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In here you’ll find an abundance of good news stories, features and updates from students and staff across Cheshire College’s three Campuses.
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Higher Education students in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering won second place at the Greenpower Formula 24+ race with their car the “Thrust CCSW” (named after ThrustSSC, the land speed record car).
The team travelled to Mallory Park Racing Circuit near Leicester on Monday 24th April to compete at the highly anticipated electric car race. Prior to the event, teams were provided with the same battery and motor, and they were required to design, build and race an electric car around a circuit to total up the most mileage. Sponsored by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), it is considered an invaluable opportunity for STEM students.
The students involved in building and racing the car were full-time HNC Mechanical Engineering students Neve Pointon, Sam Gooley, Harry Parr, Matthew Lewin and Ryan Winters. The team also worked in partnership with Sandbach Girls High School, who lent Cheshire College their kit car after receiving some 3D printing support from the Higher Education students.
HNC Mechanical & Electrical Manufacturing students worked on the design of the chassis and drivetrain of the car, whilst HND Mechanical and Manufacturing students used Computational Fluids Dynamics software to design and analyse the bodywork. Altogether, it took the team 4 weeks of modifications and testing until they were happy that the car was reliable enough to compete in the 1-hour endurance race.
Lecturer in Engineering Daniel Evans said that the Greenpower race provided an excellent platform to take principles taught in the classroom and apply them to real life:
“Electric cars are certainly the future, so students being involved in designing and building a car, especially at such an early stage in their careers, will certainly help them when applying for jobs. Previous Greenpower competitors have even gone on to work for successful Formula One teams. Creating the “Thrust CCSW” was a true team effort and we’re all elated that we won second place.”
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As part of the College’s Turing Scheme Grant, the International department arranged a trip to Manerba (Brescia) in Italy for 16 students during the Easter Half Term.
During their visit, the students had the opportunity to undertake a two-week work placement in local companies around Lake Garda in restaurants, supermarkets, a nursery, a care home and other small businesses.
Outside of their work placements, the students also developed strong friendships with those they weren't familiar with at the beginning of the trip.
International Relations & Student Recruitment Manager, Stelios Yalarakis, said:
"This was a great experience for the students. For some of them, it was their first time abroad and away from their families, but they took it completely in their stride and supported each other every day.
"The trip allowed each student to build their confidence in independent living, problem solve and develop work-related skills."
The Turing Scheme is a highly competitive UK government programme that provides funding for international opportunities in education and training across the world. Following Cheshire College's grant for the current academic
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year, they've applied once again for funding for the 2023-24 academic year, where they hope they can offer similar opportunities for more students.
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We can't wait to welcome our new students on Campus so that they can experience a day at College before officially joining us in September.
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Qualkem Managing Director, Ivan Anketell, said:
Do you work with an employer that you’d like to nominate? Get in touch with employers@ccsw.ac.uk to share more information.
“What a lovely surprise and we’re humbled to be chosen. Thanks so much. It’s been a pleasure working with the next generation of budding innovative students.”
The Employer of the Month feature allows the College to celebrate the fantastic partnerships we have and highlight the opportunities that have been created for our students, and the wider community.
Qualkem, a specialist, innovative chemical product development, branding and manufacturing firm in Crewe, have a proven track record of supporting their local community. They reached out to the College to find out how they could help with opportunities for our students.
Managing Director, Ivan, set a brilliant branding project for our T Level Business students, challenging them to present their own ideas to him around his ‘HouseProud’ range of Home & Garden cleaning products.
Ivan then took the time to return to College and hear individual presentations from the students about their ideas. He was extremely impressed with the hard work and presentation skills he saw and has since adopted intends to adopt one of the ideas he heard as
part of a rebranding exercise. He went on to give T Level placements to two business students, including the student who came up with the stand-out idea which captured his attention.
A fantastic experience for all concerned which will now continue as the two students embark on their valuable workplace opportunity with Qualkem.
Thank you to Ivan and the team at Qualkem!
A Cheshire College – South & West student will be competing in the rhythmic gymnastics category at the Special Olympic World Games in Berlin this summer.
Poppy Wood-Wright from Haslington, who is studying towards a Living Independently Certificate (Entry 3) at Crewe campus, was
one of only four athletes to be selected from the UK, after winning the ‘All Round Champion’ title at the intensive Special Olympic National Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships.
Poppy has been doing gymnastics since the age of two and specialises in the rhythmic branch
of the sport; in which athletes perform with an apparatus such as a hoop, ribbon or ball. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics.
