College Staff Briefing Hartlepool College May/June 2015 of Further Education
Welcome Welcome to another issue of Staff Briefing, continuing to share and celebrate the superb work that goes on all around our College. We don’t need to tell you that the past couple of months have been tough and painful, and the result of the Election has raised as many questions as it answered, but the Briefing exists primarily to shout out about the things we do best - teaching, learning and serving our community. So, let the yelling begin! If you have a story, or anything planned, please contact Briefing directly by getting in touch with Gary Kester (Wordy-Picturey Assemblage Person) in Room 2.42 or gkester@hartlepoolfe.ac.uk or via Darren Hankey (Rubber Stamperer-in-Chief), dhankey@hartlepoolfe.ac.uk
HCFE Snapshot | Marathon Man! Lee Dodgson recently completed seven marathons in as many days for charity, with some superb support from HCFE. See page 4 for more!
Stats Amazing... HCFE does it by the numbers! You may have noticed that the College has taken a more emboldened approach to its promotion recently. Since the New Year we’ve adopted a much more proactive and prominent stance, with some truly excellent stories (many of which feature in the Briefing and in our renewed FE Life Magazine - see page 4) being pushed out into the public domain via traditional and social media to try and get those crucial sign-ups we need to weather the current storm. Our statistics are impressive, though - more so given our relatively small size compared to some of our competitors (who also have the means to outspend us on in most areas, such as marketing). For example, in Apprenticeships we’re the biggest provider in the area, the second biggest in the North East and the seventh best performing provider in all of England. Likewise, we’re in the top 17% of all English colleges for overall provision - though to make it neater and more memorable on banners, videos etc. we round it up to 20%. Now that’s confidence!
Cold cuts cause a lot of anger The recent 24% cut to the adult education budget in England has created what many experts consider an urgent crisis for education. Using the hashtag #lovefe, a campaign against this short-sighted move has brought together a wide range of partners across the country. At local level, Hartlepool College was one of sixteen colleges to unite in an unprecedented move to oppose the cuts, which you can read more about at this link: bit.ly/NEFEcuts In England alone reductions in funding have already led to the economically nonsensical loss of one million learners since 2010, with another 400,000 estimated in the next year.
HCFE Snapshot is a part of the Monthly Staff Briefing that captures day-to-day life around the College on camera. If you take an image you think we should feature, email it to the above with some details (but please make sure you have the permission of those in it), or if you want to arrange photography contact Gary Kester on extension 4020 or email gkester@hartlepoolfe.ac.uk. Please give as much notice as possible though, as schedules are often busy.
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The #lovefe campaign will be holding a lobby of parliament at Westminster on the afternoon of Tuesday 16th June 2015, handing in a petition currently running at more than 35,000 signatories - sadly, as Darren Hankey pointed out recently, something people seem to care less about than Jeremy Clarkson losing his job after abusing and assaulting a BBC Producer when he received over a million. And on that bombshell, if you haven’t already, please sign it now! http://fefunding.org.uk/sign-the-petition/ Jeremy Clarkson - #Don’tBeTheNext
Project Presentations highlighted innovative futures Hartlepool College hosted its annual Projects Presentation Day on Wednesday 29th April, when over 100 students showcased their work to some of the biggest names in the engineering sector. The day is a highlight in the College’s annual calendar, and is the culmination a year-long project designed to highlight students’ advanced practical and technical skills. The majority of students taking part are apprentices, with many projects having been actually adopted by their employers. Many of the projects on show are linked directly to the workplace, having been used in practice to offer a positive impact on operations – whether it be costs savings, improving health and safety or a new potential product or service to take to market.
The students exhibited their work over a period of three hours from 1 to 4pm, using up most of the College’s expansive atrium space. Employers, staff, students and other stakeholders from the College took part in the event by asking probing questions to the exhibitors. This year over forty companies participated in support of the event and their apprentices, including Gestamp Tallent, Tata Steel, Caterpillar, NSK, JDR Cables, Darchem and EDF Energy.
The day culminated in judges deciding upon the best projects of the year, before announcing the winner at the end of proceedings. Four merit awards were given, two at Level 3 and two at HNC. The Level 3 merits were Martin Hall, award sponsored by Altec, and David Laidler, sponsored by Northgate. The HNC merits were Ed Shearer, sponsored again by Altec, and Josh Nichol, sponsored by the Gus Robinson Foundation. The overall best project of the day belonged to Armadeep Babra, pictured below second from right, awarded jointly by the Gus Robinson Foundation and Northgate.
You can view the full photo gallery, with 75 images at https://www.flickr.com/photos/hartlepoolfe/sets/72157652253362421/ Participants and employers are welcome to use these pictures freely for newsletters, social media etc. Page 2
Open Event encouraged students to Hartlepool College held its biggest ever open event on the evening of Tuesday 21st April, inviting young people and their parents from across the town and surrounding area to check out our facilities, talk to students and staff, and have a go at a number of activities from across all areas of our curriculum. Themed on the College’s current “be the next” campaign, attendees could try their hand at challenges including construction, hairdressing and beauty, cooking, forensics, digital technology, engineering and the College’s ever popular flight simulator. It was our best attended event yet, as the College’s reputation and achievements spread across social media and through word of mouth. In addition, more of a “buzz” was created by keeping everything concentrated around the Atrium area instead of visitors being taken to various parts of the building.
Potential students came along from Cleveland College of Art & Design, High Tunstall, Manor, English Martyrs, English Martyrs 6th Form, Durham 6th Form, Stockton Riverside College, St Bedes in Peterlee, Wellfield, Northfield, St. Michaels and Kings Academy, Middlesbrough, amongst others.
The Student Services team, backed up as always by the HCFE Ambassadors, were on hand to provide info.
The flight simulator was a good reminder that flying is easy. Landing, less so...
A wide variety of fun but educational activities to participate in helped to highlight our breadth of provision.
All HCFE participants did the organisation and themselves proud, and helped to keep the tone fun and friendly.
Over twenty people enrolled on courses on the spot, with hopefully many more to follow. At some points it was standing room only, as hundreds of people came along to check out our great courses, support and success stories, and find out why we’re the only college in the town rated “good” by Ofsted.
