Tag: Edinburgh College

Malcolm Chisholm opens LOCAL exhibition

LOCAL 1Holyrood politician Malcolm Chisholm MSP was among the guests at the opening of LOCAL, a muliti-media contemporary arts exhibition, at North Edinburgh Arts last Friday. The local North and Leith MSP was impressed with the work, a collaboration between Contemporary Arts HND students from the Granton Campus of Edinburgh College ( i.e Telford!) and members of North Edinburgh’s Social History Group.

Mr Chisholm was joined by students, lecturers, members of the Social History Group and local community activists at the opening event.

LOCAL was the brainchild of course lecturers Jennie Temple and Alan Holligan, who wanted to work more closely with groups from the local community. A meeting with Community Learning and Development worker Lynn McCabe, who supports the Social History Group, proved to be the spark for the project and over four months HND students worked with members of the community group to research, develop and create their artworks for the LOCAL project.

Student Heather Lane said: ‘I was inspired by the people of North Edinburgh’s collective want for change, through their staging of protests and campaigns. I wanted to pay homage to their fight and let their message live on. Remaking the banners, placards and posters was about the overall notion of resistance against power, the protests dragging people back into the consciousness and inspiring them to become active in bringing about change, too.’

Her colleague Rhona Foster, who created artworks ‘Dog, sandwich, speech, shoes and snacks’ for LOCAL, added: ‘From the perspective of an outsider I saw North Edinburgh as having an entire culture of it’s own. As a means of research I interacted with the area and was inspired to make artworks about the people and things I encountered and engaged with.’

Drylaw’s Ian Moore, a member of the Social History Group, said: ‘It’s a fantastic exhibition with some amazing creations – the students have shown great imagination. The banners in particular brought back many memories – it’s incredible how some of these fights and campaigns are still relevant today.’

LOCAL 2

LOCAL 3

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LOCAL 7

LOCAL can be seen at North Edinburgh Arts until 23 February

Tuesday – Friday 10am – 8pm

Saturday 10am – 1pm

Free admission

Going LOCAL

Edinburgh College lecturers Alan Holligan and Jennie Temple preview an exhibition that opens in North Edinburgh Arts this evening:

LOCAL: An exhibition by HND Contemporary Art Practice students

Local is an exhibition by HND Contemporary Art Practice (CAP) students from the Granton Campus of the Edinburgh College. The artworks that can be seen in the exhibition at North Edinburgh Arts until 23 February are the culmination of a project which was instigated in September 2012 by ourselves, Alan Holligan & Jennie Temple, course lecturers on HND CAP, with priceless support from Lynn McCabe and the North Edinburgh Social History Group.

The Contemporary Art Practice course has been running very successfully since 2007. The course provides a range of excellent opportunities for students to develop a broad understanding of artistic practice. Alan and I had for some time been discussing how to develop a strong working connection between the CAP Course, the local community and surrounding areas of North Edinburgh. Beyond the college location, and the students who came to us who lived locally, we recognised that although we were part of a Community College (then Edinburgh’s Telford College: a stalwart of North Edinburgh for many years) we felt professional connection to our immediate surroundings could be stronger. We acknowledged that we bussed in and out of work every day, passing through the community in which our workplace was rooted, and also acknowledged that this was something we did not feel entirely comfortable about. As a result we started to discuss the possibility of a project for our HND 2nd year students that we hoped would, at the very least, begin a dialogue with some our neighbours.

We initially approached a couple of local groups to see if they would be interested in meeting with us, and subsequently our students. We couldn’t have anticipated the warmth with which we were greeted and quite quickly we were able to establish links and visits with (the amazing) North Edinburgh Social History Group and North Edinburgh Arts (with whom we already had some links). These visits were incredibly informative and allowed us to immediately understand the local area more fully, and in a way that we had never before: An area steeped in history; an area that had once been rich farmland; an area that had been home to a post-war camp; an area that the Duke of Buccleuch had happily called home, and much, much more. The students were instantly engaged and brought a range of rich contributions to the discussions: amongst the group of 11 students the majority was similar to us; they did not know the area very well. However, there is one current student (and we have had several prior) who grew up in the area and who has been able to give a very subjective insight into his relationship with North Edinburgh, alongside a few other students with friends and relatives in the area.

