We were delighted to see over 90 Hospitality and Catering students from across the region take part in the 2024 Inter College Culinary Competition.
This year’s competition was held in the industry-standard training kitchens and Aspire Restaurant at City College Southampton, part of South Hampshire College Group.
A new record of 7 local colleges attended: students from SHCG’s City College Southampton, Eastleigh College and Fareham College were joined by Basingstoke College of Technology, Brockenhurst College, City of Portsmouth College, and New College Swindon.
Their culinary skills were put to the test in a series of heats, where they prepared street food, pasta and rice dishes, vegetable cuts, and new forest strawberry desserts.
Other heats required their front of house skills, with rounds in professional table lay-up, cocktail/mocktail making and liqueur coffee preparation.
The timed competitions gave students the opportunity to showcase their individual talents, build confidence in high pressure situations, and experience the fast-paced feel of careers in the industry.
Allistair Craig, chef at the Montague Arms, Beaulieu, was one of the judges. He commented: “There was a very high standard of work today, even higher than what I saw last year.
“But what I particularly noticed was the enthusiasm from students. You could tell they were really passionate about the work they were doing, which is so important for their future careers. I have confidence they will go far.”
After all the day’s heats and judges’ careful deliberation, students were presented with their awards.
South Hampshire College Group performed very well, with several students across our three colleges winning bronze, silver and gold medals, plus 4 ‘Best in Class’ awards for veg cuts, cocktails, rice and strawberry dishes.
City College Southampton also received:
· Best Overall Front of House Student – Molly Taylor
· Joe Abbess Memorial Award (Best Overall Kitchen Student) – Jeremaya Cerbera
· Overall College Winner
Lecturers and students from City College Southampton were thrilled to hear the judges recognise their superb effort.
Jo Pangelly, Curriculum Director, said: “Our students remained incredibly calm, professional and upbeat in a very stressful environment, competing against so many other colleges. There was nothing but positive comments from the judges, sponsors, and other lecturers – we’re so proud of them all.”
Winner Molly Taylor added, “I feel amazing, I spent a lot of time planning and practicing for this competition and I’m so happy to have won.”
A huge thanks to all of the judges, sponsors, college staff and students that helped make the event such a success and enjoyable for all.
South Hampshire College Group have won the ‘Innovation’ Award in the 802nd Southampton Lord Mayor Awards.
The Innovation Award looks for organisations that support diversity and inclusion in the city in the development of future talent, in recognition of their hard work and outstanding contribution to the region. Two representatives from South Hampshire College Group were in attendance: Naomi Smith, (LSIF Programme Director) and Jackson Ottley (TECH:TRUCK Coordinator).
Naomi Smith commented: “We were delighted South Hampshire College Group has won the Innovation award and felt honoured to be a part of the 802nd Mayor Making Ceremony. SHCG are committed to ensuring the region’s workforce have the necessary professional and technical skills to equip them for the future world of work; the Innovation in Education award represents our commitment in finding innovative solutions in ensuring this.”
Jackson Ottley said: “It was a pleasure to attend this special ceremony and receive this award on behalf of South Hampshire College Group. The Lord Mayor Awards have a rich and diverse history and it’s an honour for us as an organisation to be recognised for the positive steps we are taking both for education and the wider community as well.”
Diversity and inclusion are values that lay at the heart of South Hampshire College Group, and this is reflected in the projects that the organisation has launched. TECH:TRUCK is an innovative mobile technology roadshow that is designed to increase female representation in the engineering sector, which remains male-dominated. The South Coast Institute of Technology was launched to increase education and employment opportunities across maritime, engineering and digital industries for generations to come. These accomplishments were taken into consideration by the awarding committee during the awarding process.
The Lord Mayor Awards is a prestigious ceremony held at the O2 Guildhall in Southampton, which marks the commencement of the Lord Mayor’s year in office and is open to the public. The historic annual event also contains a small number of Business Awards, which are awarded to exceptional organisations within the Southampton community.
Two students from Eastleigh College have achieved podium positions in a competitive inter-college World Skills heat.
