Hannah Fenton, Author at Capital City College Group

Science students gain insight into gene therapy with MeiraGTx

Posted on February 17, 2022August 29, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

Science students from City and Islington College (CANDI) heard how the latest advancements in gene therapy are helping people with serious diseases when they visited MeiraGTx.

The group from the college’s Centre for Applied Sciences, Angel, discovered more from scientists during a tour of the company’s clinical laboratories and manufacturing facilities in Hackney.

Gene therapy involves replacing or altering the body’s genes to treat or prevent diseases and disorders or improve its ability to fight them. The science has been used to treat a wide range of health problems including cancer, cystic fibrosis, heart disease, diabetes, haemophilia and AIDS.

MeiraGTx’s work currently focuses on four clinical development programmes on conditions affecting the eye, salivary gland and central nervous system. This has included research and development into the treatment of rare retinal diseases, Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s.

The company, which also has offices in New York and Amsterdam, uses cutting-edge techniques to provide meaningful clinical benefits in these areas.

It also works with partners around the world to gain a deeper understanding of diseases and their progression to develop and advance its programmes.

Science student Max Haslam, 17, said: “I’ve been interested in working in genetic engineering since I was 14. It fascinates me how you can take a cell from any organism, alter its DNA makeup, and it will redevelop.

“There are a lot of ethical boundaries with genetics, but I see the positive side and how it can help people in the long term. In the medical field, it can help cure diseases and conditions or prevent them in the first place. That to me is amazing.

“From the start, they were very eager to explain about the work they do and the importance of it. It was interesting hearing about the genetic therapy techniques that are specific to the patient and the condition they are treating.

“They answered all my questions and were very clear in helping me to understand the level I needed to study and the route I would need to take to work in a particular area of genetic science. It has really strengthened my passion to work in genetic engineering.”

CANDI offers A Level courses in Biology and Chemistry, Applied Science courses and Medical Science Diplomas at Levels 2-3, and an Access to Higher Education Diploma in Medical and Medical Biosciences.

MeiraGTx is to offer degree apprenticeships to CANDI students successfully completing an Applied Science or Medical Science Level 3 Diploma, or equivalent, or employ them as lab technicians.

Philippa Cooke, Head of Hub at Angel, said: “This was a great opportunity for our students to meet the research scientists at MeiraGTx and find out more about the world of genetic science.

“It was incredibly inspiring and insightful for the students to hear about their work and the wide range of opportunities relating to their studies, from clinical research and engineering to manufacturing and supply, and how to gain successful careers in this sector.”

WestKing student wins Best Vegetarian Dish in International Young Chef Olympiad

Posted on February 16, 2022January 23, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

A Westminster Kingsway College student found the recipe for success to win Best Vegetarian Dish in this year’s International Young Chef Olympiad.

Joe Slater, 18, also came fourth overall in the global competition against students and apprentices from across six continents and 24 time zones.

The International Young Chef Olympiad, in its eighth year, saw participants take a skills test, before a cooking challenge with the top 10 going through to a final cook-off to decide the winner.

The first round involved the making of a vegetarian pasta dish and crème caramel with the chefs making it through to the final round asked to create a chicken dish using mystery ingredients.

The competition was held online for a second year due to the COVID pandemic and was judged by independent professional chefs in the countries being represented.

WestKing student wins Best Vegetarian Dish in International Young Chef Olympiad

Joe, who is in the third year of a Professional Chef diploma, said: “It was an honour to be picked to represent England in the Young Chef Olympiad 2022. I did my best and was happy with how my dishes turned out. I couldn’t have done much more.”

“I felt well-prepared, particularly for the first round, because I’d practised that a lot. I was a bit nervous at first, but I began to settle down once I got going. It was a great experience and made me a better chef.”

Joe, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, works as a part-time chef at The Chequers Inn in the nearby village of Weston Turville at weekends.

“The competition taught me a lot about time management and being able to precisely prep dishes and make them quickly,” he said.

“It was a good opportunity to push myself further and test myself against other young chefs and see what I could achieve. It looks good on my CV and will really help my career.”

Joe was mentored for the competition by WestKing Chef Lecturer Chris Basten, a former chair of the Craft Guild of Chefs.

