http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/news.asp Based in Arbroath on the East coast of Scotland, with four satellite learning centres in surrounding towns, Angus College has been meeting the further education and training needs of our local community for over fifty years by providing quality, vocational and leisure courses that can be studied on a full or part-time basis. en-gb Sun, 12 Jul 2009 12:15:04 GMT Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:30:00 GMT http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AngusCollegeNews/~3/3PxidkhVACc/shownews.asp 25/06/2009 09:30:00 - A group of Engineering students successfully completed their challenge of pulling two large trucks in a charity event. The students, who undertook this activity as part of their communication module decided that Help For Heroes was the charity who would benefit from their efforts. Help For Heroes exists to make a real difference to the lives of our service men and women and the students felt it was very timely with the recent return of 45 Commando to Arbroath. The cheque for £335 was handed over to Help For Heroes by David Hill- Course leader in Engineering. Yvonne Cargill, the Communications lecturer who supported the students in their challenge said “The students all did really well and were fully committed to their task of raising money for this great charity.” http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=495 http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=495 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AngusCollegeNews/~3/do9zUfRl4Ic/shownews.asp 23/06/2009 14:27:00 - Angus College hosted a two day celebration last week for National Certificate students who received special awards in recognition of outstanding achievement. During the course of the two ceremonies the College saw around 60 students collect awards, including certificates and other prizes from award sponsors. http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=493 http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=493 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AngusCollegeNews/~3/8VuFC_T9DbA/shownews.asp 24/06/2009 14:26:00 - The culmination of months of hard work undertaken by students from Angus College and Hayshead Primary has been marked with the formal opening of a new wetland teaching area at the primary school. This community project saw Angus College’s Construction students working to create an eco themed garden designed by pupils from Hayshead primary. The wetland area will be a vital part of the school’s environmental studies programme which aims to educate pupils about plants and wildlife through the use of this outdoor teaching facility. Arthur Pritchard, Head Teacher of Hayshead Primary said “The pupils at Hayshead have done a superb job of planning and designing and are now looking forward to being involved with their new outdoor learning environment” Angus Students involved in this project also found the experience to be valuable as acting Curriculum Manager for Construction at Angus College Craig Reilly said “The staff and students at Angus College are delighted to have supported Hayshead to create such a superb outside eco teaching area. It has been a great experience for all our students and another successful community project undertaken by Angus College” http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=492 http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=492 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AngusCollegeNews/~3/rsHmcGBgEEs/shownews.asp 23/06/2009 14:20:00 - A second group of young people from Angus College’s SkillZone programme are the focus of a ceremony being held at the Conference Centre on Tuesday 23 June. The 21 young people involved have been working on an employability and personal development programme that aims to help them develop and improve their own skills and attitudes to learning and work. These students, the majority of which are school links aged 15, have all identified new courses to take their studies further next year or have entered into employment. Director of Learning and Teaching, Barbara Nelson says “This course moves from strength to strength and now has national recognition both by Her Majesty’s inspectors and City & Guilds as the gold standard to which others aspire. We have had a number of international visitors coming to Angus to share in the secret of our success. The young people graduating today are well equipped to move on with their lives and are a testament to the investment that Angus College is making to support the More Choices More Chances agenda.” Morag McKenzie, a member of the SkillZone Community Liaison Board, and Manager of Public Services at Volunteer Centre Angus, was delighted to be invited as guest speaker at the ceremony. “It is fantastic to see so many young people achieving recognition for the hard work and dedication they have put into this course. Some of these young people have become more aware of how they can make a valuable contribution through volunteering in their communities, and how volunteering helps people become more confident as individuals as well as gaining practical experience using skills they have learned through this course. It’s also great to see so many of the members of this course returning to Angus College next year to continue their journey in learning.” Course Leader, Marie Stewart, reinforced this message. “This award ceremony is in recognition not only of the wonderful achievements of the young people involved, but also of the dedication and commitment of the SkillZone staff who work tirelessly to help support students to gain self belief and think more clearly about their future options. They, too, are to be congratulated.” http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=491 http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=491 