Practical demonstrations and aspirational “#BeTheNext” success stories both helped to engage and inform visitors.
You can view a full set of photos at bit.ly/HCFEOpenApril HCFE Snapshot | College has books covered
HCFE Snapshot | Youth Council representatives sought
HCFE Snapshot | Hard work rewarded by award nomination
Thursday 23rd April was World Book Night, celebrating Shakespeare’s birthday (find out more at www. worldbooknight.org/books). Hartlepool Central Library visited the College and handed out over 200 books to students and staff, donated by the Reading Agency - a national charity that inspires people to enjoy reading for pleasure. The College’s book group also runs as part of enrichment, one Tuesday each month (dates are decided on the day of the meeting). You can find out more by talking to Sharon Gray in Learner Core 2.
Hartlepool Youth Council is made of three elected candidates from each school and college in Hartlepool, meeting every six weeks in the Council Chamber of the Civic Centre. Hartlepool Borough Council recently came into the College seeking young people who wished to put their names forward to participate. Aside from the chance to do a lot of good for young people in the area, it will also be an impressive, fun and confidence boosting addition to a CV. The deadline for applicants was 18th May, as always we’ll keep you informed as to the outcome.
Sue Schelling, the Lead Moderator for Access, has nominated Hartlepool College in the “Excellence in the provision of Access to HE” category as part of One Award’s Celebration of Learning Awards 2015 and the nomination has been shortlisted. The nomination is for all aspects of the management and delivery in Access this academic year and the response to the challenge of the implementation of the new quality model from the AVA. We’re sure you will agree this is excellent news and an acknowledgement of all the hard work this year.
Lee’s marathon effort raises eyebrows (and cash!) Lee Dodgson, 29, ran an amazing seven marathons in as many days in early May, raising money and awareness for Hartlepool and District Hospice. HCFE was proud to be there with him every step of the way. Lee, 29, who works as a firefighter at Stockton Fire Station, ran a circular route of 26.2 miles each day, starting and finishing at the College and incorporating the Hart to Haswell walk. The College offered additional backing to the project by providing water stations and a complimentary membership of the Luminary Fitness Suite to help with his training. In addition, many staff and students accompanied Lee, who is the son-in-law of Public Services Lecturer Kevin Fincken, for stages of his epic effort. Lee had a target of £10,000, which he surpassed easily - at the time of writing it stood at over £13,000 alone through his Just Giving page (https://www.justgiving.com/Lee-Dodgson1/), not including money raised by other events and bucket collections. Lee, along with Greg Hildreth from the Hospice, came into College a few days later to thank all who helped, donated or even just turned up at the finish line to cheer the runners on. He especially wanted to thank the Sport and Public Service students who volunteered a huge amount of time to work in the background to help Lee organise and complete his stunning achievement. If you haven’t donated yet, please visit Lee’s page above.
College construction talent gladly helps out Hospice Did you know it costs £2.34 million for the Hospice to continue providing its current range of services, but it only receives 24% per cent NHS funding... the outstanding £1,780,000 must be raised through the local community and other fundraising initiatives. Hartlepool College, naturally, is always happy to help this special organisation do the amazing work it does in any way it can.
A recent example of this came when additional land which was purchased for a Holistic Wellbeing Centre, which required a new 17 metre section of wall to be built - an expensive proposition in terms of labour costs. Mark Britten, Health & Safety Officer at the Hospice, contacted the College for their help, who suggested some of their final year full-time students could undertake building work on the wall - something lecturer Alex Thompson says they didn’t hesitate to agree to. Mark said, “The College very kindly agreed to take on the task and also additional works, including some patch repair works to the older part of the boundary wall, and another short section of brick walling within the grounds. It is great to see these young lads out there helping the Hospice and I wish them all the very best for the final year of their apprenticeship. Their work has been a huge support to the Hospice which would have had a large labour bill to pay had the College not stepped in to help.”
Left: L-R Alex Thompson with Alex Blanchard, Kieran Sanderson, Kieran Watson and above, the apprentices hard at work. Photos courtesy of Hartlepool Hospice.
Alex added “It was great experience, and something they all enjoyed doing. We’re very proud of them”.
Hartlepool College remembers the dead and fights for the living Hartlepool College of Further Education marked international Workers’ Memorial Day 2015 by once again hosting and supporting a number of events. The day, which for three decades has been used to remember those who have died or been seriously injured at work, is also a day of activism for the improvement of worker safety. Its slogan, “Remember the dead, fight for the living”, reminds us of the estimated two workers who die around the world in accidents every minute, with countless more injured or diagnosed with illness through poor conditions or stress. Workers’ Memorial Day aims to highlight the need for better legislation against companies that exploit workers for profit and fail to invest in adequate safety or precautions. The day began with members of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) laying a wreath at the College’s Tree of Remembrance, before attending a service in the Conference Centre in the presence of students, lecturers and invited guests, including Hartlepool’s MP Iain Wright. Speakers included Fintan Hurley, Scientific Director at the Institute of Occupational Medicine; Nigel Bryson, Consultant Editor: Asbestos Risk Management and Glen Williams, Chairman of UNISON Service Group Executive. Prayers were led by Reverend Nick Moore, and the poem “The Plan” by Sue Walts was read by HCFE students Sam-Amy Kidson and Graeme Reynolds. After the College service the TUC conducted a main service and wreath laying at Christ Church, with Hartlepool College represented by engineering apprentices Connor Lambton and Emma McCoy, while Student Ambassador Lucy Fishpool laid a wreath on behalf of the College.
Above: Poem “The Plan” by Sue Walts was read by HCFE’s Sam-Amy Kidson and Graeme Reynolds.
Above: Kathy Taylor of the Northern Region TUCJCC lays a wreath at the College’s Tree of Remembrance.
Above: After the College’s ceremony, the main commemoration was held at Christ Church.
Above: Ambassador Lucy Fishpool was one of a number of College representatives, and laid our wreath.
