News
16/05/2012
A Newcastle College hospitality catering supervisor has been served up a once in a lifetime opportunity to become one of the region’s official 2012 Olympic torch bearers.
For Rachel Haxon, 26, from Washington, the news of her success is a dream come true. As soon as she saw an advert about becoming a torch bearer she immediately thought it that was something she would love to do.
Rachel was nominated by her Dad, Gordon Haxon, because of her passion for dance. She has been a ballet dancer since she was just three-years-old and has been teaching children who share her passion for the past 10 years.
When she heard the news that she was to carry the prestigious torch for part of its journey on 16 June, through Sunderland, she was in shock.
“I was at work in my break when I checked my emails and I just couldn’t quite believe it. I read the message over and over again then rang my parents screaming down the phone. My dad who was also at work at the time said his whole office heard me.”
Rachel is already in training for the Great North Run that she takes part in every year, so doesn’t think she going to need to put in any extra sessions to prepare to run the 300m torch course.
“I’m really excited. I am a massive fan of the Games and my favourite Olympians are Haile Gebrselassie and Jessica Ennis. Unfortunately I didn’t get any of the 2012 tickets I applied for, but being a torch bearer more than makes up for that disappointment, as I now myself, get to be a part of Olympic history.”
Torch bearers each get their own torch and Rachel has already agreed to take hers to the college, her dance school, trampoline club, and local cricket club. She also plans to return to her old school, Walbottle Campus, with it.
A total of 8,000 torchbearers will take the torch on its 70-day journey which begins in Land's End on 19 May before making its final journey on 27 July from Hampton Court Palace to Olympic Park, for the opening of the Games. According to LOCOG, which is responsible for staging the Games this summer, the torch will come within 10 miles of 95% of the population.
16/05/2012
Charlotte Murray is one of a new breed of ambitious young people looking to kick start a high flying career through an Apprenticeship.
Charlotte, who lives in Killingworth, chose an Apprenticeship after deciding that A levels and university were not necessarily the right route to help her achieve her ambition of eventually running her own business.
After contacting Newcastle College to find out more about the range of apprenticeships on offer, Charlotte was given details of vacancies, including one with leading facilities management company, Balfour Beatty WorkPlace. Within a month of signing up with the college she was recruited as a Business Administration Apprentice within the company’s Human Resources Department.
Charlotte said: “I chose A Levels thinking it would help me move on to university and into a teaching career. However, I soon realised that however suitable and safe the path I was taking was, I wasn’t happy and knew that I needed a change.
“Running my own business is what I really want to achieve, no matter how much hard work it takes to get there. Qualifications only get you to a certain degree. It’s your experience and the person you are that really gets you where you want to be.
“The Apprenticeship scheme suits me perfectly as it’s a hands on job which can open doors to new opportunities.”
Balfour Beatty has a long history of recruiting apprentices, although Charlotte is the first to be taken on by the company’s Human Resources Department in Newcastle.
Charlotte was hand picked through Newcastle College’s free recruitment and matching service as being a strong, suitable candidate for the HR department’s particular needs.
Mark Rowan, Human Resources Manager said: “Since Charlotte has begun working with us she has been undergoing an extensive programme of internal training. This is to help her learn how to use a number of systems she needs to do her new job, but also other important office protocols such as data protection and sustainability policies.
“It is a very real, hands-on experience. We are equipping Charlotte with the necessary skills to be able to work in an office environment, which will help lay down solid foundations for her future career.”
Barbara King, Director of the School of Health and Enterprise, said: “Apprenticeships have changed significantly over the years and are becoming increasingly popular with people looking to get that first step on the career ladder. Charlotte is a prime example of the growing number of ambitious young people who are seeing the value of learning in the workplace and developing the experience and skills that employers really need.
“In the past there have been huge misconceptions surrounding apprenticeships. Our wide range of apprenticeship programmes are developed in partnership with employers so learners can be guaranteed that they are gaining valuable skills and qualifications that will ultimately help them in their future career or ongoing education and training.”
Balfour Beatty WorkPlace provides Facilities Management solutions to a range of public and private sector clients and is part of the multi-billion pound Balfour Beatty engineering, construction and services Group.
As one of the region’s leading apprenticeship providers, Newcastle College is proud to support the 100 Days of Apprentices Challenge.
16/05/2012
A former Newcastle College science student has gone back to school after discovering that Apprenticeships held the key components to her dream career.
