen subject. Jan Drury enrolled on the part-time Foundation Diploma in Art & Design course, and cannot believe the difference it has made to her life.

Jan comments, “In 2006 after completing several art based evening classes, I applied for a place on the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design. I have been attending the course on a part time basis and ‘love’ it. The reason for my applying for the course was that I had reached a stage in my life when I wanted to do something for myself and having always had an interest in artistic ventures I decided to take the plunge and really stretch myself. Dunstable was always my first choice of college and I have not been disappointed. The level of tuition and support is superb and I will be sorry to leave the course. I had never been to a gallery before and did not know any artists. Now I have become an ‘art bore’ constantly going on about artists and techniques. The trip to Berlin was the highlight of the course, so far.

I was apprehensive at first returning to learning as a mature student but needn’t have worried. All the students young and old learn from each other and I think enhance each other’s work”.

Course Team Leader, Lee Birkett adds, “This course has proven to be very popular and has given a real boost to the students’ confidence. Students gain a variety of skills and the opportunity to sample a wide range of art and design areas, including fine art, graphics, 3D and textiles. They go onto focus these skills in their strongest area, working towards progression onto an appropriate degree programme, or employment. It is ideal for those who have sampled art and design at some stage in their life, but for whatever reason were unable to take this interest further at the time”.

For further information on the part-time courses available at Dunstable College please call 0845 355 2525, or visit www.dunstable.ac.uk

Dunstable College provides clear progression routes for students

2008-04-24T13:38:00.000Z

Dunstable College is providing students with a clear progression route within their chosen subject, enabling students to study at the College for up to five years and gain an Honours degree.

Students are able enter the College to study for a Further Education course then continue their studies on one of the College’s extensive Foundation Degree schemes, with the option to then complete a one year top Honours degree here at Dunstable College or at a University of their choice.

One of the newest subjects to be offered by the College is the National Diploma in Graphics, this forms an integral part of the strong Art & Design department within the College. Course Team Leader, Stuart Dall commented “The National Diploma in Graphics is an exciting new course that has a strong computer led focus. The aim is to encourage the students to remain at the College throughout their studying career. This provides students with the opportunity to work with actual clients within the industry, therefore gaining excellent work based experiences.”

For further information on the National Diploma in Graphics or any other courses please contact Dunstable College on 0845 355 2525, www.dunstable.ac.uk

SKF (U.K.) Limited Joins Chiltern Business Training to Provide Young People with Apprenticeship Opportunities

2008-04-24T13:37:00.000Z

Local Luton based company, SKF (U.K.) Limited, recognises the benefits apprenticeship training can bring to their organisation. As a successful engineering company producing SKF Explorer spherical roller bearings and CARB toroidal roller bearings, it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit skilled workers with the relevant industry experience. The Apprenticeship programme will support them in recruiting and training young people within the company to their own high standards and allow them to tailor the training, making it relevant to their business. With new apprentices taken on each year it will allow succession planning across the workforce.

SKF (U.K.) Limited has worked alongside Chiltern Business Training to design a programme, advertise and recruit apprentices with the first intake being this summer. Mr S. Gunston, Factory Manager, SKF (U.K.) Limited "SKF recognises the importance that Advanced Engineering apprenticeships have in filling the ever growing skill gap in UK manufacturing. They will also show young people that manufacturing, in progressive companies, can provide a rewarding and challenging career for those that choose this path.”

Chiltern Business Training is the business development department of Dunstable College. They have been working alongside employers in South Bedfordshire to provide a range of business training solutions for over 15 years. New and long established businesses alike are aware of the need for succession planning and investment of training into their workforce. Apprenticeships are a proven solution, with a wealth of benefits to the employer and employees. Apprenticeships offer employed young people the opportunity to work towards a portfolio of qualifications through on and off the job training, giving them industry relevant and nationally recognised qualifications.

For more information contact Chiltern Business Training on 01582 861607.

Sport Relief

2008-04-24T13:36:00.002Z

Dunstable College students on the Pathways and Townsend Centre courses did their bit for Sport Relief, when they walked a mile together, getting people to sponsor their efforts.

To date about £70 has been raised, with more money due in.

As these students have learning difficulties and/or disabilities, this was a huge achievement for them.

The group marched through Houghton Regis, with banners held high, and in spite of the cold they all enjoyed their walk.

Dunstable College attracts international football star

2008-04-24T13:36:00.001Z

On Friday 11th April Dunstable College students had the opportunity to speak to former Tottenham and Republic of Ireland international Tony Galvin. Having won two FA cup winners medals and one European Winners medal, Tony had vast experience to pass on to the students studying the sports courses based at the Kingsland Skills Institute Campus.

Now working as a Quality Manager for the LSC, Tony was able to speak to the students about some of the highlights of his career, but also the importance of gaining good qualifications. This included him achieving his degree before he became a professional footballer, which has provided him with a solid grounding for a career after football.

Some of the questions students asked included:

Best player you’ve ever played against? Rudd Gullit

Best player you’ve played with? Glenn Hoddle

Best team you’ve played against? Liverpool in the 1980’s

Head of Sport, Gary Lee commented, “being new to the College, I think it’s fantastic that we are attracting sports stars to the College. They are able to see the great facilities available to our students, and provide students with an ideal opportunity to learn from professional sport stars”.

For further information about the Sports courses available at Dunstable College please call 0845 355 2525 or visit www.dunstable.ac.uk

Dunstable College sports students delivering multi-sport activities to local schools

2008-04-24T13:35:00.000Z

Students on the Football Development programme at Dunstable College are delivering multi-sport activities to local school children. Dunstable College has set up a relationship with Hawthorn Lower School, whereby the students deliver sporting activities to their students in years 1 to 6. This includes multi-sport lunchtime activities and curriculum based activities.

This scheme is attracting external trainers who are keen to develop coaching skills within the community. On Friday 4th April the students received a masterclass from Daniel Walker who runs Brazilian Soccer Schools. This masterclass enabled the students to learn from the best, and to deliver improved coaching to local children. The excellent skills shown by the students has led to one of the Higher Education students being offered a job working for Daniel; and two of the Further Education students currently completing trials to gain employment.

Football Development Manager, Colin Sharpe commented, “the relationship we’ve developed with Hawthorns Lower school provides the school children with a variety of sporting activities, and enables our students to gain practical coaching experience”.

Dunstable College students visit Lloret de Mar in Spain

2008-04-24T13:31:00.000Z

Travel and Tourism students from Dunstable College recently enjoyed a study break to Lloret de Mar in Spain. Departing from Luton airport on a cold Monday morning, the trip proved to be very educational for the 38 students who attended, enabling the students to gain further information on the hospitality industry.

The students experienced a mix of educational visits and free time during their trip. This included a behind the scenes tour of their hotel and a visit to a traditional flamenco show called ‘La Masia’ in Tordera, a province in Barcelona.

Second year student Aimee Aslam commented, “I thought that the study visit was extremely successful. Everyone had a great time and it was a brilliant opportunity”.

Travel and Tourism tutor, Maggie parsons added, “The study trips provide a good opportunity for students to transfer a lot of the information they have learnt in the classroom to a real life environment. Both staff and students enjoyed the experience, and we’re looking forward to next year’s trip”.

Ice Hockey Star Student Returns From Notre Dame

2008-03-11T16:28:00.003Z

DUNSTABLE COLLEGE STUDENT PICKED FOR ICE HOCKEY TEAM AT NOTRE DAME, USA

Daniel Chaplen a student who studied on the National Diploma in Sports at Dunstable College in 2006 and left the programme part way through to follow his ambition of becoming a world class Ice Hockey player has since returned to continue his studies. Tutors at Dunstable College are confident that he will achieve the highest standard in his assessments in June and are excited about the great future that lies ahead for him.

Daniel writes: "At the end of my 1st year as an under 19 in 2006 I decided that if I wanted to further my opportunities in ice hockey that I needed to spend time in Canada playing and training. I looked into a few colleges across North America but the best one by far was Notre Dame. Notre Dame is a college devoted to ice hockey in the province of Saskatchewan.
Soon after I applied I received a letter saying that I had been accepted into the college, so after the summer, I would be leaving for 9 months. This was definitely one of the biggest opportunities I have had and everyone was very supportive and happy for me.

"When I arrived at the college in September I found that I was going to be spending the best part of a year in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere! It looked like something from the Wild West, with dirt roads and a population of about 400, most of which was the students. The land was so flat; you could look out the window and see for miles. During the year I was to experience different climates, with temperatures ranging from 30 degrees in the summer, down to -30 with -40 wind chill in the winter, which is very cold.

"At the beginning of the year I went through about 4 weeks of trials which decided which team I would be playing with for the season. The team I was put on was made up of players from all across the world: Canada, America, Belgium and even Japan. I was also very lucky and honoured to be given the role of assistant captain, which would usually go to a player who has been at the college for a few years.

"My team had a great season, we played the first 10 or so games unbeaten and we were not defeated at home all year. I got to travel to different places across Canada and America, playing teams from all over, this was a great experience as I was playing a completely different type of game than I was back in the UK.

"Overall our team had a great year, just missing out on the league title, we where knocked out of the play offs in the last round. I was very happy at the end of season awards to receive the MVP award and also to be top point scorer for my team.