As with previous years a hard-hitting short film was made by the College to mark the day, which is now being used at a national level to promote WMD. You can view it in HD at bit.ly/HCFEWMD14 - WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC SCENES & CONTENT
Elegance and power mark Jake’s graphic tribute Earlier this year the TUC asked creative students from both HCFE and Cleveland College of Art and Design to come up with ideas for a graphic device to represent the 2015 event. Over 20 ideas from both colleges were presented, and the winner was Jake Stevens, who studies on our Year 1 Subsidiary Diploma in Art & Design. Jake was presented with a certificate and cash prize at the ceremony by Kathy Taylor, TUCJCC Representative, Northern Region, as well as seeing his work in print, a great
Workers’ Memorial Day 2015
boost to his portfolio. Jake’s idea was a largely monochrome candle, the only colour coming from a dying ember on the wick. The smoke forms two hearts, a visual representation of both the act of remembrance and the fact that a lost worker once gone is gone forever. Jake’s solution impressed the judges with its simplicity and elegance, while still encapsulating a huge amount of emotion, context and power.
Tuesday 28th April
Order of Service Left: L-R: Edwin Jeffries, President of Hartlepool TUC, Hartlepool MP Iain Wright, Jake Stevens, Darren Hankey and Reverend Nick Moore and, above, Jake’s winning programme design.
Babcock looks to recruit new high flyers Over the past five decades Hartlepool College of Further Education has formed partnerships across many sectors and of all sizes. Babcock International Group is one of the biggest, a multi-national company listed in the Financial Times Stock Exchange group of FTSE 100 as one of the most valuable companies in the UK. Babcock International provides maintenance support for the training aircraft fleet of the Royal Air Force across the UK, and for several years now has enjoyed a unique partnership with Hartlepool College through the company providing exclusive work placement opportunities for full time aeronautical engineering students. College students are a common sight at RAF Leeming, working with Babcock staff on the maintenance and operations of the BAE Hawk fast jets flown by RAF 100 Squadron. These planes are used for a variety of training and exercise roles, and students are allowed highly privileged and trusted access to their systems (pictured below on one of our visits), as well as playing a part out on the hard standing with preflight checks and sortie marshalling. Students also visit RAF Linton-On-Ouse, working on the Shorts Tucanos of the RAF’s No 1 Flight Training School. Despite the College having its own aircraft hangar and three full training airframes, the benefits of working on a “live” base are numerous.
As demand rises, so does the need to recruit fresh new talent. Babcock’s Jon Russell, Engineering Director - Air Defence and Security, made a presentation to students of Aeronautical Engineering on Thursday 7th May to start the company’s annual recruitment process for apprentice aircraft maintenance technicians from Hartlepool College. One person who can attest to the process working is Jordan Garrick, 20, of Billingham, who enjoys a current role as an apprentice aerospace engineer for Babcock at RAF Leeming. Jordan came to Hartlepool College after attending Northfield School and then studying A Levels, and enrolled on the NVQ Level 2 Performing Engine Operations course, where he got to work up close not only on the Viper turbojet engines of the College’s ex-RAF Jet Provost trainers, but also the full airframes.
Above: Babcock’s Jon Russell talks to potential recruits and, below, existing success story Jordan Garrick.
“Having access to complete aircraft in a hangar rather than just components in a classroom was brilliant preparation for what I do at Leeming.” said Jordan. “It gives you practical experience of vital things such as how systems integrate, plus safety and teamwork”. Jordan now divides his time between working on Hawk engines and marshalling the aircraft on the flightline.This latter role involves performing vital safety checks before each flight in conjunction with the flight crews, and is something he has qualified to do unsupervised. It’s a highly responsible job with no margin for error, and one Jordan feels HCFE made a big difference in preparing him for, noting “Even though I was at College, the facilities are so good it was actually more like on the job training”.
College Life magazine is ready to go public
Recruits needed for Army’s Kitcheners
As we reported last issue, the College has produced a new sixteen page magazine, College LiFE. The intention is to release this colourful, fun and aspirational glossy publication once every term, to be distributed to households and public amenities in Hartlepool, Durham and the Tees Valley areas. More than that, it will allow us to really shout out about all of our successes, with a view to pulling in enrolments across all sectors and levels, and focus on the more social aspects of studying at HCFE - a vital factor in part of the overall experience of students. We managed to get an excellent deal on both print and distributions costs, with a run of over 100,000 to give us as large a coverage as possible. If you have a story for future issues please get in touch with Gary Kester.
Army Careers recruiters visited the College on Tuesday 28th April, delivering sessions in Conference 1 but also setting up a “Field Kitchen” outside the main entrance, something the College’s Hospitality and Catering students found especially interesting and different from their usual experience. However, as one of the visitors put it, “an Army chef is just as skilled as any restaurant chef - they just have to multiply their ingredients by several hundred times most days!”
Quality was flagged up at the Hartlepool Business Awards Thursday 14th May saw the 2015 Hartlepool Business Awards - the second under the stewardship of Hartlepool College’s Andy Steel after the College took over the organising of the Hartlepool Business Forum. Unfortunately, this meant he couldn’t use his popular “Greg Wallace” gag again... Held once again in the Borough Hall on Hartlepool Headland, the three-course gala dinner event was followed by the awards ceremony, presented this year by Guest of Honour Professor Graham Henderson of Teesside University. Hartlepool College sponsored the category of Investment in Training, with Catcote Academy taking the prize (presented by Assistant Principal Steve Wallis) over Brickwork Services Ltd. and Footprints Learning For Life Ltd. The College also scooped a trophy itself this year, with Fergus Robertson collecting the Tourism, Leisure & Hospitality award on behalf of The Flagship Restaurant. Overall Business of the Year went to Deepdale Solutions. Once again feedback for the event was excellent, with Jo Shepherd and Emily Tull (event organisation and management), Andy Walton (graphic design) and Gary Kester (opening film) all receiving individual praise. Brian Barnes also did a superb reporting the event in real time through social media. To find out more about the Hartlepool Business Awards visit www. hartlepoolbusinessforum.co.uk or www.twitter.com/HartBusForum and www.facebook.com/hartlepoolbusinessforum.
Above: Once again Andy Steel acted as MC. Below: Steve Wallis presents the College-sponsored Investment in Training to Catcote Academy.
