A group of Thurrock sports students recently organised a Dodgeball tournament for local primary school, Woodside.

Although it was lots of fun there was a serious side to ball dodging as the event was part of the students BTEC Extended Diploma sports course, the group showed excellent teamwork, leadership organisation and communication skills in planning and leading the activity.

Team leader of the event, Perry Greenbaum, 19, from Grays, said: “It was really challenging setting everyone their particular job roles and having to organise such things as team prizes, refreshments and timings. Overall I think the event ran really smoothly and all the children really enjoyed themselves”.  

In fact the event was such a success the College has been asked to run another one next year!

Name:

Jacky Fisher

Job Title:

Assessor/ tutor

Teaches:

Business Admin NVQ

Campus:

Southend

What does your job involve?

I am a Tutor/ Assessor so I liaise with the students and their employers to make sure firstly that they are getting the correct training for their job and that we are providing skills that are relevant to the employer’s needs. I get involved in the whole process and mentor the students until they achieve their qualification.

What opportunities are available for students/graduates in your field?

I am involved in Level 2 and 3 NVQs which include things like team-leading and management. I mainly cover the office side of things which takes in skills such as customer services and even supervisory roles. Some girls who work on reception at the college in Luker Road, Southend have done our course.  The students are either on apprenticeship schemes or are doing work-based qualifications. I can tailor their learning to suit their job. 

What industry experience can you offer your students?

I have a strong business background. I was in banking for 20 years and worked my way up to managerial positions. I have worked abroad as far afield as Australia and I also have human resources experience.Having been made redundant, I feel very lucky to be doing a job that I love, that is flexible and diverse and to be working in such a great team.

What are the most rewarding aspects of your job?

It’s great to be able to help people achieve and develop. I am able to watch them grow as they learn and work. Many of the students are very unsure of themselves at the beginning but it is my job to mentor them through the whole process. I see their confidence grow. A lot of the students don’t realise how much they have progressed, and at the end of their course it is great to see them come away with a qualification that they know will be of value in their chosen career.

How do you and your students keep pace with changes within your industry?

Within the college we get regular industry updates and the team are constantly sharing information with each other, so we are all on the ball with changes. Awarding bodies also keep us up-to-date with regulations and our own professional development within the college helps us keep abreast of things. We then of course pass any relevant information onto our students and employers.

Does your course produce successful students/graduates?

Yes virtually all my students have successfully completed their courses – I wouldn’t let them fail! Part of my job is to keep them motivated and on-target.

What is the atmosphere like on the course?

The atmosphere that is created when working with students and their employers is very good. For example at Reliable Fire I would pop in every couple of weeks and built up a really good rapport with Antonia and Alan. Alan was always friendly and easy to talk to. Part of my job is to get third party input and Alan felt that he could ask me the right way to go about things. I have also helped two students do business admin courses whilst at Havens Hospices and again built up good relationships with the students and staff there. I am always only a phone call or email away.

Can you offer any advice for potential learners?

Take time in deciding what sort of work you want to do and prepare properly to approach possible employers. Be thorough when looking for courses and make sure that you understand your own needs.

What support do you give your students to ensure they reach their full potential on the course?

I meet with the students and employers on a regular basis and in the case of the apprentices I do a review every ten weeks. I am always there to help with any problems that arise from course work to personal issues with doing the course. For the employers I can offer advice on any concerns that they may have. I tailor support to meet everyone’s needs.

You can’t accuse Jack Rayner of not throwing himself into his work, he’s quite literally a part of it as he sat in a see-through perspex box as part of a performance-based installation!

Thinking, er, inside the box the 19 year old from Rochford found himself in the cramped confines of the clear box of his own making as part of his final major project on the Level 3 BTEC General Art & Design course at South Essex College. He’d picked two words from a hat, fashion and vision and this was the result.

Jack said: “Throughout my course I’ve worked a lot with computers but wanted to take it back to basics. The idea was that I was sat in a perspex box and I would record my thoughts and feelings on the inside of the box which everyone could see and then people viewing it could respond or ask their own questions. I guess you could say it was a physical embodiment of a social media feed – there for the whole world to see and interact with.”

And people certainly responded, over the three and a half hours that he was sat in his somewhat claustrophobic surrounding Jack had messages asking him how he was through to some deeply personal things.

Jack added: “That was what I really loved about it, the whole unpredictability of it all but I think sometimes people like opening up more to total strangers.”

