The RocketFebruary 2015

Principal’s UpdateI would like to welcome you tothis the first edition of ourcombined student and staffnewsletter The Rocket. Wehave refreshed our previousmeans of communication toenable our college community tobe aware of issues and eventsaffecting everyone. The Rocketwas named as it was the mostpopular suggestion receivedfollowing my recent request forpossible titles. Although thisrefers to an invention by RobertStephenson, the son of Georgethe engineer who lived andworked in our area, it is clearlyan appropriate name for ournewsletter as it is derived fromthe family name that the collegebears.This first edition is produced atwhat represents “half time” in thecurrent academic year. We areall aware that our focus is toensure that all elements of studyprogrammes and apprenticeshipframeworks progress tosuccessful conclusions. We havepaid particular attention to

English and mathematics andhave introduced a mentorsystem whereby college staffmembers support students tosecure what are widely seen asthe most significant qualificationsfor future employment. Earlierindications illustrate thatattendance at English andmathematics classes hasimproved in recent weeks and isnow comparable with vocationalclasses. The “second half” of thisyear requires us to continue ourgood work and to ensureassessments across all elementsof our programmes arescheduled to allow our studentstheir best possible chance ofsuccess.Our college encourages thedevelopment of all our studentsand staff members. On the 11th

March we will host a Health Fairprovided by a range oforganisations who aim topromote healthier life styles andour Health and Social Carestudents will contribute to theevent as it is directly relevant to

their courses. The activitiesplanned for this event include aFootball Cage which weenvisage should stimulate asignificant amount of interest andfun.This event takes place duringNational Apprenticeship Weekand our college will promote ourwork with apprentices through-out the week. We will be visitedby our local MP Mr. AndrewBridgen during the week and bya number of local employers, allof whom are enthusiasticsupporters of our collegeapprentices. We will also hold anOpen Evening on the 11th Marchat our Coalville campus topromote the opportunities weoffer to our local communitiesand businesses. Our Nottinghamcampuses also have activitiesscheduled for ApprenticeshipWeek, which includes currentapprentices visiting local schoolsto act as ambassadors. Werecruit many apprentices forlocal and national companiesand this is an increasingly

important part of our work. Wewill work to convert manyapprenticeship vacancies intoopportunities for future studentsand seek to extend theopportunities we offer.A recent success for our collegecan be seen through thecommercial courses we offer inconjunction with the NationalAssociation of Motor Auctioneers(NAMA). All colleges seek tosupport the businesses in theirlocalities and our work withNAMA has been enabledthrough a strong partnership withthe Fleet Auction Group, locatedon Stephenson Way. Thecourses devised for thisprogramme assist consistency inthe valuation of second handcars. This is a significant marketand the course we deliver,devised by Noel Gibbons in ourMotor Vehicle and EngineeringFaculty, provides revenue for ourcollege and is seen by our localChamber of Trade as a model ofbest practice in partnershipworking.

The breadth of activities ourcollege engages in cannot beunderestimated and our collegevalues have been reflected in arecent initiative where staff andstudents have volunteered tosupport women with cancer. TheLook Good, Feel Better charityprovides hair and beautytreatments to encourage theconfidence and well-being ofcancer patients and I know thatwe are all proud of members ofour college community who havevolunteered to engage in thisinitiative and wish them well withtheir future efforts.Prior to half term a number ofour students enjoyed a skiing tripto Bulgaria and you will seephotographs of their visit later inthis edition of The Rocketprovided by Kay Liddle and Ann-Marie Rudkin. Experiences suchas these are often discussedwith our Student Council and Iwould encourage all our studentsto pass items for our meetings toyour Course Representatives.Our next meetings take place at

Coalville and at Lenton Lane on3rd March. We are fortunate tohave positive courserepresentatives who express theviews of our students andcontribute to improvements inour college life.I hope that you enjoy The Rocketand the remainder of theacademic year and I lookforward to seeing you in thecoming weeks. Please continueyour hard work and together I’msure we will convert our effortsinto successes.

Kind regards,Nigel LeighPrincipal and Chief Executive

Principal’s UpdateContinued

Beauty studentslooking to use

make-up skills tohelp cancer patients

Beauty students from StephensonCollege are looking to use theirmake-up skills to helpLeicestershire cancer patientsface their illness with moreconfidence.The first year trainees have beeninspired to volunteer with LookGood Feel Better (LGFB) afterattending a presentation about itswork at the college’s Coalvillecampus.Widely supported by the beautyindustry, LGFB is an internationalcharity which helps women tocombat the visible side effects oftheir cancer treatment.It holds regular 12-step skincareand make-up workshops athospitals across the UK, includingat the Macmillan Centre, situatedin Leicester Royal Infirmary’sOsborne Building.In their voluntary role, the girls willbe joining qualified beautyconsultants and make-up artists inrunning Leicester sessions forgroups of up to 12 patients.And, as well as giving their time toa worthwhile cause, the traineeswill also gain valuable workexperience which counts towardstheir course work.Sue York Regional Co-ordinatorwith LGFB, explained how theworkshops helped women tocounteract the skincare problemsoften caused by chemotherapy,such as dryness and reddening.

