Hannah Fenton, Author at Capital City College Group

Media students get the inside story on careers in journalism with former reporter

Posted on January 20, 2022January 23, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

A Level Media students at Westminster Kingsway College have been inspired by a visit from a former news journalist who gave them the scoop on working in journalism.

Paul Cassell worked for the Reading Post and its sister papers The Wokingham Times and Bracknell Standard from 2003-2013. He is now Senior Press Officer for Capital City College Group, which includes WestKing.

He joined the students during one of their lessons at the college’s King’s Cross Centre and explained what skills journalists need, what makes a story newsworthy and gave them advice on getting into the industry.

Paul also provided tips on interviewing and writing techniques including an exercise where students pretended to be journalists interviewing people about a fictional fire, and another where they had to turn fairytales and nursery rhymes into news stories. Media student Abena Peprah, 18, who hopes to become a broadcast journalist, said: “Today has been very helpful. It’s given me a really deep insight into the world of journalism and what I need to put in place for my dream career to happen.

“I’m a very confident, adventurous and spontaneous person and like the idea of going out and speaking to other people ad hearing their opinions that may be different to my own and understanding things from their perspective.”

Another student, Sean Weale, 18, said: “I would like to get into investigative journalism as I like solving problems. Being able to travel the world and interview people also really inspires me.

“It was interesting finding out what makes a story newsworthy and what questions to ask when you’re interviewing someone. I had the gist of what journalism was, but I learnt a lot of new things during the presentation.”

Paul covered many different aspects of news during his journalism career including crime, politics, education, health, business, entertainment, environmental and human interest stories after studying a National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) course.

In that time, he had the opportunity to interview many high-profile figures including Theresa May, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg, and bands and celebrities including Squeeze, McFly, Jenny Agutter, Stephen Merchant, John Challis, Samantha Womack and Ralf Little.

Paul also covered the Royal Wedding party celebrations of Reading-born Kate Middleton’s wedding to Prince William in her home village of Bucklebury, and the Olympic torch being carried through Reading ahead of the London 2012 Games.

Roxanne Baptiste, Lecturer in A Level Media Studies, said: “We really appreciated Paul coming in and giving our students an insight in what it’s like to be a journalist and the skills they need to work in the media industry.

“As part of the A Level media course students study newspapers and online news with particular emphasis on the political ideology of the institution and how that influences news stories.

“The session really got them thinking about what is expected of journalists at a professional level and the skills and knowledge required, how to research and write stories, and the preparation and study they need to do for a journalism career.”

Apply now for A Levels at WestKing.

WestKing student chef to represent England in global cooking competition

Posted on January 19, 2022February 27, 2024 by Hannah Fenton

The heat is on for a Westminster Kingsway College student as he prepares to represent England in this year’s International Young Chef Olympiad.

Joe Slater, 18, will be among the student and apprentice chefs from around the world competing in the culinary battle across six continents and 24 time zones from 31 January to 6 February.

The competition, founded by Indian entrepreneur Dr Surborno Bose and now in its eighth year, will be held online for a second year due to the COVID pandemic.

Each participant will undertake a 30-minute skills test and then compete in a first round to make four portions of a vegetarian pasta dish and crème caramel.

The 10 best chefs will then go through to the next round where they will be asked to create a chicken dish with ingredients from a mystery basket.

They will have two and a half hours to complete each round and will be judged by an independent professional chef.

Each entrant is allowed a mentor to help prepare them for the competition.

Joe, who is the third year of a Professional Chef diploma, said: “It’s my first competition and I’m really excited. It’s good experience and I’m ready for it.

“I heard about it a few weeks before Christmas. I found out the briefs and got on with preparing for it. It’s been going well. I’ve been practising the dish and we’ve put it on the college restaurant menu.”

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

He said: “I’ve learnt a lot at college over the past three years that is going to help, especially working in both the college restaurants. I know at colleges local to me there’s a lot more theory. It’s a lot more hands on here and you get the best experience. The facilities are very good and the lecturers have a lot knowledge to transfer to you.”

Joe studied food technology at GCSE and decided he wanted to become a chef after hearing about WestKing when he was 15.