Joshua Benson-Armer and Joshua Attard of Eastleigh College were two of twelve competing in this South Coast heat between five colleges, achieving 2nd and 3rd place respectively. World Skills electrical competitions are renowned for their intensity and high skill threshold, with 120 competing this year nationally across ten heats. Each student had to produce industry standard circuits and containment systems within a strict timeframe of 4.5 hours, and each finished product was assessed via a score by specialist judges. The top eight highest scorers across all ten heats will compete in the UK national final later this year, meaning all podium finishers still have the potential to clinch a coveted spot in the final.
World Skills competitions are designed to develop vocational skills through global training standards and inspire young people to develop their abilities and pursue excellence in their industries. Held for the first time in 1950, the competitions have become known for their rich heritage and enticing global staging, now hosted in 85 countries across the world.
Paul Austin, Curriculum Area Manager at Eastleigh College commented: “Competitions like these make for fantastic additions to a CV and we are now seeing more and more students actively seeking out participation in these heats which is great to see.”
This student success is testament to the department’s fantastic teaching provision, which has been acknowledged in the 2024 Pearson Teaching Awards. This week the electrical team at Eastleigh College received a Certificate of Excellence in the FE Team of the Year category.
It is also an exciting time for competitive excellence at South Hampshire College Group. Students put on a fantastic display at Southampton College earlier this week during the 2024 Inter College Culinary Challenge. 90 students competed, representing eight colleges across the South, with Southampton College being crowned the overall winners!
Hospitality Lecturer Greg Cheeseman from Eastleigh College, part of South Hampshire College Group, has been recognised with a Silver Award for Further Education Lecturer of the Year in the Pearson National Teaching Awards. Selected from thousands of nominees, the win highlights the remarkable impact he has had on shaping the lives of young aspiring chefs.
Greg’s daily contribution goes far beyond his standard teaching responsibilities, frequently giving up valuable evening and weekend time to network with industry contacts to secure new educational opportunities for students, travelling across the country to support students in competitions and managing the East Avenue Restaurant digital channels to promote the restaurant to the public. Greg has been with Eastleigh College for over a decade and has guided the student-run restaurant to become the most reputed eatery in the Eastleigh area, with an exceptional five-star rating on Trip Advisor.
Greg is one of 102 teachers, lecturers, leaders, support staff and institutions, from across the education sector, named as silver winners in this year’s awards. He will now be in the running for the coveted Gold Award, which will be announced at a prestigious awards ceremony later in the year.
Andrew Kaye, Chief Executive of South Hampshire College Group, presented Greg with the award. He said: “I’m very pleased to congratulate Greg on this fantastic achievement. The lovely testimonials I’ve read from his students shows the respect they have for him as a teacher and they are evidently very lucky to have a teacher like Greg. Our hospitality students can enjoy an amazing variety of opportunities as a result of the passionate efforts of Greg and the team.”
Delighted with the award, Greg Cheeseman commented: “I’m honoured to receive this Silver Award in the Pearson National Teaching Awards. As teachers we do what we do because we want our students to succeed. This can often mean going above and beyond the standard responsibilities of our jobs and the students don’t always realise this but hopefully one day they will.”
The announcement comes as celebrities, students and schools across the UK yesterday paid tribute to all those who work in education to mark National Thank a Teacher Day, which celebrates the whole education community and shines a light on the exceptional impact they have on shaping young lives.
National Thank a Teacher Day and the Pearson National Teaching Awards are run by the Teaching Awards Trust, an independent charity established over 25 years ago to celebrate the transformative impact of education, shining a spotlight on the pivotal roles teachers, support staff, colleges, schools and early years educators play in inspiring young people, every single day.
Michael Morpurgo, author, former Children’s Laureate, and President of the Teaching Awards Trust, says: “The work and devotion of all of those who play a role in educating young people is phenomenal. Not only do they play a vital role in shaping minds inside the classroom, often they continue to encourage, support, motivate and inspire beyond. That’s why it is important for us to take a moment on National Thank a Teacher Day to recognise their efforts.”
South Hampshire College Group are delivering a new T Level to pave new routes into the business industry through increased work experience. We caught up with Cameron, a Business and Logistics student whose work experience helped him land paid work beyond college.
