My C llege
Middlesbrough College Student and Parent Newsletter
Spring 2022
Hello & welcome, …to our Spring 2022 newsletter!
See inside:
We are so proud to share with you all our latest news, events and photos. Well done to all of our students and staff on another inspiring and rewarding term!
🌼 Our campus expansion 🌼 Partnership with actor Craig Conway 🌼 New Coding Club 🌼 Student success 🌼 College life
Our campus expansion Proud to reveal our Campus Heart We are so excited to share with you our new Campus Heart! The Campus Heart is a great new social space for our students to relax in, featuring Costa Coffee and our very own Street Eats! Watch out for our student musicians that will be performing.
Our new Digital Centre is open! We are proud to be a STEM specialist College with an exciting digital offer and our very own brand-new industry standard digital school - MC Digital. The new centre is host to industry-leading programming suites, cyber labs, video editing suites, a games design suite and a full TV and film studio.
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Dave Coplin, former Chief Envisioning Officer for Microsoft UK opened the centre in April!
Our Construction students got hands-on with the project! Budding brickies helped to build pieces of the new digital centre, construction skills centre and extended catering facilities. Under the watchful eye of professionals at Surgo Construction, the students worked on the build as part of their industry placements.
New for 2022 - our new Construction Centre!
Government funding secured for top class engineering facility Plans to build a state-of-theart engineering facility that could transform Teesside’s net zero aims are one step closer, thanks to £4m of government funding secured by Middlesbrough College.
The successful bid, secured through the Department for Education’s ‘Further Education Capital Transformation Fund’ forms part of a £10m investment into the replacement and relocation of the current TTE site. Home to the technical training provider and hundreds of learners and apprentices, the move will
see existing TTE provision of workshop training areas, teaching classrooms and staff facilities relocated to a purpose-built facility at the College’s Middlehaven campus, on development land adjacent to our STEM Centre.
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Latest College news Our new partnership with actor Craig Conway North East born star Craig Conway is set to help the talent of the future achieve their performing dreams, thanks to his new partnership with Middlesbrough College.
Craig Conway has an incredibly impressive CV and has appeared in several stage plays, television series and films. The College’s new partnership will see Craig work with students in Performing Arts, Creative Media and Film and Stage Management and Operations.
Pioneering Coding Club sets students up for digital future
Did you know? There has been a digital boom in Teesside with over 2,500 extra jobs predicted in the Tees Valley between now and 2024, so now is the perfect time to upskill for a career in the digital sector!
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Teesside’s tech scene is thriving, and the region has become a hotbed for digital innovation. Middlesbrough College’s new cuttingedge Coding Club aims to bridge the knowledge gap and inspire students to take up a career in Teesside’s expanding digital sector.
development knowledge and learn how to create professional industry websites. Lessons include learning to programme Raspberry Pi (Python), taking on coding challenges, building PCs, designing, creating, and deploying code and setting up Oculus. Are you in year 9, 10 or 11 and want to join? You can sign up to join Coding Club on our website!
The new ten-week course allows students to advance their coding skills,
Head to www.mbro.ac.uk
Retrain with us
a Level 2 and 3 Diploma in Light Vehicle Maintenance. “The experience I have gained is incredible. I’m proud to say after nearly 4 years and 2 College courses, I am now a fulltime employee at ACL – I couldn’t be happier.”
Ben Nixon, went from part-time employee to flourishing full-time mechanic at the renowned vintage restoration garage Automotive Creation Limited! Ben decided to re-train at Middlesbrough College completing both
T Level news T Levels are a brand new 2-year Level 3 programme that help students to build the future that they want. Students spend 80% of their time in the classroom and 20% of their time in the workplace, putting the skills that they have learnt in the classroom into action. Every T Level student takes an industry placement that lasts at least 45 days, allowing students to gain valuable experience in the workplace.
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Childcare
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Construction
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Digital
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Engineering
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Health
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Science
Can you offer a student a work placement?
“A huge benefit of being on a T Level programme is that I am able to work on real-life tasks. Plus, the working environment is great and helps me gain industry experience for future employment.”
By offering a T Level placement, your organisation will be building the next generation of workers, who can help generate new ideas to develop and grow your business.