Above: Professor Graham Henderson of Teesside University presented the awards. Below: Catcote Academy’s entourage on stage.
Above: Fergus Robertson accepts the Tourism, Hospitality & Leisure award on behalf of The Flagship Restaurant.
“And for that reason, you’re fired!” As the above Awards show us, the world of business is full of the best, the brightest, the most keen-minded. Well, not always... These are quotes from real memos submitted to a magazine running a “Dilbert-speak” competition, here to act as a legitimate educational tool on the value of good communication, and not a way for me to fill up a page with some cheap laughs, oh no... “As of tomorrow, employees will only be able to access the building using individual security cards. Employees will receive their cards in two weeks.” Seattle based software company known for occasional security issues... “This project is so important, we can’t let things that are more important interfere with it.” Global delivery company, losing its way... “We know that communication is a problem, but the company is not going to discuss it with employees.” Telecoms giant redefines irony...
“What I need is a list of specific unknown problems we will encounter.” Some US company or other I’d never heard of, but with brilliant management... “Teamwork is a lot of people doing what I say.” IT firm executive, but hardly a rare attitude... “(Company name) is endeavorily determined to promote constant attention on current procedures of transacting business focusing emphasis on innovative ways to better, if not supersede, the expectations of quality!” Marketing/IT firm, mixing jargon, amnesia and hyperbole - impressive! “If I wanted it tomorrow, I would have waited until tomorrow to ask for it!” Greeting card executive, showing planning in action... “How about Friday? That would be better for me.” Florists supervisor, in response to a staff request for a leave of absence to attend their sister’s funeral on a Monday.
Above: This was left behind on a flipchart in the Conference Centre after an external event session featuring a bit on what makes a good CV (though quite who left it we’re not disposed to say)... As the old song goes, “Gramma, we love you...”
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Sophie represents the College (again!) To be honest, Painting & Decorating student Sophie Willingham has won or placed highly in so many external competitions (plus winning P&D Student of the Year at the Celebration of Achievement last year) we’ve given up trying to keep track of her accomplishments (though of course we don’t want her to stop...) A true exemplar of the success that comes with hard work, talent and the right support, Sophie will once again be representing Hartlepool College at the final of this year’s Dulux Decorator Centre Student Decorator of the Year competition. The final, which will take place at Edinburgh College on 1st and 2nd of July, sees North East regional heat winner Sophie compete against ten other finalists from different regional heats across the UK in the race for the 2015 title. Sophie successfully completed a practical work piece using skills honed from her painting and decorating course, including wallpapering, stencilling, waterborne glossing and special effects, all within a set time. The heat saw Sophie pit her skills against fourteen other students at the host college, Leeds College of Building. At the final Sophie will have to complete another, more challenging practical assessment as she competes for the top trophy. Following this, there will be a presentation evening in Edinburgh, where the winner and runners up will be announced. College lecturer Michael Taylor commented “It’s a great achievement to come first in the regional heat for the second year running. We’re all really proud of her at Hartlepool College. The level of competition is high, so it’s testament to Sophie’s ability that she will again be competing at the final. We always encourage our students to participate in events like this, because it’s a good opportunity to test their painting and decorating skills, as well as being a very professional and well-recognised competition within the industry.”
Beverley Whitehead, marketing communications manager at Dulux Decorator Centre said: “Now in its eighth year, the competition has seen some of the brightest painting and decorating students test their skills against each other. It’s been great to see such enthusiasm from the students at the regional heats. Sophie’s enthusiasm and skillset is clear – we wish her luck for the final. This year’s competition is the biggest yet, and having seen the standard of the regional finalists such as Sophie, we have high hopes for the winner of Student Decorator of the Year!”
For winning the heat Sophie, pictured above receiving a certificate from Akzonobel’s Chris Wingrove, the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor David Congreve and Lady Mayoress Janet Harper JP, also collected £100 worth of Dulux Decorator Centre vouchers and a goody bag full of decorating materials donated by the company’s suppliers. The winning Student Decorator of the Year will win £1,000 cash and a variety of other prizes donated by suppliers, as well as a host of prizes for their college for all painting and decorating students to use. We all wish Sophie the best of luck!
Drive Vauxhall and HCFE have a great deal in common Hartlepool College of Further Education has for a long time been known to employers as a place more than open to partnership with business, and one that punches well above its weight compared to its larger competitors. One of the reasons many businesses like to work with the College is its innovative and flexible approach to finding mutually beneficial arrangements. A recent example of this is its partnership with Drive Vauxhall Hartlepool, a branch of the largest independent dealership group for Vauxhall Motors. Even though the College has its own large, industry-standard Automotive Engineering department, lecturer Anthony Jowett approached Drive Vauxhall, located on Burn Road, with a view to arranging practical experience for the College’s Level 3 Automotive Diploma full-time students, allowing them live, priceless access to the daily operations and working procedures of the industry they are training to enter. Above: L-R Mark Barker, Automotive Lecturer; Robert Deans, L3 Diploma Student; Matthew Walls L3 Diploma Student: Joe Palmer, General Manager Drive Vauxhall Hartlepool; John Kenny, L3 Diploma Student and Tony Jowett, Automotive Lecturer
To this end Tony, who before joining the College as a lecturer had extensive experience in the automotive industry and helped to develop Drive Vauxhall as a business, approached Joe Palmer, General Manager of the branch.
As you would expect in the world of car sales, after a bit of negotiation a great deal was quickly struck. The College’s students would gain two weeks of experience working in those areas of the dealership best tailored to their skills, such as the Parts, Servicing, Valeting and the Body Shop, while Drive Vauxhall gained some extra pairs of skilled hands and also an arrangement to promote its numerous special offers to HCFE staff and students. Tony says of the arrangement “I was delighted that Drive agreed to help our learners through their programmes of study and to reconnect once again with the Vauxhall brand”. Joe added “Here at Drive Vauxhall, we consider connections with the local community to be essential. We already have partnerships with Hartlepool United and the youth football programme within the area, so I was only too happy to help Tony find work experience for his students”. You can see a great Drive Vauxhall deal at the back of this issue of Briefing.