George Stephenson High School in Killingworth has helped 21-year-old Jessica Wragg from Monkseaton turn a life-long passion for science into a job, by appointing her as an Apprentice Lab Technician.
The school chose the apprenticeship route as an effective way of developing staff within the organisation and creating a greater sense of continuity. By utilising Newcastle College’s free recruitment and matching service, the school quickly appointed Jessica as its first apprentice and is already seeing the many benefits that an apprentice has to offer.
Mr Ian Wilkinson, Headteacher, said: “Jessica is the first apprentice we have taken on, but we saw that there were positive benefits to be gained by training someone on the job in the way we needed them trained. Also we believed that the right candidate was likely to stay around. Previous staff in the post often left after only a year or so to train as teachers, so we immediately lost the expertise we had developed.
“Working with Newcastle College has made the process a great deal easier. Rather than having to sift through a number of applications, we knew that all of the candidates presented to us matched our requirements for the role. We are really pleased with Jessica’s progress so far and look forward to seeing her future development within the school.”
The nature of Jessica’s apprenticeship is varied and since starting at the school in July last year she has already progressed from preparing equipment for just Y7 and 8 students to having responsibility for all Key Stage 3 pupils.
Jessica, a former Whitley Bay High School pupil, had been studying for a BTEC National Diploma in Applied Science (Forensics) at Newcastle College when she began to seek out apprenticeship vacancies in the science sector with help from her tutor, Jane Britton.
Jessica said: “I knew quite early on during my course that I wanted to continue my education and work in the science sector, but how I was going to do that was unclear. I had looked into courses but was unsure how I would cope doing exams again after two years of coursework so was looking for some other way of achieving my ambitions.”
“I looked at Apprenticeships and saw this as a good route to go down as I wouldn’t have exams and could earn and learn at the same time. I get the benefit of amazing support from my colleagues and mentor, and get to progress at my own pace while gaining new skills. Most importantly I actually get to use these new skills in a real working environment which makes a big difference.
“What is so great is that doing an Apprenticeship has enabled me to find work doing something I love. I have always been interested in science because it explains where things come from, why roses are red and airplanes fly and there is always more to discover.
“This Apprenticeship seemed like the perfect opportunity to share my passion for science by contributing to the team that educates the next generation.”
Jim Hubbard, Director of the School of Applied Science, said: “Jessica is one of many of our learners who are realising their career ambitions through Apprenticeships. Her interest in Science and education made her the perfect candidate for George Stephenson High School. The school seem genuinely delighted with her progress and we hope this will inspire other schools to consider the benefits of recruiting an apprentice.”
16/05/2012
A north east medical agency is the latest organisation to utilise the apprenticeship programme to support its current growth.
UK Independent Medical (UKIM) UKIM is a strong advocate of apprenticeships and has successfully recruited apprentices since the company’s formation almost ten years ago. The organisation has now teamed up with Newcastle College to recruit its latest apprentice, Justine Laws, 17, from South Shields.
Justine, a Business Administration Apprentice, has recently begun work within the administration team, handling highly confidential documents and information that abides by data protection and confidentiality.
Justine combines her development with college-based teaching and training in the workplace. Having realised that full time study wasn’t the best way for her to develop her career, Justine turned to Newcastle College to help find an employer.
Justine said: “I had started a full time course and I was offered a couple of jobs, but I ideally wanted something that would help me gain a qualification. Newcastle College had a number of apprenticeship positions, but the job at UKIM particularly stood out as it was somewhere where I could continually develop.
“I prefer hands on learning and an apprenticeship means I can develop my skills the best way possible. Once I’ve complete my Intermediate Apprenticeship I’d like to hopefully progress onto an Advanced Apprenticeship.”
Part of the largest medical agency in the world, UK Independent Medical (UKIM) employs 90 staff at its base in Houghton-le-Spring. The company deals with highly confidential medical records, providing support to solicitors, insurance brokers, medical experts and patients that require medical evidence.
UKIM believes in progression from within the business, with some of the company’s managers even starting off as apprentices themselves. The organisation’s regular intake of apprentices provide valuable administration support to the Operations department. In return, all apprentices are given a clear career path which in many cases lead to senior positions.
Having identified the need for an apprentice, UKIM utilised the college’s free recruitment and matching service to find the ideal candidate.
Specifying their requirements to the apprenticeship team, UKIM were provided with a shortlist of pre-screened candidates that they could then invite for interview.