Ben Thompson
Level 3 Digital Design & Production T Level student at Cosmic Key Games
Our T Level courses:
Ben
T Level student Lydia is a cut above the rest! Lydia Southern has impressed her T Level placement employer, The Baker Street Salon and has been offered employment as a result of her hard work, dedication and talent. Level 3 Hairdressing student Lydia has always dreamed of being a hairdresser since
To find out more and to arrange a placement, please email placements@mbro.ac.uk
she was a child. Now, she is one step closer to fulfilling her career goals. Lydia said: “My confidence has grown, I’ve met new people, developed my skills and learnt new techniques. I’m over the moon that I’ve secured employment at The Baker Street Salon. All the hard work has paid off! I’m so excited for the future and can’t wait to see where my career will take me.” 5
Taking student success higher We are so proud of our students this term and are delighted to be able to celebrate their fantastic University offers!
Ashli Woodgate A Levels
Alex Cosmici Information Technology - Level 3
Ashli is progressing to the University of Leeds to study for a degree apprenticeship in Software Engineering. Ashli’s degree is sponsored by Price Waterhouse Cooper.
Alex has four University offers from prestigious Universities such as Huddersfield, Portsmouth, Leeds and Lancashire to study for a degree in Cyber Security.
“I’ve really enjoyed studying at Middlesbrough College Sixth Form. The support from my tutors has been outstanding and I’ve made lots of new friends. I would definitely recommend studying here! There are lots of great student perks, including free travel. I’m delighted that I have gained a place on a really competitive degree apprenticeship. I can’t wait to get started! I’ll be working alongside studying for my degree and i’s a huge bonus that I’m being paid to study! I can’t thank the College enough for all their support.”
“Studying at Middlesbrough College has been challenging but enjoyable. The highlight of my time here has been my lessons. We are always covering new topics and doing fun activities and events. My tutors are the most helpful people in the world! They always go the extra mile to make sure you have everything you need to succeed.”
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Charlotte Kelsey Sport & Exercise Science - Level 3 Charlotte has a range of offers for University to study for a degree in Physiotherapy. “I decided to study at Middlesbrough College because I heard great things from friends who study here and the facilities at the College are excellent, we’ve got everything we need here to help us complete the course.”
Did you know? Highly experienced Physiotherapists can earn up to £50,581! The Tees Valley has a large health and social care sector, with the number of health and social care jobs 33% above the national average.
Meet our Careers Team! Meet Phil, Zara and Abel, our dedicated Careers Team! The team can help you make the right decisions on your future career path. Whether it’s dreams of progressing into work, an apprenticeship or higher education, the Careers Team are fully qualified to provide support to you, whatever your starting point. Head to mbro.ac.uk/careers to find out more about our team.
Top tips from our Student Wellbeing Team! Studying is fun and interesting, but we also understand it can be challenging.
Sleep Sleep is important to your physical and mental health. Sleep improves memory and concentration and reduces stress and anxiety.
Self-care Balance your studies with other activities that make you happy.
Coping with new challenges can have an impact on your mental health, but there are lots of things that you can do to make your time as a student easier and more enjoyable.
Food Improving your diet may help to improve your mood, give you more energy and help you to think more clearly.
You need a break from your studies and to do something for you. Go for a walk or bike ride and get away from your desk.
Exercise Getting active can boost your self-esteem, help you concentrate and improve your sleep. If you’re worried about your mental health, there are always people you can chat to. Please call in and speak to the welfare team. We can offer advice and guidance and look at the support that can be offered. We offer all of our students access to FIKAmental fitness courses for education. The app will help you to learn sciencebased techniques and improve your mental fitness for a more successful life! Head to our website to find out more.
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Student life Ukraine appeal A huge thank you to everyone who donated essential items to the Ukraine Shoebox appeal, we sent 110 packages in total. Special thanks to our Public Service students for putting the packages together ready to be sent off.
Middlesbrough College students perform to save the arts First year Level 3 Performing Arts and Stage Management and Operations students created a show in support of the Save the Arts campaign. The students were given free rein to create the show in support of the campaign, which they entitled ‘Showtime!’
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Inspirational student Daisy hosted College fundraiser for cause close to home Daisy Cranshaw hosted a fundraiser for Brain Tumour Research after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour at just sixteen years old, a year after her step mum Tina Cranshaw was also diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumour. Motivated by her step mum’s brave battle, Daisy completed the February 10,000 steps a day challenge in support of Brain Tumour Research and held her fundraiser on the street at College. Daisy has now raised over £1,600!
Showtime was the ultimate feel-good night out. Audiences enjoyed non-stop theatre magic featuring songs from some of the biggest Broadway musicals.
Did you know? Highly experienced Arts Officers, Producers and Directors can earn up to £60,846! Our team have industry and showbiz links!
