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.
South Hampshire College Group has been commended by Ofsted inspectors for making significant progress in all of the areas reviewed in its recent monitoring visit, including the college group’s shared vision, effective management, quality of education, and highly efficient leadership structure.
In their first visit since the merger of Eastleigh College, Fareham College, and City College Southampton, Ofsted praised the “exceptionally smooth transition into the new college group,” which aims to provide financially strong, responsive, and ambitious Further Education to meet the evolving skills demands in the Solent region.
Additionally, the Ofsted monitoring visit report highlighted the college group’s curriculum review and planned Centres of Excellence, which will provide investment on each of the campuses ensuring students are “operating in new industry-standard and well-resourced teaching spaces.” Encouragingly, the inspectors also recognised that the college group’s “leaders clearly communicate their plans to students,” with staff “already working together as single teams ahead of the move, enhancing their collaborative effectiveness.”
Further acknowledgement was given to the improvements made to the quality of teaching at Southampton College, including “highly effective teaching strategies in lessons”, “clear, useful and timely feedback” and “planning learning effectively to help students increase their knowledge”. Special commendation was also given to the increased access to high-quality resources as a result of the merger, enabling students to learn in environments that replicate industry.
The college group also received significant praise regarding its progress in improving the quality of its apprenticeship provision at Eastleigh College. It was noted that the newly appointed apprenticeship leaders “have an excellent understanding of the strengths and areas requiring development of the provision” and have made “substantial progress in making improvements.”
In addition, the Electrical department’s mentors were applauded, with inspectors commenting; “When they assess that apprentices are ready, they allow them to perform the same process under supervision. Consequently, apprentices produce work of a high standard, as well as making a valuable contribution to their workplaces.”
Andrew Kaye, CEO of South Hampshire College Group, was delighted with the report. He said: “This report rightly recognises the significant progress the college group has made since merger. South Hampshire College Group is very well placed to provide the highest quality education and training to meet the needs of the region.
“Looking ahead, we are excited about our future plans for nearly £12m investment in our colleges, which will provide our students and apprentices with new, industry-standard, learning environments.”
To view the full Ofsted monitoring visit report, please visit: https://www.shcg.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/shcg-ofsted-monitoring-visit-report.pdf
South Hampshire College Group (SHCG), comprised of Further Education colleges from Southampton, Eastleigh and Fareham, has acquired a state-of-the-art Digital Training Vessel, to meet the needs of new and emerging skills in the Solent region.
The new Digital Training Vessel (DTV) is an Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) which will support an ambitious new Further Education curriculum for both SHCG’s Centre of Excellence in Engineering, Manufacturing and Advanced Skills Training (CEMAST) in Lee-on-the-Solent near Fareham, and SHCG’s specialist Marine Skills Centre located by the River Itchen, Southampton.
USVs are popular with industry and research bodies for surveying, patrolling, and search and rescue duties, as they have many benefits including zero emissions, lower operating costs, anti-fatigue, consistent routing, and are safer. It is believed to be a first for Further Education in the UK.
The new Digital Training Vessel USV is controlled remotely from either a shore-based mission control centre, or onboard a mothership, through digital remote operations, with optional AI (artificial intelligence) decision-aided support.
The SHCG Digital Training Vessel will contribute to supporting learning across new and innovative maritime skills, which will help to address the sector’s skills shortage and regional social employment challenges.
The skillsets required for USV Remote Operators combine digital, marine engineering, marine electrical, systems engineering, net zero understanding and navigational knowledge, which until recently were unavailable as a single career pathway. Through a new curriculum being rolled out this coming academic year, students from across traditionally distinct faculty areas will gain invaluable experience, knowledge, and skills to raise awareness of the maritime sector as a viable career option in which to progress.
The acquisition of the Digital Training Vessel was secured through a funding award by the Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF), as part of the Group’s focus on pioneering the education of innovative skills and as a contributor in delivering the Solent’s Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).
This exciting development comes off the back of numerous innovative assets recently unveiled by SHCG and LSIP include TECH:TRUCK, a collaborative mobile educational and technological roadshow shared between seven local education providers, and SHCG’s new multi-million pound Department for Education funded Institute of Technology (IoT) at CEMAST – the only IoT nationwide that is offering a specific Higher National Certificate in Robotics and Mechatronics.
