The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London has partnered with Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust and Haringey Council to support young people with learning disabilities into employment.

The programme, which is run in partnership with Project SEARCH, a charity that works with organisations in the UK to help people with learning disabilities find a job, will provide the young people with a year-long supported internship at North Middlesex University Hospital while they complete their academic studies at CONEL.

The students, aged between 16 and 24, will work in various departments across the hospital and will be given tasks designed to build their self-confidence, teambuilding and communication skills.

In addition to hands-on work experience, they will receive mentoring and attend additional workshops organised by Tottenham Hotspur Foundation to help further develop their career potential and prepare them for the workplace.

At the end of the academic year, the students will have an opportunity to apply for a full-time job at the hospital. Anyone who isn’t successful will be supported by Tottenham Hotspur Foundation to find alternative employment.

According to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics, only seven per cent of people with a learning disability are currently in paid employment and these people face the most significant barriers to getting a paid job and a sustainable career. This figure increases to 65 per cent for those that have been through Project SEARCH programmes.

Robin Hindley, Interim Deputy Principal at CONEL, said: “CONEL is very pleased to be working on this programme with Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and our local hospital, with the support of Project SEARCH. By working together, the young people will receive a greater level of support, allowing them to realise their potential and to be ready to compete with all other applicants for roles at the hospital and beyond.”

Gareth Jones, Equalities and Inclusion Manager, Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, said: “Tottenham Hotspur Foundation has been working with Project SEARCH for the past couple of years to help identify work experience placements and employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities living in the Club’s local community. We are delighted to be working in partnership with North Middlesex Hospital and CONEL to support a new group of young people find meaningful, long-term employment which will help them live independent and fulfilling lives.”

Alfredo Thompson, Director of Workforce Programmes, North Middlesex University Hospital, said: “We are thrilled to welcome the young people to our hospital and look forward to working with them and supporting them throughout the academic year. Project SEARCH is important to us as it’s aligned to our commitment to our local communities, ensures we are an inclusive organisation which provides opportunities for young people across north London.”

On 26 November, a group of City and Islington College Sixth Form students attended the Ministry of Sound studios as part of a nationwide initiative for work experience.

As part of the broader Discover! Creative Careers week-long event, a number of industry leaders opened their doors to students across the nation to provide insight into the true inner workings of some of the country’s most dynamic and glamorous sectors.

Discover! Creative Careers Week was run by young people’s charity Creative & Cultural Skills. The organisation aims offers relevant work experience opportunities via the National Skills Academy’s network of industry and education supporters.

Facilitated by the Careers team at our Sixth Form Centre, City and Islington College students were invited to “engage, explore and network” with industry professionals at the Ministry of Sound HQ.

Ministry of Sound Group is a multimedia entertainment business, hosting a nightclub, workspace and members club. Founded in 1991, the organisation has slowly expanded to provide opportunities for creative businesses in London, welcoming in the next generation of performers and artists.

Sixth form student Evangeline said: “The trip was so great. We got to learn about not only the Ministry of Sound and how it changed music for so many people, but also about the industry it’s in. We talked to so many people helping in so many ways showing the great variety of careers we can choose from and we got to have a lot of fun learning.”

A Level student Ella-Rae added: “The trip was really interesting and informative as we got to learn about all the different jobs at the Ministry of Sound, as well as getting involved in all the aspects such as trying out the turn-tables — not just in the music but also the lighting and planning of an event.”

The event followed on from a tour of the Warner Brothers head office the previous week, also part of the Discover! Creative Careers schedule.

Head of Careers, Jo Bishop said: “We’re very happy to be able to offer our students these opportunities; for many it’s their first time relating their education back to work, which is a crucial part of carving out a meaningful career.

“Students are often surprised by the many careers open to them after A Levels. We try to give all students the opportunity to learn from employers, which we couldn’t do without the help of our local partners. It is rewarding to be able to show students how creativity can be used in so many exciting career options.”

On Tuesday 3 December 2019, the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London held its annual Excellence Awards. 

Once again, Nims Obunge – Pastor at Freedom’s Ark Church in Tottenham and member of the CONEL Local Advisory Board – was the compere for the evening. He said: “Tonight is about celebrating the fantastic achievements of many of CONEL’s students and apprentices who have worked exceptionally hard over the past year to get the qualifications that they rightly deserve.