"Although I went to Canada to play hockey I learnt so much more, gaining the experience of living away from home in a different country with people I had never met before. It was difficult at first, and didn’t seem like a place that I wanted to stay at, but by the time it came around to leaving in June 07, I had made so many new friends who I will have for the rest of my life, and it was very hard to leave."

The National Diploma in Sports is the equivalent to three A-Levels and will see that Daniel is on track to continuing his outstanding achievements in his sporting career. Colin Sharpe, tutor at the College commented: “We are always very proud of students who excel in their chosen sports and encourage them to aim for the top. The qualifications that they receive will give them a well-rounded knowledge of health, fitness and the sports industry and provide all the skills needed for them to go on to higher education or straight into their career”. Dunstable College is enrolling now for this year’s programme. Please visit: www.dunstable.ac.uk/football for more information.

Clothes Show

2008-02-21T12:09:00.000Z

Students and staff from the Foundation Degree in Graphic Design and Advertising and the BA (Hons) in Graphic Design for Print and New Media courses had a great time at the Clothes Show held at the NEC in Birmingham. Celeste Henney, Course Team Leader from the BA (Hons) in Graphic Design for Print and New Media, comments, “We saw the University catwalk shows and the fantastic fashion show in the main arena and picked a few bargains on the way. We all enjoyed the fact that you could see things other than just main high street brands and were inspired by the graphics and displays as well as the use of materials. A big thing seemed to be environmental issues which meant the use of old clothes to make new and fabrics generated from organic cottons, bamboo and hemp being on visible display.”

One of the star purchases from the show, a pair of designer shoes!

Design for facelift scores big hit for Roger

2008-02-21T12:08:00.002Z

Congratulations to IT student Roger Farrow on having his work chosen for the new website for the Houghton Regis town centre facelift. The site will act as an information portal, carrying news on the progress of the work in Bedford Square and Roger designed and produced the site himself.

The design project was set by South Beds District Council and Roger found himself up against two of his fellow students in the shortlist: Matthew Freeman and Liam Moseley. The final decision rested with the Head of ICT at South Beds District Council, Rob Wood, who found the selection process an extremely difficult one owing to the high calibre of entries. Roger’s work was chosen as it presented the best mix of information and design.

Roger is studying a Foundation Degree in Web Design and his tutors, Andrew Hill and Derek Condon, are delighted at the opportunity this gave Roger and his fellow students to gain practical experience of working on a live brief. All three students were rewarded with IT vouchers for their hard work.

New “Incubator” Unit is born

2008-02-21T12:07:00.000Z

Dunstable College has entered into a new, exciting and unique post-graduate provision for creatives wishing to start their own business venture.

The programme called The Incubator endorsed and masterminded by Will Howard provides support and guidance to creative post-graduates through mentoring and business practice workshops. The Incubator is set to give the young creatives a footing in a competitive market and develop business sustainability. The experience of students being supported to set up their own small businesses with professional assistance and peer group working, will in turn improve their employment and career prospects.

Currently, the majority of our Art & Design graduates migrate to design studios located in the London area. The Incubator unit is designed to provide a business and training base for recent graduates, who for a variety of reasons cannot relocate in the eastern region, but who may subsequently provide the local businesses with high quality designers on their doorstep.

Four recent graduates make up the Incubator unit, Christine McKeown, Mark Eggleton, Natasha Allsop and Gemma Loosley, and they comment, “We are hoping to build a successful business with a strong client base, by providing our clients with all the design, photography and multi-media solutions to their needs. We work together as a design collective to provide all these services.”

Student wins design competition

2008-02-21T11:59:00.000Z

Dunstable College student, Peter Reck aged 20 from Luton, has won the Learning Partnership – Bedfordshire and Luton Ltd Skills Institute Logo Competition. Peter wins a prize of £150 and will now work with the competition organisers to further develop the logo and see his concept through to publication. The competition was open to graphic design and art and design students from all colleges in Bedfordshire and Luton.

The competition requirements were to design a new logo and colourway for the Skills Institute.

Carole Pullinger, Business Services Manager for The Learning Partnership - Bedfordshire and Luton Ltd explains the background to the competition, “The Learning Partnership – Bedfordshire and Luton Ltd and the Investing in Communities fund of the East of England Development Agency have launched the first of a county- wide network of Skills Institute facilities in Houghton Regis (the Kingsland campus). Our mission is to deliver learning to adults in Bedfordshire and Luton. Other facilities are planned for Leighton Buzzard, Biggleswade, Bedford and Luton.

“It was felt that a unifying logo should be commissioned to contribute towards the development of a Skills Institute brand. Given the educational nature of the partners involved in this project, it was considered that an open competition for graphic design students in Bedfordshire and Luton would provide the optimum opportunity for students to contribute to the development of a logo for the Skills Institute.”

The competition judges were Dave Wyatt, Creative Director of Roundhouse Health and Martin Gimson, Logistics Technology & Engineering Manager of 3M. They commented, “The winning logo was well received. It feels very modern and immediately suggests success. All the entries for the Skills Institute were well thought out and of a high standard. The judges would like to say well done to all the entrants and special congratulations to the winning entry.”

Peter is in his second year of the Foundation Degree in Graphic Design and Advertising and plans to progress on to the final year of his degree at Dunstable with the BA (Hons) in Graphic Design for Print and New Media, starting next September. Peter comments, “I was surprised and delighted to hear that I had won. It has given me more confidence in my abilities. I hope this will give me a boost in my career, as it will get my work noticed. Once I have completed my degree at Dunstable College, I would like to work as a graphic designer in a company and develop as a freelancer as well.”

Peter receiving his winning cheque from Carole Pullinger

Public Service Skills Challenge

2008-02-21T11:35:00.000Z

Public Service students eagerly contested their annual challenge; the culmination of six weeks’ concerted effort to enhance their teamwork and leadership skills.

Each of the four classes, National Diploma Years 1 and 2, and two First Diploma groups (the “Harriers” and the “Tornados”), chose their team captains and over the six weeks organised and practised their disciplines; thereby enhancing reliability, teamwork, leadership and communication skills, all of which are needed in a Public Service. Tutors were not involved in planning, organising or even assisting students but offered time within their programme and computer rooms if needed.

The teams competed against each other in disciplines that ensured that all members of the groups took part; each member participated in at least one discipline. The first activity was pool, followed by the mile and half run, cycling, swimming, bowling and basketball. The latter event showed how serious and committed each of the teams was and kept the referee very busy!

Finally the day moved to the Lecture Theatre for the last discipline: the Powerpoint presentation. Points were awarded for IT skills, presentation skills and educational content. Course Team Leader, Martin Rawles, comments, “First the Tornados introduced us to the world of pet rats, which for many may have been very educational but not very cute! Next the National Diploma Year 1s discussed the benefits to the community of joining one of the Cadet forces: Army, Air and Sea. The Harriers reminded us of their week at Bassingbourn with a good story line and excellent images, finally the National Diploma Year 2s educated us about the benefits of living in Kazakhstan! Overall this was an excellent day for the Public Service programme, enabling us to remain a good close team which will benefit all for next year. Thanks to Haydon Littlewood for organising and working hard to ensure all went well. Finally congratulations to the winners of this year Public Service skills Challenge …The Harriers!”

Face to face with a shrunken head!

2007-12-18T20:44:00.000Z

BA (Hons) in Graphic Design for Print and New Media Students spent an inspirational day in Oxford where they went to the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Oxford Museum of Natural History.

Course Team Leader Celeste Henney comments, “The Pitt Rivers is full of curios which can be discovered by torch. It is free to get in and houses all manner of objects from instruments, shrunken heads and amulets to Egyptian Mummies, which can all be found in a small space and is well worth a visit. Fantastic Buildings and great book shops (such as the Alice Shop, based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland) ensured the trip was both educational and enjoyable.

I’d particularly like to thank to Malcolm Jobling who drove us there and back.”

University Information Day

2007-12-18T20:42:00.002Z

Maureen Asher, Careers Co-ordinator reports

The College held its second annual 'University Information Day' on Thursday 22 November 2007. The day was a repeat of the successful event which was held at the College for the first time in 2006.

The event was planned with the AIMHIGHER priority areas in mind with a particular focus on raising aspirations, motivation and awareness of HE, providing impartial Information, advice and guidance, facilitating progression routes and developing partnerships.

Representatives from Universities across the eastern region attended as well as a range of Gap year and voluntary organisations.

A selection of talks on topics such as HE finance and University life, and subject specific talks were also on offer.

Colleagues from Bedfordshire University's teaching, nursing, social work and student recruitment departments supported the event by providing students with information and advice for those planning to enter specific vocations.

AIMHIGHER as well as Dunstable College's HE provision used current HE students to offer information and advice about all aspects of HE. The benefit of providing existing students to talk to prospective HE students makes the whole aspiration of attending HE more realistic and achievable for those considering it.

Increased Flexibility News

2007-12-18T20:42:00.001Z

The 14-16 Beauty Consultancy group have recently been very busy:

They carried out a make-up demonstration to 4th Methodist Guide Troop. As part of their practical assessment for the Level 2 Beauty Consultancy Diploma the students are required to present a make-up demonstration to an audience of four or more people. Jessica Defoe, Emily Metcalfe, Lynette Peach, Micah Taffurelli, Liz Poole, Kim Eccersley, Amber White and Kim Ellis in pairs demonstrated the application of make-up to small groups and then proceeded to instruct the guides on how to apply to suit their individuality and age. The Guides thoroughly enjoyed their evening and have been successful in adapted their new look.