International Women’s Day Showcase! It was great to celebrate the diversity of women in Middlesbrough College
and their career choices and aspirations with our showcase event on International Women’s Day. A huge thank you to everyone who participated and celebrated with us.
Pride Parade 2022 Middlesbrough College’s annual pride parade took place on Valentine’s day. It was fantastic to see so many staff and students
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Workers recreate 120 year old photo at Middlesbrough heritage site Our construction students worked on the major overhaul of Exchange Square and gathered for the photo as their counterparts did in 1902 and again in 1987. Huge thanks to Teesside Archive for providing the original photograph!
celebrating! The pride parade is a special event that is held every year at the College and is organised by our LGBTQ society.
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Did you know? The construction sector is one of the largest in the UK economy and is set to continue growing! Highly experienced Construction Project Managers can earn up to £49,280.
Trips from this term Our students have been all over this term!
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Our Applied Science students visited the Teesside Youth Climate Summit in January!
Our Performing Arts and Stage management and Operations students visited the Warner Bros Studio Tour in London!
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Access to Higher Education news We are so proud of our Access to Higher Education students! After completing their diplomas, our students have progressed to a range of degree programmes. These include nursing, psychology, computing, dentistry, marketing, engineering, midwifery, pharmacy and more!
If you want to progress to University, but don’t have the entry criteria, an Access course is the perfect stepping stone to a degree. We offer a huge range of subjects too! Head to our website to find out more about the courses we offer.
“I came across to the UK four years ago after leaving Syria because of the conflicts. Middlesbrough College has been a safe and friendly place to study. I would encourage anyone who is considering studying for an Access course here to do it! Education is so important. It makes you stronger and allows you to earn your own money and have your own independence.” Sidra Alahmar Sidra has a place at University to study Law. Access to Higher Education Diploma in Law & Criminology - Level 3
From homeless shelter to success A life-changing decision to enrol at Middlesbrough College helped Kira Coleman to get her life back on track after years of suffering with PTSD and finding herself homeless. With few qualifications, Kira enrolled on a one-year Access to Higher Education Diploma in Music course
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at Middlesbrough College before progressing onto the Bachelor of Science Degree in Sound and Music Technology, accredited by the Open University. She is now in her final year. Alongside her studies, Kira secured a number of part time jobs in the industry, including at the Globe Theatre in Stockton where she currently works as a casual technician.
Sidra
You can apply for an Access course in 3 easy steps! See our website.
The Middlesbrough College Alumni We caught up with alumni student Danielle Purvis who studied the Access to Higher Education Diploma in Humanities and Social Sciences with us back in 2020. Now, she’s thriving at the University of York, studying for a degree in Social Policy. “My advice to anyone considering returning to education is to go for it. The support I received from Middlesbrough College was outstanding. The College helped me to research different Universities and find a degree that was perfect for me. The team also supported me with my application and personal statement. I was delighted when I was offered a scholarship to study at the
University of York- it was honestly a dream come true. “I’m also employed at the University of York as a Student Ambassador, specialising in outreach and access. As part of my role, I help others who face barriers to access education. It is a brilliant job and something
I’m very passionate about. I’m proud to share with others how I’ve changed my life for the better. Once I’ve completed my degree, I’m hoping to progress to policy making within the government.”
Join our Alumni It’s important to us that we stay in touch with our students and apprentices once they have left us to find out where life takes them after they have left Middlesbrough College. If you are a former Middlesbrough College student and feel your achievements and career experience could help inspire our current students, we would like to hear from you. Head to mbro.ac.uk/alumni
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Higher Education news Achieve your career ambitions with Middlesbrough College’s job-focused University courses. New University Centre! Our brand new University Centre is open! The £3.1m expansion has created the ideal place to work and socialise with new cutting edge, state of the art, modern facilities including bespoke University level study areas, classrooms and tutorial zones.
Training ‘techsperts’ of the future! Tech savvy students searching for the perfect programme to kick start their career in computing should
click on to Middlesbrough College. We are taking the lead when it comes to delivering higher technical qualifications (HTQs) that will help students secure highly skilled, highly paid jobs in the digital sector.
Our new Computing Higher Technical Qualifications: •
HNC/D in Computing (Network Engineering)
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HNC/D in Computing (Software Developer)
Matthew studied Level 3 Business and progressed to study a degree with Middlesbrough College in Business Management with Marketing.
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Matthew is now employed as a lecturer, teaching first year Level 3 Business students and the Access to Higher Education Diploma in Business.