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AngusCollegeNews/~3/bv3VbE4K8o0/shownews.asp 22/06/2009 16:14:00 - Last year, Angus College and Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen took the innovative step of making it possible for people in rural Angus to access a BA in Management Studies degree. It attracted a range of applicants including those with some management experience and those who were keen to gain a higher level qualification. Running in Angus College’s Forfar Learning Centre one evening per week the students also had the opportunity of accessing the course through Distance Learning which proved ideal for those living in the more remote parts of Angus. The course has been highly praised as one of the best examples in collaborative working between a University and a College with joint responsibility for delivering the programme as well as joint responsibility of developing the highly creative range of online and web based learning materials. The course enables learners to gain a broad and integrated understanding of management concepts and builds on the management experience and academic background of the student. Mina Welsh, Curriculum Manager of Business, Administration & Technology Team said, “This first year has been highly successful and the students are now looking forward to entering their final period of study before graduation this time next year. The course is an excellent opportunity to undertake a degree programme in an 18 month period. The course has given our students a firm grounding in key management principals and techniques which will be of immediate value in their workplace.” Gail Naismith, one of the first students on the course and Payroll Development Manager of SSPS Project Team said, “This course has been both challenging and rewarding and has equipped me with a broad range of skills and knowledge which I have been able to apply to my job” The project is being funded by the European Social Fund. This year the course will run in Arbroath and the College are now recruiting again for commencement in September. An open evening is being held in the CALC Building, Angus College, Arbroath on Tuesday 30th June between 6.30 and 8pm. Anyone interested in finding out more is welcome to come along for an informal chat with representatives from both Robert Gordon University and Angus College. Alternatively, you can contact Mina Welsh on 01241 432662 or email: mina.welsh@angus.ac.uk http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=486 http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=486 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AngusCollegeNews/~3/7sFONc82wvI/shownews.asp 12/06/2009 17:09:00 - Angus College Conference Centre saw around 200 students through its doors on Thursday 11th and Friday 12th June for the annual presentations of awards in recognition of the achievements of students in Community Programmes. Students from all over Angus, Aberdeenshire and Dundee areas and have completed courses in a diverse range of subjects including numeracy, ICT, animation, environment, enterprise, residential planning, employment, sports and fitness, volunteering, art, communication, employment, PSE and independent living skills. Key themes this year have been our environment and citizenship. Students have been very much involved in their local communities with a range of conservation projects such as tree planting, recycling and beach clean-ups. Achievement has been high on the agenda this year with student success and high quality learning and teaching further evidenced this year by HMIE (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate Education) with Angus College achieving an outstanding review. This year, student Christopher Harper from Inverbervie is the proud recipient of the Lara Pringle Award for outstanding achievement. Christopher is a 3rd year student on the Step Forward Course. Christopher has consistently stepped forward in his learning and is keen to work hard and progress his skills. His eagerness to learn has been an inspiration to many. Community Programmes Curriculum Manager Wendy Duke said, ‘’ we are continually impressed by our students willingness to take on new challenges and this session has seen a bumper year in terms of students attainments and personal achievements. Each and every one of them should very proud of what they have achieved this year." Depute Principal Jackie Howie and Charlie Rosie Library Manager presented the awards to the students during the event. http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=485 http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=485 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AngusCollegeNews/~3/FsIdPiY5TiA/shownews.asp 11/06/2009 16:46:00 - In these challenging economic times it is encouraging to see a revival in the interest of many traditional skills – none more so than Drystone Dyking. Over the years, the College has run leisure classes in Drystone Dyking and these are now more popular than ever. To cope with the increasing demand, the College has partnered with a local company, Denfind Stone of Monikie and has secured the skills of one of their Master Dykers, David Sinclair to run additional programmes. Denfind Stone has specialised in the supply of sandstone since 2004, sourcing and recycling the stone from their own quarry. Denfind was awarded the Angus Ambassador Entrepreneurial Business Award in November 08 in recognition of growth and achievement of the business over the past five years. After a recent visit from the Lady Provost of Angus, it was suggested that they should form a partnership with the College. Stuart Young, Curriculum Manager for Landbased classes is delighted with this joint prospect. “I am really excited about the new partnership and the collaboration of high expertise in this field. The traditional methods involved in drystone dyking are a true art and they are undoubtedly becoming more