He said: “We are exceptionally proud of Joe. He has worked tirelessly to practise and hone his culinary skills and created fantastic dishes in the competition and rightly got the recognition his hard work and commitment deserves.

“I would like to congratulate Joe on this fantastic achievement. He is a fantastic student who has proved himself to be a skilled and competent chef on the world stage. He is a credit to the college and definitely one to watch out for in the future.”

WestKing is one of the UK’s leading schools for Hospitality and Culinary Arts with alumni including Jamie Oliver, Ainsley Harriott and Sophie Wright.

Apply now for our Hospitality courses and apprenticeships.

Performing Arts students put on ‘fantastic’ show and leave schoolchildren in Wonderland

Posted on February 16, 2022January 23, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

Aspiring actors from City and Islington College brought plenty of excitement and laughter to schoolchildren across London with their own production of Alice in Wonderland.

HNC Performing Arts students from the college’s centre in Camden Road performed their abridged version of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale to around 800 pupils at four primary schools.

Students scripted the play and added some twists including four Alices with different personalities – sad, smart, fearful and happy – after researching and improvising scenes from the book.

The show starred Elise Bradford, Mia Campbell-Fiawoo, Vasilena Grigorova and Joanna Rutagambwa as the four Alices, Curtis Bushell as the Mad Hatter, Dom Beagley at the Cheshire Cat, Jade Sozou as the Queen of Hearts and Lee Bute-Law as the White Rabbit.

The play was performed at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Islington, Peter Hills C of E Primary School in Southwark, Mission Grove Primary School in Walthamstow and at Angel Shed Theatre Company, a children’s theatre based at college’s centre in Camden Road. Further productions were also put on for staff, students and patents at the college’s theatre.

One pupil at Peter Hills C of E Primary School said the play was really good and they “wanted to laugh and cry at the same time” while another wished the cast could “come to school every day.”

Year 4/5 teacher Wanda Esterhuizen said: “We want to say a huge thank you to the talented students of City and Islington College. Our pupils were really looking forward to the show as it was the first time they’d had any guest come into school after lockdown and they thoroughly enjoyed it. The performance was fantastic and just what the whole school needed.”

The play was directed by Curriculum Leader Tim Chaundy supported by a backstage crew comprising of students Marc Roth, 19, and James Whittington-Phillips, 17, who are both studying for a Performing and Production Arts Level 3 Diploma, and Theatre Technician Natalie Tomlin.

Tim said: “Each year our students tour schools with a production but last year that was not possible because of COVID, so instead they spent their time devising their own production of Alice in Wonderland. The play was absolutely brilliant and went down a storm with the children bouncing with energy and excitedly joining in the action, much to their teachers’ joy.

“The teachers were full of praise for the show, saying how much they loved having our performers back in school, as they had brought some comedy, energy and interactive entertainment back that the children had missed during the pandemic.”

CANDI is launching a new HNC Performing Arts course with Angel Shed Theatre Company starting in September focused on diversity and inclusivity in theatre.

Find out more and apply now for Performing Arts courses.

‘I’m following my dream to become a veterinarian’

Posted on February 14, 2022January 23, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

Wendy Appiah was surrounded by animals at a young age and has wanted to work with them all her life.

She left City and Islington College (CANDI) last summer after achieving a Distinction on an Animal Management Level 3 Diploma and is now studying at the Royal Veterinary College.

Born in the Netherlands, Wendy lived for a short time as a young child on her grandparents’ farm in Ghana, surrounded by goats, sheep, chickens and cows.

When she was seven, her family moved from Amsterdam to Yorkshire before settling in London where she enjoyed looked after their pets including rabbits, turtles and fish.

She decided not to stay on at sixth form and instead applied to CANDI after visiting the college and being impressed with college’s collection of animals at its Centre for Applied Science in Angel.

Wendy, 18, said: “I’ve always loved animals. When I heard about the course at CANDI, I was like yes, sign me up, I want to study here. Now I’m following my dream to become a veterinarian and eventually have my own clinic.

“Animals have always been a fascination to me. I like the fact they’re able to develop and form their own societies. I also enjoy learning about their biology and how their bodies work. I want to help and care for them in any way possible.”

