Category Archives: Competitions

European Tour Collective and Newcastle College’s record label Push Puzzle Records to highlight region’s musical talent

Posted on January 31, 2013 | Leave a comment

Bands

A local promotions company is working with a college record label to showcase some of the North East’s hottest musical talent through a series of live competitive showcases that will give the winner the chance to take their place on a national tour and release their own EP.

Newcastle-based European Tour Collective is set to host the Stop, Drop, Rock! Access All Areas competition at Newcastle College’s Space Bar, which will see local artists compete in a series of performance rounds.

As well as securing a place on the prestigious UK Stop, Drop, Rock! Tour, which runs throughout August, the winning band will also record and release a full EP on platforms such as iTunes and Spotify with the help of record label Push Puzzle Records, which is run by students from Newcastle College’s Performance Academy.

The record label will also guide the winner through everything from recording, mixing and mastering to the production of artwork and press photography. The winner will also receive a full merchandise package, which includes design and printing services to help improve their image.

Scott Baker-Marflitt, Real Working Environment Co-ordinator in the music section of Newcastle College, said: “The Stop, Drop, Rock! Access All Areas competition will help to shine a light on the huge amount of musical talent that the North East has to offer and is a great opportunity for bands to get a vital first step on the ladder. Not only will the winners be able to have their material sold to millions of potential fans, they will also be performing alongside some of the most exciting up and coming bands that the UK has to offer.”

The competition is open to artists from a variety of musical genres and will take place at Space Bar on Newcastle College’s Rye Hill Campus. A combination of voting systems and a panel of industry experts will decide who progresses. The closing date for entries is Sunday 10th February, with the first rounds taking place on the 9th and 10th of March.

Conor Ferris at European Tour Collective said: “Having worked with touring bands of various levels for several years now, I am very excited that we are able to offer this opportunity to bands across the North East. Often bands up here feel as though they do not get the same chances as bands from London or other major cities. This is a chance for us to unearth the finest local talent and showcase it on a national level.”

The competition is one of the many ways in which Newcastle College is supporting the North East’s musical talent. The college recently announced two brand new unique Foundation Degrees for original artists: FDA Songwriting for original bands, artists and singer songwriters; and FDA Music Production for DJs, MCs and Producers for original artists making commercial electronic music such as drum and bass, house, techno and dubstep. Both courses are available as distance learning options for professionals working in the music industry or those with home studios unable to attend due to other commitments.

To register for the Stop, Drop, Rock! Access All Areas competition please visit: www.facebook.com/EuropeanTourCollective. For more information about Push Puzzle Records please visit https://www.facebook.com/PushPuzzleRecords.

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Posted in Competitions, Events, Music and Media, Performing Arts

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Sky’s the limit for Apprentices building bright future through ‘Scaffolding Olympics’

Posted on July 18, 2012 | 2 Comments

Newcastle College trained apprentices who took part in the North East’s ‘Scaffolding Olympics’ final on Friday 13th found that whilst the day may be unlucky for some, it was certainly lucky for all the finalists who competed to win the industry recognised trophy.

Sponsored by Interlink Scaffolding Ltd, one of the largest scaffolding contractors in the region, the Scaffolding Skills Challenge saw three teams of three CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) Scaffolding Apprentices take up the gauntlet to construct a scaffold in a Herculean feat of skill, technique and accuracy, that met all requirements in terms of quality as well as speed.

Key employers from around the North East were invited to spectate, as the 16 – 24 year old apprentices rose to the challenge and demonstrated their knowledge of Ancient Greek mathematics in the form of Pythagoras’ theory, a mathematical calculation critical for construction.     

Darren Maratty is Managing Director of Interlink Scaffolding Ltd with 30 years experience, now responsible for commercial and industrial projects nationwide. Darren said, ‘’I’ve worked in the scaffolding industry for 20 years and began as a scaffolder. I recognise the importance of supporting and encouraging young apprentices and Interlink Scaffolding Ltd is proud to sponsor this competition. Each apprentice comes away feeling valued and motivated and they see real benefits from challenges like this’’.

The Scaffolding Industry is one of the largest growing trades in the UK and with employers supporting young apprentices, the industry continues to grow.

Kevin Hartburn is the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) Construction Skills Apprentice Officer at Newcastle College’s  Rye Hill campus, Newcastle upon Tyne, which offers students a world class facility in which to learn trades including Site Joinery, Kitchen Fitting, Painting and Decorating, as well as Scaffolding.

Kevin added, ‘’With the support of our region’s employers, we intend on making the Scaffolding Olympics a huge success not only this year but for years after. Out intention is to take this challenge around the UK, with Apprentices from other colleges taking part. At Newcastle College we like to innovate ideas that will benefit young people at every stage of their training, giving real experience of life in the workplace and giving them every possible opportunity to further their career’’.