“We will also be honouring some of the incredible staff who work tirelessly in the classroom and support our learners, and recognise those who have worked at the college for many years.”

“Alongside our student and staff awards, we will be thanking several of our employer partners who have worked with CONEL to provide hundreds of apprenticeships and work placements each year.”

The awards include the Paul Head Excellence Award (in memory of our former principal), which recognises a learner who has overcome a significant barrier to their learning to succeed. This year’s winner was Creative Media Production Level 3 student, Joe Watson.

A truly inspirational student, Joe has overcome a number of barriers in his life to successfully pass the first year of his Level 3 Diploma. Brought up in care and living independently at a young age, he has shown huge commitment and enthusiasm during his studies. He demonstrates a real flair and ability to communicate, pitch and develop creative ideas. Joe recently appeared in a video for BBC Bitesize about moving from care into college, and he is also set to feature in a BBC documentary.

CONEL Principal, Kurt Hintz, said “I am enormously proud to be Principal of CONEL, and share in the fantastic achievements of our students, staff and employers tonight, after another truly outstanding year for the college.

“The college has gone from strength to strength since its merger into Capital City College Group, with year-on-year increases in enrolments and an overall pass rate of 94.2% in 2018-19. This year included outstanding results in GCSE Maths where 77% of our adult students achieved high 9 to 4 grades, what was previously A* to C, in their summer exams.

“Since we became London’s First Free College, offering all of our full-time courses at Entry Level to Level 2 free, regardless of someone’s age or income, we have seen more and more people applying and enrolling. Such is the success of this initiative, that it has now been emulated by our sister college, The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London.

“At CONEL, we have also continued offering free short courses across much of our curriculum. These have been a massive success with 48% of students taking these courses going on to study at higher level qualifications.

“This year the college reached the finals of the Association of Colleges’ Beacon Awards, for its work to support the mental health and wellbeing of its learners and staff. This is fantastic recognition for the work we have been doing here at CONEL.

“CONEL has also recently been awarded £150,000 from the Mayor’s Young Londoners Fund, to invest in a range of programmes to support more than 700 vulnerable teenagers across six London boroughs over the next three years.

“Earlier this year CONEL became one of the first Mayor’s Construction Academy hubs, having been accredited for its high quality training by the Greater London Authority in July 2018. This has resulted in a £300,000 investment in construction training at the college to support the building of several huge multi-million developments across London.

“2019 saw us set up our new Start Up, Step Up London initiative, supported by the Mayor of London, to encourage entrepreneurship in the capital, including workshops, targeted skills training, coaching and mentoring with business and industry experts.

“In March, the college also held a Rail and Engineering apprenticeships and careers day for prospective students and apprentices to hear about what the college offers, and from some of the top employers we run programmes with, including NTAR, Siemens, Bombardier, Alstom, Thales and Eurostar.

“And in July, CONEL celebrated as more than 100 students graduated after successfully completing Higher Education, Access to HE and Teacher Education courses, as well as Advanced and Higher Apprenticeships.

“Outside the classroom, our Basketball Academy team came fifth out of six teams nationally in the Academy Basketball League and won the Association of Colleges’ National 3on3 Championship and the Community Basketball League, while Jan Szponarski from our Martial Arts Academy became Ultra MMA Boxing Welterweight UK Champion at the first attempt.

“With all these successes in mind, I would like to turn to tonight and congratulate every one of you receiving an award this evening.

“I would like to thank our staff and employers for your hard work, dedication and enthusiasm in supporting our students to fulfil their potential.”

“And of course, I would like to celebrate the success of our students and apprentices who have worked tremendously hard and produced excellent work and attained superb results over the past year. Whether you are continuing your education at CONEL or have now left the college for university or your chosen career, I would like to wish you every success in your future.

“I speak for the Principalship and Governors, when I say we are all immensely proud of your support and achievements.”

Isabella Woodcock, who is studying the Sports Level 3 Extended Diploma at CONEL, is the face of the 2019/20 Tottenham Hotspur marketing campaign.

The opportunity arose for Isabella through contacts that CONEL Football Coach, Josemar Santos, and Head of Sport, Jonathan Silman, have at Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs Supporter Isabella explained, “My coach and I were invited down to Tottenham’s ground to do a workshop where we gave our ideas of what the 2020/21 football kit should look like. We gave some ideas of what colours and designs we thought would look nice.