He said: “I cooked a lot more in that year and felt this is what I want to do. I came to the college and my passion for it has just got bigger. I like creating my own dishes and enjoy the buzz of the kitchen when it’s busy. It can be challenging, but I like the excitement of it.”

Westminster Kingsway College has two public restaurants – The Brasserie and The Escoffier Room – where students like Joe hone their skills and prepare for jobs in the hospitality industry by creating and serving dishes for the paying public.

With other colleges closing their public restaurants over the last few years, WestKing’s students appreciate the opportunity to work in a real restaurant kitchen, which makes them more employable when they leave the college.

WestKing Chef Lecturer Chris Basten, a former chair of the Craft Guild of Chefs, chose Joe to be WestKing’s entrant and is his mentor.

Chris guided former WestKing student Beth Collings, who now works at The Salt Room in Brighton, to win bronze in the competition in 2020.

Chris said: “I’ve been helping and supporting Joe as much as I can, not that he needs much tuition. It’s just about fine tuning what he does in the kitchen.

“He produces consistently good food, has a good manner and calm temperament when he’s cooking and doesn’t flap when he’s under pressure.

“Everybody has a good chance of winning and it can come down to how well you perform on the day. Joe has a good a chance as any.”

WestKing’s Hospitality and Culinary Arts courses and apprenticeships offer students unrivalled opportunities to learn from our experienced team of Chef Lecturers in our industry standard professional kitchens.

The college also has excellent relationships with some of the country’s top chefs – some of whom are former WestKing students themselves, giving students the chance to gain work placements and helping them find great jobs when they leave the college.

Find out more and apply for our Hospitality and Culinary Arts courses and apprenticeships here.

Students interview former CANDI teacher and Costa Award winner Hannah Lowe

Posted on January 13, 2022January 24, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

Students at City and Islington College (CANDI) interviewed writer and poet Hannah Lowe ahead of her latest work winning both the Costa Poetry Award and Costa Book of the Year Award.

Hannah, who taught English at the college from 2002 to 2012, won these awards for The Kids, her book of sonnets about teaching, learning, growing up and parenthood.

Hannah’s first success was in the Costa Poetry Award in January. And in February, Hannah went on to win the £30,000 Costa Book of the Year Award.

The Kids draws on her decade of teaching at CANDI as well as her own coming of age in the 80s and 90s, and explores issues of race, identity and class.

In December, college students interviewed Hannah for The Jam podcast, which was initially set up at the college as a way for students to talk about their experiences in lockdown and has gone on to feature discussions on various academic and social topics.

Hannah spoke to Adam Njai, 19, a former CANDI student at the college studying for a BA (Hons) History at the University of Bristol, and Gabrielle Okonkwo, 17, who is studying A Levels in English Literature and Language, History and Politics at the college.

In the interview, Hannah said: “I began sketching these poems about five years ago after I’d left the sixth form and had a period of reflection where I started to think about what I’d learnt in my time as a teacher, not least from the students I was teaching.

“I realised I’d learnt so much from the young people that I taught about personal things, and public and political issues to do with feelings of belonging, a sense of Britishness or not, social class and gender; and I started to think about how they had impacted my own sense of my own identity.”

Hannah left CANDI to complete a PhD in Creative Writing at Newcastle University and now lectures in the subject at Brunel University. Her other works include Chan (2016), Long Time, No See (2015) and Chick (2013).

One critic described her poems in The Kids as “funny, moving, sometimes painful and always questioning,” adding that “they capture teachers and their students’ learning life from each other in profound and unexpected ways.”

Reviewing the podcast, Elysha Smith, 17, who is studying A Levels in English Literature, History and Philosophy, said: ‘I was left feeling enlightened, like I had heard the much-needed other side to a story I had been reading since I was young. Putting it simply, this is just the kind of thing that students should listen to if they ever forget that their teachers are human too.”

A Level History teacher Debbie Bogard, who set up The Jam podcast, said: “From the very beginning, this has been a student-driven initiative, and it’s been such an excellent way for our students to develop creatively and engage with learning beyond the curriculum.