CANDI’s animal centre is home to more than 100 animals including chinchillas, ferrets, mice, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, chameleons, snakes, geckos, spiders, frogs, parrots and a variety of fish.

“Although I had experience of handling animals already, the course really opened my eyes and taught me a lot about animal welfare. It also taught me about animal health and some medical skills to use,” said Wendy.

“I spent most of my break times in the Animal Centre. It was amazing having so many different species close together and be able to look after the animals, understand their habits and behaviour and the environments they live in.”

Wendy, from Enfield, is studying for a BSc (Hons) Bioveterinary Sciences and hopes to progress to a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (BVetMed) to qualify as veterinary surgeon.

She said: “CANDI really helped prepare me for my degree. We studied bioscience and biochemistry on the Animal Management course, and there has been quite a lot of cross-over with my first year of my degree.

“All the lessons at CANDI were super engaging. You take in everything the teacher says and are around other people who clearly love animals and understand your obsession.

“You need the right people to teach you, and that’s what CANDI has. The teachers are really friendly. You can just go up to them and ask them anything, they are so open and support you with everything. It’s like talking to your best friend.”

CANDI offers an Animal Management Level 3 Diploma, the equivalent of up to three A Levels, and Animal Care Diplomas at Level 1-2.

Find out more and apply now for Animal Care courses.

New London Welding Academy will provide a skilled workforce to help build back the capital’s economy

Posted on February 14, 2022January 23, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) and construction giant Ardmore have launched the London Welding Academy to give a skills boost to the construction industry and support the capital’s economic recovery.

The COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit have exacerbated a national skills shortage in the construction sector with 217,000 new workers needed by 2025.

The number of welders in the UK has fallen by a quarter in five years. Half the nation’s welders are expected to retire by 2027, creating 36,000 new jobs to ease the housing crisis.

The new academy at the college’s Enfield Centre, will provide apprenticeship training for off-site manufacturing specialist Paddington, part of the Ardmore Group based in Brimsdown.

CONEL and Ardmore have committed to running the academy for five years and Ardmore has provided welding masks, equipment and metal to develop apprentices’ skills.

The first group of 20 welding apprentices began their training in January and talks are already under way to extend the academy to include joinery and stonemasonry skills.

Barry Connelly, CONEL’s Strategic Adviser for Engineering Development, said: “Welders are essential to many industries, from shipbuilding, aerospace, oil and gas to automotive, construction, boiler making, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and engineering.

“Welding is no longer the dirty, low paid job that many people imagine. New technologies make it clean, safe and more importantly a well-paid industry.

“Over the past five years the number of welders in the UK has shrunk by approximately 25 per cent, with more than 100 vacancies being advertised on Indeed each month.

“There are a limited number of welding training providers in London, and many do not offer a specific welding apprenticeship to train and develop welders to the professional standards that industry requires.

“That’s why we’re very excited to launch the London Welding Academy with Ardmore, which will provide skilled workers to meet the demands of the industry and support the UK’s economic recovery.”

Ardmore began looking for an apprenticeship training provider in May 2021 after deciding to return to its previous business model of growing and developing its own workforce.

The company worked with CONEL to develop a Welding Level 3 Apprenticeship training programme that will help Paddington fill its skills gap by employing local people on good salaries to work on its developments across the UK.

Apprentices will complete training, which normally takes 2-3 years, within 18 months. Those who successfully qualify are guaranteed jobs with Paddington, working on a range of developments from commercial and residential schemes to world-class hotels.

Cormac Byrne, Managing Director of Ardmore, said: “We’re used to doing things differently at Ardmore. Not many construction companies can boast their own supply chain and create something as important to the local and national economy at such pace.

“We build world-class buildings like the Ned, Corinthia London, and the Four Seasons at Ten Trinity Square, and for that we need world-class craftspeople. What better way to ensure you’ve got those people than by training your own?

“We’re training local people and putting them on some of London’s most important projects. The experience and skills they will get from being part of the welding academy will set them up for fulfilling careers.

“I must also thank CONEL for their help, and support in creating a relationship built on trust and openness, that has allowed us to achieve this goal.

