A student from Newcastle College University Centre (NCUC) was invited by the Office for Students (OfS) to share his student experience at a high-profile event recently.
Mechanical Engineering student Nathan Mould joined a panel of higher education experts at the OfS Insight event in London in December.
The “Delivering Excellent Technical Higher Education” event highlighted the importance of technical higher education as a driver of social mobility and local and national prosperity.
Nathan was invited to be part of the panel to offer the perspective of a current higher education student and was asked to prepare a two-minute speech on the challenges and opportunities in higher education.
He explained: “My tutor asked if I’d be up for being on a panel of experts at an event run by the OfS. It seemed like it would be a positive experience. I’ve done some presentations at work, and I thought this would be a good next step.
“I felt a bit underqualified to be there before I’d met the other people on the panel as they all had big titles such as Principal or CEO, but they were really welcoming, and I was only asked about my experience as a student, so it wasn’t as daunting as I thought it might be.”
“It was really good to learn about the plans the OfS has for the future of technical education. They took my points on board, and I felt I could contribute to the conversation. It has definitely given me a lot more confidence.”
Fellow panellist and expert on graduate employment, Charlie Ball, said: "Very impressed with how articulate Nathan was, enjoyed talking to him as well (as we shared our pre-panel nerves). He did himself and his college proud."
Jon Ridley, Deputy Principal (HE) at NCUC said: “I’m extremely proud of Nathan, he is a fantastic representative for Newcastle College University Centre and NCG, and an excellent ambassador of technical higher education.
“Preparing individuals for their future is at the heart of everything we do, programmes and courses at Newcastle College University Centre are influenced and informed by business and industry. It means we can be confident that students can apply higher technical knowledge when they join the workforce and be an immediate asset to their employer; that’s the Newcastle College University Centre work ready guarantee.
“I am delighted that Nathan spoke so fondly about his experience at Newcastle College University Centre and I am confident that he can look forward to a very bright future as a higher technical graduate.”