What isn’t unpredictable is Jack’s next step; he’s off to Swansea Metropolitan University to study a degree in Graphic Design.

Paul Myers decided to do an Apprenticeship as he found it gave him more scope to achieve what he wanted to do in life. He is now on the first rung of the ladder as catering Apprentice at The Park Inn Palace in Southend-on-Sea.

The 18 year old from Southend, said: “With an Apprenticeship I can actually learn more in a short space of time. I get more person-to-person training which I find helps me to learn quicker and at a better level as opposed to learning in a classroom environment.”

Paul also liked the payment structure as it allowed him to buy extra materials that he might not have been able to afford if he was just learning in a ‘classroom’.

He added: “I think the payment structure of an Apprenticeship really does enable the learner to have a much greater opportunity to learn. Being paid weekly or monthly, depending on the establishment, does allow you to go out and buy recipe books, equipment or whatever you need. If you are in a classroom not doing much practical work it’s a lot harder to improve yourself.”

And although Paul has only been an Apprentice at the Park Inn Palace for a short period of time he is already reaping the rewards of the scheme, especially in the current jobs climate.

He commented: “I’ve been working closely with the different chefs and learning their different styles of cooking, which will stand me in good stead during my Apprenticeship as well as any future employment.

When Level 3 BTEC Fine Art student Megan Walker, 18, from Canvey Island, said that she had an idea brewing she wasn’t kidding!

The South Essex College student used tea leaves from 2,200 tea bags to help create her final project piece of art that gives new meaning to something being thirsty work.

Looking like a giant pile of over-sized twiglets the head-turning installation was created with chicken wire, paper machete and sticking the tea leaves on with PVA glue, with a light sprinkling of compost for good measure.

Of her creation Megan said: “If this piece had a title then I would probably call it patriotic as for me it was about celebrating our uncontrollable need for tea as we are very tea orientated here in the UK.”

Perhaps it was fate that Megan studied Fine Art, written in the tea leaves perhaps, as she only originally studied Art & Design at GCSE level as that was how her options fell at school but she’s embraced and enjoyed it ever since.

Megan continued: “Being at South Essex College has really opened up my potential and has really done a lot for me and helped show what I can achieve. I’ve loved producing work for exhibitions and curating my work.”

Megan’s creation may be heading to the bin (the PG Tip if you will) after the show but her future is far from rubbish. Megan’s continuing her studies in Fine Art with a degree at London Met

As part of their assessment, Level 3 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (Motorsports) students from the Basildon Campus worked on cars to be raced by semi-professional drivers at world famous race circuit, Brands Hatch.

Greggs the Bakers might be the stars of a new reality TV programme on Sky, Greggs: More Than Meets The Pie, but the company have made working on a live project a reality for South Essex College students.

They recently joined forces with 20 Professional Cookery students to develop a new product that could go on sale in local stores. The winning café based item, decided by Greggs Senior Managers, could be made and sold in local Greggs shops.

The Senior Managers, who took time out to come down to the College’s Southend Campus and sample the Level 3 Diploma in Advanced Professional Cookery student’s delights and hear their pitches, had not done anything like this before.

Phil Gowler, Production Trainer for Greggs, being head judge was the ‘Simon Cowell’ of the team of judges, said: “We’ve occasionally worked with schools and colleges but we’ve certainly not done anything like this on this scale before, this is really unique and it’s been a fantastic experience for both us and the students. They can be really proud of what they have achieved.”

The proof as they say is in the pudding and the winner was announced as Terry Morrell, 18, from Pitsea, who had created a sumptuous Almond and pistachio cake with butter cream. Of the product Phil added: “It has a fantastic flavor, texture and is nicely presented. If we made it we could certainly sell it tomorrow, no hesitation. It is very professional and so is Terry”

A pleased but genuinely surprised Terry said: “It’s funny, I don’t like nuts but I love this. I’ve been developing this since day one of the project being set and probably made it seven or eight times just fine tuning it and getting it absolutely how I wanted it.

“I was completely shocked to hear my name called out as the overall winner, it’s fantastic and I can say that I made it and I’ve done this and created something with the potential to be sold in store. It would be great to actually see it in store and see other people buying something that I’ve created.”

That of course would be the icing on the almond and pistachio cake for Terry who also came away with the tasty prize of £100 worth of Love to Shop vouchers

Awarded runners up prize was James Johnson, 19, from Southend , who created a mouth-watering pork and apple wholegrain mustard bake and best portfolio was from Katie Coe, 19, also from Southend. She created a refreshing orange and kiwi cupcake that she said her family really enjoyed taste testing!

