Royal Veterinary College gives BTECs a boost

The Royal Veterinary College is offering guaranteed interviews to BTEC animal management or applied science students at Sheffield City College. In a move that bolsters BTECs following criticism of some vocational qualifications in the Wolf review, students will be guaranteed interviews for veterinary medicine and science degrees if they pass the national diplomas at level 3. The college said that, in the past, only A-level students were automatically offered interviews. Jon Parry, head of widening participation and community engagement at the Royal Veterinary College, said: “Veterinary medicine remains a highly selective and competitive programme. Sheffield City College students taking the science modules will now have an opportunity to demonstrate that they can compete with the best in terms of scientific knowledge.”

Double win for Oldham college in best employer list

Oldham Sixth Form College was the highest-rated education institution in The Sunday Times list of 100 Best Places to Work in the Public Sector 2011. Coming in at number 18 on the list, the college also saw principal Jayne Clarke receive the award for best leader in education, after it was ranked in categories from management and leadership to opportunities for personal growth and well-being. Ms Clarke said: “It is great to receive this recognition that the college is maintaining our outstanding record as an employer, in addition to our status as an excellent provider for students. Our staff are definitely our most valuable resource and it is as a result of their hard work and dedication that our students achieve as well as they do during their time with us. It means a great deal to know that staff continue to rate the college as an outstanding place to work.”

Music industry supports new apprenticeship schemes

Aspiring professional musicians can now take an apprenticeship, thanks to a collaboration between the Music Industries Association (MIA) and the Brighton Institute of Modern Music. The institute, which is responsible for launching acts such as The Kooks and Kate Nash (pictured), will offer an education in technique, recording skills and business, while students will be paid to perform and record with the support of the MIA. Students can also launch a career in artist and repertoire for record labels at the institute, via an apprenticeship with EMI.

Students help preserve unique Victorian mansion

Stonemasonry students from City of Bath College have been working to restore gothic carvings on a historic house. Construction of Woodchester Mansion near Stroud was abandoned in 1873, but the surviving structure is hailed as a unique opportunity to preserve a Victorian work-in-progress. The Woodchester Mansion Trust created an on-site masonry and traditional building skills programme in order to preserve the house and keep historic crafts alive. City of Bath students have been working on a 10-week project to create new carvings for the mansion’s roof.

Construction training facility wins green light

A private training provider is due to begin work on new facilities for 250 apprentices in the construction industry after resolving a delay over Government funding. Prospects College in Basildon, Essex, was among the first private training providers to be promised public funding for its apprenticeship provision last year, but the pound;10 million project became bogged down in difficulties with gaining clearance for the funding to be released. Neil Bates, chief executive of Prospects Learning Foundation, which runs the college, said: “Prospects College was always determined that the expansion plans should go ahead and Basildon will now have some of the best technical vocational facilities in the country. It means that more of our local young people will be in pole position to land jobs as the economy recovers.”