“We’re excited to have already started working with our first cohort of apprentices and look forward to seeing them develop into highly-skilled craftspeople.”

Apply now for apprenticeships at the London Welding Academy. Find out more about our other construction courses and apprenticeships.

‘When people ask me what I do for a living, I’m proud to say I’m a plumber’

Posted on February 9, 2022January 23, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

With the Government looking to build 300,000 new homes each year there is a huge demand for qualified, skilled plumbers across the UK. To mark National Apprenticeship Week from 4-11 February, Harold Impraim shares how an apprenticeship gave him the skills for a plumbing career.

By his own admission, Harold Impraim was lost after graduating from university.

Despite gaining a business studies degree from the University of Bedfordshire, he found himself stuck working in retail and at a cinema in Enfield.

Five years later he decided to retrain as a plumber and today, Harold, 37, runs his own business, Higreen Plumbing and Handyman Services in Tottenham.

“I wasn’t enjoying work and felt like something was missing, and I wanted to be in control of my future,” said Harold.

“I was trying to find my feet and what I was good at. People that knew me said, ‘You’re quite practical, why don’t you try construction?’ I knew plumbing was a trade that would always give you work, the money was good, and I could potentially start my own company.”

After completing a Plumbing Level 1 Diploma at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL). Over the next two years Harold went on to complete a Plumbing Level 2 Apprenticeship with Capital City College Training (CCCT).

During this time, Harold received an Excellence Award from CONEL.

“I was really excited about plumbing. It didn’t bother me that I was having to go back to college. I knew this is what I wanted to do and what I needed to do to get there,” said Harold.

“I knew I would get hands on experience and learn on the job. I didn’t want to come out with just a certificate. I also didn’t have the money to do a full-time course, but I knew I would get paid on an apprenticeship.”

During his apprenticeship, Harold worked developments including Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, South Quay Plaza building at Canary Wharf and the Elizabeth Line.

He said: “I learnt a lot on my apprenticeship about problem solving, measuring, cutting and fusing pipes, about different systems and heating units, lagging and keeping pipes at the right temperature and how to read blueprints and schematics.

“We could practice and correct mistakes with the help of our teachers. They would share their experience, but it was also down to us to ask questions and show willingness to achieve our goals.”

Harold had no regrets about doing his degree as it has helped him with running his business but in hindsight felt he should have chosen an apprenticeship sooner.

He said: “University was a good experience but if I was to start it again, I wouldn’t have gone and would have done an apprenticeship or an internship for a job I wanted to do.

“I would do an apprenticeship for any job because it gives you experience of what it’s like working in the real world. In the time it took to do my degree, I could have done my apprenticeship training and have been working in a trade.”

Harold was attracted to the variety of work plumbing offered and while he admitted it can be challenging he has also found it a fulfilling career.

“I also like the professional status that comes with it,” he said. “When people ask me what I do for a living, I’m proud to say I’m a plumber.”

Apply now for Plumbing courses and apprenticeships.

‘Apprenticeships are definitely worth it because I’ve seen first-hand that they work’

Posted on February 8, 2022February 20, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

The UK facilities management market is one of the largest in Europe worth £47 billion and employs around 10 per cent of the population. To mark National Apprenticeship Week from 7-13 February, George Carter reveals why he invested in his future on a facilities management apprenticeship at global financial service firm Nomura with Capital City College Training (CCCT).

George Carter worked as a lifeguard before taking the plunge into facilities management.

After college he moved with his parents to the United Arab Emirates but returned after a year and began working at a sports centre in Bromley in south-east London.

George applied for an apprenticeship with Nomura feeling many of the skills he developed in the leisure industry were transferable, including managing a building, interacting with clients and stakeholders and overseeing health and safety.

Just over four years later George is in the final stages of completing a Facilities Management Level 4 Apprenticeship with the global financial giant and apprenticeship and training provider Capital City College Training (CCCT).

George, 25, started on a Level 3 apprenticeship with the firm, which employs around 26,000 people across 30 countries and regions with divisions in retail, wholesale and investment banking.

“One of the selling points for me is that it was quite a varied and challenging career path and I was likely to encounter many different types of people and areas of work. Not only that, but Nomura is a massive company. Having the opportunity to get into one of the big firms in the City was a no brainer for me,” he said.