The evening with the guides was so successful the students were asked to repeat a similar session to the Brownies at the Salvation Army. This time Micah Taffurelli, Liz Poole, Kim Eccersley, and Megan O’Dywer demonstrated skin care and make-up with the emphasis on taking care of your skin. The students demonstrated cleanse and tone and minimal make-up application before the Brownies practiced cleansing, toner and moisturising their own skin. When leaving, the Brownies were overheard telling Mums what they needed to buy to look after their skin and stay looking younger.

Marc Wales on the 14 to 16 Increased Flexibility carpentry programme at Kingsland has designed a chopping board using all the waste off-cuts which would otherwise be discarded. He has matched up the end grains to form a pleasing circular chopping surface. He finished off the board with a non-toxic natural oil. Tutor Paul Bailey comments, “We are pleased to say his efforts will be incorporated into the skills development programme, for other students to follow.”

Designer Furniture Available To Order

2007-12-18T20:41:00.001Z

Luke Burton, 17, based at Noah Enterprises, is following the City and Guilds Furniture Making programme. This talented student is currently wowing his tutors with the quality of his work. This table is just one of the stunning pieces he has completed. If you would like to know more about commissioning a bespoke piece or about the other items currently available for sale at Noah, please call Judy Eaton on 01582 736751.

Learning Warehouse Indulgence Day

2007-12-18T20:40:00.000Z

The Learning Warehouse Leighton-Linslade held an Indulgence Day on 24 November. Hair and Beauty Treatments were on offer and a raffle, all of which made £94 for Keech Cottage Hospice.

Public Services Trip to Cottesmore

2007-12-18T20:39:00.000Z

Student Kelly McGarry writes . . .

The Royal Air Force Station in Cottesmore has a reputation for “outstanding capability across the full spectrum of their activities.” It is able to boast an impressive collection of four Harrier Squadrons; 1 (fighter) Squadron, IV (Army Cooperation) Squadron, 800 Naval Air Squadron and 801 Naval Air Squadron. And it was the destination of choice for Martin Rawles and his Public Service students for a recent excursion.

The students were shown around the station where they saw lots of flying which Martin said was “a very popular part of the tour.” One of the most exciting parts for students was getting to see inside a Harrier Plane engine. Though the students weren’t able to do much “hands-on” work they did acquire a wide range of new information through interesting talks and demonstrations.

According to Martin, the main aim of this trip was twofold. The first goal was to “give the students the opportunity to experience something different to give them a new career option.” The second ambition was to give them the ability to understand what they learn in the classroom a little better. Martin feels “Students learn better if they are able to experience the lesson for themselves, rather than just being told in the classroom.”

Groups of students from Public Services go to visit The Royal Air Force Station at Cottesmore regularly and they were once again impressed by how much was learned and what they were able to do. Martin feels this experience always has a positive impact for the course and says he “looks forward to going again.”

Salon facelift

2007-12-18T20:36:00.000Z

Hair Salon One and Beauty Salon One in Kingland’s Hair and Beauty Department have both been re-fitted and will now provide the customer with a more professional up-to-date environment.

Just cruisin’ around

2007-11-19T10:26:00.001Z

Dunstable College Tutor Maggie Parsons and her Travel and Tourism students recently paid an educational visit to a Saga cruise ship. The ship was docked at Southampton, where it was just hours away from embarking with its passengers and crew on a three-week cruise. Maggie and her students boarded the ship and began what Maggie described as an “inspirational experience”. The class was shown around the ship by a crew member. As the students had studied cruise liners of a bigger variety, they were not entirely sure what to expect. Since the ship was so close to sailing while the tour was going on, Maggie and her students were able to witness first hand the ship’s final preparations for departure. Maggie was particularly delighted that the students were treated as passengers, which meant that they were able to experience and therefore better understand the boarding procedures, which was very beneficial.

Maggie explains, “This was a most prestigious visit, because it is unusual for students to be allowed to explore a cruise liner like that one.”

The students certainly seemed impressed by their tour. Sammy Jo Denham and Kimberley Spurr, both aged 17 and from Leighton Buzzard, comment: “Visiting the cruise ship was really inspirational for both of us, as it has motivated us to look for career opportunities within the cruise industry. It was a fantastic day out and Saga Cruises treated us like royalty. The staff were more than happy to answer any questions we had.”

Maggie felt especially pleased with the outcome of the trip, “It makes a big difference for students to be able to be hands-on in their learning rather than just writing about it. It’s so rewarding to see students aspire to try something different; many, who didn’t even think about it before, are now giving serious consideration to cruise liner work.”

Model student in London Shoot

2007-10-19T12:32:00.001Z

Darren Towers, 16, from Houghton Regis, has taken a further step in his modelling career. On November 10, he will spend the day at a photo shoot in London for a national press campaign. He will be photographed by world famous photographer, Nuno Veloso, and his hair for the day will be styled by celebrity hairdresser, Lee Stafford, whose clients include Madonna and Naomi Campbell.

Darren is currently studying Hairdressing Level 1 and would like a career in hair and fashion, specialising in runway hair. Within the world of professional hairdressers, he most admires Charles Worthington. Darren is already no stranger to the worlds of fashion and photography. In 2006, he worked on a fashion shoot for Diesel and a press advertising campaign.

Child sex trade stimulates debate

2007-10-19T11:46:00.000Z

Aimhigher visit to the University of Bedfordshire

The AS and A2 Sociology classes plus the Access groups enjoyed a thought-provoking and insightful visit to the University of Bedfordshire. Professor David Barrett delivered a lecture on the subject of “Child sex work and child trafficking in NW Europe”. Professor Barrett has conducted extensive action research on this topic; visiting many Western and Eastern European countries in the process.

After the lecture, the students debated such salient points as, “Why do governments allow this to happen?”, “In whose interests do governments work?”, “Why is the client group mainly male?” and “Why are the sentences for child trafficking less than those for drug trafficking?”

This debate then sparked further discussion on the subject of moral government, the commoditisation of humanity and finally, “Is the liberal West to blame anyway for its own problems in this area as it condones the commoditisation of all goods, including the sex trade?” “If this is the case," it was argued, "why should child trafficking be treated differently? Surely, the goods are only supplied if there is a ready demand? Within capitalism the market will ultimately decide on what or who is for sale.”

This was a powerful gathering and in true university style, it culminated in several different conclusions.

Dunstable College tutor is awarded the TUC Women’s Gold Badge Award

2007-10-04T18:40:00.000Z

At the Trade Union Annual Congress in Brighton, held on Monday 10th September 2007, Dunstable College Tutor Lorene Fabian was awarded the TUC Women’s Gold Badge Award by Gordon Brown.

Lorene is a tutor working in the Trade Union Studies Unit at Dunstable College, delivering courses which assist trade unionists in the workplace who are representing workers in the area of workers' rights, health and safety and training.

Lorene was selected for the award because of her continued hard work in assisting women trade unionists to gain confidence in their workplace, enabling them to gain rights for themselves and the women they represent in their role as Shop Stewards. Lorene also played an active role in producing and delivering 'equal pay training', and continues to campaign for women's rights for her union Unite – Amicus Section.

This is a fantastic achievement for Lorene and highlights the dedication and commitment shown by Dunstable College staff in ensuring that a high standard of teaching is delivered to all students.

Local firm invests in a new Electrical Suite at the Learning Warehouse

2007-10-04T18:23:00.000Z

The Learning Warehouse, Dunstable College’s Leighton Buzzard campus, is boasting a brand new Electrical Suite after receiving heavy investment from a local business.

The invested funds have provided excellent facilities for students and the community. The facilities are currently being utilised by local school children on the 14-16 years programme, and by the 16 years and over students. All students are working towards their City and Guilds qualifications.

This new electrical suite forms an integral part of the facilities at the Learning Warehouse. The plumbing course is going from strength to strength, attracting a host of new students. The campus also offers other vocational courses, including Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy. These courses offer fully operational salons to the public, providing students with the opportunity to gain experience from working in a salon environment.

One of the key aims of the Learning Warehouse is to provide a valuable local training centre for the people of Leighton Buzzard and the surrounding area. 14-16 Coordinator Rachel Halling commented “The Learning Warehouse has been designed to provide excellent facilities for a variety of vocational courses to all ages. It is great to see local firms investing in training local people to benefit the community as a whole”.

The new Level 1 City and Guilds Electrical course will be starting on Monday 29th October. For further information on this and other courses at the Learning Warehouse please call 01525 374123.

BA (Hons) Students Top Again!

2007-09-30T17:45:00.000Z

Congratulations to Celeste Henney and the team on the excellent results yet again for the BA (Hons) in Graphic Design for Print and New Media.

Elaine O’Connor, from Ireland, gained a 1st Class Honours Degree, maintaining the course’s tradition for success at the highest level. The majority of other students achieved 2:1s.