Cameron joined Eastleigh College in 2022 at the age of 16, to pursue a career in logistics, with a family history in the field. Studying a Level 3 course in Business and Supply Chain Management ensured he could obtain key skills that would complement this career choice and gain a deeper understanding of business practices that influence the industry. During his two years at the College, he also had the opportunity to gain work experience with three different companies, including Meachers Global Logistics, Blake Morgan Solicitors and DHL.
The latter stint at DHL helped secure a permanent work placement in the form of an apprenticeship with the company, which will commence upon the conclusion of Cameron’s college studies in June. Such was the impression that he made, they offered him part-time work in the interim period before the apprenticeship begins, which he is currently balancing alongside his studies.
Clare Battson, Business Lecturer at Eastleigh College, commented: “This is the first time a student has progressed from our course directly into an apprenticeship. Many students go straight into full-time employment in an unrelated field before circling back after gaining further work experience, so for Cameron to obtain this direct route into the industry so soon is very encouraging. We hope that the stronger emphasis on work experience in our new T Level offering will make direct transfers into industry more commonplace.”
Cameron said: “Logistics is an underlooked industry and that makes it a really attractive prospect in a competitive job market. This is an ageing industry with a workforce that is older and retiring, there is a strong demand for younger people and energy to carry the industry forward in the future. Classroom work is useful, but nothing beats work experience for familiarising yourself with the industry, and I think this is so helpful for young people looking for future careers in this area.”
T Levels are exciting modern qualifications enjoying a surge in popularity across the UK amongst students and employers. A T Level qualification is equivalent to 3 A Levels in UCAS points, making this learning pathway a highly credible and valuable alternative to A Levels. There is a much stronger weight on work experience with T Levels – comprising an 80/20% split between class work and industry placements, they are specifically designed to focus on high-level technical and work-ready skills.
The new Business Management & Administration T Level commences in September 2024 and joins 34 other specialised T Level courses that will run at South Hampshire College Group in the 24/25 academic year.
For any further queries, please contact the Group at info@shcg.ac.uk.
Representatives from education, councils and the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce have come together to discuss the skills agenda and collaborative working. This collaborative event came at the end of Colleges’ Week, which celebrates the contribution that colleges make to their communities.
The full-day event took place at The Solent Hotel in Hampshire and offered a unique opportunity for key representatives from the county’s public sector organisations to discuss their goals and objectives for skills growth in Hampshire, identifying areas in which greater collaboration would help. Principals and governors from the region’s Further Education colleges joined with colleagues from Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, Hampshire County Council, and legal and governance advisors to discuss their shared strong ambition for local skills growth.
Andrew Kaye, Chief Executive Officer of South Hampshire College Group, commented: “Collaboration is at the heart of our organisation and events like this provide a wonderful opportunity to come together with key groups across the public sector and work toward our shared objectives of economic prosperity and reducing skills gaps in the Solent region. We’d like to thank everyone who attended and we eagerly look forward to our next collaborative session.”
Colleges’ Week was launched in 2018 as part of the ‘Love our Colleges’ campaign run by the Association of Colleges. The week provides a chance to celebrate the brilliant achievements of colleges, day in and day out, to support employers across innovation and skills and to recognise a college’s valuable role as an anchor institution in the community.
The Solent Hotel is a premier four-star hotel near Portsmouth with spa facilities and a specialised business lounge, designed for collaborative meetings and brain-storming sessions.
For any further information, please contact the group at info@shcg.ac.uk.
South Hampshire College Group has officially launched its multi-million pound Institute of Technology (IoT), impressing TV technology guru, Jason Bradbury, who compared it to Marvel Hero Tony Stark’s state-of-the-art laboratory.
Backed by over £13 million in funding from the Department for Education, the South Coast Institute of Technology is a pioneering collaboration between South Hampshire College Group, Solent University, University of Portsmouth, HSDC, Brockenhurst College, and The Isle of Wight College.
The launch was hosted at South Hampshire College Group’s Centre of Excellence in Engineering, Manufacturing and Advanced Skills Training (CEMAST) in Lee-on-the-Solent.
