Masterchefs in the making. School students visit West Lothian College

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11^th December 2012

Masterchefs in the making. School students visit West Lothian College

Pupils from a West Lothian school are enjoying the sweet taste of success after creating their own brand of jams and chutneys, with the help of West Lothian College.

The students, from Bankton Primary School in Livingston, manage their own school garden and green house, producing a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables. The produce is then sold to parents and teachers. But, the scheme has been so successful that the children called for professional help to decide what to do with their creations.

Andy McDougall, Chef Lecturer at West Lothian College, said: “The school pupils contacted the college asking if we could offer them some tips and advice on the various uses for their produce, so we happily agreed.

“Six students came along and each worked individually with a bit of help from me and their support teacher. They created a variety of jams and chutneys that were all of a really high standard and delicious. They’ll now sell them to school staff and parents to help pay for the upkeep of their garden.

“The children really seemed to enjoy the experience. The long aprons and chef’s hats went down a storm! It was also great to see their enthusiasm for cooking at such a young age. Hopefully the visit will inspire them and we could soon see Bankton jams and chutneys in a store near you!”

June Smolak, Deputy Head Teacher at Bankton Primary School, added: “The Curriculum for excellence has been a fantastic opportunity for Bankton Primary and West Lothian College to merge and work together in partnership for several years now. This recent project has been a huge success. The children returned to Bankton full of enthusiasm after their cookery experience and are now planning to write a recipe book including recipes they worked on in the college kitchen with the help of the experts.”

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Image 1: Students from Bankton Primary School proudly display their produce.

For more information, contact: Brian O’Neill, Halogen Communications, (T) 0131 202 0120 (F) 0131 225 3757 (E) brian@halogencom.com

City of Glasgow College’s tasty tribute to shipbuilding

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7^th December 2012

City of Glasgow College’s tasty tribute to shipbuilding

Students at City of Glasgow College have created a tribute to the River Clyde’s shipbuilding heritage that’s almost too good to eat!

A team of trainee cooks from the college designed and ‘built’ 15 replica Type 45 destroyers in homage to the ships that were produced by BAE Systems at their Govan and Scotstoun yards. The students were invited by BAE to produce the chocolate replicas as a centrepiece of the Master of Trafalgar dinner, which took place in Glasgow’s Thistle Hotel.  Using hand-carved moulds created by sculptor Robert Pollock, the project took 20 hours and more than 100 bars of chocolate to complete.

Food Studies Lecturer at City of Glasgow College, Kenny Hett, commented: “This was something a bit different and unusual. Those who took part were mainly students studying for their HND Professional Cookery and HNC Professional Patisserie. We also had students on other courses who volunteered. Everyone involved rose to the challenge and I’m delighted with their efforts.”

The Type 45 destroyers are the most advanced warships ever built and so far six – Daring, Dauntless, Diamond, Dragon Defender and Duncan – have been built in Glasgow. The last vessel, HMS Duncan, sailed from the Scotstoun yard on August 31^st to begin sea trials.

Willie McCurroch, Head of Food, Hospitality and Tourism, said: “This is something new and challenging for the students and they put a lot of hard work into creating the ships. Each ship weighs over a kilo and took about an hour to make. But the students got a lot out of the project and really enjoyed themselves.”

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Image 1: Food Studies Lecturer Kenny Hett (centre) with (L-R) students Sean Caryle, Jennifer Hinnes, Christine Walker, Mikaela Wright and Jordan Payne.

Image 2: Chocolate replicas of HMS Duncan - the last Type 45 to be built in Glasgow.

For more information please contact: Brian O’Neill, Halogen Communications, t: 0131 202 0120 e: brian@halogencom.com

German students are talk of the twin town

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6^th December 2012

German students are talk of the twin town

Students from Glasgow’s twin town in Germany have been welcomed on a special visit to City of Glasgow College.

The group of 10 Food, Hospitality and Tourism students and their lecturer travelled from Berufliche School in Nuremberg.