Gavin Morrigan, HR Manager at UKIM, said: “We utilise apprenticeships to recruit individuals at ground level, giving us the ability to shape their learning in line with our business operations.
“Within our organisation we have a key focus on excellence. Part of this remit supports our staff, giving them the opportunity to enhance their skills and progress into more senior roles.
“I have been thoroughly impressed with the Newcastle College recruitment team. We had quite tight recruitment deadlines but we were presented with six candidates that we were then able to interview ourselves. We’re about to take advantage of this service again to help with the recruitment of our next intake.”
The appointment of Justine ties in with Newcastle College’s Power of One campaign that aims to tackle the growing issue of youth unemployment in the north east. Demonstrating the positive impact a young apprentice can have on a business in terms of growth, the Power of One challenges businesses to invest in one young apprentice that can contribute to their business growth.
Barbara King, Director of the School of Health and Enterprise, said: “Our apprenticeships offer great flexibility and I would challenge all businesses to see how just one person could make an impact within their organisation.
“It is really positive to see the commitment to the apprenticeship programme and the local community from local businesses. UKIM are clearly a perfect example of how to recruit and train individuals to suit the needs of their business.
“Our free recruitment and matching service takes away the cost and time associated with recruitment and allows businesses to find candidates that they can then develop internally.”
16/05/2012
Newcastle College students are on course to become their own bosses after receiving expert help and investment from former Leeds United Football Club owner and Chairman, Gerald Krasner.
Vincent Houckham, 21 from Fenham, Anthony Cook, 21 from Felling, James Ridley, 20 from South Shields, Chris Barber, 21, from Gateshead, Christopher Greaves, 21 from Jarrow and Christopher Scarr, 21 from Washington - all Foundation Degree Games Development students, were among a number of learners from Newcastle College who were chosen to take part in an enterprise master-class called ‘Have You Got What It Takes’.
Students from across the college were invited to apply for a place on the 12 week course developed and delivered by Gerald. The successful students were taught a wide range of skills including how to prepare a business plan, marketing and customer services, strategy planning, accounts and how to grow their company.
Students were also challenged to consider, develop and pitch their business ideas to Gerald, with the winning idea securing an investment of £500.
Gerald was so impressed with the students’ ideas and presentations that he struggled to choose one winning team and split the prize money between two of the groups.
Vincent, Anthony, James and Chris won for their video game idea and the two Christophers for their games design and development pitch.
The students were judged on the strength of their suggestions, their presentation skills and whether Gerald believed they could make their business proposals a success in reality.
James, a former pupil at St Wilfred’s School RC school, said: "It’s been a huge confidence boost. We were so pleased to be among the winners and what Gerald shared with us was so helpful.
“We had been playing around with various ideas for creating games for a number of months but not done much about them. Gerald told us that our ideas were good and that they could actually work. He’s made us think in a much more professional, strategic way and given us invaluable information about how we could actually turn our idea into a business. We now plan to spend the summer doing just that.”
Christopher Scarr, a former Usworth Comprehensive pupil, similarly hopes that he and his partner in the competition, Christopher Greaves can also go onto develop their business idea further.
“I’ve always wanted to set up my own business and now, as a result of this course, I can actually see that this is something I could actually achieve now with our games design and development idea.
“Gerald said we demonstrated that we had a clear idea of what we were doing, where we were going and how we were going to get there. This was real praise from someone like him who has been so successful.”
Gerald said: “What we have been doing at Newcastle College is very different and looks at encouraging students to be entrepreneurial, but realistic about the world around them in light of the current economic climate. I was inspired to create this sort of reality grounded enterprise course because I believe that we are now all too reliant on the public sector and we need to encourage a new breed of entrepreneurs who can create new business streams in this country.
“I take a different approach in my lecturing. The students are at the heart of what I teach and the ethos is based around encouraging them to apply what they learn to their own ideas. Most of the work on this course has been based on their own business ideas. So it has been directly relevant to what they have been coming up with and they have responded to this approach with real enthusiasm.
“The course has been a real life dragon’s den. I’ve been very honest about their ideas. It’s important to take your idealism and intellectual sensibilities and hold them up to reality. Good ideas don’t always just work - they need the benefit of good marketing and selling techniques supporting them, which is what I have been telling the students.”
Robin Ghurbhurun, Deputy Principal at Newcastle College said: “Encouraging enterprise and supporting young people to develop their own business ideas is high on our agenda as a college. We have been carrying out many innovative initiatives to embed a spirit of entrepreneurship throughout the curriculum and hope to continue working with high profile representatives from industry to inspire and enthuse our students.”