During his apprenticeship George has been involved in some big projects such as the tendering of major service contracts at Nomura’s head office in Angel Lane, running lifecycle projects and supporting the business to adapt its operations during COVID.

“I think the biggest challenge has been learning the nuances of facilities management including procurement, management techniques, health and safety, project works and understanding finances,” said George.

“I was quite lost on a lot of things at the beginning but through the apprenticeship I have quite a good handle on them now. The training and job experience have worked well in tandem to give me all the skills needed to go on and become a facilities manager.”

George applied for his apprenticeships through an agency. The agency helped arrange his interview with Nomura, which has run apprenticeships with CCCT since 2017.

He said: “I saw the opportunity and all the aspects within the job specification lined up with my personality and skillset.

“As soon as I started, I was assigned a mentor who has been absolutely fantastic throughout the apprenticeship. He has been brilliant, answering every little question I’ve had, so from that perspective it’s been amazing.”

George was equally complementary towards CCCT Delivery Manager Jerome Lecerf, who has provided his training throughout his apprenticeship.

“The teaching I’ve had at CCCT has been absolutely fantastic,” he said.

“I’ve had the same tutor throughout my apprenticeship. He’s been brilliant. Throughout my Level 3 and for the first few sessions of my Level 4 it was all in-person, and then it went to distance learning when we went into lockdown.

“Even though it had its challenges the support I had from Jerome was very good. He could have quite easily gone down the route of doing a lot of group sessions because I think he had a cohort of about 30 people, but he made the time and had one-to-one calls with us.

“There have been a lot of assignments on the Level 4 I have found a little challenging and he has supported me through them and given me the skills and knowledge to complete the assignments.”

George has no reservations about advocating apprenticeships and recommending them as a great way into a new career.

“I knew that whatever I did after leaving leisure that there was going to be an aspect of learning involved whether that was going to university, back to college or an apprenticeship.

“Apprenticeships are definitely worth it because I’ve seen first-hand, and with other apprentices I’ve met, that they work. You get all the benefits of learning and get job experience, and without the debt that many of the people I know who have gone to university have.

“I am a lot more determined and motivated, I definitely feel a sense of direction now I know what I’m aiming for. I can see where my career’s going and feel very proud as well.”

CCCT is part of Capital City College Group, which also comprises City and Islington College, Westminster Kingsway College and the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London.

Find out more about our apprenticeships.

CONEL launches Mayor’s Academy Hub to help Londoners get into construction and green careers

Posted on February 7, 2022January 23, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) has launched a new Mayor of London Academy Hub to fast-track Londoners into construction and green careers.

The Green Academy Hub will provide skills training to create jobs and help the capital’s economic recovery from the COVID pandemic.

Capital City College Group (CCCG), which includes CONEL, secured £250,000 to run the hub after a successful bid to the Mayor’s Academies Programme.

According to the Construction Skills Network, more than 217,000 new workers will be needed in construction and green industries by 2025.

The new hub will help meet this demand and support the UK’s target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 with a focus on modern sustainable construction methods, green technologies and the expansion of EV charging points.

CONEL Vice Principal Robin Hindley said: “London is an everchanging city and there is a huge shortage of highly skilled construction workers across the sector, which has been exacerbated by Brexit and the pandemic.

“The industry needs more people to work in skilled trades across the sector to enable them to meet their contractual commitments. The environment is also high on everyone’s agenda with a need to train people new technologies to ensure the UK meets its targets to cut carbon emissions.

“Many employers have already given their firm commitment and support to our Green Academy Hub, and now it’s about building on those relationships, establishing courses and providing the industry with a pipeline of highly skilled, well-paid workers.”

The hub will build on CONEL’s long-standing reputation for providing high quality construction courses including brickwork, plumbing and electrical installations at its centres in Tottenham and Enfield.

It has been backed by employers and industry bodies including the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Morgan Sindall, Wates, Peabody, Vistry Partnerships, Absolute Solar, Retrofit Works, and the North London Waste Authority.

There will be a strong emphasis on supporting those from under-represented and disadvantaged backgrounds including black and ethnic minorities, low earners, single parents, young people, caregivers, the disabled and unemployed.