“It’s also been a brilliant way of drawing on the expertise of our wonderful ex-students and ex-teachers and welcoming them into our wider college community. I’m incredibly proud of what our students have achieved here, and already excited to hear where the podcast goes next.”

The Kids is published by Bloodaxe and is out now on Amazon and at all discerning bookshops.

You can listen to The Jam podcast on The Kids he r e

This article was updated on 4 February 2022, to include Hannah’s success in the Costa Book of the Year Award.

Interested in studying A Levels at City and Islington College? Apply for A Level courses

Hotel manager praises CONEL and calls for more women in top travel and tourism jobs

Posted on January 12, 2022January 24, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

A hotel manager who studied Travel and Tourism at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) has called for more women to be given top jobs in the industry.

Jael Akyeampong is General Manager of the RB Park-Hill Hotel in Ghana, the country where she was born and grew up before coming to the UK when she was 19.

She is also a Director of the African Association of Women in Tourism and Hospitality (AAWTH) and was named Most Admired Female Hospitality Professional in the Hospitality Awards Ghana 2021.

According to travel and tourism consultants Aptamind, women represent half of all employees across the sector but only 19 per cent are in senior management roles and just five of the top 100 firms globally have a female CEO.

Jael said: “Most of the leadership roles in the travel and hospitality industry are occupied by men. There are some women in management but too few are getting the top positions. That is something we need to put right.

“The AAWTH looks to give more women the opportunity to work in more senior roles by working with the industry to provide internships and offer more coaching and mentoring. Women have a lot to offer and can bring a new perspective to the boardroom. We need more female role models to look up to, who can support and usher more women into the business.

“I am very proud that I’ve been able to build my career and acquire a high level of leadership, but the sector needs to open up more opportunities for women to show what they can do. There’s a lot of progress that still needs to be made.”

Jael studied Travel and Tourism at CONEL in 2013-14 where she undertook a work placement at the five-star JW Marriott Grosvenor House London hotel in Park Lane, which later helped her to secure a position at the Accra Marriott Hotel in Ghana.

“My time at CONEL really inspired me a lot, especially the internship, tours and support. We would do presentations and share what we’d learnt in class, and our teachers would give us coaching sessions and career guidance,” she said.

“I always looked forward to my classes because I had great tutors who would listen, acknowledge the fact that we wanted to learn more and gave us the opportunity to express ourselves. It was a great experience. What I learnt at CONEL really helped me with my career.”

Jael returned to Ghana in 2017 after a spell working as a Travel Consultant for Xstream Travel. She began working for Deeva Travel in Accra before landing a customer service role at the Accra Marriott Hotel where she was later promoted to a supervisory position.

She went on to study online for a Diploma in Tourism Management with the Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality accredited by the University of Derby, before topping it up to a BA (Hons) International Hospitality Business Management.

Jael was appointed Front Office Manager at the RB Park-Hill Hotel in 2019 and promoted to her current role of General Manager last year. Recently she has started running her own travel agency for newlyweds, The Haven Honeymoon Concierge, alongside her main job.

“The travel and hospitality industry is gradually picking up after COVID, and people are travelling and staying in hotels again and there are jobs out there,” said Jael.

“It’s a really exciting and enjoyable career because you get to meet many different people from all over the world. It’s very hands on and you’re often working long hours, but it’s worth it.

“I love to serve people and put a smile on their faces. What makes me really happy is when a guest gives a nice review about their stay. It gives me a great sense of fulfilment knowing I offered a great service to somebody.”

Apply now for Travel and Tourism courses.

‘The only way we’re going to fix the rail skill shortage is to train new people’

Posted on January 10, 2022January 24, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

With the UK rail industry facing the challenge of an ageing workforce, Glen Lambert. Head of School, for Construction, Science and Engineering at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL), spoke to Rail Technology Magazine (RTM) recently about how investing in apprenticeships can fill this gap.

The UK rail engineering industry is facing a huge skills shortage in the face of multi-billion pound Government investment to improve the rail network over the coming years.