and more popular in landscaping today. I am hoping the leisure classes will ultimately lead, in time, to an advanced qualification giving people the necessary skills to make a living from this great trade”. Anyone interested in signing up for one of the Drystone Dyking classes should contact Karen Cargill at Angus College on 01241 4322724 http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=484 http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=484 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AngusCollegeNews/~3/0pii50SlMWo/shownews.asp 12/06/2009 16:45:00 - The Painting & Decorating department of Angus College continued with their winning streak this year after successfully clinching two major awards at the Scottish Association of Painting Teacher Awards held at South Lanarkshire College on Thursday the 4th of June. Mike Swan, Course Leader in Art, Craft & Design who supported the apprentice students at this competition was delighted with the students success and said “ I can’t stress enough just how delighted we all are at yet another great success for our painting and decorating students - their dedication, hard work and real commitment has paid off once again – they really are at the top of their game”. The advanced class saw the 1st prize trophy, sponsored by the Scottish Decorating Federation go to, Steven Barthorp, of ‘Angus Dec’ of Arbroath and 3rd prize awarded to Shaun McGruer, of ‘Mitie Contracts’. In the craft team event, the George Nicolson trophy for 1st place was awarded to Brian Boyd of St Andrews University and Michael Potter of Raymond Gloag Decorators Dundee. 3rd prize in this team event was awarded to Michael Morrison of ‘Mitie Contracts’ and Lee Smeeton of Scotland & Dawson Ltd, Carnoustie. http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=483 http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=483 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AngusCollegeNews/~3/fB9Lo7cS2m8/shownews.asp 12/06/2009 16:41:00 - Angus Health and Social Care Academy students celebrated their graduation at Angus College in Arbroath today after successfully completing their course. The course was aimed at giving unemployed people the knowledge and skills necessary to apply for jobs in a care environment in areas such as delivery/administration or estates and maintenance. This cohort were the first to undertake the new 8 week pre-employment programme which incorporated college-based learning with a 4 day work experience in a variety of health or social care settings across Angus provided by Angus Council’s Health and Social Work Department and NHS Tayside. During the programme, students learned a variety of care subjects including, infection control, dementia awareness, manual handling, food hygiene, first aid, care values and basic IT skills. Lesley McColl, Course Leader of the Care Team said, “The students have bonded well with each other and have worked well as a team as we would expect from future care workers. The class have been a pleasure to teach and we wish them well with their future care careers.” NHS Tayside’s Chairman Mr Sandy Watson who presented the 10 students with their certificates said, “The Health and Social Care Academy is an excellent example of partnership working. It provides Angus people with opportunities to develop their skills and gain real work experience in a healthcare environment. I am therefore delighted to present these certificates and wish all the students success in the future.” http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=482 http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=482 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AngusCollegeNews/~3/gRYpsW3EbGs/shownews.asp 04/06/2009 16:39:00 - Fantastic Creatures was the focus of an imaginative, weird and wonderful display of artwork from primary schools all across Angus. Angus College Art Competition, sponsored by Smallworld Nursery in Brechin, culminated today with the much anticipated prize giving. With over 470 pieces of artwork, the judges had a very difficult time picking the winners due to the extremely high quality of entries. Alan Paris, Lecturer in Art and Design said, This is one of the highlights of our year and it has been fantastic to see so much enthusiasm and creativity submitted by pupils from the Angus Primary schools. Jackie Howie, Depute Principal of Angus College awarded the prizes to the winning entries. The group 1 winner in the primary 1-3 category was, Ella Keir from Colliston Primary in Arbroath. The group 2 winners in the primary 4-5 category were, Michael Stewart from Timmergreens Primary in Arbroath and Murray Bartale from Carlogie Primary in Carnoustie. The group 3 winner in the primary 5-7 category was Caitlain Dickson from Glamis Primary in Forfar. Abby Christie from Maisondieu Primary in Brechin, Thomas Cooper from Inverarity Primary in Forfar and Megan Richards from Timmergreens Primary in Arbroath all won awards in the Highly Commended category and the overall school prize was awarded to Carlogie Primary in Carnoustie http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=481 http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=481 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AngusCollegeNews/~3/zBBVhZpT61Y/shownews.asp 11/06/2009 16:36:00 - Around 50 Social Science students from Angus College were celebrating a successful year at Forbes of Kingennie. In what has become an annual event, Gail Forbes hosted a reception for students who each received a certificate acknowledging their participation in the NC, HNC and HND Social Sciences. The students who have been studying Psychology, Sociology, History, English and Politics will receive their academic qualifications later in the summer. This year has seen a record number of ‘A’ grade students – however this event at Forbes of Kingennie was to celebrate their social skills, their motivation and