Elaine O’Connor	Celeste Henney

This course has always been greatly valued in industry, as this year’s graduates discovered. Celeste explains, “Students had much interest after their London show. All students were offered graduate placements at Vibrandt and at EMI Music as a result of their work. Designers looked at the results of the projects they had instigated including BSkyB, the TV company, and Redroom, the design team at EMI Music, who worked closely with the College on project briefs.”

Six weeks after completing their course, two students reported back:

Gary Lovelock, “Since leaving Dunstable College I have been working at a local company called Murphy Varley Ltd as a Junior Graphic Designer, working with such clients as Volkswagen, Frosts and Hatters.”

Gemma Loosley, “I have been for two interviews at Dodo, Mammoth, Reindeer & Fox in Newport Pagnell and have been offered a job!!! I start in 3 weeks. They were really impressed with my portfolio, liked my work and the concepts behind it. I'm really excited and looking forward to it!”

L to R: Gemma Loosley, tutor Malcolm Jobling, Gary Lovelock and Charmaine Rand at the recent University of Bedfordshire Graduation Ceremony

Dunstable College – The Choice for Professional Sports Therapy

2007-09-30T17:39:00.000Z

STUDENTS THRILLED TO MEET TOP SPORTSMEN
Two top local sportsmen were overwhelmed with Dunstable College’s new Sports Therapy facilities and the treatments available on a recent visit to the Kingsland Campus. The facilities in question are the brand new development at the Kingsland Skills Institute in Houghton Regis which were opened in May following a £2 million investment programme. Julien Hughes-John of Bobteam Great Britain and Dru Spinks from the MK Lions Basketball Team were treated to a Sports Therapy Massage by Course Team Leader, Will Thomas.

Julien Hughes-John found his massage highly beneficial as he is currently in training for trials in Italy for the World Cup Team. He only started out in the sport last year and has already been awarded best brakeman in the 2007 British Championships and was one of the winning team in the 2-Man event. His team also came fourth in the World Cup Final last year and he has been earmarked for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Will Thomas was pleased to have Julien at the College and thrilled about his comments on his first visit to the brand new facilities. Julien remarked, “The new gym is of a good standard and the facilities are fantastic, it’s good to have them on your door as I would normally have to go to the Olympic Medical Institute in Harrow. I would definitely come back”. Dru Spinks, who is a regular client of Will’s at the College and also an ex-student himself agreed, saying that the new facilities have made such a difference. He said of them, “They are second to none and very impressive. I live locally and these new facilities are as good as you can get anywhere and with people like Will there teaching and delivering such expertise it’s so great” The Basketball Season starts on 22 September and runs for 8 or 9 months so Dru has been training hard and has a sports massage twice a day every day to alleviate muscle tension, “I had a great massage today which really worked out the pre-season stresses and will get you in a good position to perform. I feel it’s as important to look after your body as it is to compete.” Students who are in only the second week of their course, the VTCT Diploma in Sports and Fitness Therapy Techniques, were delighted to meet these two outstanding athletes and were thrilled to watch as Will demonstrated massage techniques to his class using only the finest models. Both men have achieved much in their sport and it was an inspiration for students to be able to meet them. Jonathon Star, a student on the course commented, “it’s good because you might see them on TV, it gives you something to aim for and is an interesting way to learn about the body.” Jonathon also said how he is enjoying the course, it is his first year and only his second week and he has “a good impression so far”. Richeena Boake another student on the course agreed, “It’s more interesting when you have real athletes coming in, it’s much more engaging.”

Hatters Youth Team Enjoy Pampering Day at Dunstable College

2007-09-10T08:58:00.000Z

Luton Town FC youth team spent the day trying out the brand new facilities at Dunstable College’s Kingsland skills institute on Thursday

Dunstable College was pleased to welcome Chris Cummins, Director of Youth Development, and the youth team along to experience an afternoon of spa hospitality in the newly revamped Sports, Fitness and Holistic Therapy Department at the Kingsland Skills Institute, Houghton Regis.

The team were given sports massages, reflexology and aromatherapy massages by tutors and students who were pleased to have the opportunity to work on the future football stars. They also got the chance to try out the state of the art spa pool, sauna and steam room. Chris Cummins said of the day “The lads thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait to go back again. They have been working very hard recently and it was nice for them to be able to relax and enjoy this. They had training again the next morning and found that the sports massages and all their pampering had really helped them feel great”. Chris also commented that “the staff were excellent and the day really was a credit to them”.

William Thomas, Sports Therapy Tutor at Dunstable College commented; “It's great to see the new facilities being used in a professional and functional capacity, with newly qualified therapists, tutors and support staff working side by side. Everyone seemed to enjoy the day, most of all the players, which was our primary objective! Let’s hope this is the beginning of a long relationship between Dunstable College and Luton Town Football Club.”

Dunstable College gives Students Access 2 Recruitment

2007-09-10T08:57:00.000Z

Experienced recruitment agency Access 2 has moved into Dunstable College in a partnership helping students into work and serving local employers with qualified staff

The recruitment agency Access 2 has now set up its local base at Dunstable College’s Main Site in Kingsway, Dunstable. The venture will provide further employer engagement for the College and form stronger links within the community by helping local businesses source well qualified trained and motivated employees.

The agency plans to meet with local businesses and assess their needs to gain a better picture of the type of staff they require. By gaining this knowledge they can in turn help students to find work and help the College to guide them in the right direction as well as offering employers the correct candidates with long term success rates.

Students will be able to complete a qualification with Dunstable College and go on to find work specific to that qualification through the agency. Being based within the College also means that Access 2 will be able to assist the general public in finding jobs, identifying any training needs and pointing them in the right direction within the College to gain the required qualifications. As well as this, the agency can provide employers with an ongoing training facility should companies require it.

Access 2 deals with technical, industrial, driving and commercial staff plus a search and selection executive division including interim management. They also hold a gangmaster licence which enables them to provide staff to food and agricultural industries. The Partnership between the college and the agency also meets the current agenda for the Chamber, to teach English to foreign personnel which in turn will enable all foreign workers to pass the correct health & safety requirements. Dunstable College will be teaching English language to foreign workers on its Skills for Life program enabling Access 2 to find them work.

Sue Cox, of Dunstable College, has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List

2007-06-27T10:21:00.000Z

Sue is an outstanding example of how real dedication to students’ success can transform their life chances.

She brings energy and enthusiasm to any task and just gets the job done. In addition to her demanding role as Co-ordinator of the Learning Warehouse Leighton-Linslade, she has developed a 14-16 vocational programme delivered by Dunstable College for the schools in South Bedfordshire that is recognised by Ofsted as outstanding.

She has also overseen a course for those who were in danger of dropping out from school and has achieved some remarkable results.

She has a real affection for young people, especially her ‘naughty boys and fighting cats’. They respond well to her no-nonsense approach and we all appreciate her persistence and determination to succeed.

I’m delighted that her hard work has been recognised. Sue brings credit to herself and the College and the FE Sector. I can’t thank her enough.

Chris Vesey
Principal

Theatrical and Media Make-up students visit Madame Tussauds

2007-06-13T12:54:00.000Z

The Theatrical and Media Make-up students visited London’s top attractions starting at the Royal Opera House and then progressing on to Madame Tussauds. All students on the course got to visit backstage and have a private tour of each attraction to see what happens.

They were shown how the wax works are made on the site, how long it takes and the extent of what goes into making a wax model. In between visits, the students shopped at specialist Theatrical make-up shops.

Course tutor Aisling Doherty comments, “The trip was both fun and educational and gave an interesting insight into what goes on behind the scenes for Theatrical and Media Make up.”

Lemmon & Peach’s Perfect Plumbing Ltd

2007-05-27T01:14:00.000Z

When we first started on the City and Guilds Plumbing and Electrical course at Dunstable College we didn’t have any knowledge of what to do or what to expect. We were the only ladies on the course.

In the first term we learnt about the basics of electrics and how to rewire circuits and the difference in voltage power. ‘We even learnt how to change a light bulb’. Having had a taster of this part of the course our enthusiasm began to grow for the second part ‘Plumbing’. We started with the basics of Plumbing and we learnt how to solder capillary fittings and learnt about compression fittings and how to fit indirect systems. We learnt how to source and measure materials needed for the task accurately. We had to adhere to health and safety regulations, maintaining safe working practice. All the work we had done, had to be documented into a portfolio and it had to be assessed and verified both internally and externally.

The highlight of the course for us was ‘fitting a bathroom suite’ from start to finish and making sure that it worked. This task was challenging but we did it!!

It is now the end of the course and we have achieved City and Guilds Level I in Plumbing and we will be progressing onto Level 2 in September. After all the hard work we are now looking forward to relaxing for a well earned summer break before the next level. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Roy Graham and all the tutors for believing in us and encouraging us to keep going when things got difficult. We would also like to thank our Connexions Personal Adviser, Therese, for her continued support.

Who said that ‘Women couldn’t be Plumbers’? Well we guess they were wrong.
Ashleigh Lemmon and Leah Peach, aged 17.

The Football Association invites Dunstable College to coaching careers day

2007-05-27T01:12:00.001Z

Dunstable College’s Football Development Programme has just returned from a coaching careers day at Oxford City Football Club set up by the Football Association. The purpose of the day was for the students to find out about potential careers in the football industry. The College was one of only six in the country invited to this event.