In its article Creating a Younger and More Diverse Workforce Through Apprenticeships, RTM referred to a study by City & Guilds and the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR), which revealed that 28 per cent of rail employees are over 50 and 120,000 people will need to be recruited over the next decade.

Glen called on rail industry leaders to address the aging work population in the sector by investing more heavily in apprenticeships and explained how CONEL is already supporting companies create a new skilled engineering workforce.

He said: “There’s been a lack of investment from employers in training young people, they prefer to go out to agencies and hire qualified and trained people, which isn’t a bad thing. But the only way we’re going to fix this skill shortage through this ageing workforce is to train new people into the industry.”

According to the City & Guilds and NSAR research, fewer than a fifth of rail employees are women, despite nearly a quarter saying they would consider a career in the sector. In a related RTM article in the same edition, Network Rail’s own research revealed an increase in female employees from BAME backgrounds.

Glen acknowledged that it was not just down to rail companies to recruit underrepresented groups but felt more involvement was needed from the industry, including having positive role models visit colleges and schools to inspire young people into rail careers.

He said: “We need to look at what the barriers are to getting people into the industry. Is it that they don’t believe that they can get there? Is it careers advice in school? How well does the rail industry engage with secondary schools for example, do they go in and do events? … We need to identify what the barriers are and how we overcome those barriers.”

CONEL is part of Capital City College Group (CCCG). Rail apprentices are trained at the college’s huge engineering provision at its Enfield Centre, which includes the London Rail Academy. Most are recruited directly by rail companies, while others are existing engineering students or recruited by Capital City College Training (CCCT), which is also part of CCCG,

Read the full article Creating a Younger and More Diverse Workforce Through Apprenticeships in RTM on pages 64-72.

A Level Physics students reach for the stars in UK Space Design Competition

Posted on December 22, 2021January 24, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

A Level Physics students from City and Islington College are over the moon after reaching the national finals of the UK Space Design Competition.

Ten students from the college’s Sixth Form Centre were part of a team including other schools and colleges that won the London and South East regional heat of the competition.

Each team was placed in a fictional space technology company created by the competition’s organisers from the Space Science and Engineering Foundation.

The CANDI students were in a company called Earhart Advanced Industries and tasked with designing a spaceship to take 1,000 people to and from Mars.

The team worked together online because of the COVID pandemic to develop their design and then presented it to a panel of academic and industry experts.

The challenge aims to simulate real-life industry working and tests students’ knowledge and expertise in science, engineering, design and business.

‘My time at CANDI has exceeded my expectations. I feel supported and valued. The education I am getting here is to a standard which I wouldn’t have imagined. It’s much better than I thought it would be.’ – Rayhan Miah, A Level Physics student

Physics student Rayhan Miah, 17, said: “We all worked very hard. It was a highly intensive situation, but I feel with the amount of effort and teamwork we put in, particularly towards the end, our win was definitely well-deserved.

“I was part of the structural team, which involved creating the main design of the spaceship, making sure I knew the dimensions, how to build it and that it maintained artificial gravity. It was quite a hectic and sometimes stressful experience with a lot of on-the-spot thinking, but I know now that if I have that sort of task in the future, I have the skills and ability to dedicate myself to something this challenging with good results too. I was proud of what we accomplished.”

Rayhan, who hopes to work in aerospace engineering or astrophysics, added: “My time at CANDI has exceeded my expectations. I feel supported and valued. The education I am getting here is to a standard which I wouldn’t have imagined. It’s much better than I thought it would be.

“Doing this competition has made me more motivated to go into this area as a career. These types of opportunities open your eyes and give you the opportunity to see where your skills can apply in the future.”

‘The unique opportunities like this that CANDI provides set it apart from other colleges. It’s the reason I applied to come here. You won’t get this kind of experience anywhere else.’ – Ansa Sajid, A Level Physics student

Another student, Ansa Sajid, 17, said: “I’m very happy. I didn’t think we would win, but we did and we’re very proud of ourselves. I love creating solutions to problems, and working with other people

who share similar interests was really good fun and rewarding. It was one of the best things I‘ve done.