Gerald led the consortium of local businessmen which successfully took-over Leeds United AFC in 2004 seeing him become Chairman and part owner. He has been lecturing nationally and internationally for 30 years and is a leading business, rescue, recovery and restructuring specialist and Partner with Begbies Traynor.
16/05/2012
A Bedlington based law firm has helped a local jobseeker close the case on an eighteen month job search by creating a new post for an Apprentice.
Whitehead and Low appointed 20-year-old Jordan Bagnall as a Business Administration Apprentice, following a recent expansion and move from Blyth to Bedlington. The opportunity was a major breakthrough for Jordan, who struggled to find work after leaving Hirst High School in Ashington a year-and-a-half-ago.
Whitehead and Low chose the Apprenticeship route as it offered them a cost effective solution to help them find additional administration staff. The company contacted Newcastle College as it offered a bespoke recruitment and matching service which takes a great deal of the time and hassle, associated with recruiting new staff, away from the organisation.
The college worked with Whitehead and Low to establish what they looked for in a team member. After interviewing a number of possible candidates, the college introduced Jordan to the firm and he was appointed shortly after.
Jordan is the first apprentice the firm has taken on. His new role involves helping in all departments, but particularly conveyancing.
Paul Stevens, Paralegal at Whitehead and Low said: “The idea of appointing an apprentice particularly appealed to us because of the opportunity it presented to make a real difference to a local young person.
“The advantages of taking on Jordan as an apprentice, as far as we see it, are that we could help give him a deserved break and help him to forge a bright career. In return, we have benefited by finding an employee who is enthusiastic and motivated with a real sense of purpose, who wants to develop themselves and their career.”
Jordan said: “I was beginning to lose heart after being unemployed for so long, but the more I found out about Apprenticeships the more likely they seemed to be the solution.
“I thought an Apprenticeship would offer me the chance to get actual practical experience as well as getting paid while I trained. I also thought I would have a much higher chance of getting work more quickly by doing one.”
Barbara King, Director of the School of Health and Enterprise at Newcastle College, said: “Apprenticeships are becoming an ever more popular option for all kinds of employers. For some businesses they can present an opportunity for affordable expansion while offering their new recruits a stepping stone into possibly a new career and a new life.
“Our experienced team are here to help and make the process of recruiting an apprentice as straight forward as possible. We work closely with employers to ensure that they are able to access high quality candidates that bring something new to the business, but can also be developed alongside their existing team.”
Whitehead and Low was founded by John Whitehead in 2004 as a residential and commercial conveyancing practice It has now expanded into other areas including commercial employment, family, wills and probate.
01/05/2012
A Newcastle College apprentice has designs on becoming Young Painter of the Year for the second year running after brushing off the competition in the regional heats.
Daniel Halliday, 23 from Swalwell’s victory in the north east leg of the Johnstone’s Young Painter of the Year Awards means he will now compete once again in the finals of the prestigious competition. He will travel to Coventry in November to the National Painting and Decorating Show to try to take the 2012 title.
Daniel is a second year NVQ Painting and Decorating Apprentice at Newcastle College and was selected by his tutors to represent his class for the second time following ongoing observation of the standard of his work.
Daniel said: “I’d seen what the competition was like last year so knew it was going to be tough to win the heat again and there were some really good painters to beat this time around.
“I was chuffed to bits to win the regional heat this year. It actually means more to me now because it’s the last time I’m eligible to enter and I wanted to retain the title. It’s an impressive thing to have on my CV and my dad, who I work for, is telling all our clients.”
During the national competition, the young painters will complete tasks devised by the experts at Johnstone’s Paint to test their skills in a number of key areas including; working to a technical specification, applying different types of paint, selecting and using tools and applying stencils.
Nicky Turnbull, from the School of Construction at Newcastle College said: “Daniel is an exceptional apprentice and is a credit to the college and his tutors. He is also a great ambassador for the Apprenticeship programme itself, demonstrating the high level of skills those undertaking this kind of training can achieve.”
Johnstone’s Marketing Manager Megan Esmond said: “Now in its eighth year, the Johnstone’s Young Painter of the Year competition presents a fantastic opportunity for students and apprentices to demonstrate their talents and to make their mark in what is a very competitive industry.”
The competition, which launched in 2005, offers a prize package of £2000 and is open to painting and decorating students and apprentices across the UK who are working towards NVQ or Diploma Level 2 Award.