The day was in two parts; the first part of the day was a practical session where the students were put through their paces by some of the Football Association’s top coaches using some of the latest football equipment.

The second part of the day was information covering how to progress into the coaching industry. Manchester United, Fulham and Arsenal representatives all gave presentations about how the students can break into this competitive industry. There were also numerous companies from the USA talking about opportunities part-time and full-time over there.

Since visiting this event one of our BTEC National Diploma students, Ryan Mulford, has had successful interviews with an American company and will be working the summer in the United States of America.

Dunstable College is currently recruiting for this September’s Football Development Programme.

There is one more trial date left on Wednesday 23 July, to book a place or for more information simply call Colin Sharpe on ext 128 or Email: csharpe@dunstable.ac.uk

The College is also running a level one Certificate in Football Coaching in conjunction with the Beds FA. For information on this course contact Colin on the above details or visit www.bedfordshirefa.com

MIGRANT WORKERS DAY

2007-05-17T09:25:00.000Z

SATURDAY 9 JUNE

1100 – 1500

The plight and treatment of migrant workers has been constantly in the news over the last couple of years. From the tragedy at Morecombe Bay to other examples of exploitation, migrant workers, whilst being officially welcomed to Britain, have in some cases been treated entirely differently to what they might have expected. An additional issue has been the need for extending the opportunity of education in a wide range of subjects and fields.

With this in mind, the Dunstable College Trade Union Studies Unit has organised a Migrant Workers Day to take place at the college on Saturday 9 June from 11.00am until 3.00pm. The main aim, of course, is to recruit migrant workers to unions in order for them to be supported in defending their collective interests. However, there will be information about available training and other courses, finding out about the role of Union Learning Representatives, and the chance to have one-to-one discussions about their individual learning needs.

In addition, the day is being supported by many local unions, such as AMICUS, GMB, UCATT, UNISON, and the TGWU. It is also being supported by the Luton Rights Centre, the Bedfordshire African Community Centre, the Polish Club in Luton, along with the South East Region TUC. The TUC Studies Unit has also produced leaflets in Polish and Arabic.

Malta Trip a big hit!

2007-05-10T12:37:00.000Z

Thirty-seven students and staff from Dunstable College set off for a residential study visit to St Julian's in Malta as part of their BTEC Travel and Tourism course. The trip was organised by course tutors and involved a variety of different activities and excursions. First on the itinerary was a day trip to the capital city, Valletta. In order to experience true Maltese life students travelled by local buses appropriately named the 'boneshakers'. Leaving the bus station behind, students and staff headed for Freedom Square where they were able to explore the city for a few hours.

The next day students enjoyed some free time in the resort where the hotel was located. Some enjoyed a trip to the beach whilst others made the most of the Bay Street shops, cafes and restaurants. In the afternoon we enjoyed a short coach trip to the south coast of the island to an area famous for its rocky coastline. We took a boat trip that toured around the Blue Grotto caves and experienced the bright blue water as the sky reflected off the sandy sea bed. On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the fishing village of Marsaxlokk. Pretty multi-coloured "luzzu" fishing boats bobbed up and down in the water as we wandered the street market buying souvenirs, bags and Maltese food delicacies.

The final day was spent in the resort of St Julian's where students enjoyed free time to make the most of the glorious sunshine. This was a great opportunity for students to complete the task of a 'Wish You Were Here' style film.

Course tutor Jo Turney says "Students behaved impeccably and were a credit to our College. They were immensely enthusiastic about all elements of the trip and this helped them gain a valuable insight into the tourism industry as a whole and Malta as a tourist destination. Overall, the trip was a great success and students are now looking forward to planning next year’s trip!"

Student Sammy-Jo Denham adds, “As I had never flown before I was excited and nervous. I was a bit wary of what to do in the airport, but my tutors reassured me with what I had to do. It was good to actually be checking in myself, as I had never done it before and just being told about the checking in process was a whole lot different to doing it in reality.”

Inaugural Lecturer Awards Ceremony – Thursday 19 April 2007

2007-05-10T12:35:00.000Z

For the first time ever, Dunstable College has held a ceremony to publicly recognise the hard work and achievement of its lecturing staff; in particular Course Team Leaders of Highly Commended and Commended courses (that means those courses with success rates well in excess of national benchmarks). The ceremony was attended by the Mayor, Councillor Cynthia Gresham, the Governors, College Directors, lecturers and their families.

Colleges often run ceremonies for their students and Dunstable has been doing this for a number of years. However, as College Deputy-Principal, Jerry Goodwin, explained, “Dunstable College wanted an event to recognise the very positive contribution of its teaching staff towards the improving success rates within the College. The College’s overall success rate jumped a full 10% in the academic year 2005/6 and the College is on target to achieve a similar leap in its results for 2006/7.”

As well as presenting Certificates of Commendation to the appropriate lecturers for their Highly Commended and Commended courses, a number of prizes were awarded to recognise the contribution of individuals for specific achievements. Among these:

Rachel Halling was awarded the Mayor’s prize for particularly effective work with disadvantaged learners. Rachel is based at the Learning Warehouse in Leighton-Linslade where she has been in charge of the Skills to Succeed ESF (European Social Fund) project. The project is aimed at 14-16 year olds identified by their school as at risk of dropping out of education and not achieving, or at risk of entering the NEET (not in employment, education or training) group. Through her work on the project, Rachel has successfully worked with these difficult to reach learners and through her dedication and persistence she is achieving great results. There are students on the course who, at the beginning, were very resistant to walking into an educational establishment, but are now attending additional classes on a voluntary basis. Since September Rachel has been relentless in accessing courses and networking with different organisations to help produce a set of individual programmes which allow clear progression and Rachel’s personal dedication and encouragement have been identified as key success factors. This progression can be demonstrated as some of Rachel’s young people have now been accepted on to full-time vocational courses at the College beginning in September.

Sue Cox and Martin Rawles shared the Principal’s prize for particular achievement in promoting the College externally. Sue was recognised for the way in which she promotes the College so positively to local schools via the hugely successful 14-16 year olds’ Increased Flexibility Programme, for which she is the Co-ordinator, and Martin, who is the Course Team Leader for the Public Services courses, won his prize for securing excellent press coverage for his work and for helping his students win a wide range of awards.

Beauty and Hairdressing students raise money for local charities

2007-05-01T15:09:00.000Z

A Charity Beauty Day, run by Level 2 Beauty Consultancy students, on Saturday 28 April at Dunstable College raised £120, to be divided equally between Keech Cottage and the Pasque Hospice. Students offered members of the public a choice of beauty treatments, ranging in price from £3 to £5. A further £33 was raised by hairdressing students on their charity day on Monday 23 April, which will also be split between the two charities.

Motor vehicle students go back in time!

2007-03-28T15:15:00.000Z

Daniel Goodenough, aged 17, is studying the Motor Vehicle City & Guilds 3901 Certificate in Basic Motor Vehicle Maintenance. He was one of a party of students and tutors who headed for Stondon Motor Museum, Bedfordshire and he shares the best aspects of the trip.
“I really enjoyed the trip and found it very interesting to see the differences in vehicles through all the different years of motoring history.
The most interesting thing was the different shapes of the early cars and then seeing how the shapes became more aerodynamic as times progressed. It was also fascinating to see how the old types of engine were very large but not very powerful and how different engines have been mounted in different areas of the vehicles.
On one car the engine was mounted on the front left wheel and the car was driven from there.”

Celebrating diversity in Neasden

2007-03-28T15:14:00.000Z

The National Diploma in Care year 1 students went to Neasden Hindu Temple as part of their studies in equality and diversity. The group has been researching and discussing different cultures, religions and ways of life.
Tutor Helen Rose Wilson explains: “The Baps Shri Swaminarayan Mandir was the first Hindu temple in Europe and is the biggest outside India. It has been constructed using limestone from Bulgaria, marble form Italy and carved by over 1,500 men shipped in from India to complete the work. There is no steel at all within its structure and much of the inside is wood and marble; it took three years to complete. The place is absolutely breathtaking both inside and out, and well worth a visit.
We learnt about the history of Hinduism and how its ancient thinking has shaped the way we live today. Many years ago the Hindus were well advanced in specific mathematics and time measurements, around which ours are formed, as well as the sciences including physics, astronomy and medical surgery. We gained insight into three of their main beliefs 'caring for animals', 'caring for humanity' and 'caring for nature'.
The group was also able to attend a religious ceremony 'festival of lights'; it was a real insight as well as a calming and uplifting experience.
To complete the day we travelled to a local Indian community looking at clothing and footwear, ornate jewellery and of course tried some of the local cuisine.
A totally enjoyable day was had by all.”

Northfields pupils visit the College

2007-02-19T18:56:00.000Z

Pupils from Northfields Technology College have visited Dunstable College to undertake a session in building and maintaining PCs. The visitors worked in small groups with assistance from some of the College’s Level 3 PC Maintenance students. Northfields Teacher Darren Travi comments, “The opportunity of visiting Dunstable College’s IT department has given pupils the chance to engage in practical work in the areas of PC maintenance and networking, to complement studies being undertaken as part of the GCSE course at school. This continues the partnership formed between the IT departments of Dunstable College and Northfields Technology College started two years ago.”