“The competition was completely online so communication was difficult, but everyone worked together and came up with lots of ideas and built on them. It was hard to make something that can power an entire ship that doesn’t cost a huge amount of money. We also had to consider the human side of being on a ship for that long. As we got into it, we realised the need to keep them happy and healthy was just as important as the science.”

Ansa, who hopes to study mechanical engineering at university, added: “I went to an all-girls school with a heavy focus on STEM and feminism that really encouraged us to get into these careers. Doing the competition has made me even more passionate about what I want to do.

“The unique opportunities like this that CANDI provides set it apart from other colleges. It’s the reason I applied to come here. You won’t get this kind of experience anywhere else.”

The national finals are expected to take place at Imperial College London in March, with the winners heading to the world finals at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida the summer.

Physics teacher Sajib Al-Rashid said: “The UK Space Design Competition is a fantastic opportunity for students to work collaboratively and use their creativity to come up with solutions.

“The multi-disciplinary nature of the competition means you need people with a variety of interests, from the technical aspects of designing a space settlement to the human aspect of meeting the needs of people.

“Our students worked tirelessly from the start of the day until the final presentations and announcement of the winners. I am thrilled that they have won this round of the competition and will be going to the national finals early next year.”

Apply now for A Level courses.

Students build up their knowledge with the Royal Institute of British Architects

Posted on December 21, 2021January 24, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

Students from City and Islington College gained a firm foundation in architecture and town planning when they visited the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

Eighteen A Level and Engineering diploma students discovered more about historic and modern design at the institute’s head office in Portland Place, Marylebone.

They attended an exhibition to mark the centenary of the Becontree Estate in Dagenham, heard about its history and looked at how the estate had changed over the years.

The students then discussed contemporary housing and planning issues and created 3D paper houses and a new neighbourhood to meet the needs of new residents.

A Level student Clarissa Alie, 18, said: “I’ve been interested in architecture for a while and I’m hoping to study it at university. I’ve travelled quite a bit in my life and like to see architectural designs in different places. I like the idea of doing something creative that can enhance a community and the environment.

“The trip focused on analysing building schemes, seeing what can be improved about them and communities and what different places need. We made little houses out of paper and planned out an area that was appropriate for the people that would be living there and the things they would need, such as schools, shops and parks.

“We also looked at an exhibition on the Becontree Estate and they explained things we’d pointed out to them. They also told us about courses and the various jobs you can do in architecture. It was very informative and insightful.”

CANDI is looking to become part of RIBA’s Architecture Ambassador initiative, which pairs architecture professionals with teachers to run workshops in schools and colleges to inspire children and young people to learn and share their views on the built environment.

Bryony Abbott, Schools Programme Co-ordinator at RIBA, said: “It was a pleasure to have City and Islington College to visit the RIBA’s headquarters. It was lovely to see the breadth of built environment careers students were interested in pursuing, and to see how engaged they were in learning more.

“The students took well to the interactivity of the session. They thought critically about how our built environment is designed and developed, and were fully engaged in the process of drawing and model making.

“We look forward to working with City and Islington students again in the near future.”

Britain needs to build more homes, and engineers play a very important role in any housing or commercial development, including understanding the structural and mechanical aspects of the development before work stats and during construction.

Start your journey to a career in this exciting and growing sector, by applying now for our A Level and Engineering courses.

Students’ music show brings festive cheer and presents to disadvantaged children

Posted on December 14, 2021January 24, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

Big-hearted students put on a music concert to raise funds and donated presents to bring some festive cheer to disadvantaged children this Christmas.

Students at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) organised the show to support The TOY Project and encouraged staff and students to donate toys.

The TOY Project recycles unwanted toys for children in the UK, India, Africa and the Caribbean, and also runs Lego, art and storytelling workshops.

The Islington-based charity was co-founded by Angela Malloch, the wife of former Neighbours star and 1980s pop icon Jason Donovan who is the charity’s patron.

Most of the songs were performed by students completing Music Performance and Production Diplomas at Level 1 and Level 2 at the college’s Tottenham Centre.

Silvia Bortolotti, 25, opened the concert with a cover of Amy Winehouse’s hit Valerie.