Designed to address the skills gap within the maritime, engineering and digital sectors, the South Coast IoT will work with employers to increase the number of students pursuing technical education in STEM industries. With 50 unique career pathways currently available, the South Coast IoT aims to improve the talent pipeline into industries that are vital to the future growth and prosperity of the region.
Andrew Kaye, CEO of South Hampshire College Group, the lead Further Education College in the partnership, said: “The Solent region has a proven track record of delivering excellent further and higher education and has done so through proactive employer engagement.
“The South Coast Institute of Technology will provide further opportunities for the region’s current and future students, staff, partner organisations and the wider community, developing the higher technical skills needed to support local and regional growth and long-term prosperity across the South.”
The VIP event was attended by more than 100 distinguished guests, who were greeted with speeches by Andrew Kaye and Matt Johnson, Director of the South Coast IoT. Following this, Jason Bradbury, known for his role in ‘The Gadget Show,’ took the stage and delivered an inspirational talk on changing landscape of technology and the importance of its role in our society.
The ceremonial cutting of the ribbon was performed by Andrew, Matt and Jason, and afterwards guests were taken on an eagerly anticipated tour around the new building. Boasting state of the art facilities and equipment, the IoT at CEMAST is the only IoT offering a specific Higher National Certificate in Robotics and Mechatronics, and invests in high-quality training, industry-expert teachers and real-world curriculum.
After taking a tour of the facilities himself, Jason said: “The South Coast Institute of Technology is incredible. If your goal is to galvanise young people’s interests and really inspire them to learn, it doesn’t get much better than this.”
Key employers include the Royal Navy and Portsmouth International Port, IBM, QinetiQ, Leonardo, Maritime UK Solent, GKN, DDC, and Teemill.
Rear Admiral Jude Terry, Director of People and Training, Royal Navy said: “The Royal Navy is delighted to be a core employer partner of the South Coast IoT, as its impact will be significant.
“Integral to the bidding process, through our Solent Maritime Enterprise Zone team, we see this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to tackle the higher technical skills shortage not only in the region but nationally and is essential in supporting a much-needed growth in productivity particularly in the maritime, engineering and digital industries.”
Matt Johnson, Director of South Coast IoT, said: “The South Coast is on the edge of a new era, heralding a fourth industrial revolution driven by the Solent 2050 Strategy, Solent Maritime Enterprise Zones, and the Solent Freeport initiative.
“With huge technological advancements on the horizon, our area’s industries in maritime, engineering, and digital are some of the fastest growing and we have tens of thousands of local vacancies waiting to be filled.
“To address this growing demand, the South Coast Institute of Technology is here to help by getting more students into STEM subjects. We’re working with businesses to make sure our students are ready for these great jobs, helping our region grow and thrive.”
For more information on the South Coast Institute of Technology, please visit: https://southcoastiot.ac.uk/
The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has established a new collaboration programme with South Hampshire College Group (SHCG) to help develop and deliver courses that make students attractive candidates for roles within the logistics sector.
This is an extension of a campaign the trade association that represents the UK freight forwarding sector started in 2021 to encourage its members to work with schools and colleges to promote careers in logistics, forwarding and supply chain management.
The collaboration will see BIFA and SHCG work together through continuous and structured interaction to engage with the extensive community of BIFA members in the Solent region.
A key objective will be to inform and update BIFA members about the skills courses that SHCG runs that are relevant to the logistics sector; whilst enabling them to provide input into those courses to ensure students have the essential foundation knowledge they need for a successful career within the industry.
Through its Solent regional group, BIFA will be encouraging its members to engage with SHCG students to provide valuable insight into the many aspects of logistics and the wide variety of career opportunities that are available.
There will be an initial meeting at SHCG’s Eastleigh College on 29th February to share further information and have an open discussion with attendees as to how best to work together to achieve the objectives, and set up and run a continuous and structured dialogue between BIFA members and SHCG.
Carl Hobbis, BIFA Member Services Director says: “Brexit, the Covid pandemic, and now the crisis in the Red Sea, have put global supply chains in the news more than ever, so what a great time to encourage someone to consider a career in the international freight sector that manages those supply chains.”