The original STEM Centre: Hartlepool College Engineering Teesside, like many other parts of the country with a lot of industry, occasionally suffers from an excess of noise, and there has been a lot of engineering noise coming from that area quite recently - some of it a bit hollow-sounding... “THE ENGINEERING COLLEGE” – that’s how many employers both regionally and nationally refer to Hartlepool College of Further Education. While we’re not the biggest in the area, as some rivals have been keen to point out, we certainly punch above our weight too. A rise in demand for engineers has seen new training organisations and other colleges dip their toes into the sector, few can match HCFE’s record or experience. The first engineering courses offered by HCFE’s forebear, the West Hartlepool Mechanics Institute, were established in 1849 to train workers at the very outset of the industrial revolution. It became Hartlepool Municipal Technical College in 1897, delivering skills in engineering, shipbuilding and mathematics - making it the original STEM provider! In 1962 we moved to our now traditional location on Stockton Street, in the town centre close to all major transport links. At the time it had the largest workshops in the region, offering cuttingedge courses that introduced many engineers to emerging areas such as electronics and computing. Over the next five decades the College would build an impressive reputation with over 2000 employers across numerous sectors and all parts of the country – indeed, sometimes the world. We quickly grew to become a leader in Apprenticeships (see page 1) and more recently became the regional hub of the National Skills Academy Nuclear. When the College moved in 2011, its engineering provision was expanded threefold, with new,
dedicated facilities including state-of-the-art laboratories, industry-standard training facilities and even an aircraft hangar with three full airframes. Most of the new resources were designed with maximum input from our employer partners to ensure that they met the demanding requirements of the engineering sector. Most staff have industrial backgrounds, some bringing with them decades of experience. In fact, many of the features that more recent organisations proudly promote were first implemented by HCFE as it has blazed a trail for others to follow. HCFE was also an early innovator in its approach to higher education, working with university partners to allow students to move seamlessly to higher level qualifications while still studying mostly at the College. In fact, so advanced are its facilities some universities actually send students here to benefit from them, for example in Aerospace. Hartlepool College is renowned for its innovation, with courses always keeping ahead of current demands by careful monitoring of trends, technology and developments in engineering, and also through direct communication with a near “who’s who” of sector leaders.
Engineers make the world. We make Engineers.
Many employers call Hartlepool College “the Engineering College” for a reason... While other education and training providers catch up, Hartlepool College has an engineering track record that goes back over 150 years - to the very start of engineering - to meet the demands of this constantly growing, ever-evolving sector. Many of the innovations and practices now commonplace in engineering education and training originated with Hartlepool College. Moving into a new, £53 million campus in 2011, we combined our vast wealth of expertise and experience with input from top engineering firms to tailor design our state-of-the-art, industry-level facilities. We not only meet (and often exceed) the current needs of the sector, but also anticipate future requirements so we can offer the right skills as the demand for them emerges. Hartlepool College is THE ENGINEERING COLLEGE - watch a short overview film at bit.ly/hcfeeng
Did you know... Hartlepool College is the biggest provider of Apprenticeships in the area, and is the seventh best performing provider in the entire country? We’re officially in the top 20% of all English Colleges for all programmes. We’ve worked with over 2000 employers, from local SMEs to multinational corporations. We’re the best performing FE college for 16-18 year olds in the Tees Valley.
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www.hartlepoolfe.ac.uk | @hartlepoolfe | 01429 295000
Above: The College’s recent Engineering magazine advert campaign. Below - the College in the mid 1960s, when as the background shows local industry was even closer!
Companies we work with include Gestamp Tallent, Tata Steel, Caterpillar, Siemens, EDF Energy, Cummins Engines, Heerema, Darchem Engineering, Fine Industries, NSK Bearings, KP Foods and Altec Engineering, with many more engaging in partnership all the time.
CAD competition was great experience (but didn’t draw the result we’d hoped...)
Above: Nick Richardson (NCD), Kimberly Hope (NCD), Joseph Nowell (HCFE), Dale Robinson (winner, NCD), Lewis Foster (HCFE) and Mark Elliott (NCD).
On 28th April Hartlepool College hosted the first in what will hopefully be an annual Computer-Aided Design (CAD) competition between regional colleges. Fourteen were invited to compete, with five accepting - not a bad result for a new event. Two competed on the day, Hartlepool College and New College Durham. The competitors were required to complete five part drawings and a complete assembly drawing to BS8888 within 90 minutes, a deadline that would challenge some professionals. Points were awarded and deducted for time finished and any errors. All competitors completed the task, some well within deadline, and the final result was determined by the assembly drawing. The winner was judged to be Dale Robertson of New College Durham, who had an edge because he was older than the HCFE competitors and had been studying the subject for longer. The overall standard of all entries was excellent, with only minor mistakes being noted.
Women Engineers: always a big plus for the future
As we reported last issue the College is hosting a major event promoting women into engineering on 23rd June. Marketing devised a high-visibility poster and social media campaign and, combined with direct contact from the Engineering School team, the event has attracted over 60 young female attendees from six local schools, with a packed itinerary planned both on and off site on the day. We’ll bring you a full report and pictures in the next Briefing. Page 9
Young Engineers see bright futures in Poland... and a dark past. Fourteen second year engineering apprentices from Hartlepool College of Further Education visited the Polish city of Krakow from 17th to 20th April for an educational residential. The apprentices represented companies such as TATA Steel, Gestamp Tallent, JDR Cables, NSK, TMD Friction, Heerema, and Sotech, just some of the many firms the College works with as the largest provider of apprenticeships in the area and the second largest in the entire north east. In addition, HCFE is the seventh best performing apprenticeship provider in the entire country, with pass rates for 16-18 year olds way above the national average. The group flew out from London Stanstead Airport, but not before bumping into a further example of Hartlepool College’s track record of engineering success - former HCFE Aerospace student and lecturer Kieron Cope, who is now a Commercial Aircraft Engineer for Ryanair. On the first day in Krakow the students visited local heritage sites such as Wawel Castle on the Vistula river, parts of which date back over 1,000 years. After that it was down to business, moving on to the Engineering Museum of Krakow, built inside an old tram depot and featuring numerous exhibitions covering public transport in Krakow, the development of the Polish automotive industry and the history of printing in the city from the 15th to 20th centuries. There were also interactive exhibits aimed at families, including “Around the Circle” which teaches fundamental scientific principles via thirty hands-on Playstations. Rounding off the first day, the students visited the enamelware factory of Oskar Schindler, the German industrialist who used his own fortune to save much of his Jewish workforce - a story best known to many through Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film “Schindler’s List”.