importantly their support for one another. Course Leader Cherry Hopton said, “The students have worked very hard this year and this is a brilliant opportunity to celebrate their successes and say goodbye to those who are progressing on to University. Gail is a great supporter of our Social Science students and we really appreciate all she does for them. It means a lot to the students and they really look forward to this event.” http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=480 http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=480 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AngusCollegeNews/~3/Gwh_YeCpUpE/shownews.asp 11/06/2009 16:28:00 - The Hairdressing and Beauty Department at Angus College enjoyed a celebration after their Awards Ceremony (today, Wednesday 10 June) . Over 80 students who have just completed their Hairdressing or beauty qualifications were awarded the certificates in recognition of the vast amount of additional work the students have entered into this year, from national competitions, to supporting local charity organisations. Helen Morrison Curriculum Manager Said, “our students have been great this year all very committed to their chosen profession and jumping at any opportunity to gain additional experience. They all know the job market is tough out there so they are doing everything they can to give themselves the edge. Some students will be progressing on to HNC next year whilst others are looking to enter the job market as soon as possible”. http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=479 http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=479 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AngusCollegeNews/~3/pwtsFg0dAEg/shownews.asp 05/06/2009 16:33:00 - Today, Friday saw another exciting opening show of artworks submitted by students attending the Art for Fun classes, as part of Angus Colleges Community Programmes. In its 8th year, the show displays a fantastic range of artwork, in a variety of media, including ceramics, textiles, printing, painting and photography. Jacqueline Ritchie an art tutor delivering the classes, said, Everyone has worked very hard this year. They have worked in collaboration producing excellent group work and on individual pieces which is very exciting. Oonagh De Voy, another lecturer who has been working with the students on photography, 2D animation and film said, teaching these students is the highlight of my week their enthusiasm is infectious and that can be seen by the great work which has been produced this year. The ceremony to celebrate their success was opened by Oonaghs daughter Finnleigh (7yrs) who has also helped her mum with some of the classes. Parents, friends and family were all there to support the artists as they received their awards from Principal John Burt. Two individual 1st prizes were awarded. One to Greg Paterson for his piece Lamp. The other was awarded to Adam Carle for his work Black, Green & Pink. The 1st prize group award went to the Wednesday class for their piece entitled, Mixed Media Totum. Highly commended awards were given to Ailsa Inglis; Janet Welsh; Ann Milne; Gerald Farnan; Teresa Lennart; the Wednesday class; the Forfar class and the Tuesday class. The show will run from Monday the 8th until Friday the 12th of June. Students art work is available to purchase. http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=478 http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=478 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AngusCollegeNews/~3/T4RuTt7BBJU/shownews.asp 04/06/2009 17:06:00 - This week it was all change with the first meeting of the Angus College Board of Governors welcoming, not only a new Chair Graham Hay and Vice Chair Paul Grant, but four new members. The College received strong interest when they advertised for the vacant positions on the Board and through a selection process, Mike Ferguson of Ferguson Oliver, John Smith from the local farming community, John Forster of Forster Roofing and David Sawers, Chief Executive of Angus Council were all appointed. They bring with them a vast experience in business which will complement all the additional skills of current Board members and, in addition, they know the Angus Community well and can support the College in ensuring it remains the Best Community College in Scotland. John Burt, the College Principal said, “I am delighted to welcome the new Chair and Vice Chair to their first meeting and am really pleased to see such a strong representation from the Angus business community joining us as new Board members. The next few years are going to be challenging times for Colleges and therefore it is as important as ever that we have a really committed and experienced Board to help us drive the College forward”. http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=477 http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=477 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AngusCollegeNews/~3/jdFeqst_jNo/shownews.asp 19/05/2009 10:54:00 - Students studying their NC Mechanical Engineering course at Angus College have raised money for the Arbroath lifeboat after a successful (and somewhat painful!) sponsored leg wax. A second fundraising effort was also made to lay a kilometre of cash. Communications lecturer, Fiona Paterson says " as part of the 'Working with Others' unit in their curriculum the students discussed what they could do to raise money for charity. The students were very enthusiastic and enjoyed the experience." Barbara Cargill, President of Arbroath Ladies Lifeboat Guild commented "This is a tremendous effort by the students and great that people want to raise money for us. We are a charity which is run solely on donations so this is a wonderful contribution to the upkeep of the Arbroath lifeboat." http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=476 http://www.angus.ac.uk/about/shownews.asp?ID=476