Despite her lifelong commitment to gymnastics, Poppy said it was still a surprise to discover that she would be competing in Berlin:
“I was speechless when I found out that I had been selected. I’ve been doing lots of extra training and I’ve been practicing at home as well, doing splits training and stretches. It’s an amazing opportunity and it will be even better because I’m going to be turning 18 whilst I’m in Berlin.”
The Special Olympics World Games are the world's largest inclusive sports event. Thousands of athletes with intellectual disabilities compete together in 26 sports. The aim of the games is to champion and celebrate sport, whilst achieving greater recognition for people with intellectual disabilities in society.
Poppy said that competing at the World Games is currently her biggest ambition and said that her friends and tutors at Cheshire College were happy and supportive when learning of her news. Scan the QR code to help raise funds for Poppy’s life changing trip.
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Bharath Rhamaswamy, Assistant Vice President from Bank of America visited Cheshire College –South & West’s Chester campus as part of an employee volunteering programme, organised in partnership with the Cheshire and Warrington Pledge.
Mr Rhamaswamy first visited the college for a CV and interview support session with students, but Business lecturer Jessica Rogers reached out to him and asked whether he would be interested in working directly with Level 2 Business students and listening to their pitch ideas. Mr Rhamaswamy agreed, allowing students to get
first-hand feedback from a highranking official at one of the world’s leading financial institutions.
As part of their learning aims for Unit 1 and Unit 18 “Running a Small Business,” Business students are required to write a full business plan including market research, marketing strategy and financial strategy for a business which they have created.
The group chose to work around the concept of pop-up stalls and each learner created a unique concept, which they needed to pitch. Ideas ranged from a dog-friendly outdoor coffee shop to Bulgarian cakes, sweet stalls
and a wellbeing stall focusing on sustainability and healthy, nutritious snacks.
Jessica Rogers said of the pitch meetings:
“The students all performed amazingly under pressure. They were confident and articulate in their findings and they really sold their concepts to Mr Rhamaswamy. They were all given really insightful feedback and tips for improvement, which will be of great assistance to them in their future projects.”
THURSDAY 8TH JUNE
Celebrating the achievements of students based at Crewe Campus
Ellesmere Port Campus
THURSDAY 15TH JUNE
Celebrating the achievements of students based at Ellesmere Port and Chester Campus
Time 18:00 – 21:00
Want to nominate an outstanding student?
Scan the QR code to submit your nomination…
Cheshire College – South & West performed exceptionally well in the bricklaying category at the Cheshire & Warrington Skills Competition, hosted by Warrington & Vale Royal College.
Apprentice Chris Haseler from Cheshire College’s Crewe Campus (pictured right) was entered for the senior category, and Ellesmere Port’s Trent Dauda (pictured left) was entered in the beginner’s category.
Chris won first place at the end of the competition and Trent was highly commended for his bricklaying abilities. When asked about his success at the competition, Chris commented:
“I was pretty happy about it. I thought I was going to get an alright placement because there was some strong competition, but I didn’t expect to win. Then I got first place, and it was a great feeling.”
Chris had been drawn to bricklaying after practicing with his father when he was younger. When he left school, he decided to pursue an apprenticeship in the profession. He said that he would encourage other aspiring bricklayers to do the same, and to enter competitions
wherever possible, instructing them to always ‘remember the basics’ as a key to success.
Lecturer in Brickwork, Mark Nowell said: “We knew Chris would win. He’s an extremely talented bricklayer, and we had every confidence in him during the competition. He produces consistently excellent work, and we
have no doubt that he’s got a bright future ahead of him.”
Cheshire College has over 1,000 Apprentices, works with over 500 local, national and international employers and delivers Apprenticeships across a wide range of sectors including, Construction & Building Services, Health, Public Services & Care,
Engineering & Manufacturing, Information & Communications Technology, Retail & Commercial Enterprise, Education & Training and Business, Administration & Law.
Cheshire College – South & West saw great success at the 2023 Educate North Awards in Manchester, where it was recognised in the Community Engagement (Higher Education and Further Education) category.
Celebrating excellence in the education sector in the North, the awards attract over 400 education professionals from Further and Higher Education institutions. The Community Engagement Award is given in recognition of academic institutions which enhance their students’ learning experiences through effective partnerships with the wider community.
Following a record number of entries, Cheshire College was announced as one of the Educate North finalists in February 2023, after being judged by an esteemed panel of industry leaders and experts.
Cheshire College works actively with the local community and has built strong relationships through the annual Primary and Secondary College programmes, which have benefitted over 3,000 students. The initiative has been running for over 25 years and helps to raise aspiration, experience innovative and immersive learning environments on campus at Cheshire College.