After these initial meetings and an amazing guided mini-bus tour of the area, generously facilitated by members of the Social History Group, we set the students the project. They were to spend two weeks responding to the local area and draw on the information that they had received from the experts. We would then present the resulting artworks to the Social History Group at the College.

At this point, we were all very excited, but could not have anticipated just how successful and stimulating the project would be. The students worked exceptionally hard from the moment the project started and responded in meaningful, thoughtful and sensitive ways. In retrospect, we realised that the students’ sense of responsibility to the Social History Group and the residents of North Edinburgh meant that they approached the project with a strong sense of integrity and a determination to make artworks that did not patronise or misrepresent the (sometimes sensitive and personal) issues that had been discussed within the meetings. The provision of a very unambiguous context for the artwork allowed the students to work in a way that was fundamentally different to normal project work: they had an audience that they did not know very well, and they were making work which they would themselves present to their audience.

As the initial stage of the project drew to a conclusion, we arranged a date for some members of the Social History Group to come and lunch with us and to view the works. The students were understandably nervous and worried: What if they didn’t like what we had done? Quickly it became clear that there was no need for nerves and all of the artworks were exceptionally well received and prompted lively, important and some emotional discussion amongst everyone present. The success and positive reception of the artworks went far, far beyond our expectations and we all knew immediately that we had to take the project to its next logical step: to exhibit the works, beyond the walls of the college and within the local community. And that is where we are now. The exhibition is an exciting opportunity for the staff and students to continue to engage with our local area and we are privileged to be taking part in what we hope to be the first stage of a long and prosperous collaboration between the students and staff of the HND Contemporary Art Practice course and the local residents and communities of North Edinburgh.

The exhibition will run until the 23 February at North Edinburgh Arts, Tuesday-Friday 10am-8pm, Sat 10am – 1pm, with a day of discussion and art-workshops to take place on Wednesday 20 February from 10am until 3pm.

Places are free but limited and booking is essential. Please book a place by emailing admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk or call 0131 315 2515.

Recruitment is currently taking place for HND Contemporary Art Practice Course at the Edinburgh College, Granton Campus. If you are interested please visit the College website for further information and online application:  www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk

Alan Holligan and Jennie Temple
Course Lecturers, Contemporary Arts Practice

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Edinburgh College to create specialist centres

EDINBURGH College is creating two new specialist centres to offer students real opportunities to find real jobs in 2013 and beyond. The decision to create the curriculum centres in engineering and construction trades for the academic year 2013-14 follows a pledge by the college to ensure that it offers courses directly relevant to the needs of the employment market.

Students in the specialist centres will benefit from access to a wider group of skilled, expert staff and a greater concentration of investment in one location.

One of the specialist centres, which will open in academic year 2013-14, is The Institute of Building and Crafts, which will be based at the college’s Forthside campus in Granton.

The second new specialist centres is called Engineering+ and will be based at the college’s Midlothian campus in Dalkeith. The campus has already made a name for itself with successful training programmes for the oil and gas industry, as well as a pioneering project to monitor the performance of electric vehicles – the largest of its kind in Scotland. The new centre will build on an already strong focus on clean and green technology.

Mandy Exley, Principal of Edinburgh College, said: “The document setting out the vision for the new college promised to create national curriculum hubs to provide opportunities for students to enhance their creativity, employability and entrepreneurial skills. This announcement is the start of us delivering on that promise.

“We want to bring together a range of expert staff to deliver the very best training for our young people – and our focus is very strongly on those areas where there are employment opportunities, now and in the future. Edinburgh College students doing courses at these specialist centres will be very well-placed to get good jobs in the immediate region and beyond – because the centres will be among the best in the UK.”

Ms Exley is the first Principal of Edinburgh College, created in October 2012 from a merger of three partners – Edinburgh’s Telford College, Jewel & Esk College and Stevenson College Edinburgh.

She added: “Our first responsibility is always to our students. A large part of that responsibility is offering them the right kind of education and training – to equip them with the skills that employers want in 2013 and beyond. In the current economic climate, it is more important than ever for colleges to provide a modern and innovative curriculum which matches the current and future needs of the regional economy as closely as possible.”