“If you want to get a degree but don’t want to move away from home, I would encourage you to consider studying for a University qualification at Middlesbrough College. The support is second to none and the College have helped me thrive in my career.”
Adult & Community Learning news Our Adult and Community Learning Centre
Take your skills higher with our FREE Essential Digital Skills course!
Student success! Stephanie Boocock and Shoona Rutledge met at Southbank Primary School as dinner ladies and decided to upskill together to fulfil their career ambitions of becoming professionals in the childcare and education sector. They enrolled on to the part time Early Years Practitioner Level 2 programme. Southbank Primary School asked Stephanie and Shoona to apply for roles within their 2–3-year-old provision and both were
successful. Stephanie and Shoona now work together as keyworkers for the nursery and once qualified will lead their own groups. “I didn’t expect to be where I am now, but I’m thrilled that I decided to come back into education. I was very apprehensive and anxious about returning to College, especially as a mature student, but I’m so glad I did! My advice to anyone who wants to upskill or retrain is to go for it! It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made.”
If you are struggling with your technology, don’t worry. Our free short course is the perfect route to enhance your digital skills and knowledge. Want to get started and get online? Email adult&community learning@mbro.ac.uk Our mixed abilities session takes place every Wednesday from 5:30 – 7:30pm.
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Latest news from Northern Skills Tees Business Live It was fantastic to host Tees Business Live in our Waterside Brasserie! We were joined by a fantastic panel and guests. We also had the opportunity to answer questions about the exciting business development at Middlesbrough College, Northern Skills and TTE Technical. It was great to see you all!
Apprentice Zain wins Tees Valley BME Apprentice of the Year Zain Alam is a dynamic Business Administration apprentice and former IT & Business student. He was nominated for the
Secure an apprenticeship First things first, you’ll need to find out who is hiring! Once you’ve found the apprenticeship vacancy you want, you can apply through Middlesbrough College. Apprenticeships are competitive so you will need to perfect your application and prepare for your interview so you stand out from other applicants!
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apprentice of the year for all of his hard work and accomplishments in the Workforce Development team at College. You can also register your interest by signing up to our apprenticeship bulletin- just visit the northern skills group website to sign yourself up: northernskills.co.uk Alternatively email one of our apprenticeship experts for more information info@northernskills.co.uk We have over apprenticeship vacancies in engineering, digital, customer service and more!
Visit northernskills.co.uk to view our latest opportunities and apply. You can also search for apprenticeship vacancies across the whole region using the Government’s Apprenticeship website.
Latest news from TTE Teesside skills partnership supercharges Net Zero aims It was fantastic to host Tees Business Live in our Waterside Brasserie! We were joined by a fantastic
Liberty Powder Metals Ltd. grow their workforce through apprenticeships. James Ashby, Technical Manager at Liberty Powder Metals Ltd, is investing in new staff through
panel and guests. We also had the opportunity to answer questions about the exciting business development at Middlesbrough College, Northern Skills and TTE Technical. It was great to see you all!
apprenticeships with TTE. Joanna McCourt in on the Laboratory Technician Apprenticeship, that has recently been accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry. This apprenticeship is the only accredited programme in the North East. James spoke
to us about his experience working with TTE as an apprenticeship provider, including his feeling around the recent accreditation. “We found out about TTE as an apprenticeship provider through word-of-mouth, since Liberty Powder Metals Ltd are currently based on the site of the Materials Processing Institute, existing networks within the site told us about TTE.” I would recommend this apprenticeship scheme to other companies based on both our own experience with TTE and the standard of teaching that the accreditation guarantees. Working with TTE has been a seamless process. They have been very helpful in walking us through the full process up front, and continue to make sure everything is on track with regular check-ins.” To find out more about TTE apprenticeships visit www.tte.co.uk
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Open Events
School Leaver Open Events Take your ambition higher at our Open Events! At our events, you’ll be able to meet our friendly team, take a tour of our facilities, meet your tutors face to face and find out about our range of courses. Thursday 7th July 5:00pm - 7:00pm
We’re still taking applications for September 2022 for all of our courses!
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TTE Open Events Interested in studying with the North East’s leading technical training provider for the engineering industry?
University Centre Middlesbrough Open Events
TTE’s Open Event is the perfect opportunity to find out more about TTE and the range of technical training courses on offer!
At our University Centre Middlesbrough Open Events, you’ll be able to find out more about the University courses on offer here at Middlesbrough College and discover how you can achieve your career ambitions.
Tuesday 7th June 5:00pm-6:00pm
Wednesday 13th July 4:00pm - 6:00pm