Newcastle College’s Construction Academy currently trains 45 CITB Scaffolding Apprentices, as well as many apprentices from other industries; whilst simultaneously developing and maintaining relationships with key employers from around the region, giving Apprentices the best possible opportunity of being recruited.

Young people who wish to enter the world of work whilst continuing their education, can explore all of the Apprenticeships on offer at Newcastle College by visiting http://www.ncl-coll.ac.uk/apprenticeship-learner/ and CITB Construction Skills at www.bconstructive.co.uk

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Posted in Apprenticeships, Competitions, Construction, Student achievements

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Apprentice Daniel brushes off the competition to take regional young painter title again

Posted on May 1, 2012 | Leave a comment

A Newcastle College apprentice has designs on becoming Young Painter of the Year for the second year running after brushing off the competition in the regional heats.

Daniel Halliday, 23 from Swalwell’s victory in the north east leg of the Johnstone’s Young Painter of the Year Awards means he will now compete once again in the finals of the prestigious competition. He will travel to Coventry in November to the National Painting and Decorating Show to try to take the 2012 title.

Daniel is a second year NVQ Painting and Decorating Apprentice at Newcastle College and was selected by his tutors to represent his class for the second time following ongoing observation of the standard of his work.

Daniel said: “I’d seen what the competition was like last year so knew it was going to be tough to win the heat again and there were some really good painters to beat this time around.

“I was chuffed to bits to win the regional heat this year. It actually means more to me now because it’s the last time I’m eligible to enter and I wanted to retain the title. It’s an impressive thing to have on my CV and my dad, who I work for, is telling all our clients.”

During the national competition, the young painters will complete tasks devised by the experts at Johnstone’s Paint to test their skills in a number of key areas including; working to a technical specification, applying different types of paint, selecting and using tools and applying stencils.

Nicky Turnbull, from the School of Construction at Newcastle College said: “Daniel is an exceptional apprentice and is a credit to the college and his tutors. He is also a great ambassador for the Apprenticeship programme itself, demonstrating the high level of skills those undertaking this kind of training can achieve.”
Johnstone’s Marketing Manager Megan Esmond said: “Now in its eighth year, the Johnstone’s Young Painter of the Year competition presents a fantastic opportunity for students and apprentices to demonstrate their talents and to make their mark in what is a very competitive industry.”

The competition, which launched in 2005, offers a prize package of £2000 and is open to painting and decorating students and apprentices across the UK who are working towards NVQ or Diploma Level 2 Award.

For more information about apprenticeships or the free recruitment and matching service available at Newcastle College, visit www.newcastlecollege.co.uk or contact 0845 600 4140.

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Posted in Apprenticeships, Art & Design, Competitions, Student achievements

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Newcastle College young entrepreneurs have what it takes

Posted on April 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

Newcastle College students are on course to become their own bosses after receiving expert help and investment from former Leeds United Football Club owner and Chairman, Gerald Krasner.

Vincent Houckham, 21 from Fenham, Anthony Cook, 21 from Felling, James Ridley, 20 from South Shields, Chris Barber, 21, from Gateshead, Christopher Greaves, 21 from Jarrow and Christopher Scarr, 21 from Washington – all Foundation Degree Games Development students, were among a number of learners from Newcastle College who were chosen to take part in an enterprise master-class called ‘Have You Got What It Takes’.

Students from across the college were invited to apply for a place on the 12 week course developed and delivered by Gerald. The successful students were taught a wide range of skills including how to prepare a business plan, marketing and customer services, strategy planning, accounts and how to grow their company.

Students were also challenged to consider, develop and pitch their business ideas to Gerald, with the winning idea securing an investment of £500.  

Gerald was so impressed with the students’ ideas and presentations that he struggled to choose one winning team and split the prize money between two of the groups.

Vincent, Anthony, James and Chris won for their video game idea and the two Christophers for their games design and development pitch.

The students were judged on the strength of their suggestions, their presentation skills and whether Gerald believed they could make their business proposals a success in reality.

James, a former pupil at St Wilfred’s School RC school, said: “It’s been a huge confidence boost.  We were so pleased to be among the winners and what Gerald shared with us was so helpful.

“We had been playing around with various ideas for creating games for a number of months but not done much about them. Gerald told us that our ideas were good and that they could actually work.  He’s made us think in a much more professional, strategic way and given us invaluable information about how we could actually turn our idea into a business. We now plan to spend the summer doing just that.”

Christopher Scarr, a former Usworth Comprehensive pupil, similarly hopes that he and his partner in the competition, Christopher Greaves can also go onto develop their business idea further.

“I’ve always wanted to set up my own business and now, as a result of this course, I can actually see that this is something I could actually achieve now with our games design and development idea.

“Gerald said we demonstrated that we had a clear idea of what we were doing, where we were going and how we were going to get there. This was real praise from someone like him who has been so successful.”