After enjoying a tour of the college, the learners joined forces with City of Glasgow College HNC Professional Cookery students to cook a special Scottish menu. The dishes were then served up to Glasgow’s Deputy Lord Provost Gerry Leonard.

Gordon McIntyre, Head of Hospitality at City of Glasgow College, said: “It was a great experience for all of the students to meet each other and exchange ideas and experiences. Both colleges have strong links thanks to the twin town status but we’re keen to take this even further to give learners a deeper understanding of different cultures and approaches to food, hospitality and tourism. From talking to the students, I could see that they gained a great deal and I’m also delighted that the learners from Nuremburg will be taking some of Scotland’s fines recipes back to Germany!”

Image 1: L-R – Gordon McIntyre, Head of Hospitality at City of Glasgow College, Lecturer Chef Tommy Brunton and the German visitors.

  

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For more information please contact: Brian O’Neill, Halogen Communications, t: 0131 202 0120 e: brian@halogencom.com

West Lothian College plays host to youth employment event

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5^th December 2012

West Lothian College plays host to youth employment event

Hundreds of people have attended a jobs fair at West Lothian College designed to tackle youth unemployment.

The event, which was organised by Almond Valley MSP and Minister for Youth Employment, Angela Constance, featured a wide variety of businesses and agencies looking to recruit or assist with the process of finding a job.

Angela Constance MSP said: “In my role as Minister for Youth Employment, I’m more than aware of the challenges facing young people today. I’m delighted with the response we’ve received from West Lothian businesses and agencies.

“The message I’m constantly hearing from young people is that they’re simply looking to learn, pick up relevant qualifications then get a foot on the career ladder. It’s important that employers offer that assistance because it’s not just the right thing to do, it’s also the smart thing to do. Young people make such a great contribution to the country and are our future. We need to all make sure that we’re supporting them in achieving their goals.”

The event, which took place on Friday 30^th November, featured a raft of businesses that are currently looking to recruit, including ASDA, Scottish Water and Scotrail. Information and advice was also available from groups, including Skills Development Scotland, West Lothian Credit Union and the Prince’s Trust.

West Lothian College staff provided information on the vast range of courses available to young people. Principal, Mhairi Laughlin, commented: “The college has an enviable reputation for helping young people find entry into the workplace and now, more than ever, we’re focussing on this important area. From our Ways to Work programme, which provides guaranteed work placements for students, to our hands-on HNC and HND courses, we’re equipping young learners with the vital skills they need.

“The college has a very positive relationship with Angela Constance and we were thrilled to play host to this event. We’re hoping to organise further information days in the future and look forward to developing even stronger enterprise links to get West Lothian’s young people working.”

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Image 1: Angela Constance MSP looks on as one student gets advice from an employer.

For more information, contact: Brian O’Neill, Halogen Communications, (T) 0131 202 0120 (F) 0131 225 3757 (E) brian@halogencom.com   

City of Glasgow College helps young people find work in procurement

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5^th December 2012

City of Glasgow College helps young people find work in procurement

City of Glasgow College has signed a partnership designed to help young people find employment in the growing procurement profession.

The agreement, known as The Scottish Procurement Learning and Development Partnership or Pathways into the Procurement Profession, involves the Scottish Government and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) and offers a variety of pathways for 16 and 17 year olds looking to break into the industry.

As part of the deal, Modern Apprenticeships will launch next October in collaboration with Skills Development Scotland and will provide vocational qualifications in Procurement Levels 2, 3 and 4. City of Glasgow College will also roll out Scotland’s first ever Procurement HNC/D programme in 2013.

The procurement sector covers a vast range of businesses and sectors.. The industry is a vital lifeline for many of the country’s small and medium sized businesses with billions of pounds available in contracts ranging from standard cleaning contracts to multi-million pound construction projects.

Principal of City of Glasgow College, Paul Little, said: “This project is aligned to our strategy for the school of Business and Enterprise. It’s an initiative that will start by encouraging 16 and 17 year olds into a procurement career, which is a key professional industry crying out for a knowledgeable workforce.”