Robin said: “We have huge experience in delivering training for this sector with well-established links with employers and a fantastic track record of getting people into work. Being part of CCCG means we also have links more centrally into Islington, Camden, Westminster and surrounding boroughs.”

“Getting people trained and into work to help companies make profits and support the economy is a big part of it, but ultimately if we can build more sustainable developments and use green technologies to reach net-zero and prevent climate change to have a better quality of life, that will be the biggest win for all of us.”

The Green Academy Hub is CONEL’s latest commitment to help more people into work, which also includes a new Skills Academy in partnership with Enfield Council and Vistry Partnerships to provide construction training for the £25 million Meridian Water regeneration in Enfield.

Earlier this year the college launched the London Welding Academy alongside its London Rail Academy in Enfield with the number of welders in the UK having fallen by a quarter in five years.

CCCG was also successful in winning bids to run hubs in Creative, Digital and Hospitality hubs run by CONEL’s sister college Westminster Kingsway College. The Creative Academy Hub is run in partnership with Film London.

Find out more about the Green Academy Hub here.

Creative industries get a boost with the launch of a new skills hub to help Londoners get into work

Posted on February 2, 2022January 23, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

Capital City College Group (CCCG) – London’s largest further education college group – has today launched a new Creative hub, which will fast-track Londoners into work in the film and TV industries, by giving them the skills they need to start careers in this exciting and growing sector.

The Creative Academy Hub is run by Westminster Kingsway College, which is part of Capital City College Group, in partnership with Film London and Middlesex University London. The hub will work with employers to design education programmes that will give the industry the skilled people they need to help their businesses to grow and to safeguard the future of the sector.

It will offer skills training and education to help people into a wide range of jobs in the film, TV, animation, visual effects and games sectors, from supervisors, production carpenters and costumiers, to 3D animators, game developers, technicians and production managers, as well as legal, support and administrative roles.

It will support people from under-represented and disadvantaged backgrounds including black and ethnic minorities, young people, people earning below the London living wage, those with disabilities, the over 50s, single parents, caregivers and the unemployed.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan meets WestKing students

As Westminster Kingsway College Vice Principal Jas Sondhi explained:

“London has a well-deserved global reputation for its creative industries, but many Londoners are locked-out of careers in this growing sector. For example, only 13 per cent of creative jobs are currently filled by people from black and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.

“Other people also face barriers to creative careers too. Many people start by doing freelance work or taking low-paid jobs to get into the industry, but if you’re living on benefits, have caring responsibilities, or have been unemployed, you often can’t risk doing that, or you don’t have the skills that employers are looking for.

“As one of central London’s largest colleges, we teach thousands of people of all ages from these backgrounds every year. We also have a lot of experience of helping them into a variety of jobs and, drawing on our expertise and the knowledge and contacts of our partners, the new hub will make it easier for people to gain the skills and the confidence they need to break into these industries.”

The Creative Academy Hub also builds on Capital City College Group’s work with the creative industry. As well as running courses across its college sites in central and north London, the Group is key partner in the 01Founders coding school – which teaches high-end coding skills regardless of previous education or experience and guarantees a job at the end of the course – and works with the NextGen Skills Academy to help young people into the visual effects and games industries.

Adrian Wootton OBE, Chief Executive of Film London and the British Film Commission, said:

“Today’s announcement by the Mayor couldn’t have come at a better time. Global demand for screen content is at an all-time high, creating opportunities at every level, from camera operator to caterer to costume designer to coder. So it’s vital that we continue to develop our talented, diverse workforce here in London, to capitalise on the demand and fill thousands of new jobs being created. Film London is delighted to partner on the new Skills Academy with Capital City College Group, supported by Middlesex University and London Higher. A unique consortium of the screen industry, learning providers and government, the new Creative Sector Screen Skills Academy will help Londoners acquire new skills, retrain and progress into good jobs within the sector.

“What’s equally exciting is that, with London serving as the test bed, this initiative also has the potential to be scalable, offering a blueprint for similar screen skills academies to meet the needs of production hubs across the UK. The academy will be working closely with Screen Skills and the BFI, and its direction will be complementary to the BFI’s forthcoming Skills Review. This really will help cement the UK’s position as the leading centre for world-class content production.”