Above: Students and staff wait to enter the infamous ironwork gate of Auschwitz, inscribed “Work Makes You Free”. Some of the students weren’t fully aware of the history of the place or what to expect - something that was indelibly changed by the time they exited.
Above: The historic city of Krakow, for centuries a place of frequent conflict. In the post-Soviet era however it has found peace and prosperity, with new technology and advanced engineering finding a foothold in the stead of its traditional industries - much like Hartlepool!
On the second day the apprentices visited Auschwitz and Auschwitz Birkenau concentration camps. January 2015 commemorated the 70th anniversary of the camp’s liberation. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the infamous “death camp” was a major location in the “Final Solution to the Jewish question” – the industrial scale murder of those the Nazis considered “untermensch” (subhumans) though large gas chambers disguised as showers, with incinerators nearby to dispose of the remains.
On the final day the students were given a tour of the ABB Corporate Research Centre in Krakow, with small lectures in mobile applications, control and monitoring of grid converters, advanced numerical simulations and wireless energy transfer. Amongst the College’s many advanced engineering learning resources is a robot arm developed by the CRC.
Although exact figures are unknown, historians estimate the death toll at Auschwitz’s main camp and various sub-camps to be over one million more likely much higher.
The mix of activities highlighted the fact that Poland, some seventy years ago a war zone that bore much of the largest crime perpetrated in human history, is now a centre of engineering innovation. The College students’ behaviour was impeccable at all times, their Polish hosts describing them as “a credit to themselves, their employers and the College”.
raiders of the lost Archives Our semi-regular dip back into history from the “big box of embarrassment” kept in a secure location within the College. To see more on a regular basis follow Gary Kester on Twitter @CreativeDirctr and look for #hcfearchive. This issue, in keeping with our remit to make things interesting and exciting, we have a special look at... the old College’s walls! Someone once told me walls have ears - haven’t touched their sausages since...
Martin Old’s approach to wall decoration for his English room was apparently inspired by Kevin Spacey’s hideout in Se7en... true story! (and if you haven’t seen Se7en, sorry we’ve just spoiled the film’s biggest surprise because they deliberately don’t reveal the killer’s identity in the credits. No, wait! Finding Gwyneth Paltrow’s head in the cardboard box at the end - that was a bigger surprise! Oh, did it again...)
First it was the CAVET - the Centre for Advanced Vocational Education and Training - and then it became the Sir William Gray Centre for Education and Training. Finally, “the grey bit on the end”. Added in 1993, the new wing of the College featured hair and beauty salons, training rooms and a TV and radio studio. Designed to be modern and minimal, we perhaps took it a bit too far. This cheerful brown-brick feast for the senses was the student common room!
The old lecture theatre, which very few people realise was actually constructed with over 50% of Peru’s rainforest. Built in the 1960s when chalk and talk was all the rage (provided our budget stretched to chalk), its forward-thinking, lecturerfriendly features included a large No Smoking sign (for many years, smoking was allowed elsewhere on site) and a space to plonk a table for your stuff. Coincidentally, this was also Michael Gove’s vision of the future of FE.
Qatari Engineers out in (air) force As many of you may recall, HCFE has won a major contract to train aircraft engineers from the Qatari Air Force. A substantial delegation visited us recently to check out the facilities and the area that will be their home away from home. The delegation was split into two groups, and were given a tour not only of the Aerospace hangar and Skills Academy, which they found very impressive, but also other amenities such as the Fitness Suite, where some commented it might be a good way of getting warm after finding the temperatures in early-May Hartlepool a little short of what they’re used to in Qatar. The Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) was formed in 1974, three years after the country became independent of the UK. However, Qatar has maintained close ties with Britain, and as the country invests in a new $7 billion fleet of state-of-the-art Dassault Rafale fighters and maintains a large standing air force including C-17s of the type operated by the RAF, skilled maintenance crews are of vital importance.
“Big Ronnie” helps out the College’s BIG plans Respected Drug and Alcohol Education expert Ronnie Bage has been back in the College recently to highlight our antibullying message in his own inimitable style. Formerly the Drugs and Alcohol Education Officer for Darlington Borough Council, Ronnie Bage (pictured right with Mark Lee and HCFE students) is considered one of the most prominent experts on health and wellbeing in the region and now offers his advice and support on a self-employed basis to schools, colleges and other organisations.
Ronnie’s seminars examined the types and effects of bullying, the promotion of a bully-free College bullying prevention and much more. Ronnie’s delivery is persuasive and authoritative, but he pulls no punches in explaining the consequences of bullying on both perpetrators and victims. The seminars, which also counted as staff CPD, supported our goal to obtain BIG (Bullying Intervention Group) status, an ongoing effort being coordinated by Debbie Caygill. BIG is a national award scheme that recognises bullying intervention, and is earned through evidence rather than just given. Criteria include a robust antibullying policy, regular staff training and regular awareness raising like this. You can find out more at www.bullyinginterventiongroup.co.uk
After initially starting out as a footballer, Ronnie changed career path 25 years ago, working first as a Senior Practitioner in drug treatment services supporting and advising heroin and crack cocaine addicts. Following this, he then went on to deliver drug and alcohol awareness training, during which he gained a Cert Ed from HCFE and later a degree in teaching and acquired many vocational qualifications in a variety of health related areas.