Anoushka Ottley, Executive Director of Business & Partnerships at South Hampshire College Group, says: “We’re excited to be working in partnership with BIFA to help raise greater awareness of the many career opportunities within the logistics sector and to further develop our high-quality training to meet the current and future skills requirements across the Solent region.”
Two Level 3 Creative Media students at Fareham College have had their pieces published in the annual Creative Writing in FE: An Anthology book.
Beatrice Villaneuva and Lana George are approaching the end of their Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production, with both looking to progress onto higher education at university in September. Although both have enjoyed writing as a pastime, these submissions marked the first time either had embarked upon an official writing project. Both short pieces were fictional, incorporating a variety of literary language devices and emotive imagery in the narration.
The annual Creative Writing in FE Anthology publication brings together Creative Writing excerpts from students in further education across the country. Many submissions are received each year, all analysed carefully by an expert panel including representatives from the Copywriting Licensing Agency, the English and Media Centre and the Association of Colleges. All submissions are assessed on their quality of writing, adherence to the brief, and the imagination and emotion evoked through each piece.
Beatrice commented: “This project interested me because I saw it as an opportunity to experiment with different writing techniques. It was a huge surprise for me to see my work published, and this has built up my confidence in my creative ability. This course has given me a taste of everything, and the teachers’ support has allowed my creative freedom to flourish. My next step is to build upon this foundation at university as I work toward my goal of becoming a Film and TV Producer.”
Lana said: “I was so happy to see my work in print. With this piece, I wanted to increase awareness of the effect that parents arguing can have on a child, and I hope this publication has managed to achieve that. I plan to continue studying Creative Media at university and would love to become a writer or editor one day.
Gregory Kitchin, Faculty Director of Creative Media at Fareham College, commented: “Lana and Beatrice have already matured into talented videographers on their Level 3 Creative Media Production course and this accolade is further proof that they will have long and fruitful careers in the creative industries. The excellent writing skills demonstrated in their published work adds to their technical abilities and allows them to approach creative projects from several angles, making them true all-rounders whilst still at College. Lana and Beatrice’s achievements are also testament to their lecturers’ high expectations for learners in the Creative Media department.”
To see all content from the Creative Writing in FE: An Anthology 2023 book, please click here.
For any further queries please contact the College at business@shcg.ac.uk.
Eastleigh College have hosted the final heat of the 2024 Major International Culinary Challenge, with eighteen medals received across the students competing.
It was a strong performance from all students, who were tasked with creating a uniquely inspired dish within a limited time frame, before presenting their dish to a trio of judges. Level 3 Hospitality and Catering Student Oscar won ‘best in class’ for his Pan-fried chicken breast, served with Hassleback potatoes, braised leeks and carrot puree. He will go on to compete in the grand final of the competition at the Excel Centre in London.
Oscar said: “It was a tough competition with a lot of skilled chefs. I’m chuffed to have been awarded best in class and it’s an amazing opportunity for me to get out there in London and network with chefs and employers across the industry.”
The Hospitality and Catering team at Eastleigh College commented: “We are very proud of all our students’ efforts today at the final heat of the Major Chef Culinary Challenge. Eighteen medals is an outstanding achievement and we wish Oscar the best of luck as he goes on to compete in the final later this Spring.”
Andy Mackenzie is an Executive Chef for the Exclusive Chef Academy and was one of the judges for the heat. He commented: “It was a fantastic and impressive display from our competitors today, there was such great imagination across the menus and it really shows that the future is very bright.”
Sky was the recipient of a gold medal in the heat. She said: “I’m very happy to have been awarded a gold medal, it shows that hard work pays off and has given me a real feeling of accomplishment.”
Major International’s annual Major Series is one of the longest-running young chef competitions in the UK and gives learners of varying skill levels the chance to learn new skills, gain valuable tips from industry professionals and experience the competition arena for the first time. Outstanding performers in each heat will progress to compete at the Excel International Convention Centre in London in front of a live audience. With many senior chefs in attendance, the event provides a prime opportunity for networking with industry professionals, with the competition historically often proving a gateway into more exclusive competitions and opportunities.
For any further queries please contact the College at business@shcg.ac.uk.