“After that event, they emailed my coach and asked if I was interested in being in an international advert with Nike and Tottenham. I said ‘yes’ straight away and sent over my details. I then spoke to a Tottenham representative who was my point of contact throughout the photoshoot.”

“I am very thankful that my coach hooked me up with the opportunity to begin with.”

“On the day, we arrived at the stadium and were guided into a room within the stadium, where I got my hair and make-up done and was fed some really nice food. Once I had my hair and make-up done I was given my outfits that I had to change into. I then headed out to the four locations chosen for the photoshoot. I was literally treated like a V.I.P for the day. We had a blacked-out minibus that drove us around Tottenham to the photoshoot locations. All in all it was a six-hour shoot and it was really fun. I made friends with most of the cast and everyone there was lovely!

“It was hands-down one of the best experiences I have ever had. I was treated like an actual model… anything I wanted I got. It was cool knowing what happens behind the scenes and seeing just how long these photoshoots take. There’s more to it than just taking a photo – we had to take photos at certain times, depending on the sunlight and the wind.

“It feels really cool as a Tottenham supporter to be the face of their new kit. I can’t believe my face is everywhere… from the big screens in central London to my photo being on boards in Sports Direct and of course having my face on the massive screen in the Tottenham Hotspur stadium. My face was also on a board inside the shop which was really cool. I guess I’m famous now!”

Capital City College Training have once again partnered with Women into Construction (WiC) to deliver work placement and training to females looking to kick start a career in construction.

Women into Construction is an independent not-for-profit organisation that promotes gender equality in construction. The bespoke programme is designed to give participants a taste for the world of construction and supports women wishing to work in the industry. WiC also help contractors recruit highly motivated, trained women, helping to reduce skills gaps and creating a more gender-equal work-force.

The partnership ran two groups, one in June and one in September. The first group had 16 women – of those 11 did work placements, seven have found work and six have moved on to further training and education. The second cohort had 15 women, six of who have done work placements (another three are planning to start one soon). Of this second group, two have already found work and four have progressed to further study. All students also completed their Certificate in Self Marketing and Personal Enterprise with Capital City College Training (CCCT).

Project Manager at Women into Construction, Anna Walterskotter, said, “Women into Construction is delighted to work in partnership with CCCT and KCCSC  on the Camden Employment programmes. This highly successful training model has led to tangible qualifications, a fit-for-purpose CV and a CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) card for women from across London. The participating contractors have been incredibly responsive to the requirements of the women by offering highly suitable work placements leading to employment and career development within the industry.”

The programme was funded by Camden council. Representative Anita Khan, said, “This is our third cohort with CCCT and WiC now and it’s been great collaborating with the employers and the women on the programme. It’s good to get the employer buy-in and create more opportunities whether that is apprenticeships or jobs. Overall it’s been great improving these women’s employability skills and confidence in the construction industry.”

Business Operations Manager at CCCT, Kate Child, said: “This is a great partnership project to be involved with as the women are supported on their whole journey to employment or further education.  We are pleased to provide the pre-employment training which gives the women more confidence to promote their skills, interests and ambitions at interview and on the work placement.”

The two groups received their certificates at an Award ceremony on 12 November 2019 at CCCT’s Regent’s Park Centre.

One of the participating employers, Lendlease, who had six students on their programme, sent employee Zen to the awards ceremony.

“For us it was great to get involved in this programme. For us to be able to support local talent, it is a privilege. We have retained some of the students and set them up on apprenticeships and we are helping a student with specialist skills. This programme has allowed us to gain some great talent.”

To find out more about Women into Construction, and the great work they are doing to bridge the gender gap in the sector, visit the WiC website.

On 27 November, City & Islington Sixth Form College hosted a fiery hustings event with the five candidates for Islington South and Finsbury.

Organised by the college’s Politics in Action enrichment group, this marks the fourth time local politicians have hosted such an event at the Sixth Form College, following General Election debates in 2015 and 2017, and a special Brexit hustings in 2016.

The five representatives were Emily Thornberry (Labour), Jason Charalambous (Conservative), Talia Hussain (Green), Paddy Hannam (Brexit) and Kate Pothalingam (Liberal Democrats).