Naomi Smith, LSIF Programme Director commented: “South Hampshire College Group is a pioneer in identifying new and emerging skill requirements. Maritime has been identified in the Solent Local Skills Improvement Plan as a key area of focus, particularly in digital skills and where traditional roles overlap with new, such as marine engineering and vessel operations.’
“South Hampshire College Group works with local industry leaders to ensure the skills, qualifications and progression routes provide further opportunities for our students to create better futures. In addition, providing public educational training resources such as the Digital Training Vessel is key to encouraging social mobility as it enables access to all.”
The Digital Training Vessel project is entirely British, with the USV built by HydroSurv based in Plymouth, together with its vessel control systems, including maritime autonomy and remote-control operations, provided by Robosys Automation based in Southampton.
The launch of the DTV was held at South Hampshire College Group’s Marine Skills Centre in Woolston, near Southampton, where maritime students and representatives from academia and industry were in attendance.
The launch event was also an opportunity to showcase the broad range of technical skills and career pathways available within the maritime sector and was a pivotal catalyst in bringing together multidiscipline curriculum areas for students. The USV showcased its capabilities on the water, with guests experiencing remote operations firsthand.
DTV “Trio” Collaboration Project Lead, Nigel Lee, CSO of Robosys Automation, which also provided the vessel control systems and autonomous operations for the USV said: “Today is a landmark moment for the maritime industry, as demand for trained operatives in this specialism is rapidly increasing, both across USVs and also larger vessels including uncrewed and lean-crewed ships. Having this advanced Digital Training Vessel as a Further Educational resource broadens the catchment opportunities, thus satisfying the very real skillset shortage in the maritime sector, whilst creating a consistent level of learning.”
The event welcomed representation from the UK’s Marine Robotics Innovation Centre, Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, National Oceanography Centre, Robosys Automation, Landau Marine, South Hampshire College Group, Solent Local Skills Improvement Plan, South Coast Institute of Technology, amongst others from supporting associations and industry.
The Digital Training Vessel will enter service in September ready for the 2024/25 academic year.
A student at Eastleigh College, part of South Hampshire College Group, has overcome challenging learning difficulties to procure paid work through a Supported Internship Programme.
Alfie Cole is 20 years old and first joined Eastleigh College at the age of 17 in 2020, aiming to develop his personal and professional skills to the point where he could successfully work. Alfie spent one day a week at college honing his English and maths skills, alongside specialist training for interviews and application writing. During the remainder of the week, he worked in the storage department at Winchester Hospital and became a trusted and well-loved member of the team. In his second year, he also had the opportunity to live away from home for three days a week through the Internship programme, where he learnt various life skills such as cooking, washing and cleaning. Earlier this Spring, Alfie was offered paid work for the first time as an assistant at Novotel, a four-star hotel in Southampton. Despite having been there only a month, he is already making a strong impact, as can be seen by the below review on Trip Advisor:
“At breakfast, we were especially impressed with the staff members Alfie and Veronika. Both were friendly, kind, attentive and polite. Thank you both for a great stay and a pleasant start to the day.”
Alfie Cole commented: “The Supported Internship has made me feel more comfortable and confident in my everyday work, and I’ve learnt many different interview techniques. At my old work, I would stand around and wait for instructions, but now I feel more able to take the initiative and pursue tasks that need to be done. My favourite part of my new job is chatting with customers and socialising with colleagues.”
The Supported Learning Internship is a one-year programme for learners with moderate learning difficulties who are seeking paid employment in the workplace. Most time on the course is spent on a temporary unpaid work placement, in combination with a support day at the College, in which students will undergo training in English and Maths where necessary, as well as specific career skills such as CV workshops and interview training. Students will also have regular tutorials with a job coach who will help them design a reliable vocational profile.
Alfie’s mother commented: “One of the biggest worries for parents of disabled children is how they’ll manage in the future. The positive change he’s undergone during this programme is overwhelming, he is so much more independent now – he can go to town by himself and get public transport by himself too. We are so grateful for this programme, we don’t know what we would have done without it.”
Lorna Cantwell, Alfie’s tutor and Job Coach at Eastleigh College, said: “Myself and everyone involved are extremely proud of Alfie and commend his motivation, dedication and progression into the world of work. We wish him the very best of luck with his journey at Novotel and his future in store for him.”
For any further information, please contact South Hampshire College 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/