Principal and CEO of Cheshire College, Jasbir Dhesi OBE, says:
“We are honoured that Cheshire College was commended for our community engagement at the Educate North Awards. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of Cheshire College’s supporters, who helped to make this possible. We are fortunate to be part of such incredible communities, who share a deep understanding of and commitment to the work we do for our students.”
Three Professional Cookery students from Cheshire College –South & West have been shortlisted to compete in the National Heats for the Toque d’Or 2023; a prestigious hospitality competition which was born out of a passion for excellence and to provide invaluable opportunities for the next generation of food service professionals.
Following a fortnight of intensive judging, Nestlé Professional announced that Amanda Salters and Nathan Price from Cheshire College’s Ellesmere Port Campus have been shortlisted for the Back of House category, and Jasmine Thomas, who studies at Crewe Campus, has been selected for the Front of House category.
The students secured their place in the Heats after standing out amongst nearly 400 other applicants. To qualify, students had to create a 30-second video explaining their passion for hospitality and their reasons for entering the Torque d’Or. Amanda and Nathan also had to prepare and cook a piece of sustainable fish, submit a menu description and photos of the mise-en-place, fish knife skills and a final dish.
Meanwhile, for the Front of House category, Jasmine had to lay up a table inspired by a theme of her choice and create a coffee drink
inspired by the same theme. By competing in the National Heats, the students are in with a chance of winning a once-ina-lifetime culinary adventure to Brazil.
Andrea Huby, Assistant Director for Hair, Beauty and Hospitality at Ellesmere Port Campus said of the shortlisted students:
“We’re extraordinarily proud of all the students and we wish them every success in the National Heats. They have all worked incredibly hard to qualify for the Toque d’Or and we will continue to support them however we can, both in the run-up to the competition and beyond.”
Victoria Mulqueen, Assistant Director of Hair, Beauty and
Hospitality for Crewe Campus added: “The shortlisted students are proof of Cheshire College’s continued commitment to excellence. These students are all independently talented, so we strive to find new ways to enhance and refine their skills. Getting professional feedback in national competitions is one of many paths to improvement.”
The Toque d’Or Heats will take place at Nestlé HQ from 15th-18th May 2023.
Hospitality students at Cheshire College can refine their skills through their involvement with the award-winning Academy West restaurants, based at the Ellesmere Port and Crewe Campuses.
Team Sandstorm, a group of Level 3 Esports and Games Development students at Cheshire College –South & West, competed in the Digital Schoolhouse Super Smash Bros Tournament Finals in London on 28th April.
The team qualified for the finals in March, after winning second place at the semi-finals in Media City, Salford. Students from Level 3 Esports and Games Development courses played throughout the day in a series of challenging matches against the best and brightest in the world of competitive gaming.
The College was represented by Esports students Kaydan-Sonny Whitesite and Jason Threadgold, and Games Development student Jack Blundell.
Students Finlay Ruston and Dan Yates from Esports also Shoutcasted several matches, broadcasting their commentary live to Twitch, watched by spectators from other
schools and colleges nationwide.
The Digital Schoolhouse tournaments allow for schools and colleges across the UK to complete in a series of rounds and faceto-face tournaments at purposebuilt Esports arenas.
The tournament is organised in collaboration with Nintendo and Ukie (the trade body for the UK games and the interactive entertainment industry). As part of the experience, students are given opportunities to speak to artists and producers working in the UK video games industry, giving them a valuable insight into the world of professional gaming.
Studying Media and Games at Cheshire College allows students to press play on several exciting careers. Throughout their studies, students have access to state-of-theart facilities and resources such as Autodesk 3D Studio Max and Maya and Unreal Engine.
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Two Technical Theatre students at Cheshire College – South & West have been given an incredible opportunity to work behind-thescenes as Follow-spot Operators at the 67th annual Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool.
Production Arts Practice
students Megan Parry and Ben Whitaker were selected for the role
earlier this year following some exclusive expert training at the College’s Ellesmere Port Campus.
From within the College’s purpose-built theatre, students watched demonstrations and engaged in practical sessions with the latest technology from ROBE, presented by leading Lighting Designer, Tim Routledge. During
the masterclass, Ben and Megan proved their technical proficiency, passion and dedication to their craft, resulting in their selection for the highly coveted Follow-spot Operator roles.
Level 3 student Megan, aged 18, said her selection was completely unexpected: “I was really quite shocked to be honest because
Eurovision is such a big thing that you hear about on the TV and on the news, so it was amazing to be picked to work on an event of this size!
“It’s been incredible. Being able to see how a big event is created and being able to be a part of the process is truly a dream come true.”
Higher Education student Ben, aged 19, was equally surprised to have received such a rare opportunity:
“It’s [an opportunity] you hope you’ll get, but there are no guarantees, so when I found out that I’d been selected it was a great feeling.