The candidates each gave a three-minute exposition of their party’s policies and vision for the community before responding to pre-prepared questions from students, and finally opening the floor to the audience. Over the course of two hours, London’s brightest minds quizzed the speakers on the housing crisis, tuition fees, knife-crime, climate change and the north-south divide.

Shadow Foreign Secretary, Emily Thornberry, was keen to address the key concerns of Islington South and Finsbury’s young people, backing voting for 16-17 year olds and examining the “intergenerational injustice” at the root of the housing crisis and education. She expressed Labour’s commitment to abolishing tuition fees and reintroducing maintenance grants, which garnered support from the audience.

Conservative candidate Jason Charalambous focused on the successes of the current government and presented clear goals for the next. The Tories plan to invest £9billion in affordable homes and to prevent unfair eviction, but Jason also looked at the successes of Stamp Duty and recent campaigns to build new homes.

Education was a contentious issue for both the Tories and the Liberal Democrats, who rose course fees during the last coalition government. Both parties explored the arguments of student fees versus a universal tax increase, with the Liberal Democrats keen to reintroduce maintenance grants scrapped by the following Conservative government. Kate Pothalingham also pledged to introduce a cabinet secretary for sustainability, to invest £500million in youth services and to address the relationship of distrust with the police, starting with the legalisation of cannabis.

Brexit Party member Paddy Hannam aimed to provide a “young voice in politics”, assuring the sixth formers that party policy was, above all, focused on “affordability” and “realism”. While the audience tended not to sympathise with Hannam’s pro-Brexit views, applause was duly given for the pledge to invest in vocational apprenticeships and to create viable futures through education, steering young people away from crime.

Green Party candidate Talia Hussain aligned with Labour on a number of issues, including taking inspiration from Scottish local laws in dealing with the ongoing knife-crime epidemic. The Greens plan to abolish fees for undergraduates and wipe out existing debts, citing the “social obligation” to give the next generation proper training. Above all, the conversation moved towards climate control and the need to act with urgency and priority on environmental issues.

Although tensions between the Brexit Party candidate, Paddy Hannam, and Emily Thornberry simmered throughout the event, the student chairs were quick to steer the conversation back to politics. The candidates ultimately looked for common ground where possible. Liberal Democrat representative Kate Pothalingam backed the sustainability programmes of the other parties; the Tories and Labour agreed that education and youth work was the best way to address the knife-crime epidemic; and the Brexit party candidate acknowledged the need for a “sensible conversation” on drug legalisation.

Students made up a thoughtful and respectful audience, applauding individual policy ideas and giving all the candidates a fair hearing.

Speaking after the event, Emily Thornberry said: “My view is that you get lots of invitations to hustings when you’re in Islington; I always say yes to this one because I think it’s incredibly important to engage young people, but also it’s always really lively and it’s fun and well organised. It’s great to be here and to give support to this great college.”

Jason Charalambous added: “It was a real honour when I saw that this college was doing a hustings event, I thought that, without question, I had to go. It was an amazing audience, very dynamic… tough questions! It’s so important to see young people involved in politics and in important issues. Part of the reason I’m in politics now is that when I was at school my local MP spoke in my assembly. I had never encountered a politician before and I thought ‘one day I’d like to be like that’ – to do something meaningful and to help others… so I hope that, if anything, we can play a role in inspiring others.”

All those who registered to vote before 26 November will be able to vote in the upcoming general election on 12 December. For more information on how to vote, click here.

Strong numeracy skills? An analytical mind? Good at managing money? Discover all you need to know about becoming an accountant at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London. Accountants are essential for business growth and are valued for using their expertise to steer important financial decisions. Upon qualifying, chartered accountants are among the top earners in the UK, with an average salary of £35,000. With two to four years of experience post qualification, salaries often rise to £60,000, and £90,000 following five years of experience.

Interested? If you are a school leaver, parent, teacher or a graduate, looking for a career in accounting, this event is for you! The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London are proud to present our accounting apprenticeships and careers conference, Make Your Future Count. The conference is a half-day event on 22 January 2020, kicking off at 9:30am at our Tottenham Centre (High Road, London, N15 4RU). The event will bring together big brands Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, BKL Chartered Accountants, CIMA, CIPFA, Haringey Council, Adroit Accountax and AAT.