Peter Stav, Professional Cookery lecturer, said of the opportunity: “This is fantastic for students wishing to go into food product development. Greggs have worked with us throughout the year and visited us on a number of occasions. Live projects such as this really help motivate and further inspire the students and all of them rose to the occasion with an amazing mix of tasty offers. 

The Greggs Team also said that the College, situated just off Southend High Street, is an important customer to its Southend store, so much so that when they had the refit of their Southend store they made sure they did it when students were on holiday!

All of which shows how business and college’s can be beneficial to one another on a day-to-day business basis but also on the quest for new and fresh ideas and talent. The hope is for Greggs and the College to do it all again next year, once more with ‘filling’ you could say.

It can be difficult to decide on future career pathways when you are still at school so South Essex College have been helping bring careers to life for nearly 600 students this year alone!

The practical hands-on taster days have been held across its three campuses in Basildon, Southend and Thurrock and have covered a massive range of subject areas that the College offers.

The last event of the academic year took place at the College’s Basildon Campus last week with 130 pupils from Cornelius Vermuyden in Canvey.View pictures from the event on the College's Official Facebook page here. 

The pupils enjoyed a fantastic mix of workshops covering everything from Sport to Business, Hair & Beauty to Early Years, Motor Vehicle Engineering and even solving a ‘murder’ in Forensic Science!

Ashleigh Gill, 14, from Cornelius Vermuyden, went all CSI: Basildon, complete with white suit, as she helped in the ‘investigation’ of a murder scene. Taking a break from sifting for evidence she said: “I have no idea what I want to do after school so it’s great to be able to experiment in different areas.”

Meanwhile, after getting to grips with Sport and Business, James Duffield found his footing in the Motor Vehicle Engineering department of the College. The 13 year old is interested in going into engineering after school so this was perfect for him.

James said: “It’s my first time coming into a college and its great just to see what college life is like, it’s a lot different from school.”

And teachers have found the whole experience helpful as well. Lesley Pike, from The Billericay School, mostly brings Year 9 and Year 10 pupils along to the College taster days and finds that students just enjoy being in a further education environment doing the sorts of things that older students are doing and help them make informed choices about their futures.

She said: “Some…haven’t got a clue about what they want to do, but after coming on one of these taster days they are exposed to so many different experiences that it is easier for them to make their choices. It could make the whole difference in the choices they make and how they go on and progress and succeed in life.”

Any schools interested in taking part can view next year’s exciting range of taster days here.

An inspiring line-up of guest speakers has just been announced for the thrilling opening festival at The Forum Southend-on-Sea.

Tickets will go on sale from 9am on Thursday 18^th July for this eclectic programme. The easiest way to buy tickets for events at the 200-seater lecture theatre inside the building is via www.theforumsouthend.co.uk

Celebrated academic, TV host, author and scientist, Professor Brian Cox will launch the season on Monday 30^th September, and 12 more exciting events are scheduled throughout the autumn.

Among the featured speakers will be politician and broadcaster Michael Portillo, BBC Journalist, George Alagiah and 2012 Turner prize winner, Elizabeth Price – whose work is amongst the first to be exhibited in the new Focal Point Gallery within The Forum Southend-on-Sea.

There is a special event for teens and for even younger visitors, the popular Southend Children’s Book Festival will be held in the new children’s library in the building.

In a joint statement, the three partners from The Forum Southend-on-Sea: Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, the University of Essex and South Essex College said: “The Festival at The Forum Southend-on-Sea is designed to showcase this magnificent new facility for the whole community.

“A diverse calendar of events have been put together to attract as many people as possible to our unique partnership project.

 “We look forward to welcoming everyone to explore and enjoy The Forum Southend-on-Sea at these guest lectures and beyond.”

