Uxbridge College Autumn 2011 UPDATEImproving the skills of individuals. Meeting the needs of employers. Celebrating Student Success Melody Hossaini honours winners at awards ceremony The Apprentice’s Melody Hossaini presents achievement awards to Sabyha Khan, who was chosen from 10,000 full-time and part-time students as the overall winner. Inside: n Top College in London n The Skills Store for fifth year running now open n College wins National in Uxbridge Best Business Award n Ken Livingstone promises student travel review Tel: 01895 853333 | email: [email protected] | www.uxbridgecollege.ac.uk | The Apprentice’s Melody Hossaini honours student winners at the Annual Awards Ceremony Melody Hossaini pictured with Dr Darrell DeSouza, Vice Principal Curriculum and Standards at Uxbridge College. Uxbridge College students The winners were chosen from among were honoured for their the College’s 10,000 full-time and part- time students, and employers who work achievements by one of the in partnership with the College were also stars of BBC’s The Apprentice, honoured. They celebrated with friends, Melody Hossaini. family and staff at The Beck Theatre in Hayes. Melody talked about her career and presented prizes at Uxbridge College’s The overall winner, who received Annual Awards Ceremony 2011, as well the Super Star Award, sponsored by as answering questions and posing for Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets, was photos with students. Sabyha Khan of Uxbridge. Uxbridge College Performing Arts Dance Students Sabyha, 18, achieved two A* grades and BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma Years 1 & 2 open two A grades at A Level, making her one the ceremony with a bang. of Uxbridge College’s best performing students ever, and is now at Cambridge Melody Hossaini told the packed theatre: University reading Medicine. “Uxbridge College is a college which offers you more than just your grades – She also helped lead the college’s public it’s about what life’s all about – and that’s speaking team to victory, was campaign one of the reasons I’m so pleased manager to the winning candidate to be here tonight. Many people out during college elections, and helped there would envy you being at an age tutor other students during ‘maths clinics’ where you have your whole lives ahead and supported them in class. of you. It’s such an exciting place to be.” Sabyha was also recently announced as the joint first winner of the Association of College’s STOP national Student of the Year competition, which recognises students for their personal ➜ achievements. Sabyha was chosen from many exceptional students from colleges across the UK PRESS! who were nominated for this prestigious award. Find out more at www.uxbridgecollege.ac.uk 2 Tel: 01895 853333 | email: [email protected] | www.uxbridgecollege.ac.uk Dedicated employer support College wins now on your doorstep with National Best the opening of The Skills Store Business Award in Uxbridge The Skills Store is declared open (L-R Hugh Dunnachie, Uxbridge College celebrates its win in the national Best Business CEO Hillingdon Council; Awards. Principal Laraine Smith (right) and Lorraine Collins, Cllr Mary O'Connor, Mayor of Executive Director, Enterprise & Development, with the trophy. Hillingdon; Andy Davy, General Manager of The Mall Pavilions, Uxbridge College has cemented its and Laraine Smith, Principal of Uxbridge College. reputation for business excellence by becoming a winner in the national Best Business Awards. A new ‘Skills Store’ specially trained advisors. The College was chosen by judges as the Best The Skills Store also provides Further & Higher Education Provider for its offering a one stop specialist support to the retail innovative training programmes and community location for employers sector as a member of the partnerships in the local and regional business to get advice and National Skills Academy for sector. Retail. information on Uxbridge College joins previous Best Business recruitment and training Services on offer through Award winners including Sky, Barclays, and EDF has been launched in The Skills Store will include: Energy Networks. Uxbridge Town Centre. n Training for staff, from short The College’s Best Business Award recognises its customised courses to longer The Skills Store, led by excellent work with employers and successful professional qualifications. Uxbridge College and supported partnerships with business and the community. by Hillingdon Partners, is n Apprenticeships – employing located at 24 Market Square either a new candidate or The judges praised projects including: in The Mall Pavilions, and was developing the skills of an n A market research project in The Mall officially opened by The Mayor of existing employee. Pavilions shopping centre designed Hillingdon Councillor n Hire of an apprentice through and implemented by students Mary O’Connor. the College’s Apprenticeship n An innovative engineering Training Agency Apprenticeship scheme run in The Skills Store aims both partnership with British Airways to support employers