At the event, you will get up-to-speed in the accounting and finance sector by engaging with professional accounting bodies like CIPFA and the AAT. You’ll also be able to meet key employers in person which will allow you to increase your visibility and expand your network.

You will also meet past and current CONEL students and hear their success stories as they share their career journeys with you from studying AAT to becoming qualified Chartered Accountants. And you’ll be able to find out more about studying Accounting here at CONEL.

There are currently 394,651 jobs in the accounting industry with an average salary of £38,286 per annum. Between 2015 and 2020 the industry is expected to grow 9.2% creating a further 34,574 jobs. So, for those looking to get into a career in accounting, now is a great time to come to CONEL to get the skills you need to succeed.

Eight months since appearing in our Summer campaign, Access to Higher Education – Law, Politics & International Relations alumna Camila returned to the Centre for Lifelong Learning in Finsbury Park. This time, wearing a bright yellow visitor’s lanyard, but still recognisable from the ten-foot advert outside, facing the Blackstock Road.

“I was living here in Finsbury Park before and this lady at a hair salon I used to go to asked me if I was the girl on the window banner. I didn’t know what to say! And on YouTube when I’m watching videos, I come up on adverts. It’s still weird.

“And yet, I used to come here every day and the security guy still didn’t recognise me. I didn’t want to be the person to point and say ‘It’s me – from the window!”

Since our last conversation, Camila has graduated from City and Islington College, moving on to Kingston University in the summer. She finds it strange to be back in Finsbury Park.

“I haven’t quite found home yet, but college was great for me. It worked because I could fit it around work while gaining the most relevant qualification I needed to go to university.”

Camila walks me through her move from Caracas, Venezuela, in 2015, seeking a course that would provide a route into the world of politics. “It’s hard,” she says. “Venezuela is still not there yet. We’re still waiting. But the UK is definitely a place that offers a lot of opportunities.

“If you come in with the desire and the will to do something, it provides the tools… to study, to get a degree that will allow you to do something with your life. Now? I’m getting there. It’s taken me many years, maybe six years, to realise that I’m okay and that I’m safe. I’ve been in the UK for four years, but it took some time to adjust.”

It hasn’t been an easy ride for Camila. Venezuela remains hampered by political instability, violence, inflation and food shortages. Camila recounts a number harrowing stories from her time at home, but speaks candidly about them. 

“It’s part of the culture,” she says. “We Venezuelans get together and talk about these things openly. You can’t internalise it. We try to be warm; we laugh about these things. You abstract it and take away how real it can be, and suddenly it’s just a joke.

“I’ve had a gun in my face back home. A friend of mine got kidnapped. I saw a guy get shot in a protest, bleeding out on the floor. These things follow you and it’s not something you can just get over. It makes normal things difficult sometimes. I just went to see The Joker and found it really hard to watch at points — and going to the cinema is my favourite thing to do.”

During her time at City and Islington College, Camila founded the CANDI Model of United Nations (MUN), an extra-curricular activity designed to provide students with a space to talk through and understand global political issues. Since progressing to university, she has become involved in Kingston’s equivalent society, but still works with the City and Islington chapter to help ensure a legacy.

“Living in Venezuela pushed me to come here and try to make a difference politically. I saw the opportunity, acknowledging ‘oh – this thing exists and I have these feelings and this desire to change this’. And this – the MUN – is the right way to do this. The college helped me set it up and it’s been really good so far.

“I love the International Relations course I’m on now, too. My Access course at college provided the foundations that I needed for my degree. It’s taking that to the next level. The university took us to the Imperial War Museum recently and we got to see the different narratives and stories told around these events. The critical thinking fits well with my MUN work, and I feel like I’m developing the skills I need to make that difference.”

Camila recently returned from an MUN conference in Oxford and is currently organising trips to Geneva and New York to see how the professionals do it. She’s hopeful for 2020, telling of preparatory work with the college’s Sixth Form Centre in Angel to establish the programme as a regular enrichment activity at the site. 

“We’re going to do the Sussex University conference again next year. This time I’m the Faculty Advisor because I’m not a student at the college anymore. I can’t be Head Delegate. But I still want to work with the college to ensure there’s succession and that the next generation of students have the opportunity to participate.