 The programme at The Forum Southend-on-Sea in Elmer Square, Southend, is as follows:

• Professor Brian Cox, scientist – Monday 30^th September
• Wendy Cope, poet – Sunday 6^th October
• Dr Pam Cox, historian – Friday 11^th October
• Paul Collicutt, graphic artist – Saturday 12^th October
• Cherry Sandover, fine art lecturer – Saturday 12^th October
• Jason Fergus, Director of Active Essex – Thursday 17^th October
• Professor Jules Pretty, Professor of Environment and Society – Thursday 31^st October
• Gallery talk – Saturday 2^nd November
• Michael Portillo, politician – Friday 8^th November
• Stella Harcourt – Child reading expert – Tuesday 12^th November
• Elizabeth Price – artist – Thursday 14^th November
• George Alagiah – journalist – Friday 15^th November
• Camila Batmanghelidjh – founder of Kids’ Company – Thursday 21^st November

After selling out in less than ten minutes and due to popular demand, there is now another chance to book tickets to see a simultaneous broadcast of Professor Brian Cox speaking at The Forum Southend-on-Sea on Monday 30th September.

 A further 80 tickets are being made available to see the special screening of the celebrated academic, TV host, author and scientist give the inaugural talk in the lecture theatre within the building.

As tickets for this event sold out so quickly, special arrangements have now been made for Professor Cox’s talk to be screened simultaneously in one of the teaching rooms at The Forum Southend-on-Sea.

Tickets for the live streamed talk on Monday 30th September will cost £5 each, including light refreshments, and will go on sale from 9am on Monday 22nd July via: www.theforumsouthend.co.uk.

Doors open at 7pm and the talk starts at 7:30pm.

Professor Cox’s talk launches the festival at The Forum Southend-on-Sea featuring a series of exciting events which are also proving very popular with ticket buyers.

They include politician and broadcaster Michael Portillo, BBC Journalist, George Alagiah and 2012 Turner prize winner, Elizabeth Price – whose work is amongst the first to be exhibited in the new Focal Point Gallery within The Forum Southend-on-Sea.

After 15 gruelling gladiatorial weeks Lord Sugar has crowned The Apprentice 2013 in the shape of Leah Totton from Ireland.

Next year will see the tenth series of the ever-popular boardroom busting programme and our enthusiasm for all things entrepreneurial doesn’t seem to waiver, something echoed by students from across a whole range of courses at South Essex College who are full of their own entrepreneurial spirit.

Students studying dog grooming in Basildon are looking to set up their own businesses and, in classic The Apprentice style, Professional Cookery students recently worked with Greggs the Bakers to develop a new product that could go on sale in local stores.

One area of the College that has more entrepreneurial spirit than any other is that of Business. The College offers everything from degrees in Business Studies and even Entrepreneurship studies for school leavers in conjunction with the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy (PJEA).

So why do people in Essex have the entrepreneurial sprit for success and ideas? Josie Aplin, Business Enterprise Executive at the College, has helped teach hundreds of business students and she thinks she may know why.

“Students from Essex are down to earth, fun to be around and enjoy meeting new people, and part of being a successful entrepreneur is having the ability to connect with people and network effectively and I think young people in Essex seem to have that in spades.

“Our PJEA students are quick thinkers, charming, learn from past mistakes and above all are prepared to take risks. This is why Essex is so entrepreneurial.”

The Peter Jones Enterprise Academy students have taken part in a whole host of enterprising activities preparing them for the world of business and giving them the opportunity to meet those who’ve already made it.

Some of those inspirational people include David Gold and his daughter Vanessa, owner of West Ham, and Ann Summers. Events have seen students take part in nationwide challenges by Subway, Grant Thornton and CIPS, the latter which the College won!

David Brandajs, 19, from Southend has played a key and active role in many of those achievements and events from last year and he’s emerged from it being more confident about himself and where he sees himself going in the future.

David said: “From doing the PJEA course, I believe that I have greatly improved in confidence as a result of having a better understanding of the working world. There are many moments during my short duration on the course that have been enjoyable. These include networking events, lectures from entrepreneurs, setting up my own micro business and interacting with peers, tutors and other individuals.”

Perhaps his greatest highlight from the past year was his PJEA Graduation ceremony where he was chosen to speak for five minutes in front of 500 peers, including Peter Jones himself! The Dragon’s Den star even gave David a resounding thumbs up at the end of his talk, praise indeed.

Of his experience David added: “Fortunately thanks to a bit of practise and keeping my nerve I managed to pull it off and was very pleased and overwhelmed by the positive feedback given to me after presenting. Also Peter Jones giving me the thumbs up was an added bonus.”

His next step is going to university to study Real Estate Management. Property has always been an industry that has interested him.

David continued: “Playing your cards right can mean earning myself a great living and I get to enjoy my life. University will be the next step to understanding more about the property industry and further improving the chances of getting potential work afterwards. Having a degree in Real Estate Management will hopefully help me accomplish my aspiration of becoming a property surveyor.”