College tutor Derek Condon adds, “The Level 3 PC Maintenance students have had an opportunity to help in these sessions to make up part of their final assessment for their courses. We see this as a way forward and an example of how two institutions can work together for the joint benefit of all their students.”

Christmas Fayre!

2006-12-11T14:34:00.000Z

Pathways staff and students held their annual Christmas Fayre on Wednesday 6 December in the Main College Hall. The stalls featured a wide variety of Christmas gifts including: Raffle, Tombola, Books, Gifts, Refreshments and cakes, Games, Hand and arm massage, Nails…file and polish, Floristry, Pet gifts and Woodwork. The Fayre was well-attended and visitors were impressed with the quality of the products available.

Top local Sports Coaches join Teaching Team!

2006-12-11T14:30:00.000Z

Dunstable College’s Sports Department is delighted to welcome two top local coaches to the teaching team based at the Kingsland Skills and Enterprise Centre.
Dru Spinks, who plays basketball for the MK Lions and Anthony Verster, who works in rugby as the Dunstablians Youth Development Officer and Coach, are both coaching students from the National Diploma and National Certificate (Football Development Programme) in Sport on the Practical Sports Study Unit.
Course Team Leader Glenis Driscoll explains the rationale behind the appointments, “Once the students have acquired the skills from this unit, they will use them when they go out to local middle schools as part of their work experience programme. For many of our students, their ultimate goal is to work in schools as PE teachers.
“We are so thrilled to have Dru and Anthony on board, their contributions are an inspiration to the students.”
Dru adds, “Basketball’s my profession and by working with Dunstable College, it lets me give something back to the community.”
Anthony comments, “It’s all about trying to get as much development in sport in the Dunstable area as possible and this is a good opportunity to move into the College and try and scout for future talent.”
It’s not just the students who are benefiting from the new arrangements. Dru Spinks has been enjoying his coaching role so much, that he has enrolled on a teacher training course at the College and may take up the profession full-time at a later date.

University Information Day

2006-11-30T21:40:00.000Z

The University of Cambridge was just one of many universities from the Eastern Region and the London area that were strongly represented at Dunstable College’s first University Information Day, which was held on Thursday 23 November in the main hall on the College’s Kingway site.

‘The purpose of the day was to help our learners make informed choices by bringing representatives of a number of universities together in one place. In addition, I wanted to particularly encourage our students, who do not come from families that traditionally go into higher education, to think about higher education, perhaps for the first time’, noted Maureen Asher, the College’s Careers Advisor, who along with Ruth Slack, the College’s Marketing Manager, was the main organiser of the information day.

The event lasted all day and was mostly targeted at College students who are currently studying for level 3 qualifications, such as A levels, BTEC National Diplomas and Access courses for older learners. A series of 30 minute talks on such topics as ‘Student Finance’, ‘Money Management’ and ‘Entry to Social Work’ were also scheduled and well attended throughout the day.

‘I went around at lunchtime and spoke to all the institutions represented and they were all extremely positive, both about the event itself, but particularly about the maturity and general attitude shown by the Dunstable College students as they made their way around the different stands’, observed Jerry Goodwin, the College’s Deputy Principal.‘Furthermore, you could tell the event was a great success from the request I received from Lal Joshi of the University of Bedfordshire, who asked us to repeat the event again next year, but on a slightly larger scale to include parties of students from the local schools’.

Waterfall Shoot

2006-11-30T21:39:00.000Z

Early on a Sunday morning in November, a party of staff and students went on a trip to photograph, Pistyll Rhaeadr Waterfall in North Wales. One of the Seven Wonders of Wales, the fall tumbles 73 metres into the Tanat Valley below. The group enjoyed the experience so much that a return trip is planned for February 2007. The photograph above was taken by Tom Bliss, Foundation Degree in Creative and Editorial Photography.

Meeting the Marines

2006-11-30T21:37:00.000Z

Ten lucky boys from the Public Services course were selected to attend a ‘Meet The Marines’ day in Milton Keynes.

They started the day with a briefing session, before boarding a minibus out into the woods. They were given an introduction to field cookery, shelter making and a game of paintball, in which the marines were the target for everyone!

After lunch, they were transported back to the lake, kicking off the afternoon with some scrambling through underground tunnels in the dark. A trip around the lake on power boats really managed to get the adrenalin pumping. To finish off the afternoon, they climbed a 50ft tower and then jumped off!

Tutor Haydon Littlewood, who accompanied the boys, comments, “The day was a great success and I feel there will be some Dunstable College marines in the future.”

Students presented with Top Society Awards

2006-11-06T22:56:00.000Z

The Chartered Society of Designers visited Dunstable College on October 11 to present graphics students with their certificates and other benefits for their wins in the Student Awards 2006. This exclusive society boasts as its members the leading practitioners in their field in design, fashion and fine art. It was incorporated by Royal Charter and has as its Patron HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

Three students from their second year of the Foundation Degree in Graphic Design and Advertising have won awards; two (Gemma Loosley and Gary Loveleock) receiving Commendations and one (Paul Blow) receiving an Acknowledgement.

Representatives from the Society visited the College to hand out certificates, do a presentation about the Society and their own work and present the students with free Membership of the Society for the duration of their studies. The winning students will also benefit from being able to attend the Society’s workshops and free seminars, plus receive their designer magazine. The primary benefit to students, however, will be that they will now be able to establish links with top design professionals, which will serve as a major career boost for them.

Course Team Leader Malcolm Jobling comments, “This Chartered Society win broadens and enhances the good links that we already have with industry. This is fantastic for the students and proves that once again we are attaining the highest standards in graphics, which are being recognised by the country’s leading practitioners.”

A Challenging Start to the New Year

2006-10-16T22:19:00.000Z

The Public Service Team from Dunstable College held a Challenge Day for all students from Levels 1, 2 and 3 on Monday 9 October. Students participated in a day-long competition featuring pool, table tennis, squash, swimming relays, a bleap test and football tournament. The three teams had to nominate a captain and include both boys and girls. The team was given a full list of activities and had to ensure that each team member participated in at least one event and a maximum of three. It was essential that team members shared the benefits of their knowledge and experience with each other if they wanted to win, as several team members had never participated in some of the events before. Points were scored for each event with the overall winners receiving certificates and a trophy.

The purpose of the day was for the students to bond, develop their leadership and team-building skills and to boost morale.

The eventual winners were the Level 3 National Diplomas, their captain Ross Howse collected the winning trophy to massive applause from the group.

Tutor Haydon Littlewood comments, “A very well fought out battle among all three groups resulted in the final scores being only 5 points difference between 1st and 3rd places. The day proved that team spirit and determination is very much alive and well amongst the Public Service students!”

The photo shows the swimming relay.

Royal Navy Presentation Team

2006-10-16T22:16:00.000Z

Martin Rawles reports:

The Royal Navy came to Dunstable College to carry out their annual presentation to the Public Service Students on Monday 2 October.

A very thorough and in-depth lecture, which included the usual searching questions from the eager students, started the afternoon off. Next the group was split into two halves and one half was taken to the Leisure Centre to take part in the ever popular Unarmed Combat Demonstrations with some students soon becoming “volunteers”. The other half was given a demonstration in field cookery; students were taught how to cook in the field and soon ration packs were turning into hot steaming meals of beans and bacon followed by hot chocolate.

At the end of the day many students who had not considered the Royal Navy as a career became a little more interested and some were even adamant that this was the career for them.

Everybody agreed that the afternoon was a very enjoyable first visit from a Public Service and looked forward to the next one.

The photo shows a brave student trying out the field food

Athletics presentation

2006-10-16T19:54:00.000Z

Natalie Kimble, age 18, writes
"I’m a student from Dunstable College’s Learning Warehouse Leighton Linslade also studying the Travel and Tourism National Diploma. I have been a member of Leighton Buzzard athletics club for over 9 years and have competed in many competitions, achieving many Personal Bests.
I went to the presentation evening on 24 November 2006. I won the Senior Athlete of the Year and Service to the Club Awards"

World Champion student!

2006-10-16T19:52:00.000Z

Kara Kimble, age 17, writes
"I am a student studying Travel and Tourism at Dunstable College’s The Learning Warehouse Leighton Linslade. On November 7 2006 I flew to Malta with the Great British Kickboxing team to take part in the World championships.
I was in Malta for one week where I trained in the hotels gym with some team mates. Then on Sunday 12 I fought for the title. I entered into 3 categories; point scoring, light continuous and full contact. I am pleased to say that I took first place in all 3 categories, and I am especially pleased I came first in full contact as that was the one my instructor really wanted me to have."

Animal Magic

2006-10-12T12:31:00.000Z

Student Kara Kimble from The Learning Warehouse in Leighton Buzzard reports on a Travel and Tourism trip to Woburn Safari Park, which united students from there and the main Dunstable Campus, studying the BTEC First Diploma and National Diploma in Travel and Tourism Years 1 and 2.

On Thursday 21 September 2006 we participated in a vocational workshop on customer service at Woburn Safari Park. We listened to a presentation on why customer service is so important for the Park, how they communicate with internal and external customers and how they deal with complaints. We were then given different scenarios to do with customer service and we had to act them out. Our tutor Maggie Parsons observed our role play and assessed us.