“It was important for me to find a voice through the MUN. It’s about recognising the meaning of these political issues and working out what you think about them, and then having the confidence to stand up and defend your point of view… but also, you’re representing a delegation. You’re not debating on behalf of yourself. You have to learn to see the world through someone else’s eyes.”

She ties things up: “Doing an Access to HE course at college was the right decision for me. There were support schemes and a lot of care; I learnt how to reference and how to digest information properly. Setting up the MUN helped me to empathise with other people, to be patient. I learnt what I needed to reach this stage.

“My dream is to represent Venezuela in the Security Council for the United Nations… but I also want to see Japan, and I like England. I’m still working things out. I’m still trying to find ‘home’. But things are moving in the right direction, I think.”

You can find City and Islington Model of United Nations on Instagram at @CandiMUN, or contact them at applications.candimun@gmail.com. Meetings take place at the Centre for Lifelong Learning on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5pm – 7pm.

Originally enrolling on a GCSE course at the College of Haringey, Enfield & North East London back in 2014, mum-of-two Cassandra Crucefix has progressed through the ranks and is now studying our Science Level 3 Diploma.

Dental nurse Cassandra decided she wanted to change her career after having her first child. She wanted to work in a hospital environment as a radiographer, but needed to improve both her Science and English qualifications to do so. She enrolled at CONEL and, despite having to take a break in learning due to her pregnancy, achieved a grade B in GCSE English. In 2018, with two toddlers and still wanting to change career, Cassandra returned to CONEL to join both our Maths Functional Skills and Science Level 2 Diploma courses.

Cassandra explained: “I didn’t do science at school, so it was all new to me. I found Physics really hard, but I didn’t give up, just because it was my weakness. I focused on it and it ended up being my favourite of the three.

“With two toddlers, it was hard work. If I wasn’t at college, I was at home caring for my children. I would study once they had gone to sleep which meant I did not get much sleep myself, but in the end, it was all worth it as I got a distinction star. I want to study Radiography at university to get my dream job.”

When asked about her tutors, Cassandra said: “They have all been so supportive, especially as they know I have my two children. They all encourage you and want you to do the best you can. If you have a problem with anything, they are there for you. Without them, I wouldn’t have got the grades I got.”

Now in 2019, and with a distinction in her Science Level 2 Diploma, and 100% in her Maths Functional Skills, Cassandra is studying our Science Level 3 Diploma and Maths GCSE courses that will see her progress to university to get her degree.

Cassandra’s Tutor, Minas Mina, said: “Cassandra is an excellent student. She is diligent and approaches all her work with maturity and consciousness. She works very hard to balance family and academic life. If she carries on like this, she is destined for success.”

Creative Media students from CONEL recently went on a day visit to large advertising and communications agency MullenLowe as part of a new initiative called Advertising Unlocked.

Advertising Unlocked is an industry-wide open day, which sees top UK advertising and media agencies opening their doors to the next generation of advertisers once a year. During the day the companies reveal how campaigns are made and what jobs are available in the advertising industry at every stage of this process, giving students a taste of the real world.

Upon arrival, students were divided into groups and set a task which asked them to promote one of MullenLowe’s client’s brands. They had to develop their ideas and present them to MullenLowe employees at the end of the day. Our student teams worked closely with advertising professionals from the company who supported and mentored them, to help them develop their ideas.

Creative Media Lecturer at CONEL Selda Yuzudik, said: “I thought it was a fantastic experience and an eye opener for our students. Since the trip we have had loads of interest from students who want to pursue a career in marketing and advertising.

“The staff at MullenLowe were really helpful and professional. They treated our students like staff and really helped them develop their ideas and look at tasks in a different way.”

The trip was organised by curriculum manager Sharon Wallace and has resulted in some of the students being offered work experience because of their great work.

When presenting their ideas to the People Partner at MullenLowe, Nancy Poysden, they were judged and given feedback. The winning team were then awarded £20 Amazon vouchers each for their great idea and pitch.

Winning student Ellis Bocking said, “It was a really good day. The company was very welcoming to us as students. We obviously weren’t as good as them, but they listened to us and our ideas and helped us develop them.

“Winning was great, but seeing our ideas being accepted by a professional company was amazing!”