So what does David think of people from Essex being naturally entrepreneurial? The South Essex College student concluded: “Location can influence what sort of life people want, but it doesn't determine it. A lot of young people crave excitement, regardless of where people come from that same hunger and desire to do well in life and secure your mark on the world has always been there.

“Being entrepreneurial is an excellent way in which young people can identify what exactly their assets and flaws are, and then determine how to use them so they can achieve the best results for themselves and for others.”

With his natural ability and all he has learned on his Peter Jones Enterprise Academy course at South Essex College, David’s eventual property ladder of success seems assured and who knows perhaps in a few years we may even see him or one of his fellow students stepping into Lord Sugar’s boardroom in a future series of The Apprentice.

Whatever happens, one thing is for sure, David and his fellow entrepreneurial business students are all fired, fired up that is about being successful in their chosen areas and putting into practice all they have learnt during their intensive but rewarding PJEA course.

Partners involved in the Nethermayne proposals have spoken out about the positive benefits of the project following the decision to approve outline plans for 725 homes on land at Nethermayne.

Now that outline planning permission has been granted, the prospect of a new College in the town centre is one step closer and given recent headlines about the increase of vacant shops in the town centre, this project is clearly now more important than ever.

Cllr Malcolm Buckley, cabinet member for regeneration is clear of the benefits that the relocation will bring to the town centre and says:

“Not only will this project help to deliver new family homes with a new school being provided as the homes are being built, it will also assist the proposed move by South Essex College to a new purpose built campus in the town.  With the closure of the SEEVIC facilities, it has become even more important that the Council secures the future of South Essex College within the Borough.

“The addition of hundreds of students and staff into the town centre during the day and evening will assist shopkeepers at a time when the town is facing the same struggles as other places up and down the country. 

“The college move and the associated relocation of the market is a key element of our strategy for regenerating the town centre to make it a more vibrant and prosperous place. 

“We are expecting that a planning application for the market move will be submitted shortly which will create a modern new market destination for the town that will complement St Martin’s Square and the western end of the town.  The college and market moves will give a real economic lift to the town.”

Vice Principal for Curriculum at South Essex College, Wendy Barnes, said: “The new centre will offer professional and vocational qualifications for young people and adults, particularly in STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology and Maths) subjects to help them get on the career ladder.”

The College will also develop a new sixth form providing local youngsters with access to high quality A-level provision in a range of subjects. The major focus of the campus will be 16 to 19 year olds to provide progression opportunities to employment and degrees, enabling more students to study higher education courses locally.

Wendy added: “A new campus will bring more flexible teaching spaces and better facilities for our students. The young people of Basildon deserve the best we can offer and the best opportunities, we have that in Southend and we’ll have that in Thurrock in September 2014. Simply put, we don’t want future generations to be ‘piggy in the middle’ and miss out in Basildon.”

Mike Goulding, Area Manager at the HCA says: “These proposals will bring positive things to Basildon, including more executive housing and a brand new town centre college.  This investment will help to bring new business and new jobs into the area and we look forward to moving this project forwards.”

A number of transport improvements have been identified through the proposals to improve traffic flow around Dry Street and the Nethermayne areas and the partners have also been successful by securing investment from Government for much needed funding to alleviate traffic congestion, which already exists on Nethermayne. 

Essex County Council bid for and secured “pinchpoint” funding to alleviate the lengthy delays experienced by drivers coming into the town centre during rush- hour.

Other benefits of the proposed scheme include the gifting of land to St Luke’s Hospice to expand as well as securing new and improved wildlife habitats, which the applicants are currently working on. 

Cllr Buckley also said that the amount of feeling about Longwood Equestrian Centre was understood and feels that the offer to provide assistance with its relocation is a way of showing that local views do count.

He concluded, “The Leader of the Council and I met with the current operator of the equestrian facility. Mr Lewington’s lease is due to terminate in February 2014 and we see this as an ideal opportunity to secure the facility somewhere in Basildon during the foreseeable future. “

Facts at a glance: 

• Approximately 700 homes homes of both private sale and affordable
• New town centre college
• New primary school
• Highways improvements
• Approximately 1300 construction jobs created

• A more vibrant town centre

Two Football Academy students from the Thurrock Campus of South Essex College are the first ever in the campuses history to gain the offers of prestigious soccer scholarships in America.