HCA offer a crafty look at their work Regular readers of Briefing may recall features in past issues about our partnership with Heritage Crafts Alliance (HCA), located in beautiful Thorp Perrow near Bedale in North Yorkshire. The HCA is organising a Skills Festival to take place within its stunning surroundings, offering an opportunity to see Heritage Craft Alliance’s specialist Training Centre surrounded by woodland. There will be “Have a Go” sessions for children and adults, expert speakers and, of course, advice for those wanting to gain traditional skills qualifications working with materials such as wood and stone. In addition, should you throw one of those stones (not recommended of course!) you would probably hit Thorp Perrow Arboretum (so really, stone throwing NOT recommended). A fantastic day out for the whole family, it has over a hundred acres of beautiful woodland walks and glades to explore and daily interactive displays at the Wildlife Park. Meerkats, Wallabies and Birds of Prey can be found, plus a tea room and children’s play area.
You can find Thorp Perrow Arboretum on the Bedale to Ripon road, just south of Bedale, North Yorkshire, some four miles from Leeming Bar on the A1 (Satnav Postcode DL8 2PS). The Festival runs on the 11th, 12th & 13th September 2015. While the HCA Festival on its site is free, normal Thorp Perrow ticket prices apply: Adults £8.30 Concession £7.00 Child (4-16) £5.00 Family (2+2) £25.00 Family (2+3) £30.00 Find out more at www.heritagecraftalliance.co.uk or www.thorpperrow.com, and you can watch a short film about the HCA and its amazing facilities at bit.ly/HCAfilm
“1337” Students HF with an epic GG sesh, TYVM!* *To translate from “games speak” (a series of acronyms and colloquialisms commonly used by the online video gaming community), “Elite students have fun with an epic good game session, thank you very much”.
Above, L-R: Neil Crabtree (Crafty Miner), Thomas Black (Ice-cold COD God), Darren Hankey (Bullet-Sponge), Jess Watson (Changing Futures NE), Sam Henderson (Harry Putter, the Wii Golf Wizard) and Mark Lee (Super Smash Brother)
Yes, the world of videogames can appear baffling to those who don’t play them, occasional dabbles into casual titles like Angry Birds and Candy Crush excepted. But, to dedicated gamers, the hobby presents an immersive playground where the stresses and strains of modern life can be put to one side for a while. Video games are big business, earning more annually than all films and music combined, with graphics that are now almost photorealistic, stories that are beautifully written and acted by major names, and huge, symphonic music scores. Many students studying design and IT, like those within the College’s DMIT School, have a strong chance of going into the games industry which, despite occasional bad press when lazy journalists erroneously link it to crime, is only set to grow as technology and connectivity improve (in fact, there is overwhelming evidence that most gamers gain improved problem solving and coordination skills from gaming, if played in moderation). One group of people who definitely love their gaming is the College Ambassadors, who over 24 hours spread across the 26th, 27th and 28th May held a videogame marathon in aid of Changing
Futures North East, a charity that works to sustainably change the future of families and children who require help. As well as sponsorship, passers by could “PAY2PLAY”, donating £1 for an hour’s game time on a mix of current generation and retro classics on machines as diverse as the Playstations 2 & 3, Xbox 360, the Wii and Wii U and the awesome Nintendo 64. Jess Watson of Changing Futures NE came in on Thursday 28th to thank the participants with a certificate, and to collect over £50 from PAY2PLAY, with sponsorship money still not calculated at the time of writing. Great effort by all involved!
Younger visitors enjoyed the colourful games on offer (and the free pizza supplied by sponsor Dominos).
Eljohn rolls with it in major competition
Hartlepool College students took part in a major culinary competition at Newcastle Racecourse, Gosforth, on the 6th of May, the prestigious NECTA Salon Culinaire in partnership with World Skills UK and the Craft Guild of Chefs. Students involved in these extremely challenging competitions were Pam Flynn, Naomi Baker, Andrew Tempest, Charlotte Prosser and Eljohn Latayan. All students had an amazing experience competing in the heats of Live Starter, SugarCraft Decoration, Themed Restaurant Table Settings, and Static Display classes. Although some of our competitors didn’t win, the experience allowed them to demonstrate their skill and creativity, as well as preparing them to compete next year and also in the World Skills UK heats. Eljohn was entered in the Live Hot Starter category and although in the challenge he performed well, he was narrowly ousted. He did however rise to the occasion in the Bakery Display class. He produced three different types of stunning bread roll - brioche rolls with streaky bacon and maple syrup glaze; olive, smoked cheese and spinach rolls and sunflower and honey wholemeal rolls. The judges were amazed by the complexity and variation of flavours that had been combined and although he was competing against 25 other competitors from industry and other colleges, Eljohn claimed first place and the coveted gold medal and trophy.
Multiplayer Super Smash Brothers was so busy only wall projection would do for the laugh-out-loud carnage
Turning to FIFA 13 on the Xbox 360, the gamers are impressed by the realism the new peripheral added...
Starters and Leavers
Leavers Sandra Kingston; Kitchen Porter Hannah Brown; Apprentice Sous Chef Jayme Peacock; Part time Fitness Instructor Doreen Wilcox; Cleaner Helen Watts, Marketing Manager Emma Perry; Learner Support Assistant Darren Thomas, Plumbing Lecturer Aaron Hopper, Specialist sports Coach
As usual, here’s another round up of people coming and going from team HCFE. A warm welcome to new colleagues, and for those who have left, naturally we offer our best wishes for future plans.
Eljohn will now move on to compete at the World Skills Heats at the Wessex Salon Culinaire. We’ll let you know how he gets on and, of course, wish him the best of luck!
Sadly, Invigilator Alan Blackett passed away on 29th April. Our thoughts are with Alan’s family. Starters Maureen Rowland; Cleaner Tracey Wilson; Volunteer Co-ordinator (see next page)
Page 12
Hartlepool College Make-Up students net some beautiful results in national competitions
Above: L-R Jessica Hamilton Moore, Lauren Davison, Lecturer Tracey Jukes, Lucy Lilley and Charlotte Smith.
Students on Hartlepool College’s first year of the BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Production Arts showed they could apply themselves, as well as stunning make-up, under pressure at two recent national competitions. Top brand Jane Iredale held its Student Make-up Competition to coincide with a celebration of the brand’s 20th Anniversary. Over two hundred entrants representing sixty colleges had to be whittled down to just six finalists. Based around the theme of “Rainsforest Runway”, Hartlepool College entered four students via photographic submissions, with an amazing two of them making it through to the final. Jessica Hamilton Moore and Lauren Davison will now travel to London on an all-expenses paid two day trip of advanced makeup training with The Jane Iredale Company in early June, before competing in a live final in The Savoy on 15th June.