We also enjoyed a safari adventure. In our coach we followed the road safari where we were able to get close to all the animals. As part of our assessment for unit 13 Holiday Representatives we carried out a role play of a coach commentary where we all spoke on the microphone. Some groups spoke about different animals whilst other groups talked about health and safety and the park. Jo Turney, our tutor for this unit, observed our role plays as part of our assessment.

It was an excellent experience and a lovely day out! All the different groups got on well and we are looking forward to our next day trip.

After the trip, the staff at Woburn Safari Park praised the group for their excellent behaviour and participation, saying they were one of the best groups they had ever had there.

FA County Youth Cup

2006-09-19T20:44:00.000Z

For the first time in 51 years the Bedfordshire Football Association has won The FA County Youth Cup and four of our students were part of the successful squad.
Niall Lynch, Danny Howson, Gary Catling and Phil Feakes were part of the squad to win the Cup which was established by the FA in 1944/45 to provide representative football for the best young footballers throughout the country who had not signed up with a professional club. The competition saw the boys travel all over the country with trips as far apart as Cornwall and Kent before culmuinating in a 3-2 Final victory over Durham at Darlington FC. This year the County also won the East Anglian U18 Championship and won all 12 of their representative matches played this season.
All of the boys study on the Football Development Programme run at the College in conjunction with Barton Rovers Football Club, where the boys play their club football. They also achieved further success this year becoming the first team to retain the Allied Counties Youth League Cup and were also part of the successful College team which this year won the South East Students Challenge Plate with a victory over West Herts College, Watford in the final.
Kevin Thoburn, who co-ordinates the Football scheme on behalf of Barton Rovers is also the County Youth Representative manager for the Bedfordshire FA and described the boys’ achievements on the field of play as "remarkable" and one which the College should be "truly proud of".

First Class success for local student

2006-09-12T08:40:00.000Z

Dunstable College’s team from the BA (Hons) in Graphic Design for Print and New Media is celebrating its students’ top results for the second year running.

Student Silvie French, originally from the Czech Republic and now married and living in Dunstable, has achieved a First Class Honours Degree. Five further students have achieved Upper Seconds and the remaining three Lower Seconds.

Course Team Leader Celeste Henney comments, “For the two years that I’ve been running this course, I’ve been delighted with the outstandingly high level of student achievements. We have yet another First Class Honours this year and our students have competed at international and national levels at top London design shows, matching their counterparts in terms of professionalism, talent and creativity.

“I’ve just received further great news from one of last year’s graduates, who also achieved a First Class Honours Degree, to say that she is starting work in September as a creative with BBH (Bartle Bogle Hegarty), one of the world’s top advertising and design agencies. This has always been her dream company to work for and she thoroughly deserves this success.

“Other graduates have just started up their own design company called Moo based in Milton Keynes. Given the quality of their work, including international competition success, I have no doubt that they will thrive in the highly competitive environment of the new city.”

The Show’s a Winner!

2006-09-12T08:37:00.000Z

The Art, Design and Media Department put on another stunning End Of Year Show, covering displays of work from students in their first year here straight from school to those completing their BA (Hons) degree.

The Private View on Thursday June 23 saw hundreds of visitors pass through the doors enjoying the displays, including Mrs Cynthia Gresham, the Town Mayor of Dunstable, who also happens to be a floristry student here. A real buzz was created by the attendance of Faye Tozer, who chatted to students and showed a genuine interest in their work. The proceedings culminated with the presentation of several awards:

Photography Competition Winners –

Philippa Oliver ~ from Wing, age 11-15 category

Katie Kendra ~ from Dunstable, pupil at Manshead Upper School, age 16-18 category (Katie will be commencing a National Diploma in Photography course here in September)

Francis Whittaker ~ from Luton, age 19+ category

Higher Education –

Best in Show ~ Silvie French, BA (Hons) Graphic Design for Print and New Media

Runner-up ~ Gemma Loosley, Foundation Degree (FdA) Graphic Design and Advertising

Third Prize for Most Promising First Year ~ Thomas Bliss, Foundation Degree (FdA) Creative and Editorial Photography

Further Education –

Best in Show ~ Karl Lambert, National Diploma in Art and Design

Runner-up ~ Emma Barry, Foundation Diploma in Art and Design

Third Prize ~ Matthew Grimmer, First Diploma in Art and Design

Media

Chris Butcher, National Diploma in Media.

see the photo gallery . . .

National Wins for Students

2006-09-12T08:36:00.000Z

This term has seen several students win national awards. Congratulations to them on their magnificent achievements!

Senior Young Carer of the Year Awards 2006 – Becky Ladds

Becky Ladds has won the Senior Young Carer of the Year 2006 award. Becky cares for her two brothers and a sister. She has won a £1,000 prize, half of which she has given to her charity, the Bedford based Spurgeons, which supports carers with events such as trips out of the home. Becky has just completed her Travel and Tourism course and is considering returning here in September to take a Public Services course.

British Design and Art Direction Global Student Awards

Gary Lovelock from the Foundation Degree in Graphic Design and Advertising has come 3rd out of 2,600 entrants from all over the world in the British Design and Art Direction Global Student Awards. One third of the awards went to students from overseas. The overall winner came from Tiblisi in Georgia. This is a huge achievement for Gary and bodes well for his career prospects.

Chartered Society Of Designers Student Awards

Paul Blow, Gemma Loosley, and Gary Lovelock from the Foundation Degree in Graphic Design and Advertising have all won Chartered Society of Designers Student Awards. Members from the Society will be coming in to College in October to talk about the society. This is a long established professional body and the students have won a year’s membership to the society, plus free tickets to seminars and workshops.

Keeping it in the Family

2006-09-12T08:34:00.000Z

It’s not unheard of to have siblings in the same department at the same time; but to have a mother and daughter on the same course simultaneously, with a younger daughter following not far behind is really unusual. This is the situation with the Woods family from Leighton Buzzard, all of whom are thriving in the Hair and Beauty department.

Mum Jayne, 35, and daughter Carlie, 18, have both just completed their Advanced Diploma in Beauty Level 3 and NVQ Hairdressing Level 1 together. In September they will embark on the Holistics Diploma Level 3 and NVQ Hairdressing Level 2.

Jayne started off on a basic make-up course three years ago, to get a taste of what it was like. She explains, “I was very nervous at first, it was daunting because I’d been at home as a wife and mother of three. I’d always wanted to do this from an early age, but my family took priority. The kids became old enough for me to do something for myself and pick up where I’d left off when I was younger.”

Carlie comments on having her mum in the same class as her, “It’s been really good. Our fellow students have been so supportive and didn’t realise that we were related at first, they thought we were just friends. We do case studies, visit the library and work on the computer together. We practice body massage, facials and hair on each other.”

Danielle, 14, who is a pupil at Vandyke Upper School, studies hair and beauty at the Learning Warehouse Leighton Linslade as part of her GCSE programme. In September she will progress to Level 2 there and plans to leave school after her GCSEs to study a similar programme to Jayne’s and Carlie’s at Kingsland.

As for the family’s future plans, they wish to stick together then too. Jayne explains, “We all really wanted to do this. Carlie and I want to gain experience of working in a salon first and then, because the three of us will all be qualified, we’d like to run our own family business. The tutors here have supported us 100% and encouraged us so much; we wouldn’t be here without them and would recommend this course to other people.”

The family connection doesn’t end there. Jayne comments, “My husband Christopher is very supportive. He drives us to College day and night and two days per week has to do four trips. He also lets us practice facials, massage, hair cuts and even waxing on him!” Carlie adds, “Dad even let me perm his eyelashes, because I needed to do it one more time to complete my course!”

Son Christopher, 13, who would like to enter the construction industry, clearly does not want to be left out of the family business and has offered to build the family salon in the future!

Public celebrates new Centre opening

2006-09-12T08:30:00.000Z

The Kingsland Skills and Enterprise Centre threw open its doors to welcome the public to its official opening with a host of free activities on Saturday 20 May.

The recently completed Centre is located in Parkside Drive, Houghton Regis and is home to the College’s Hair, Beauty, Holistics, Motor Vehicle and Construction departments, plus Chiltern Business Training, which caters for the business community.

Visitors enjoyed a variety of activities including: nail painting, massage, theatrical make-up, face painting, plumbing, joinery and electrical demonstrations, art, pottery and craft classes, learning how to book a holiday or make a card. These activities reflect the courses and training options that are on offer at the Centre for teenagers and adults, run by Dunstable College and Adult and Community Learning.

Paras Career for Public Services Student

2006-05-22T21:08:00.000Z

Public Services student Kieran McLaughlin, 17, is celebrating being accepted into the army’s highly prestigious Parachute Division. Kieran had his Attestation on May 18, at which he swears his oath of allegiance, prior to joining on May 21.

Kieran comments, “The Parachute Regiment is one of the best you can join. It will be really hard work, but I like to push myself and feel proud when I achieve something. The idea of parachuting really appeals to me as well.

“The course at Dunstable College got me interested in it; we had a visit and talk from the army, which got me thinking about my career and so I went down to the careers’ office and took it from there. The course trip to Bassingbourn, which I loved, helped me finalise my plans. The course is good, it’s hard work but worthwhile. The teachers know what they are talking about and it’s the right course for anyone considering a career in the public services.”

