Bristol businesses judge top talent
Posted: September 30th, 2009 | Author: jameslott | Filed under: Education, Further Education, News | Tags: PLUNGE, ride the wave | No Comments »
City of Bristol College students have wowed judges from the local business community, in a competition similar to the BBC’s Dragon’s Den programme.
Around 500 students on BTEC Business and BTEC Leisure and Tourism and Art and Design programs took part in ‘The Plunge’ competition. They worked in teams to come up with their own idea for a new business.
The three-day event culminated in a session in front of judges from more than 80 local businesses, where they had to convince the experts why their group’s idea was the best.
Among the participants was Rafael Hayes, a BTEC First Diploma Art and Design student, whose team created ‘The Real Shock’, an idea to produce and market an alarm clock that emits a mild shock.
“I have a lot of respect for people who are out there making a living in business. I have seen how difficult this is and it has prepared me a little more for working life.”
Other ideas included ‘MDIY’, a new open-mic festival for Bristol, and ‘TruColourz’, a glass that would change colour when the drink it contains has been spiked.
One of the judges, Lynne Baber, Audit and Assurance Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, said:
“This was an amazing chance to share some of my experience and knowledge with the business leaders of tomorrow. It was inspiring to work with such innovative, creative and confident individuals.”
Nick McCloud, founder of Descartes, described the experience as “a jumpstart download of enthusiasm for us experts as much as for the students.”
“The competition gave students a real insight into the world of work, which perfectly complements the skills they are developing on their vocational courses.” said Ajay Sarda, Head of Vocational Studies at City of Bristol College’s Sixth Form Academy.
To find out more about the Ride the Wave programme click here
Abingdon & Whitney College Take the Plunge
Posted: July 1st, 2009 | Author: samcrabb | Filed under: Education, Further Education, News | Tags: PLUNGE, ride the wave | No Comments »
Abingdon & Whitney College tutors chose to ‘Take the Plunge’ in response to student representatives requests for group bonding and employer links. The Take the Plunge programme is able to address these needs in a fun and stimulating way whilst working toward a key skill.
A mix of AS level and National Diploma students together will be taking part in the Take the Plunge programme. On the final day they will be joined by 12 business experts from local businesses in a Dragon’s Den scenario.
To find out more about the Plunge click here
Gateshead College Make a Splash
Posted: June 5th, 2009 | Author: samcrabb | Filed under: Education, Further Education, News | Tags: ride the wave, SPLASH | No Comments »
The Make a Splash programme comes to Gateshead College on 9th June 2009. Eighty AS Level students from Gateshead College and a local school, together with 12 local employers, will take part.
Gateshead College are using this one day pilot programme to enthuse their students and expose them to the world of work.
The programme is being held at Gateshead College, Baltic Campus.
To find out more about Make a splash click here
Ride the Wave – now for NEETs!
Posted: May 15th, 2009 | Author: jameslott | Filed under: Education, Further Education, News | Tags: NEETS, ride the wave | No Comments »
While Ride the Wave was initially designed for the delivery of standard programmes for Level 1, 2 and 3 students, it is sufficiently flexible for students whatever the programme they are undertaking. Having had success with E2E students at Redcar and Cleveland College, we were asked to pilot a programme for NEETs at Sheffield College.
As part of a week of activity for NEETs, they chose to integrate a Ride the Wave event. Based around the ‘Dive In’ format two teams of students undertook a days activity planning an event.
The activity was used to produce the portfolio for Working With Others at Level 1 and this was successfully achieved for 90% of those involved.
The opportunities for using Ride the Wave with NEETs are covered here.
Lakes College – 24th College to Ride the Wave
Posted: May 12th, 2009 | Author: samcrabb | Filed under: Education, Further Education, News | Tags: ride the wave, SPLASH | No Comments »
On 12th May 2009 150 students from Lakes College West Cumbria, together with 12 local employers, will take part in Make a Splash (think The Apprentice meets Dragon’s Den).
Lakes College are using this one day pilot programme to develop the enterprise and employability skills of their students and expose them to the world of work.
Said Cyril Wheat, Assistant Principal – External Relations, “Lakes College believes that links with employers are important and view this activity as an essential part of our students programme. The links between learning and work have never been so vital and Make a Splash is the ideal tool to raise student awareness of enterprise and employability.”
Portfolio evidence for Working With Others at Level 1 will be collected during the event; Ride the Wave programmes are fundable through the Wider Key Skills framework.
The programme is being held at the Seacote Hotel at St Bees, wonderfully situated on the West Cumbrian Coast, on the edge of the breathtaking Lake District National Park.
The students – mostly level 2 – are from Construction, Carpentry & Joinery, Brickwork, Painting and Decorating, Engineering and Business courses.
Swindon College Students take part in Dragon’s Den Competition
Posted: April 2nd, 2009 | Author: samcrabb | Filed under: Education, Further Education | Tags: ride the wave, SPLASH | No Comments »
Swindon College became the first college in Wiltshire to hold a programme similar to the BBC 2 ‘Dragon’s Den’ scenario for students last week. Sixty students studying Level 2 qualifications at the college were given an opportunity to create, plan and propose their product ideas to a group of local business ‘experts’. The programme, called ‘Ride the Wave’ was organised by a Skills and Enterprise Training company ‘Working Knowledge’.