Steve Tinsley, Vice-Principal, Corporate Development at Edinburgh College, said: “The Midlothian campus has already developed a fantastic reputation for high-quality and innovative training in a broad range of engineering disciplines – and this move will build on that. The electric vehicle project and the solar meadow taking shape next to the campus are right at the cutting-edge of anything that is happening in Scotland and in some cases, the UK. Edinburgh College is carving out a fantastic reputation for its work in this area and the concentration of expertise allows us to build on that, delivering more opportunities for careers in renewables and the low carbon economy.”

Mandy Exley added: “The construction trades are still hugely important with a number of large projects coming on-stream. There will be a strong focus on the heritage trades, which are significant in Edinburgh.”

Engineering or construction trades courses currently provided at other locations will move to Midlothian or Granton from the start of the new academic year in September – with the exception of highly-regarded automotive and motor vehicle engineering courses at Sighthill campus.

For example, both Fabrication & Welding and Micro-Renewables will move from Granton to the new engineering hub at Midlothian, while all carpentry, joinery and construction trades currently offered in Midlothian moves to Granton. The college has stressed that there will be no impact on courses this academic year and says the changes will be implemented with the minimum of disruption.

The lease on the college’s small South Gyle campus will expire this summer and provision offered there would have had to be relocated across other campuses. It was decided that it made sense to invest in the specialist centres instead of spreading provision across all the college campuses.

All staff in the departments covered by the changes and Edinburgh College Students’ Association have been informed.

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Local lecturer raises the roof at world championships

An Edinburgh College lecturer has helped Team GB win a prestigious award at the World Championship for Young Roofers.

Bob Coutts, Roofing Lecturer, from Edinburgh College Granton Campus mentored the team of young roofers during the three day competition which took place in Lucerne, Switzerland and the fantastic effort from the team in during a freestyle roofing task saw them win the President’s Prize award.

The team impressed the judges with its creative natural slate work on a pitched roof with a dormer shed, beating off stiff competition from 11 other countries including Switzerland, Germany and Austria.

As well as the freestyle section, which is optional for team, Team GB entered two teams in the Pitched Roofing and Waterproofing categories and was narrowly pipped to a medal where Switzerland who took home the top prize in both.

Bob, who has been a lecturer in Roofing at Edinburgh College for over 35 years, as well as mentoring the GB team since 2002, said: “A big ‘well done’ to all of the young GB roofers who took part this year and they should be very proud of the work they completed and taking home this fantastic award.

“Being involved in projects and competitions such as this, helps students broaden their skills set and open their minds and creativity to different ways of working and thinking in the sector they are interested in. The competition really sets the bar in allowing students to see what they can achieve and it is a great boost for the students and indeed Edinburgh College.”

Since he started mentoring Team GB in the World Championship for Young Roofers, Bob has represented Edinburgh College and Great Britain in Russia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Belgium, South Africa and Ireland and has helped secure two bronze medal s in Dublin 2002 and Cape Town 2005 and a Gold medal in Belfast in 2010.

The affiliation with the championships has ensured that Edinburgh College now has a stellar reputation throughout Europe as a leading education body.

Now in its 24th year, the World Championships for Young Roofers is organized by the International Federation for the Roofing Trade (IFD) and the competition sees team from all over Europe compete in three categories; Pitched Roofing, Metal Roofing and Waterproofing or Flat roofing, as well as an optional freestyle category where the teams can compete for the President’s Prize.

This year the event was hosted by the Swiss National Federation of Roofing Contractors and in order to test their skills to comply with Swiss specifications the UK team were given the opportunity to train in the host country for two weeks, helping them adhere to the national standards and use of unfamiliar materials and methods..

 

College cements relationship with Sculpture Workshop

Contemporary art students will have the chance to work on their sculpture skills thanks to a partnership with a charitable art workshop centre. Edinburgh College has teamed up with the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop (ESW) as part of its aim to increase students’ employability.

Students studying towards a HND in Contemporary Art Practice will be given the chance to develop their practical skills in sculpture and other disciplines at a new employability centre at ESW. The £4 million development in Hawthornvale (pictured below) will offer students a professional environment and the opportunity to work alongside artists from around the world.

Alan Holligan, Lecturer at Edinburgh College, said: “We are very excited about our new partnership with the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, which we have managed to secure as a result of an ongoing relationship over the past eight years. It is important that learners on our Contemporary Arts course are given the chance to develop their practical skills in different disciplines such as sculpture and also look to further their professional development, in preparation for the work place.