with n Free vacancy advertising their workforce needs, and and recruitment service for n A programme which recognises the help individuals develop their permanent, temporary and contribution of business to the local and skills. Employers and members seasonal positions promoted regional community – the Uxbridge College of the public can drop in to to over 5,000 Uxbridge Employer Champion Scheme. discuss training, recruitment College students of all ages and employment options with and skill levels. For more information about skills training and support for Opening hours: Monday – Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm. ➜ employers contact Uxbridge For more information drop in, call 01895 249854 or email College’s Employer Services team ➜ [email protected] on 01895 853780. Tel: 01895 853333 | email: [email protected] | www.uxbridgecollege.ac.uk 3 ➜ Top London College In brief... gets great results Winning Images Media and Art students were among those winning prizes for their work in a competition covering Harrow and Hillingdon. Winners of the competition, run by Lines of Pinner, included Jasmine Salvador who won the 16-21 years photography section, and Jessie Gorgonia and Daniel West who won prizes in the 16-21 years art section. Exam successes: Noor Al-Atteaby (centre) was among those celebrating top results Uxbridge College is proud to n Fiona Harding, who had gained a Level 3 qualification in childcare at ➜ confirm that for the fifth year Uxbridge College a few years ago, running we have the highest was accepted at Durham to study In brief... success rates in London*, out Physics after coming back to upgrade of 34 other London based her GCSEs. The combination of the two sets of qualifications and her Constructing colleges. overall abilities enabled her to gain This news comes just after the College a place on the degree course. Better Skills celebrated another year of fantastic A Level results with a 99% overall pass GCSE results were also strong and in Partnership rate and improvements in the number highlights included excellent ICT results of grades at A*, A and B. with success rates for at A*-C at 98% with Heathrow – up 5% on 2010. There was also an A group of engineering students Many of our A Level students are now improvement in English Literature at have beaten the recession and on degree courses at universities A*-C, with success rates at 83% up from landed jobs at Heathrow Airport including Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick 69% the previous year. Students at under a scheme run with partners and King’s College, following excellent Uxbridge College take their GCSE exams including BAA and Hillingdon results in the summer. in one year – either to improve existing Council. results or because they are sitting them Achievers included: for the first time – so they take up to five The 11 successful candidates were n Sabyha Khan who got A* grades subjects, less than the number taken recruited to take up posts at the in maths and biology and A grades at school. The overall GCSE pass rate at end of their electrical engineering in chemistry and psychology. She is grades A*-G was 98%. courses with the international studying medicine at Cambridge. construction firm Laing O’Rourke, working on Heathrow's new n Ismaila Ngum who got grade As Terminal 2. in law, government & politics and sociology, and a B in Maths, and is The engineers, who qualified reading law at Oxford University. on the C&G 2330 Level 3 in n Mereshkanth Rajeswaran who is Electrotechnical Technology course, at Warwick studying biochemistry; were employed through the Joel Pope who is also going to Heathrow Construction Academy, Warwick where he will read maths, a pilot project led by BAA working and Ghunzanfur Khan who is on with a range of organisations to a biomedical science course at provide employment and training King’s College. opportunities at the airport. *Best College in London for educating young people based on the highest long qualification success rate for 16–18 year olds in the academic years 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09 and 2009–10. 4 Tel: 01895 853333 | email: [email protected] | www.uxbridgecollege.ac.uk Local Heroes Revealed Aspiring in Uxbridge College futures for and Uxbridge Gazette Hillingdon Competition pupils Children from 16 primary schools across Hillingdon came to Uxbridge College for two days of taster workshops, including cheerleading, as part of Aspire 2011. Primary school children from all over Hillingdon gathered Hillingdon's unsung heroes Our Local Heroes: Holding the star trophy at Uxbridge College to get is overall winner Kane Thomas with (from a taste of the future by stepped into the spotlight at left) runner-up Len Turner, category winners the gala awards ceremony for Bernard Roberts and Curtis Botten, Uxbridge trying out subjects including College Principal Laraine Smith, Kim Chapman, forensic science, sport, and the Local Heroes competition, Editorial Director of Trinity Mirror Southern run by Uxbridge College and and category winner David Brough.