South Hampshire College Group (SHCG) held its inaugural edition of National Apprenticeship Week as one united group.
With over a dozen events spread over three college sites, the SHCG 2024 National Apprenticeship Week successfully delivered key information to thousands of students, through workshops, presentations and a variety of guest speakers. Networking breakfasts and parent information evenings also ensured that students were not the only beneficiaries of the week’s programme and there were plenty of opportunities for question-and-answer discussions throughout.
The national theme of 2024 National Apprenticeship Week is ‘Skills for Life’ and the week’s programme was tailored accordingly, with most content focused primarily on apprenticeship opportunities, but a T Level webinar and an internship presentation by Autotech Academy ensuring that there was truly something for everyone. The blend of online and in-person events made certain that nobody missed out even if they could not physically attend.
Trudy McKenzie, Careers Lead at Eastleigh College, commented: “National Apprenticeship Week is such an important and informative week for students, and the varied range of talks, workshops and presentations that have taken place this week have been able to provide something for all. We have had a strong turnout from students for our workshops and activities and a further excellent turnout from parents for our special Apprenticeship evening earlier in the week. We want to give a big thanks to all the organisations who have supported our week’s programme, including Wiser Futures, Adams Morey and Autotech Academy.”
A special Networking breakfast was held at Fareham College as part of the itinerary. This brought together employers from across Hampshire, representing a diverse range of sectors, to discuss apprenticeships and how employers and colleges could work together to fill local skills gaps.
Joanne Pawley, the organiser of the breakfast, commented: “The employer breakfast networking event was an opportunity to bring current and new employers together to look at the range of apprenticeship offerings across South Hampshire College Group. It was also an opportunity for potential new employers to understand what an apprenticeship is and to gain an insight into the benefits that an apprentice could bring to their business.”
The week’s success has already led to more planned events, including a second parents’ evening later this term (date TBC), following a sold-out attendance for the first evening.
For any further queries, please contact the Group at: business@shcg.ac.uk.
South Hampshire College Group are proud to have launched a new T level course in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction, the latest in a growing list of 34 specialised T Level courses across a range of sectors.
T Levels are exciting modern qualifications that are enjoying a surge in popularity across the UK amongst both students and employers. A T Level qualification is equivalent to 3 A Levels in UCAS points, making this learning pathway a highly credible and valuable alternative to A Levels. Comprised of an 80/20% split between class work and industry placements, T Levels are specifically designed to focus on high-level technical and work-ready skills.
South Hampshire College Group is delighted to be one of the pioneers of T Levels in Southern England, currently offering 34 courses covering a range of sectors such as childcare, media, beauty, electrical and many more.
Rudi Kochanowski, Course Manager for the new T Level in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction, said: “T-Levels are a great way to get ahead in the construction industry. The qualification has been developed with a range of sector leading employers to ensure that learners are learning the skills and knowledge to succeed in the construction industry. The range of topics covered is very wide and the modules have been designed in consultation with employers.”
Debbie Eacott, Digital T Level Lead at South Hampshire College Group, said: “The T Levels provide a wide variety of skills and industry experience that could roadmap a student into their desired career. This is a fantastic opportunity and journey for students to prepare them for a technical mindset that will build talent pipelines to support the industry.”
Benita Raphaels, Student President of Fareham College, said: “I chose a digital T Level as it comes with attractive features not conventionally seen with A-Levels such as the 20% work placement. This and various other opportunities expose us to the world of work and allow us to build our networks and experience early on, which is invaluable in an age with a highly saturated workforce.”
Sarah Eggleston, T Level Placement Employer and Owner of Flow.io, said:”I have been very impressed by the quality and enthusiasm from my T level students, and the level they work at. They are already growing in productivity and independence, I can only imagine how valuable they would be if progressing onto a higher apprenticeship”.
It is an exciting moment in time for T Levels at South Hampshire College Group, with two special T Level community events scheduled to take place this term. A virtual T Levels online event will take place on Thursday 22nd February, providing valuable insight from both teachers and employers on the various programmes available, along with a special question and answer discussion with the audience. A further in-person T Levels Parents Evening event will take place at Fareham College on Thursday 1st February featuring many of the same discussion points.
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