Lheyla Esono Engo, 18, and Emil Vasilev, 20, sang a duet of James Smith’s Tell Me That You Love Me, and Sarah Delobette, 19, performed Jess Glynne’s cover of seasonal soul classic This Christmas.

There was also a DJ set by Ramon Pazos, 47, a poem read by Hairdressing student Blessing Anyaegbunam, 28, and a performance by guest singer Maalik Robinson.

There were also performances by Isabel Palma Gomes, 17, and Cathleen Farrell, 38, which included the Christmas carol O Holy Night.

Cathleen said: “Children all around the world are directly affected by social and economic issues and circumstances that bring about poverty. Sadly, many experience a Christmas each year without the gifts and toys that bring us all joy in the festive season.

“We hope that by putting on this concert and making donations to The TOY Project many of them will have a happier Christmas.”

The concert’s finale featured all the singers performing Puerto Rican singer José Feliciano’s 1970 festive hit Feliz Navidad.

The TOY Project helps children in schools, nurseries, hospitals and hospices, those in care or with complex needs, migrants and refugees as well as homeless and other underprivileged families.

Jane Garfield, who founded the charity with Angela in 2013, said: “Thank you to everyone who took part in this fabulous concert raising funds and donating toys to those most in need this Christmas.

“After such difficult times more families than ever are struggling to provide for their children, and being able to give toys to the children lifts the worry and stress over the festive period.

“We are so grateful to have been part of your celebration of music and wish everyone a very merry Christmas.”

Sharon Wallace, Curriculum Manager for Creative Media and Music, said: “It was wonderful seeing and hearing our talented students perform for such a good cause to make Christmas that extra bit special for so many children.”

Apply now for Music Production and Performance courses.

Performing Arts students ‘achieve greatness’ in production of Twelfth Night

Posted on December 9, 2021January 24, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

Aspiring actors from Westminster Kingsway College took to the stage when they starred in Shakespeare’s romantic comedy Twelfth Night.

Two casts of Performing Arts students performed abridged and pantomime versions of the Bard’s work at the college’s theatre at its King’s Cross Centre from 7-8 December.

Twelfth Night tells the story of twins, Viola and Sebastian, who are separated after a shipwreck. Viola, disguised as a page boy, falls in love with Duke Orsino. However, Duke Orsino is in love with Countess Olivia who in turn, falls for Viola thinking she is a man.

Zaris-Angel Hator, 17, who played Viola, said: “I’d never read the play before, so I’ve had to explore it and understand Shakespeare and the language. I’ve enjoyed it and it’s been really fun to do.

“Viola’s quite reserved and wants to do the right thing but has a crush on her master who is in love with Countess Olivia. We’ve all had crushes and trying to get them to fancy you when they like somebody else. I’ve been through that and I used it to develop her character. I also worked with my teacher on my voice to get make myself less feminine. It was quite challenging because the audience needs to know it’s still Viola but she’s also playing someone else.”

Shakira Yearwood-Hines, 18, who played Duke Orsino, said: “Orsino is in love with Countess Olivia and really wears his heart on his sleeve. I tried to be really manly and pick up on the little things he does. I actually enjoyed playing a man, I’m a bit of a tomboy and the females in Shakespeare are just too dainty.

“I loved doing the play. It meant stepping out of my comfort zone. I mainly sing and dance, and acting isn’t something I would never normally have tried. It was difficult at first, but my teacher has helped me come along way and given me more confidence.”

“I love the creative process of starting with nothing and building your character, and each time you add something you reveal more about them. I love that you can change an audience’s perspective or way of thinking, or if they are having a hard day you can make them smile.”

The play was directed by Performing Arts lecturer Rob Alexander who will be leaving WestKing this academic year after nearly two decades at the college.

His former students include actors Jumayn Hunter, Tobi King Bakare, Francis Lovehall, Romario Simpson, Babyre Bukilwa and comedians Babatúndé Aléshé and Jamali Maddix.

Rob said: “This was the first full production the students have put on in two years because of the pandemic. They all worked incredibly hard on what were quite complex scripts and deserved all the plaudits they received.

