Army look at life

74 of our uniformed services students accepted the challenge to complete a week of training and activities with the British Army Recruitment Team in Catterick

Local businesses celebrate the North East Institute of Technology

On Thursday 5 May, over 60 visitors attended New College Durham to celebrate the work done by the North East institute of Technology (NEIoT); and to take part in the official opening of the NEIoT facilities at New College Durham by the Mayor of Durham City.

Local business people and representatives from the NEIoT’s partner colleges enjoyed talks from a range of speakers including Andy Radcliffe, Chief Executive of Esh Group, Ian Green MBE, Learning Specialist British Volt and Rachel Chambers, Chief Operating Officer, Driving the Electric Revolution Industrialisation Centre North East. 

Visitors then had the opportunity to take part in the interactive partner marketplace, try out the Virtual Reality equipment, watch demonstrations of the robotic equipment and take tours of the building.

Andy Broadbent, Principal and CEO at New College Durham said: “This event is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the North East Institute of Technology and raise the profile of IoTs and technical education. We want to showcase the opportunities Institutes of Technologies provide in terms of training, employment and economic growth, as well as network with those involved in the programme from around the North East region.”

Rachel Chambers, Chief Operating Officer, Driving the Electric Revolution Industrialisation Centre North East said: “I was honoured to be invited to be part of the celebrations for the North East Institute of Technology (NEIoT), and to be able to speak to so many other influential people in STEM and the North East. I am a huge ambassador for supporting the drive for technical skills in our region, with a focus on supporting more women into engineering as well; it’s critical that we all work together to support the growing demand for skilled employees across industry as investment in the North East continues and as we embrace greener and more sustainable technologies. This event and the NEIoT is a great demonstration of the power of organisations and initiatives collaborating for a common goal.”

The North East institute of Technology (NEIoT) is one of only 12 established Institutes of Technology in the UK, selected through a government competition to offer higher level, employer-led technical courses. It specialises in delivering higher technical education with a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects.

The NEIoT provides students with a clear route to employment and drives upskilling of the regional workforce, creating a thriving, competitive jobs market with high quality talent feeding into and strengthening regional businesses.

Runners-up to referees

Our Football Development Centre (FDC) players were invited to assist in refereeing the matches at the regional tournament at Maiden Castle.

NCD students support shining Beacon renovation

Our Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 Construction Craft students have been honing their practical skills as part of an exciting project to transform Whitehills Social Club, in Chester-le-Street, into ‘The Beacon’ – a revitalised hub for large events, and smaller rental spaces for the community and private organisations.

Durham Villages Regeneration Partnership (DVRC), a partnership between Durham County Council (DCC) and Keepmoat Homes - which has delivered over 2,000 homes and invested more than £240m in Durham communities since 2001 – has again teamed up with New College Durham to create fantastic real-life opportunities for our construction students.

DVRC sourced and donated over £1,300 of materials to Heartwood Skills, the non-profit organisation behind the renovation of the social club. Plans include spaces to support the community with skills classes, personalised education for young people and counselling. There will also be a community café with a field to fork garden for groups to learn about and grow vegetables.

Dave Anderson, Founder & CEO at Heartwood Skills, said:

“Our vision is a space where young people are offered a second chance. We have raised around £400k so far, to buy the building, repurpose the layout and upgrade electrical, heating and plumbing systems. This could not have been achieved without the support of our funding partners and businesses like DVRC and New College Durham coming forward to offer their time and resources.”

Iain McCartney, Vocational Instructor, at New College Durham commented:

“This real-life working experience has created some excellent learning opportunities and the chance for our students to apply the knowledge and skills they have been developing with us in college. Christopher and Kaci are both on Level 1 and have enjoyed undertaking supervised maintenance works and painting and decorating at The Beacon. It has allowed them to work alongside other skills professionals whilst developing their teamwork, planning, problem solving and communication skills. All of our students have been a credit to NCD, and the pressures of working to a time scale will help them understand the approach they need to take in the future on large scale projects.”

_{Pictured from left to right: Christopher King, Geoff Scott, Cllr Mark Wilkes, Dave Anderson, Iain McCartney and Kaci France.}

S Nicholson & Sons recruit three apprentices

Local Bishop Auckland-based painting and decorating company, S Nicholson & Sons, recruited three new apprentices to join their team to meet the rising demand for bespoke painting and decorating services.

Music degree student reaches SoundWaves national final

Music student, Megan Holland, has made it to the national SoundWaves Music Competition final and will be performing at the O2 Institute in Birmingham next May.

Design students bring book characters to life

Our FdA Visual Arts, Level 3 Art & Design and Level 3 Graphic Design students developed and designed illustrations for this year's 'wildlife' themed Gilesgate Story Challenge book.

Get on board with the new Safer Transport app

The Safer Transport Northumbria app is ready to download to make transport safer for bus and Metro users. The app can be used to flag up any safety concerns or to tell the authorities if you feel unsafe on a bus or the Metro.

The new app was launched by Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, as part of an ongoing commitment to tackle violence against women and girls. The apps can be used across Northumberland and Tyne and Wear to improve safety on public transport.

You can access travel updates to help plan your route, whether you are commuting or heading to town.

The Police and Crime Commissioner said:

“We all have a responsibility to help keep each other safe and that’s what I love about this app.

“Women have told us they don’t always feel safe when they take public transport – this is a key step to changing that. People often don’t know whether to report things and when they do they’re unsure of who to go to and how to go about it.

"This app is the answer. It’s about telling us. The more we know, we can help, and the more we can make our transport networks safer.”

The app aims to change how safe people feel taking public transport, to remove the potential uncomfortable feeling at a remote bus stop because the lights are out. It has been developed in conjunction with Rape Crisis Tyneside, Northumbria Police and the travel operators, including Go North East, Arriva, Nexus and Stagecoach North East.

Professional cookery student shares festive foodie tips

We want to share the festive cheer to celebrate Level 3 Professional Cookery student, Mikaela Humble, making a star appearance in appetite magazine’s ‘The 12 chefs of Christmas’ feature.

WorldSkills UK Metalwork Fabricator national final

Bailey Hymas and Jack Henderson travelled to Coleg Cambria in Wales to compete in the Fabrication and Welding WorldSkills UK National Final competition.