Gerald said: “What we have been doing at Newcastle College is very different and looks at encouraging students to be entrepreneurial, but realistic about the world around them in light of the current economic climate.  I was inspired to create this sort of reality grounded enterprise course because I believe that we are now all too reliant on the public sector and we need to encourage a new breed of entrepreneurs who can create new business streams in this country.

“I take a different approach in my lecturing. The students are at the heart of what I teach and the ethos is based around encouraging them to apply what they learn to their own ideas. Most of the work on this course has been based on their own business ideas. So it has been directly relevant to what they have been coming up with and they have responded to this approach with real enthusiasm.

“The course has been a real life dragon’s den. I’ve been very honest about their ideas. It’s important to take your idealism and intellectual sensibilities and hold them up to reality. Good ideas don’t always just work – they need the benefit of good marketing and selling techniques supporting them, which is what I have been telling the students.”

Robin Ghurbhurun, Deputy Principal at Newcastle College said: “Encouraging enterprise and supporting young people to develop young people to develop their own business ideas is high on our agena as a college. We have been carrying out many innovative initiatives to embed a spirit of entrepreneurship throughout the curriculum and hope to continue working with high profile representatives from industry to inspire and enthuse our students.” 

Gerald led the consortium of local businessmen which successfully took-over Leeds United AFC in 2004 seeing him become Chairman and part owner. He has been lecturing nationally and internationally for 30 years and is a leading business, rescue, recovery and restructuring specialist and Partner with Begbies Traynor.

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Posted in Applied Sciences and Technology, Competitions, Student achievements

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Life changing enterprise challenge for creative college students

Posted on November 28, 2011 | Leave a comment

Newcastle College students are being offered a life changing opportunity to create their own business and help the local community. As part of Global Entrepreneurship Week the students will be set an innovative enterprise challenge, supported by local entrepreneur and Founder of the Tanfield Group, Roy Stanley.

The purpose of the project is to encourage the students to work with the local community to develop innovative and sustainable creative start-ups. The ideas must support growth industries and engage with local people. They will also aim to reflect some of the aspects of a potentially innovative regeneration project planned for the Riverside Dene area in the West End of Newcastle, to help make it a place where students and young professionals want to live, work and play.

With the support of the Business & Enterprise Group, one of the partners to the project, the challenge has been exclusively offered to HE students from the college’s School of Creative Industries. Many aspire to set up their own business and the curriculum is heavily geared to supporting them to do so.

All students entering the competition will submit their final proposals early next year. Those judged by the school to be the best will then present their ideas and business plans to a panel chaired by Roy Stanley with representatives from the Business & Enterprise Group and the college.

Rhiannon Bearne, Business & Enterprise Group and Geoff O'Neil, Senior Manager, School of Creative Industries (centre) with Newcastle College students, Eran Sahota, Theresa Foster, Jay Robson and Melanie Hodgetts

Three lucky young entrepreneurs each stand to win £5,000 cash, access to a network of business contacts, web and App development support from Urban River, legal mentoring from Ward Hadaway and advisory and accounting support from Grant Thornton UK LLP. The challenge will be embedded into the curriculum allowing the students to develop their plans with support from the college.

Robin Ghurbhurun, Deputy Principal at Newcastle College, said: “The enterprise challenge presents our students with a unique opportunity to establish themselves as entrepreneurs and gain real life enterprise expertise. Encouraging entrepreneurship in the current financial climate is vital. In the midst of rising youth unemployment there has never been a more important time to inspire young people to realise their ambitions and make a positive contribution to the local community and economy.  

“The students within our School of Creative Industries are already developing their plans for employment, supported by the outstanding curriculum and facilities at the college. Participating in this project will encourage them to develop their ambitions and give them a fantastic incentive to be entrepreneurial.”

Roy Stanley said: “I am very happy to support the college in the Enterprise Challenge Competition. The aim is to actively encourage students to think about creating businesses for themselves. For the region to prosper we need more people setting up both private and social enterprises. “

Alastair MacColl, Chief Executive of the Business & Enterprise Group, said:  “As a national business at the forefront of enterprise support we’re keen to help share those skills and expertise with the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.  I’m excited to see the results of the competition and to help more young creatives in the North East start, succeed and grow.”

 

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Students celebrate environmental win at WorldSkills 2011

Posted on October 19, 2011 | Leave a comment

Newcastle College students are celebrating after taking gold in the 2011 Worldskills’ environmental science competition with an innovative sustainability project.

The three International Baccalaureate students, Molly Secret, 18, from Heaton, Emily Athey, 17, from Whitley Bay and Damien English, 17, from Wideopen, all studying at Newcastle Sixth Form College, beat off competition from five teams from around the UK and one from the Netherlands to win the prestigious Environmental Science UK Skills competition.