The students, Billy Hopwood, 19, from Grays and Ade Adeshoetan, 19, also from Grays both attend the College’s Football Academy as it has FA Chartered Status.

Ade, a former Grays School student who has played for the likes of Tilbury FC, East Thurrock FC, the College and Grays Athletic FC, said: “it’s amazing that we are both going to be heading to the US, it’s really surreal in many ways but great to have a real choice of where our futures take us. I could only have dreamt of this before I started this course.”

The pair had the enviable task of having to pick between several options right across America. Ade has been offered Monroe College in New York City and the Independent School in Kansas, whilst Billy, who had five places offering him scholarships in Kentucky, California, Iowa, Oklahoma and New York City, decided on Oklahoma.

Billy, whose played for Ventura FC, Chafford Park FC, the College and also Grays Athletic FC said: “All of the different Colleges offer very different things and obviously are spread right across the US, so there were quite a lot of factors to be taken into account but it is certainly great to be wanted and this could open up just so many avenues for me.”

After looking at all the options the young footballer decided on a place at Bacone College in Oklahoma, which he’ll be taking up in 2014.

Howard Mackler, Sports lecturer, said: “These guys have put a fantastic amount of hard work in, both in their studies and on the field, in and out of College, so they really deserve these opportunities in the States that will be life-changing for them.

“It’s fantastic that they are the first to fly the flag for all the Football Academy stands for and all that can be achieved on the course. They are exceptionally talented young men and they deserve all the success in the world.”

Now the first students leaving the course are heading to the US it is hoped that, having seen where the beautiful game and qualifications can lead, that some of next year’s crop of completing students will be looking at the academic, sporting and life opportunities that await them on and off the field Stateside.

The Thurrock Football Academy will be led next year by Joe Nightingill, a former player with Rushden and Diamonds, Tilbury and Grays Athletic.

As the sun sets on the Football Academy for Ade and Billy it rises for a new crop of students in September. There are still places on the course so if you fancy kicking a ball on the other side of the world in a few years time give the College a call on 0845 52 12345 and ask about the Football Academy at the Thurrock Campus

£6m of work has been awarded to local businesses in Southend-on-Sea as a result of the town’s groundbreaking library and learning facility, The Forum Southend-on-Sea, which is nearing completion.

At the start of the project, main contractor, Wates Construction committed to sourcing locally in order to ensure the local supply chain saw a tangible benefit and a total of ten local suppliers have benefited from this investment.

The £6m figure represents an economic impact of more than £15m for the area, according to a report published in 2012 by the UK Contractors Group. Construction in the UK: The economic and social benefits of investment shows that every £1 spent on construction output yields a £2.84 return. This impact is created by a number of direct and indirect factors such as an increase in supply chain output, the benefits felt by additional sectors such as manufacturing and the increase in household spending as a result of construction income.

The Forum Southend-on-Sea is a joint enterprise between Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, the University of Essex and South Essex College of Further and Higher Education. It will provide a new public and academic library to replace the existing Central Library, a new teaching facility for the College and new research and learning facilities for the University.

Worked started on the £27m project in February 2012 and the building will open to the public, staff and students on Monday 30 September 2013.

Peter Wilson, Director of P & J Decorators in Westcliff-on-Sea, commented: "It has been really rewarding to lend our services to the development of The Forum Southend-on-Sea and be part of a project that is set to play such an important part in the local community. We've really enjoyed working with Wates on site and contributing to the construction of this impressive building. We're really grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of their supply chain in Southend." 

Peter Whitmore, Business Unit Director for Wates Construction, Northern Home Counties and East, commented: “As part of our continued commitment to working with local suppliers, we have immersed ourselves in the local community in Southend-on-Sea to ensure this flagship project benefits businesses based in the area. The resulting figures reinforce the importance of investing in construction as a means of stimulating economic growth – enabling contractors like us to pass this investment through a locally-based supply chain thereby boosting employability and benefitting the local economy.”

The winners of this year’s Design Against Fur Fashion competition have just been announced, with a Fashion student from South Essex College’s Southend Campus coming third.

Zoe Flatt, 16, from Corringham took third place in the Fashion Garment Design section creating a coat design inspired by marine life and coral.

The Diploma Art and Design (Fashion Design) student will receive a cash prize along with an award certificate to display in her portfolio.

The competition is for design and film students in the UK to create innovative, inspiring work that highlights the cruelty of the fur trade and why wearing fur is wrong.