Accessing new opportunities – two adult success stories

2006-05-22T21:04:00.000Z

In the past month two Access to Higher Education learners have applied for/been granted cash awards from two local charities.

Karen Brandom is a second year part-time Access learner who has been nominated for the Helena Kennedy Foundation, Nursing Bursary of £1,000. Karen has successfully completed year one of the Access course and has accepted a place on the Higher Education Diploma in Adult Nursing at Stoke Mandeville Hospital (University of Luton). Karen is an inspiration to other learners and a credit to her cohort. She lives in Heath and Reach and is the mother of seven children. Although Karen has to rely on public transport to attend College (taking four bus journeys each day) her attendance and punctuality are excellent; as is the quality of her work and her attitude to learning. Should she be awarded this bursary, Karen will put the money towards the purchase of a car.

Kylie Howard is a full-time Access learner who has been awarded £1,500 from the Kathleen and Michael Connolly (UK) Foundation. Kylie is due to complete her studies this year and has accepted a place on the BSc Midwifery course at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital (University of Luton). Kylie is a diligent and committed learner who always produces work of the highest standard. Kylie will put the money towards the cost of childcare for her two pre-school age children.

Access to Higher Education is a full-time/part-time, one year/two year, level three course. It provides a direct route into Higher Education for learners over 19 years of age. Traditionally learners go on to Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work degree courses at either the University of Luton or De Montfort University. The Access course provides them with a guaranteed interview at either of these universities.

Both of these learners personify the possibilities available locally to adults who wish to go on to study at university. They are a credit to their course and we wish them well in their future careers.

Girls' team success too

2006-05-22T21:02:00.000Z

The girls on the football development programme played in the final league 7-a-side tournament at Middlesex University on Wednesday 10 May. They have qualified for this in previous tournaments that have been played throughout the year.

There were nine teams who played a round robin competition with each game lasting 11 minutes. Our squad consisted of nine girls and they rotated for each game played. The overall result was that they came 4th, only losing to the teams ranked above them.

They all played enthusiastically and gave 100%. The conditions were very warm but the last two games were excellent and they won both 4:0.

The photo shows some of the girls in the team.

Cup Glory for Dunstable Boys

2006-05-22T20:57:00.000Z

The boys' team from the Dunstable College Football Development Programme has won the SESSA Cup 2006. SESSA is the Southern England Students' Sports Association and the boys came away as the Soccer Intermediate Plate Winners 2005-6.

The final against West Herts College took place at the Ford Training Ground in Essex on Wednesday 26 April. The boys did not play particularly well at the beginning of the first half, but started to get together before half-time; however, they were unfortunate to go into half-time 1:0 down. They came out in the second half a much better, more controlled team and eventually managed to grab an equalising goal from Terry Billy. Towards the end of the half, the Dunstable boys were playing good football and seemed in control and were lucky to get a penalty 5 minutes from time. Phil Feakes mis-kicked the ball and it went wide. It was a nervous last few minutes to the final whistle. The final result then went to penalties.

The first penalty was taken by Phil Feakes who put this one in the net, the following goals were scored evenly with the opposition. Niall Lynch, Danny Howson and Gary Catlin all scored from the spot. Gary then went on to save a penalty from West Herts and the final kick was left to Ryan Mulford, who was playing his first match of the season due to a bad back injury. Nervously he took the kick, which was spot on target which allowed the boys to triumphantly collect the well deserved trophy.

The photo shows the boys in training.

Girls' Football Team success

2006-05-19T20:36:00.000Z

The girls on the football development programme played in the final league 7-a-side tournament at Middlesex University on Wednesday 10 May. They have qualified for this in previous tournaments that have been played throughout the year.
There were nine teams who played a round robin competition with each game lasting 11 minutes. Our squad consisted of nine girls and they rotated for each game played. The overall result was that they came 4th, only losing to the teams ranked above them.
They all played enthusiastically and gave 100%. The conditions were very warm but the last two games were excellent and they won both 4:0.
The photo shows some of the girls in the team.

More Sugarcraft success

2006-04-08T22:29:00.000Z

More Sugarcraft success at LE SALON CULINAIRE INTERNATIONAL DE LONDRES

The Sugarcraft students at Dunstable College have a long history of entering and winning awards at this competition – the first awards were won in February 1996 (one of which was won by Course Tutor Teresa King) and that success has been repeated at every Salon since, with February 2006 being no exception. Teresa is proud to report that 6 awards were won in this year’s competition:

Gold Medal and Best in Class for Miniature Sugar Flowers – Marcellina Lai

Gold Medal for Co-Ordinated Sprays of Sugar Flowers – Marcellina Lai

Silver Medal for Bridal Spray of Sugar Flowers – Marcellina Lai

Bronze Medal for Sugar Flower Arrangement – Jan Webb

Certificate of Merit for Miniature Sugar Flowers – Bee Allen

Certificate of Merit for Sugar Flower Arrangement – Marcellina Lai

Top Design Project for Foundation Degree students

2006-04-08T22:28:00.002Z

Students on the second year of their Foundation Degree in Graphic Design and Advertising at Dunstable College have been working on a project for one of London’s top design companies.

Because of the College’s excellent relationship with the Design and Art Direction Association of Great Britain, which has developed over the years with many design students winning their top awards, contact was successfully established with Carter Wong Tomlin, a leading practitioner in the design field.

Volunteers for Action

2006-04-08T22:28:00.001Z

Students from the First Diploma in Public Services course at Dunstable College are volunteering their services to assist in local community projects or help a local charity with their work.

Award for Youth Trainee of the Year 2005

2006-04-08T22:28:00.000Z

Marie Bull, 17, left school in 2004 with no qualifications to her name and no idea what she wanted to do in the future – a year and a half later she is an award-winning student with a clear vision for her career.

The Spice of Life

2006-04-08T22:27:00.002Z

On a cold and frosty Sunday morning, at the end of January, members of Spice left the College laden with items to sell at the Young Enterprise Trade Fair in Milton Keynes. Spice were competing with 117 other stands for the custom of the passing trade.

Bassingbourne 2006

2006-04-08T22:27:00.001Z

Thirty-five apprehensive Public Services students spent a wintry week recently at Bassingbourne Barracks. This is an annual trip for the students to “Look at life” in the Army.

Students success fighting crime

2006-04-08T22:27:00.000Z

Following on from the Christmas crime initiative that the National Diploma Public Services students carried out alongside Bedfordshire Police, P.C. Dean Andrews invited them all to the de-brief at Dunstable Police Station at the end of January.

New Look for Tutors

2006-04-08T22:26:00.000Z

Hair, Beauty and Holistics tutors at Kingsland, not wanting to be outdone by their smartly attired students, are sporting a new look uniform in corporate red.

New Accolade for the Karate Kid

2006-04-08T22:24:00.001Z

Congratulations to Will Thomas on becoming one of just four Assistant National Coaches for the new governing body Karate England supported by Sport England.

Chiltern Radio workshop for Print & New Media students

2006-04-08T22:24:00.000Z

BA (Hons) Graphic Design for Print and New Media students enjoyed a fun and informative workshop session with Chiltern Radio. During the week before Christmas, students took part in an intense three-hour evening workshop, run by Karen Carpenter from the Kaz and Karen morning show and Jeremy, a copywriter for the Radio station.

Personal Development Activity Public Services 2006

2006-04-08T22:23:00.000Z

Course Team Leader Martin Rawles invited the Army to carry out a Personal Development Activity day with Dunstable College’s Public Services students on Monday 16 January 2006. This annual event forms an integral part of the academic year for students, enabling them to enhance their skills in leadership teamwork and all things military.

Any old image

2006-04-01T23:34:00.000Z

Any old text that springs to mind just to fill a few lines. Must get the Latin sample text out for this for the others!

Just an idea I had

2006-04-01T22:55:00.000Z

Updating news and vacancies on the College web site is a bit of a job. And only I can do it as it stands at the moment. Someone gives me some huge pictures and some text and I have to fit it onto a new news web page and also add a headline + a bit to the main news page. That, of course, results in the main page getting bigger and I have to decide what to get rid of to avoid it getting too vast as well as the adding the new page + links to whatever I move in a menu on a whole load of other pages.

Now, instead, if the news was collected in a web log like this I could put an RSS feed on the news page. That would feature a headline and a few lines of text and would be automatically updated each time the new items were published.

Visitors could click on the news item and arrive at the appropriate part of the web log.

Advantages:
the person writing the news can put it straight on the web log, subject to authorisation
the pictures will get automatically resized, with big ones available too as links from them
a simpler main news page and no individual pages
no images stored on the web server
Stories could even be written in Word and published direct from there

Disadvantages:
people would be taken away from the site - it would have to open in a new window
the blogger address doesn't look that brilliant - maybe the site name can be maintained
the layout and colour scheme / style won't match the site - maybe someone can work on that and get a bit closer
need to be careful about people adding unwanted Comments - can be disabled, I think
anyone might be able to put the news on their site - I guess they could do that now by copying and pasting and who would really want to anyway

It's worth a try. I'll stick a couple of items in and see what happens. Couldn't use this one and we'd need to sort out the profile stuff and what's displayed.