For more information about apprenticeships or the free recruitment and matching service available at Newcastle College, visit www.newcastlecollege.co.uk or contact 0845 600 4140.
01/05/2012
ScS has offered a group of creative students at Newcastle College the opportunity to gain valuable work experience by commissioning them to create a suite of training materials for new and existing employees.
The sofa and carpet specialist contacted the college as it was keen to offer opportunities to local students and provide them with a challenging brief, which would give them an essential insight into industry and tap into the skills they had developed during their time at the college.
National Training Officer for ScS, Graham Watson, worked with the college’s School of Creative Industries to develop a series of projects, including the production of training videos for sofa supplier, Wade Upholstery and carpet manufacturer, Abingdon Carpets.
Students from the Foundation Degree in Television and Media Practice and Foundation Degree in Animation were chosen to work with ScS. Their brief was to create, film and produce short training videos which could be used for staff development and induction. Animation was also used to demonstrate how the products work and any technical innovations.
Jack Bergin and Laura Jayne Burdis are two of the students on the Foundation Degree in Television and Media Practice who were chosen to work on the projects and invited down to the suppliers to see how the products are manufactured.
Jack, 22 from Newcastle said: “Working with ScS and its suppliers has given us a fantastic opportunity to get industry experience and work with major employers. I really enjoy working on live briefs and having the chance to collaborate with students from other media-based subjects.”
Laura Jayne, 21 from Whitley Bay, said: “To have the opportunity to work with real clients is an excellent part of the course and gives us real insight into how the industry works. I have particularly enjoyed having the opportunity to work within a team and develop the skills that I have learnt in college in a real working environment. This project will look great on our CV’s and help to set us apart when we are begin looking for jobs.”
Graham Watson, National Training Officer at ScS, said: “As a local north east business we are committed to providing opportunities for our people to develop and in encouraging up and coming talent. By teaming up with the college we have been able to provide students with an opportunity to apply their skills to a real project, while also developing a suite of training video to help develop our employees. We were extremely impressed by the quality of work and professionalism shown by the students and are already planning a number of opportunities to work with the college in the future.”
Ronnie Burn, Section Manager for Digital Media in the School of Creative Industries, said: “The success of our partnership with ScS has been tremendous. Right from the offset both Graham and I shared the same vision of providing students with the opportunities that just didn’t exist when we were both students, many years ago. Work based learning and placements are an integral part of all Foundations Degrees at Newcastle College and the school has a long history of working with employers to build a long term strategy to be able to offer ‘live’ and real work activities.
“The students have gained valuable experience not only in the actual filming and production of these two training videos, but in the project management and planning skills they have had to undertake. This work provides evidence that supports the modules they are currently working towards in personal and professional development and work based learning. In addition, I am very pleased with the professional attitude and responsibility all the students have demonstrated which has led to further working opportunities with ScS in the future.”
The School of Creative Industries at Newcastle College offers a wide range of courses from introductory to Degree level. The school works closely with employers to develop courses which provide the skills and knowledge required by industry and offers students a range of real work experiences, projects and live briefs to ensure that students leave the course job ready.
For more information about the range of courses, including Foundation Degrees available at Newcastle College, contact 0191 2004000 or visit www.newcastlecollege.co.uk.
02/04/2012
Move over Glastonbury, Reading or Isle of Wight - Newcastle College is going to be ‘the’ festival to be seen at this summer.
Newcastle College is bringing a festival feel to education, training and skills by launching an exciting summer of learning. Anyone wanting to give their career a boost by gaining a qualification or setting up in business, seeking to develop new skills or simply to try out a new activity for the first time, can find a course for them during the college’s new Festival of Learning.
The festival, which is designed to encourage the whole community to get involved in some form of learning, runs between April and July 2012 and offers a range of part-time courses aimed at all levels from beginner to advanced.
Just like any festival, what is on offer covers many fields: From courses focusing on getting a job or training, choosing a new challenge, enhancing current skills and encouraging enterprising ideas.
Headline courses include the highly popular short courses in Criminal Psychology, Digital Design, Fashion, Genetics, Health and Care and Music. The college is also offering a number of teaching qualifications at up to half price.