“I’ve had a fantastic 19 years at WestKing. We’ve worked with professional companies, put on some fantastic productions and taught some very talented students. I’m not aware any other FE college has the same number of alumni we have working as actors or in music or comedy.

“To quote Twelfth Night, ‘Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.’ I hope in some small way I have helped each of my students be the greatest they can be.

“I will miss WestKing enormously, but as they say the show must go on.” Apply now for Performing Arts courses.

Apply now for Performing Arts courses.

‘I’m in a job I love’ – Former Travel and Tourism student’s career takes off with British Airways

Posted on November 19, 2021January 24, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

A British Airways flight attendant has told how the experience of making his first flight after winning an international writing competition at college inspired his dream career.

Richard Coelho-McErlean, 24, studied a Travel and Tourism diploma at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) in 2014-16 before landing a job with the country’s flagship airline.

While at college he flew to France after winning a competition run by Global Travel and Tourism Partnership (GTTP), a charity which helps young people get skills and experience to work in the sector.

Richard, who lives in Enfield, said: “I’d always felt I wanted to work for an airline cabin crew from the moment I left school, even though I had never flown in my life at that point.

“I won a creative writing competition with another student at college about sustainable adventure tourism and they flew us to Nice. That flight really sealed the deal for me. I thought this is what I want to do and I’m not going to let anything stand in my way.”

Richard works for BA CityFlyer, a subsidiary of British Airways operating domestic and European flights from London City Airport, although he sometimes flies from other airports.

He said: “I applied on a whim thinking I probably wasn’t going to get it, but three months later I was employed. Most of the time I will do day trips, out in the morning and coming back in the evening, but I do get a few stay overs in some countries.”

Richard, who is originally from Glasgow, moved to Enfield when he was seven. After leaving school he studied an air cabin crew course at another college before completing his diploma at CONEL.

Richard started at British Airways in March 2020 but was placed on furlough a week into his training because of COVID and did not fly with the airline until June this year. The training consisted of a six-week intensive course with exams followed by five familiarisation flights shadowing cabin crew.

“During training you get taught about the worst possible things that could happen, you get trained to help a person having a cardiac arrest or how to manage a fire or decompression in the cabin. I’d worked in customer service roles and dealt with stressful situations, so it came quite naturally to me,” said Richard.

Richard will usually make up to four short domestic flights a day but has had the opportunity to stop over on longer journeys to destinations across Europe.

He said: “It doesn’t feel like a job, it feels like a lifestyle. You’ve got the perks of travelling to places for free and meeting new people every day. Every flight I’ve had so far has had different crew members, which has given me new perspectives on how they work, so every day I’m perfecting myself and learning new things.”

Richard hopes to eventually become an onboard Customer Service Manager, but for the time-being he is happy in his current role.

He said: “I don’t want to be promoted too quickly because I want to enjoy it. I feel I’m in a good place. I’m in a job I love and want to take my time with it. Who knows what may happen in the future? I’m a ‘go with the flow’ type of person.”

Richard has fond memories of his time at CONEL and recently returned to the college to share his experiences of working in the industry with the college’s current Travel and Tourism students.

He said: “Compared to school and the previous college I went to, I never received so much support. I remember thinking these people really care about my education and want to see me thrive, which is why I wanted to come back to CONEL. I felt it was only right that I give back what they gave to me, and hopefully inspire some of the students.”

While at CONEL, Richard took part in the Career Ready programme that helps prepare young people for their future careers, which included an internship at a Marriott hotel.

He said: “I was given a lot of opportunity at CONEL to develop myself. I was quite quiet and introverted at the start, but my teachers kept on encouraging me because they could see I had potential. They gave me the confidence to believe in myself and gave me the push that I needed.”

CONEL runs Travel and Tourism courses at Level 2 and Level 3 covering topics including UK and global tourist destinations, visitor attractions, cruises, air travel and customer experience.

Sandra Mirkovic, Lecturer in Travel and Tourism, said: “Richard was a real pleasure to teach. I am delighted he has found a great career in the travel industry with British Airways and I am sure he will go far. His visit really inspired our students and showed what they can go on to achieve after they’ve completed their qualifications.”