On Monday 11th May Beauty UK, one of the largest beauty events on the calendar, was held at the NEC in Birmingham, part of which incorporated the National Makeup Awards. Hartlepool College had two entrants, Charlotte Smith and Lucy Lilley, from approximately sixty competitors. In the category of High Fashion Theme: Dangerous Beauty, Lucy placed second with a make-up taken from a brief to create a colourful high fashion look inspired by the tropical plants Bird of Paradise, Stargazer Lily and Bleeding Heart. Judging was by a panel of top make-up artists whose work includes make-ups for Game of Thrones, Casino Royale, Last of the Mohican, Die Another Day and Gladiator – experienced industry professionals who work to the highest standards, so creating work that impressed them only makes the result more impressive!
Tracey volunteers her expertise to HCFE students
Tracey Wilson is a highly regarded and experienced expert on volunteering in Hartlepool, having supported individuals of all ages to secure a range of volunteering opportunities. Tracey helped set up and manage the Hartlepool Voluntary Development Agency (HVDA) for a number of years and has contact with over 600 voluntary groups in Hartlepool alone! Due to this extensive experience, you can be sure Tracey can support students in finding suitable voluntary work. Should students require support finding voluntary opportunities or are just wondering what opportunities are available locally, they can speak to Tracey in College once a week. Students can book an appointment in Student Services Monday to Friday, or e-mail Tracey at Tracey.Wilson@hartlepoolfe.ac.uk Students can also drop-in and talk to Tracey (subject to Tracey’s availability, appointments are a preferable route to see her). She will be based in Student Services every Thursday from 9am to 5pm and can deliver one to one or group talks.
Selfie awareness is vital on campus HCFE of course encourages visitors to use social media to share their College experience, as long as posts are not inaccurate, misleading or defamatory. However, when it comes to taking photos or video on smartphones, tablets or other devices intended to upload to the internet, we need to ensure that students and visitors are mindful that images/clips containing persons who have not consented to be photographed, or who may have vulnerable status, could be illegal and should not be posted, even unwittingly.
Above: Lucy Lilley’s second-prize winning make-up “Dangerous Beauty” at the National Make-up Awards. Left: Jessica Hamilton Moore (top) and Lauren Davison’s “Rainforest Runway” make-ups, which have got them through to the Jane Iredale competition final.
They need to be aware of the background of any picture or “selfie” they take, and who may be in it, as they could place persons at risk by putting their image online and also leave themselves open to serious legal repercussions. A new guide document on Safeguarding for Visitors will be published shortly.
This regular section of the staff Briefing aims to provide a platform for staff to share resources, tips and good practice which will complement the face-to-face CPD offer. The ideas forwarded won’t necessarily suit all lessons, but, as mentioned above, the aim is provide a platform for professional development and an enhanced learning, social and progression experience for our students. Feel free to send your good practice tips, suggestions and ideas to the Briefing team.
Two ways to help students take better note(s) Sit in many lectures and you’ll see most students scribbling away taking notes (or these days sometimes tapping away on tablets or laptops). Unfortunately, while note-taking ought to be beneficial in principle, encouraging the systematic organisation of and reflection on the material, studies have found it has little to no benefit because of the way students take notes - many simply record verbatim what the lecturer is saying. US psychologists Dung Bui and Mark McDaniel have tested two ways to help students take better notes. The first is to provide note paper containing a lecture outline, with headings and subheadings of the material. The idea is that this eases the mental demands of taking notes. The second method is to provide students with illustrative diagrams. These go further than an outline and show the key components of a system, with labels explaining how the different parts interact.
Sign up to be evidently great
Bui and McDaniel asked 144 undergraduates to take notes while they listened to a twelve-minute lecture about car brakes and pumps. At the start some of them were given a skeletal outline of the lecture, others were given an annotated diagram of the parts and steps involved in a car’s brakes. A control group were simply given a blank piece of note paper.
The June e-newsletter from The Evidence Based Teachers Network is now available, with some superb tips, ideas, articles and links. The newsletter is free to subscribers, though you can donate voluntarily to help the EBTN maintain its service. To find out more visit www.ebtn.org.uk and to subscribe to the newsletter email newsletter@ebtn.org.uk
Afterwards, all the note papers and materials were removed and the students were distracted for half an hour with a word learning test. The students were then tested on their understanding of the first part of the lecture by free recall (that is, they were asked to type out as much as they could remember). They then answered a series of questions on the same topic. Finally, they completed a test of their “structure building” ability - essentially, how good they are at forming a coherent mental structure out of information. For this, they read four passages of text and then answered questions on them. Regardless of own ability level, the students who received a lecture outline performed better at free recall than the control participants and also took more comprehensive notes. When it came to the specific questions on the lecture material the outlines helped high ability students but not those with low structure building ability. By contrast, both high and low-ability students who received annotated diagrams performed better at free recall than the controls and at answering the questions, despite actually taking fewer notes. The researchers said this is probably because diagrams help students see the major components of a system and how they work together, noting “These two features in conjunction essentially provide a representation that can be directly appropriated for constructing a more complete mental model”. Further analysis showed that the students given an annotated diagram had notes that contained a higher proportion of references to the causeand-effect dynamics described in the lecture. This suggests the diagram helped the students to focus on extracting the most important information for understanding the topic at hand. The researchers said their findings have practical relevance for lecturers who want to use learning aids to “help all students across the entire range of ability”. Of course, this study was about the teaching of a scientific topic, so it’s not clear how the findings would generalise to other subjects. However, the researchers said that for topics for which illustrative diagrams are not practical, “perhaps other aids that help scaffold construction of a coherent mental model might be developed.”
Credit where credit’s due And finally, an example of what best teaching practice can accomplish. Darren Hankey was delighted to receive recently this unsolicited letter praising Darren Jones - a sterling example of the quality teaching Hartlepool College works hard to achieve and maintain.
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