But there are also a wide range of other courses to suit many tastes including:
• Starting up your own enterprise
• Creating your first website
• Design your own poster and flyer to promote your business
• Introduction to social networking
• Social networking – how to get your blog noticed
• Introduction to becoming a potter / fashion designer / interior designer / textile designer
• Flowers workshops (summer / autumnal / tropical / Christmas / Valentine’s Day / Mother’s Day)
• Get ready to learn: preparation for returning to education and training
• Improve your basic gardening skills
• Checking and maintaining lights on a motor vehicle (women only)
• Bread making for beginners
• Organic artisan bread making
• Food safety in catering
• Confectionary skills (beginner and advanced)
• Languages (Business Chinese (Mandarin), Business German, Holiday French, Holiday German, Holiday Italian, Holiday Spanish)
Courses for parents / guardians
• School holiday boredom busters – exploring 101 activities for children
• Keep up with your children in English and Maths
• A Levels – a parents survival guide
The majority of the courses are free or significantly discounted to enable all members of the community to benefit from learning. Even in cases where a fee does apply, courses will still be free or discounted for learners in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment Support Allowance or inactive benefits. There are also a number of discounted courses available for those over 19 and studying towards their first Foundation Learning course or Level 2; and those aged between 19-25 years old studying their first Level 3. Financial assistance is all available for those earning less than £12,000 (£20,000 for couples) or in receipt of inactive benefits.
There are also short courses running on a Saturday for young people aged between 12-16, including Junior Bakers’ Academy (£55) and Junior Chefs’ Club (£49). Budding performers aged 11-16 can brush up their performance skills over the Easter holidays with On Stage, a week long performance skills course (£100).
A family friendly fun day is also being held at the college’s Rye Hill Campus on Saturday April 28 10am-3pm, where tutors will be on hand to provide more information about the courses on offer during the festival and to take enrolments.
To find out more about the range of courses available at Newcastle College, visit www.newcastlecollege.co.uk or call 0191 200 4000.
02/04/2012
A Newcastle College student will be feeling the heat this week when he competes for the title of Junior Curry Chef of the Year in Bradford - the dish’s UK capital.
Seventeen-year-old Bobby Smail, from Houghton-le-Spring, is hoping to be crowned curry king with a dish he has been perfecting with help from chefs at Woosa Restaurant on Newcastle’s Clayton Street, where he has worked as part of his college placement.
Bobby who is studying a full time VRQ Level 2 Diploma in Professional Cookery at Newcastle College’s Lifestyle Academy is also being mentored by Hospitality Instructor Michael Dodds in readiness for the competition.
The Junior Curry Chef of the Year contest, which is being held on Tuesday April 3, was originally created in response to an unprecedented ‘curry crisis’, with many restaurants struggling to find authentic skilled chefs due to a tightening of immigration laws.
It is hoped that through the competition, young chefs will be encouraged to acquire the necessary skills it takes to produce the highest quality Indian cuisine and help bridge this gap.
Bobby said: “I’m really up for the challenge. I love this kind of cooking and it’s been a great experience trying to perfect the dish I am going to cook on the day with help from some really experienced mentors. Just the smallest touch can really make the difference between an average and a spectacular curry.
“The competition is going to be really fierce, but the skills I have learned at college and through my placement with Woosa Restaurant will stand me in good stead. I have a passion for cooking and love the complexity of Asian cuisine. I just hope that I can take everything that I have learned and use it on the day to produce a winning dish.”
Twice Michelin Starred chef, Atul Kocchar will be one of the judges that Bobby needs to impress. Atul was the first Indian chef to be awarded a Michelin Star in 2001 and received his second in 2007. He owns award-winning restaurants in London, Hampshire and Dublin.
Andy Brown, Team Leader for Hospitality at the Lifestyle Academy at Newcastle College, said: “It is very rewarding to see a student make it through to the final of such a prestigious national competition and we are supporting Bobby all of the way.
“Our staff can draw on their experiences of working in top class national and international restaurants and pass these skills on to our trainee chefs. We also have excellent links within the hospitality industry and work with employers to ensure that our students have experience of working in a commercial kitchen and finish the course with the skills required by industry. Bobby has been very fortunate to have the support of the team at Woosa Restaurant. They have taught him a great deal about fine international cuisine and the skills that are required to balance the demands of a busy kitchen and paying customers.”
The Lifestyle Academy at Newcastle College is one of only eight colleges in the country to be awarded a badge of excellence, from the National Skills Academy (NSA), for its Diploma in Professional Cookery courses.
Bobby will be competing against students from Bradford and London for the prestigious title. Competitors will be judged on skills demonstrated, hygiene and safe practices, originality and authenticity, taste and presentation.