“I’ve learnt so much already and I’ve loved getting to know people, and meeting so many big professionals in the industry.”
Training is underway for the main event on Saturday 13th May and the students have already met some very special guests along the
way, most notably King Charles III and the Queen Consort, who attended the grand opening of the upcoming contest’s lighting and stage.
Of the visit, Megan commented: “Being able to meet them was such a special and memorable experience I will never forget. They were so kind and caring, and it is truly a magical moment in my life.”
Ben had an important role to
play during His Majesty’s visit: “I was follow-spotting the King and lighting him on the stage, which was incredible. I can’t wait to see what the next few weeks have in store for me.”
Head of Theatre Operations, Angie Berwick, commented:
“It's very humbling and rewarding to see Ben and Megan’s hard work and commitment pay off in such a big way. This is the experience of a lifetime and everyone at Cheshire College is proud beyond words of their success.”
“Through the department’s continuing partnership with ROBE NRG, there are many more exciting opportunities to come for current and prospective students studying Technical Theatre.”
Cheshire College’s Technical Theatre courses, ranging from Level 3 up to Level 5, provide students with the practical experience they need to become fully qualified and skilled employees.
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A Cheshire College – South & West student is raising money to perform a stand-up comedy set at the Edinburgh Fringe; the celebrated festival which welcomes performers from all over the world, from big names in the entertainment industry to unknown artists looking to build their careers.
Caitlin Jones (who uses they/ them pronouns) is a Level 3 Creative Media Practice student, based at the college’s Chester campus, and they originally worked as a show-writer for comedy charity events, before deciding to try standup: “People kept telling me that my jokes were funny, and I started to think that there might be a way to make a career out of that.”
“The Edinburgh Fringe is the place where most comedians go to
make a name for themselves and I know that comedy is something that I want to pursue full-time after university, so I thought if I start now, it will help me to boost my platform.”
At the Fringe, Caitlin will be performing a 45-minute set, conducted in a diary format and centring on life as an LGBTQIA+ teenager. They cite the work of the late Rik Mayall and Monty Python as some of their comedic inspirations; Monty Python’s Eric Idle has even been in touch and helped to promote some of their work. “He’s really supportive and he’s given me advice too, which is lovely.”
Cheshire College has also played an important role in Caitlin’s career plans. They are hoping to study Performing Arts at university and
said that the support offered to media students at Cheshire College is unparalleled:
“I’m from Wrexham, so it’s a bit of a journey to get here every day! But Cheshire College has much better support for media students than other options I was considering, so I decided that it was worth making the journey.”
Caitlin is continuing to raise money to fund their performance at the festival, and welcomes donations from college staff, students and members of the public. To donate please scan the QR code below.
Cheshire College – South & West delivered two ambitious Gourmet Evenings at its Ellesmere Port Campus on 19th and 26th April, hosting their dinner guests in the college’s state-of-the-art aircraft training centre.
Hospitality & Catering and Travel & Tourism students collaborated with each other to simulate an in-flight, fine dining experience, complete with ambient noises and travel updates.
Guests enjoyed five delicious courses prepared by Hospitality & Catering students, with paired wines to complement their meal. All courses and beverages were professionally served by the college’s trainee flight attendants, offering invaluable practice for their future careers.
Lecturer in Travel & Tourism, Sarah Broady, said that both Gourmet Evenings were a great success:
“We had lovely feedback from the guests before the evenings were even over! Everyone had a fantastic time and we’re delighted with the professionalism and skill on display by our students.”
Instructor in Hospitality Nigel Taylor commented:
“The teamwork on both nights was excellent. The technical skill and attention to detail were outstanding; everyone rose to the challenge and delivered a first-class dining experience for our guests.”
The award-winning Academy Restaurants are based at Cheshire
College’s Crewe and Ellesmere Port Campuses and are open for reservations from members of the public. They boast à la carte menus, gin-tasting events and gourmet evenings with well-known chefs. Hospitality students at Cheshire College can refine their skills through their involvement with the Academy West restaurants.
Travel & Tourism students benefit from excellent facilities and resources, including specially
designed aircraft cabins where they are given the opportunity to practice cabin crew skills and evacuation procedure briefings. Cheshire College invites major travel organisations onto its Campuses each year to share experience and advice, whilst also providing hands-on support throughout the application process for a diverse range of roles within the industry.
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CREWE CAMPUS
Dane Bank Avenue
Crewe, Cheshire
CW2 8AB
ELLESMERE PORT CAMPUS
Off Sutton Way
Ellesmere Port
CH65 7BF
CHESTER CAMPUS
Eaton Road
Handbridge, Chester
CH4 7ER