The students had to design a sustainable energy solution for an imaginary island community; build a renewable energy generator and present a report to judges justifying their solution and winning over members of the local community.

In total, three teams from Newcastle College made it through to the final five.

Tutor Deborah Johnson, said: “The competition was incredibly tough and the standard really high so we were pleased that so many of our students made it through to the final stages and were able to demonstrate their skills to an international audience.”

As part of their prize the students have been invited to the House of Lords in December to present their winning ideas again.

Emily Athey said: The ideas for the actual project came to us fairly easily as we could draw on a lot of things we have covered in class, but it was difficult not to be nervous when we had to give our presentation. I am however really looking forward to getting the opportunity to go to the House of Lords, as it’s not everyone who gets the chance to do that.”

The latest win is actually the second time Newcastle College students have triumphed in the event. Newcastle students also won the ground-breaking competition when it was first held at the headquarters of the British Geological Survey near Nottingham in July 2009.

Steve Davies from the National Skills Academy for Power said: “We would like to congratulate the winners of the environmental science competition. As we face an increasing challenge to attract young people into the power sector, events like WorldSkills give us the opportunity to demonstrate just how exciting and dynamic a future in our industry can be. We were delighted to support the competition and wish all of the participants great success in the future.”

Jacqui Henderson from the Tec Trust Fund said: “We’re delighted that the environmental science competition was such a success. The fact that the competition was held at WorldSkills London 2011 meant that every competitor, and not least the winners from Newcastle College and the runners up from Valero, were able to showcase their skills on a global stage.”

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Young people ‘Have a Go’ at North East’s biggest careers event

Posted on September 26, 2011 | Leave a comment

Newcastle College kicked off local celebrations for Colleges Week 2011 by giving local young people the chance to try new skills by hosting a series of ‘Have a Go’ taster sessions at North East Skills, the region’s largest careers and training event.

Newcastle College Bricklaying Diploma students, Darren Martin and Toni Louise Yates

This year Colleges Week takes place between the 26 September – 2 October and celebrates those taking part in World Skills London 2011, the World’s largest international skills competition.

 

Newcastle College BTEC Beauty students, Tyla Grey, Rebecca Bradford and Rebecca Roberts

Newcastle College staff and students are supporting World Skills through a host of activity, including student participation on the World Skills Environmental competition at Excel in London, live performances from Northern Lights, a group of music students who won the national Performance Skills final earlier in the year. College staff will also be involved in the event. Automotive Lecturer, Alan Fidler will head up the paint section during this year’s competition and will lead a team from UK Skills in London. Automotive Instructor, Rod Reed has been selected as an Assistant Workshop Supervisor after providing training to two of the squad members competing for a place on the UK team.

Bev Robinson, Principal of Newcastle College, said: “Encouraging young people to try new skills and see the range of career opportunities available to them is a fundamental part of the advice and guidance we provide at Newcastle College. Many of our courses are vocationally led and designed to equip learners with the skills that employers need.

“Colleges Week is a fantastic national event which recognises the important role that colleges play within the communities that they serve. Engaging with local people and employers and enabling them to access high quality education, training and skills is key to sustaining the future success of the region’s businesses and the economy.”

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Automotive specialists selected for World Skills competition

Posted on June 9, 2011 | Leave a comment

An Automotive Lecturer and Instructor from Newcastle College have been selected by the World Skills team to play a major role in the world’s largest international skills competition.

Alan Fidler and Rod Reed, who both work at the college’s Body Repair Shop at Invincible Drive, were approached by representatives of the competition due to their experience and expertise in paint and body work and the reputation that the college has built in this area as being ahead of industry.

Alan will head up the paint section during this year’s competition and will lead a team from UK Skills in London. As well as taking a senior supervisory role at the competition, Alan will be part of the team responsible for UK selection and is also in touch with competitors from all over the world.

Rod Reed was invited to be an Assistant Workshop Supervisor at the final in October, after providing training to two of the squad members competing for a place on the UK team.

He spent two days working with Ross Varnam and Mark Brown, apprentices with Parkers Accident Repair in Leicester and Mitchell Inglis Accident Repair in Glasgow, giving them specialist training in metal finishing techniques.

Rod delivered the training within the college’s Body Repair shop at Invincible Drive and was chosen for his vast experience, including 24 years working at Nissan.

World Skills is the world’s largest, international skills competition where young people from across the globe compete to become the best of the best in their chosen skill. Around 1,000 competitors from 50 nations will compete in 45 skill areas over four days of competition.

Alan said: “Both Rod and I are thrilled to have been invited to be a part of World Skills. The competition is the biggest of its kind across the world and showcases the vast talent we have across the skill sectors. The people brought in to support the competition are considered best in their field so it is a real honour for both of us to be involved.”

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Posted in Competitions, Engineering and Automotive

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