She also told the group howclever use of eye-liner, eyeshadow, eyebrow pencil andmascara can provide definitionwhere patients have lost theirlashes and brows.Sue added: “Each patientreceives a goody bag containingproducts donated by cosmeticshouses such as Boots Number 7,Clinique, Clarins and Benefit,which they can use at home.“Looking good provides a visibleboost for patients, some of whommight not have used make-upbefore. But the benefits are not justskin deep. Patients tell us howmuch more confident and feminine,and better able to cope, they feelafter coming to one of oursessions.“Since we started running theLeicester workshops in 2007 theyhave increased from once a monthto every three weeks, which clearlyshows the level of demand.”Among the students planning toenrol as a LGFB volunteer is 19-year-old Lauren Perry.She said: “Showing cancerpatients how to put on their make-up would be such a rewardingthing to do. I’d like to work in aspa one day and ultimately havemy own business, so workexperience like this will really helpme in my career, too.”And Lauren’s sentiments areshared by student Katherine

Barker from Mount sorrel, whoplans to open her own salon oneday.Katherine, who is 28, added: “Itwould be brilliant to use my make-up skills to make someone feelbetter. Volunteering will also helpboost my confidence too.”Tutor Claire Stocker said she wasdelighted with her students’response to the presentation andtheir enthusiasm for volunteering.She added: “Sue’s presentationwas extremely inspiring and hasshown our students how make-upskills can be used in a holisticway.”“Volunteering will be rewarding ona personal level but will also beuseful in helping the girls tofurther their careers.“Many cosmetic houses expecttheir staff to be able todemonstrate their make-up skillsin front of an audience, forexample, so it’s this sort ofconfidence-building our studentswill also gain from.Stephenson College PrincipalNigel Leigh added: “Our college,like colleges across the country,plays an important part in thecommunities we serve. I am proudthat our beauty therapy studentsand staff have embraced thisworthwhile initiative and will applytheir training for the benefit ofothers.”

National Apprenticeship Weekis just around the corner (9th -13th March) and all of us hereat Stephenson College areincredibly excited as to whatwe’ve got planned for a veryexciting week.

Between 2013 and 2014 thegovernment invested £1.5bn inapprenticeships and there arenow 1,500 differentapprenticeships on offer acrossmore than 170 industries. Hereat Stephenson College we’reproud to offer our students sucha diverse range of amazingopportunities, with reputablelocal and national companies,and we’re just as proud toshowcase what we have tooffer to a wider audience as thebig week approaches.

Co-ordinated by the NationalApprenticeship Service theweek is designed to celebrateapprenticeships and thepositive impact they have onindividuals, businesses and thewider economy across theUnited Kingdom. Companiescontinue to see them as a wayto attract the talented peoplethat they need for theirorganisation to grow.

Here at Stephenson Collegewe’ll be doing our bit by invitinglocal businesses onto ourCoalville campus to helpincrease awareness ofapprenticeships. We aim to dothis by highlighting why theprocess of hiring an apprenticeis easier than many initiallythink, dispelling myths andmisconceptions many people

often have aboutapprenticeships. We will alsobe showing off our talentedstudents and apprenticesthrough a number ofcompetitions, including therowing challenge and pit-stopchallenge and much more.Photos (left) are just some oflast years competitors.

Over in Nottingham we’ll be outand about with some of our top-achieving apprentices,educating young people fromlocal schools on the benefits ofundertaking an apprenticeshipwith us here at StephensonCollege.

We can’t wait to get underwayand get you all involved in whatwe hope is a week toremember!

NationalApprenticeship

Week9th-13th March

Training to be an accountingtechnician via StephensonCollege in Nottingham is addingup to a whole new career inteaching for former AAT studentScott Steele.

Scott recently returned to theCollege’s Finance andManagement Business Schoolin Maid Marian Way – but as anaccounting tutor, not a student.

Scott initially enrolled with theCollege to study for the AAT,Association of AccountingTechnicians, level onequalification, but soon found hehad a real knack for accounting.In fact, Scott progressed sorapidly on his course that hecompleted levels one to threewithin 10 months.

He said:  “I enjoyed everymodule and the enthusiasm andconfidence this created in mewas evident. “It was this, alongwith friendly, experienced tutorsand small class sizes, whichenabled me to complete all threelevels so quickly.”

When Scott had finished hislevel 3 and was waiting to beginlevel 4, he set out to look forsuitable employment within theaccountancy sector.

And although he found his newlyacquired skills were very muchin demand, a whole new careerin teaching also opened up.

Scott added: “I was approachedby the Finance andManagement School’s Centre

Manager who discussed thepossibility of me applying for atutoring position, sharing mynew found knowledge withpeople like me.

"Before I knew it I was planningmy first day teaching my newclass.

“I’m now happily settled in mynew role and am enjoying thedaily reward of teaching.

“I’m very grateful to StephensonCollege as none of this wouldhave been possible without myAAT qualifications and thefantastic tutors at the Financeand Management BusinessSchool.”

Scott Steele’scareer success