The Hub’s tried and tested approach is designed to widen the pool of people who can work in the creative industries and increase the numbers of disadvantaged Londoners in the sector. It will include free skills training with short courses and bootcamps for people with other commitments, masterclasses and opportunities to gain work experience with employers, as well as extra support for people who need it – for example, building their confidence, CV and interview skills for those who are applying for jobs, networking opportunities, ‘meet the employers’ events and workshops.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan set out plans for the Mayor’s Academies Programme in March 2021 as part of the London Recovery Plan to support vulnerable communities and rebuild the capital’s economy. The £44 million programme will support Londoners to get jobs by providing them with flexible work-based training programmes to enable them to gain and develop skills for careers in industries that are vital for London’s long-term prosperity.

The screen industries employ around 210,000 people in the UK with a turnover of £40 billion a year. The industry is expanding at three times the rate of the wider UK economy, and around 24,000 employers currently operate within the industry – c.70 per cent of which are in London or the south east.

Capital City College Group secured over £735,000 to run the Creative Academy hub after a successful bid to the Mayor’s Academies Programme. The Group has secured a total of £1.5 million to run hubs in Digital, Hospitality, Creative and Green industries after successful bids

Find out about the Capital City College Group skills Academies here.

‘Dedicated and hard-working’ engineering student receives outstanding achievement award

Posted on January 27, 2022January 23, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

A former engineering student at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) has won a prestigious award for his exceptional work during his studies.

James Marlow, 25, was presented with the Outstanding Academic Achievement award and received £500 in the Michael Sargent Bursary Awards 2021.

He achieved 15 Distinctions on an Access to Higher Education Diploma at CONEL last year and is now studying for a BSc (Hons) Computer Science at King’s College London.

Receiving his award at online ceremony on 19 January, James said: “It is a real honour to receive this award. It was a really wonderful experience studying the Access course and I learnt a lot of key skills, thanks to my tutors Muhammad and Amadu who were really terrific.

“Before I did my Access course I was working as a software developer and after five years I was ready to move on. I knew I wanted to move into academia but didn’t really know how to, because I didn’t have the qualifications. That’s where the Access course came in and now I’m at university.”

James, from Knebworth, Hertfordshire, impressed his tutors from the beginning with his drive and dedication. They also praised his excellent communication skills and friendly support for other students in his role as class representative.

Muhammad Ahmad, Lecturer in Engineering at CONEL, who nominated James for the award, said: “James was a very dedicated and hard-working student who performed outstandingly throughout the academic year and successfully achieved 45 credits at Distinction.

“James demonstrated excellent skills in all mathematical, physics and engineering modules taught this year. The evidence he produced in his take-home assignments was consistently of very high quality and the general presentation of his work was very logical and well-organised.

“I am extremely pleased to see James receive this award, which he thoroughly deserves, and I wish him well in his new adventure at university and all the best for the future.”

The Bursary Awards are presented by OCN London, a UK awarding body that provides qualifications for colleges, adult education centres, community groups, training providers, charities and employers.

They were established in memory of Michael Sargent, a trustee on the OCN London board and a member of its quality committee who was also one of its longest serving moderators for programmes from Basic Skills to Access to Higher Education Diplomas.

The Bursary Awards celebrate the achievements of Access to HE learners in two categories – Outstanding Academic Achievement and Outstanding Commitment to Study.

Jacquie Mutter, CEO of OCN London, said: “These awards are all about celebrating achievement and our winners are here today because of their hard work, determination, perseverance and because they’ve gone the extra mile to achieve excellence in the work they’ve produced.

Reflecting on the challenges of studying during the pandemic, she added: “They also recognise these students’ sheer endurance and that in spite of everything, they’ve achieved and moved on into higher education.”

Access to Higher Education Diplomas are one-year courses for adults looking to study at university or other higher education provider, but who do not have the qualifications needed for entry.

Students can pay for these courses using an Advanced Learner Loan that will be written-off once they have completed their higher education course.

CONEL no longer runs an Access to Higher Education Diploma in Engineering, but the course is still available at its sister colleges, City and Islington College and Westminster Kingsway College.