Split into three sections the competition covers: Alternative fur garment, t-shirt design and animation/film.

On hearing of her third place in the competition, Zoe said: “I was absolutely gobsmacked when my tutor called me to tell me the news, I couldn't believe it as this was a national competition but I was so pleased, although I kept thinking they had got the wrong Zoe as there are two of us in our class. It was great to see my work online.

“At college I was looking at 'patterns in nature' for one of my briefs and the design escalated from there, looking at Autumn/Winter 13/14 season trends, key colours and shapes. I then took a trip to Colchester Zoo to decide what sort of print/pattern I was going to use, I found myself taking many photos of marine fish and coral. I looked further into this and used my coral research to inspire my coat design using my key shapes and colours research.”

Respect for Animals – the UK’s leading anti-fur organisation – has run the competition for more than ten years and during that period thousands of students from colleges the length and breadth of the UK have taken part.

Respect for Animals’ Campaigns Director, Mark Glover said: “We are thrilled with the results of this year’s competition. The judges had a tough job as the quality of the entries was so high. Fur is cruel and unnecessary and asking students to interpret that message is a tough challenge. We think this year’s winners have more than met this task.”

Winning students receive cash prizes and certificates. The complete list of winners along with their entries can be seen here.

With a C in English Literature, B in Law, C in Psychology and A* for her Extended Project  Beth Barnard, 18 from Canvey is now heading to Greenwich to study Law.

Of her time at the College she said: “I’d really like to thank my teachers for everything, I’ve never found my time at college stressful and teaching staff really knew their subjects and gave great pep talks before exams. I will miss chilling out underneath the mushrooms (the dining decks in the College’s atrium)."

Renais Mehmet, 18, from Canvey might have been having her picture taken for the papers but come September she’ll be the other side of the camera as she embarks on her BA (Hons) Journalism degree at South Essex College after gaining a C in Information & Communication Technology, C in Media Studies and B in Photography.

She said: “I’m very happy and relieved with my results and will be celebrating at home with my parents tonight. I’ve enjoyed being a student at South Essex College so much that I’m staying on to do my degree there, it really appealed to me because of the location and the friendly people. They really treat you like a grown up at South Essex College and it’s a modern place to study as well.

Renais added: “I really fell in love with Journalism after doing a work placement at The Daily Mail so am really looking forward to starting my degree, and we’ll have the new facilities at The Forum as well!”

A-level students achieved an impressive 98.2% pass rate at South Essex College for this year’s A-level results day, up over 1% on last year, which makes it higher than the national average. A total of 17 A-level subjects also gained a 100% pass rate.

For those choosing South Essex College as their place to study for two years, it has meant destination success for them with many students deciding to continue onto a degree either at the college or further afield.

Principal and Chief Executive, Angela O’Donoghue, said: “Our students can be proud of all they have achieved after all of their hard work and I wish them all continued success for the future.

“Currently we only offer A-levels in Southend but with the proposed new build in Basildon we are also looking to offer them there and great results such as today’s reaffirm that it’s a step in the right direction for local young people.”

View images on Facebook here.

Many people completing their A-levels look at spreading their wings to study away at university, Geography A-level student, George Smith, is spreading his wings a little further as he’s travelling 6,000 miles to Brazil!

The 18 year old from Basildon has just completed his A-levels at South Essex College in Southend and will be heading to Brazil after successfully winning a travel scholarship from The Royal Geographical Society.

Of his scholarship George said: “It was a big shock to hear I had got my scholarship but now I have, it’s really exciting and I’ve pretty much done all of my planning. Now I’m just excited, it’s going to be great travelling to Brazil and taking in the likes of Rio and the Amazon. Brazil is just one of those areas with a great diversity of environments and cultures, which is what attracted me to that particular part of the world.”

He continued: “The scholarship is worth £4000 which will fund my trip for a good few months which will be amazing. It will be the perfect time to wind down and get away from it all after my A-levels, before I look at the possibility of going onto university the following year.”

George plans to be ‘flying down to Rio’ in October or November. This marks the second year in a row that a Geography A-level student from the College’s Southend Campus has been awarded such a prized scholarship.

Unsurprisingly his Geography tutor, Muzamil Syed, is really pleased for him. He concluded:  “George really deserves this, he’s always been a dedicated student and it also helps give a great confidence boost to younger students looking at applying next year. We’ve gained two scholarship winners in as many years which speaks volumes about the course and the kinds of students we are attracting to our A-levels in general.”