The Ride the Wave programme has already been delivered at 27 colleges nationally and aims to engage employers, boost students employability and deliver key skills qualifications.“The students who took part also forged new friendships with students on other courses, improved their self-confidence and aspirations and provided a better understanding of business and the skills required” said Pat Wilkins,director of Learning and Skills at Swindon College.
James Lott, Sales and Marketing Director of Working Knowledge said:
“We are committed to narrowing the gap between education and the workplace; raising the aspirations and employability skills of students and opening the eyes of employers to how young people can help drive business success in a rapidly changing economic environment.”
“The students who take part also gain a Level 1 Key Skills qualification in Working with Others.”
The nine local business experts who took part in the event as the ‘dragons’, gave ‘friendly’ advice on product design, pricing, promotion and sales to the students. Plumbing student, Aeron Douglas, aged 16 said:
“It was great to talk to the experts and get advice, our product sounds believable now, everybody is getting really competitive!”
At the end of the event, the eleven groups of students presented their product ideas and business plan to the experts. Two teams won £100 for their winning ideas, the first was an innovative alarm clock idea and the other team came up with a hologram concept.
To find out more about Ride the Wave click here.
The Working Knowledge Group wins National Training Award.
Posted: September 15th, 2008 | Author: andrewhatcher | Filed under: Further Education, News | Tags: national training award, PLUNGE | No Comments »
At an awards ceremony on Tuesday night in Newcastle, the Working Knowledge Group was awarded both a Regional Training Award for the North East as well as a coveted National Training Award for the delivery of its course called The Plunge. The Plunge is part of a wider range of activities called Ride the Wave which are aimed at raising the commercial awareness and confidence of 14-19 year-old students.
The Award was made specifically for the Plunge event that Working Knowledge had delivered in partnership with Redcar and Cleveland College of Further Education in the Tees Valley. The Plunge specifically aims to bridge the gap between employers and education and to allow students to get a taste of what working in a business is really like.
In announcing the award the judges focused particularly on the immediate but lasting impact that the process had had on both tutors and students alike whilst at the same time achieving a valuable qualification.
Since Working Knowledge delivered the first course at Redcar, over 1,500 of the college’s students at all levels have been through Ride the Wave programme which has contributed a significant amount to the college’s goal of creating an ins
titute-wide enterprise culture.
Speaking at the ceremony, Andrew Hatcher, Working Knowledge’s Managing Director said, “We are thrilled to be recognised for our work with the staff and students at Redcar. The award only confirms our belief, and that of the colleges we work with across the country, that the Plunge has a huge part to play in raising aspirations for young people as well as equipping them with skills that will stay with them for life.”
Gary Groom the Chief Executive of the College added, “This is a fantastic outcome for Redcar and Cleveland College and represents the culmination of a relationship we have been developing with Working Knowledge over the past few years. Ride the Wave is now a core part of our Key Skills and enrichment activities.”
The Plunge and the rest of the Ride the Wave programme is being successfully rolled out across the country and is available to all FE and sixth-form colleges. Ride the Wave can be funded from a range of sources including Key Skills, Aim Higher, Enrichment and Enterprise budgets as well as in conjunction with universities through Widening Participation programmes.
The Plunge has also recently been accredited as the primary constituent of a first year elective at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Based in Cambridge, Working Knowledge works across the UK from regional offices in Bristol and Nottingham. Please see www.ride-the-wave.com for more details.
The Plunge selected as a finalist in the National Training Awards 2008.
Posted: August 15th, 2008 | Author: samcrabb | Filed under: Education, Further Education, News | Tags: national training award, PLUNGE, ride the wave | No Comments »
The Plunge, a Working Knowledge course for FE colleges that is part of the Ride the Wave programme, has been selected as a finalist in the National Training Awards 2008. The nomination is focused on one of the first implementations of the Plunge at Redcar and Cleveland College on Teesside.
The National Training Awards are designed to celebrate organisations and individuals that demonstrate outstanding business and personal success through investment in training. By recognising best practice, the awards aim to raise awareness and inspire others to invest in learning and development as a route to becoming world class.
To find out more about Ride the Wave click here.
City College Plymouth takes The Plunge.
Posted: June 16th, 2008 | Author: samcrabb | Filed under: Education, Further Education, News | Tags: employability, enterprise, PLUNGE, ride the wave | No Comments »
Around 100 students from the college gathered at Royal William Yard on the waterfront in Plymouth and took the Plunge with the help of Working Knowledge, college tutors and a range of local business people who gave up their time to take part in the event which ran over three days.
One of the business people, Kate Baber from Integrem Limited commented.
“Absolutely fantastic! It is inspirational to see these youngsters acting as a team, presenting their business ideas and responding to the answers they are give. A great day.”
Ivor Earl one of the college tutors who had been through Plunge tutor training and attended all three days said,
“A good and well-structured event that ticked all the boxes with regard to transition to next year”
Julian Singer another tutor added, “The event quickly caught the students’ imagination. We saw individuals excel themselves and discover qualities they did not know they had”
To find out more about the Plunge and the Ride the Wave programme click here.