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For more information please contact: Brian O’Neill, Halogen Communications, t: 0131 202 0120 e: brian@halogencom.com

City of Glasgow College officially appoints Depute Principal

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4^th December 2012

City of Glasgow College officially appoints Depute Principal

City of Glasgow College has officially appointed Alex Craig as Depute Principal.

The former Vice Principal for Learning and Teaching will assume immediate responsibility for the new role, which is second only to Principal.

Alex has been in Further Education for almost two decades and has held a variety of roles across the UK including working as a performing arts lecturer.

Speaking following his appointment, the 52 year old, from Glasgow, said: “I’m delighted to take on such a significant role at City of Glasgow College. I’ve been here since the successful merger two years ago and watched as the college has grown. As we enter 2013 I look forward to helping to deliver world class further and higher education in the heart of this world class city and continuing to drive for excellence. The sector is facing some difficult challenges ahead but I’m confident that the right team is in place at City of Glasgow College that will create a college that not only Glasgow but all of Scotland can be proud of.”

City of Glasgow College was created in 2010 following the merger of three leading colleges in the city. With more than 32,000 students from 135 different nationalities, it’s one of Europe’s largest further education establishments.

Paul Little, Principal of City of Glasgow College, commented: “The appointment of Alex as Depute Principal is yet another milestone in the successful journey of City of Glasgow College. We’ve achieved a great deal in a short time and are looking forward with excitement and energy. With such a broad student base, we are truly becoming a world leader in education and I’m confident that Alex will play a key role in taking the college towards even greater achievement.”

   

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Image 1: Alex Craig

For more information please contact: Brian O’Neill, Halogen Communications, t: 0131 202 0120 e: brian@halogencom.com

City of Glasgow College student is a roaring success in China

                                                                                   

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3^rd December 2012

City of Glasgow College student is a roaring success in China

A City of Glasgow College student is hoping to get Scotland hooked on a traditional Chinese sport after taking part in an international competition.

Nicky Chan, from Ayr, has just returned home from Hong Kong, where his team competed in the International Lion Dance Championship.  The ancient sport involves performers dressed in elaborate lion costumes mimicking the movements of the animal. Group displays take place regularly around the country, especially around the Chinese New Year. However, until now, there have no professional competitive teams.

23 year old Nicky, from Ayr, said: “A lot of people may have seen Lion Dancing being performed but very few people in Europe realise that it’s actually a sport in Asia and is taken as seriously as football is here in Scotland. As a child, I’d seen it performed on TV and in films and was always really intrigued by it. I decided to join a group after I was told a teacher from Hong Kong was planning to set one up and it’s been a bit of an adventure ever since!

“We knew that the International Lion Dance Championship was a huge event with some of the world’s best teams but we decided to just go for it and applied to enter. When we arrived in Hong Kong, we really attracted a lot of attention from the media and fans. They were quite excited that a European team was taking part.”

The team competed against national champions from various countries including China, Taiwan, Thailand and Japan, finishing 10^th out of 15. Fuelled by the reaction they received in Asia, the group is now looking to spread the word and encourage other people to set up professional teams.

Nicky added: “In Asia, Lion Dancing is actually part of most school curriculums. I realise we might be some way away from that, but I’m hoping that other people might look at our success and take up the sport. Ultimately, we would like to see a national Lion Dance championship and make Scotland an international leader in Lion Dancing.”

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Image 1: Nicky Chan (left) and a team mate pose with their trophies.                                                                                               Image 2: Nicky Chan in action during one of his team’s performances.                                                                                           Image 3: Nicky Chan and his team mates fly the flag for Great Britain in Hong Kong.                                                                  Image 4: Competing teams from around the world pose for the cameras

For more information, contact: Brian O’Neill, Halogen Communications, (T) 0131 202 0120 (F) 0131 225 3757 (E) brian@halogencom.com