“Our aim is to establish links with as many of the industries that our students will go on to work in, to give them the best chance possible when it comes to employment, with employers recognising that our courses have these valuable  links.  What’s especially great about this partnership is that the college donated £25,000 for new equipment for the ESW which means that the students will now have access to these brand new tools during their time there. Our students are looking forward to the many opportunities which will become available as a result of this partnership and especially the chance to exhibit their work once a year.”

Edinburgh College is the first college in Scotland to have worked with the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, the only purpose-built centre of its kind in the UK. The partnership will further student professional development as well as giving Edinburgh College staff free development opportunities.

 

College Open Day next Thursday

Come along to our  Open Day on Thursday 22 November 

between 3pm and 7pm.

At Edinburgh College,  we have a range of course starting in January 2013, which will help get you  ready for employment or further study in August 2013.

From hospitality to  healthcare and construction to creative industries, we’ve got a range of  opportunities to help you move on to further study or get the job you want to  do.

And if you’re 16 – 24  we’ve got a range of hands-on programmes just for you.

Our Open Day is taking  place at our four campuses across Edinburgh and the Lothians. You can talk to  staff about the different courses and get expert advice on funding and student  support from our Student Support Services team.

Edinburgh College

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Not sosobad – fans out in force for Fairtrade Football

Staff, students, friends and family came out in force to support a first of its kind Fairtrade Football tournament at the new EdinburghCollege on 11 October.

Twelve five-a-side teams made up of staff and students came together to raise awareness of the fair-trade movement – and raised over £300 which will go towards environmental projects happening both in and around the college.

The money raised at this tournment will contribute to prizes for the Green Dragons Den project, which will be held next year and will encourage students to come up with green innovations and then present them in front of real live ‘dragons’.

Sean McDonagh, Learner Development Tutor at Edinburgh College. organised the event. He said: “The support from the staff and students for this event was simply fantastic and it really helped create a real awareness of what the fair trade movement is all about – equality and working together.

“There was a real feeling of camaraderie, experienced by all teams throughout the duration of the day and I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who took part and donated.”

The Scottish Fairtrade Forum donated Fairtrade footballs to the college and Street Soccer also helped out by providing referees on the day. The event is part of Edinburgh Colleges’ overall aim to achieve Fairtrade status.

The winning team on the day was Real Sosobad, who scored 14 goals and took home the Edinburgh College Cup trophy.

Martin Rhodes, Director of the Scottish Fairtrade said: “A lot of the equipment that’s produced for sport is made in sweat shops, usually by children in very poor, in fact, brutal conditions. One of the things that we want to develop is more links between sporting events and the fairtrade movement.”

EdinburghCollege has a clear commitment to supporting and encouraging environmental and sustainable practices and offers and encourages the use of fair-trade products across all of its four campuses.

Wella, wella – Amy aims for the hairdressing heights!

An Edinburgh College student has shown her skills to be razor sharp after making it to the final of an industry recognised award run by the Hairdressing Council. Amy Armstrong, 27, has been shortlisted for the Student of the Year 2012 competition after wowing the judges with her peacock-inspired hairstyle for the competition.

Jackie Steele, Hairdressing Lecturer at Edinburgh College, said: “Amy has done an amazing job in making it this far in a competition which sees hundreds of students competing. She’s a fantastic student-completely dedicated to the course with a real talent and creative eye which she proved with her colourful and original styling for the competition.

“This is the second year running that one of our students has been in the finals which is a real merit to the college and shows the level of talent we have here. It’s so rewarding seeing our students standing out, impressing the judges and being recognised at such a high level. We’re really proud of Amy and wish her the best of luck in the finals.”

Amy will now go head-to-head against seven other students across the UK on October 14 at the Goldwell studios in London, where she will be judged by industry icons Lisa Shepherd, Patrick Cameron and Andrew Barton. The two overall winners will have the opportunity to work with ‘stylist to the stars’ Andrew Barton for a day, and will receive vouchers for a course with  L’Oréal and Wella. They will also get an iPad2, as well as be invited for tea at the House of Commons!

Amy said: “When I first found out my lecturers had nominated me for the award I was delighted but when I found out I’d actually been shortlisted, I was completely shocked but over the moon. It’s such a massive opportunity to have my work judged by top industry professionals and I’m really excited about the finals next month. To be in with a chance of winning a day with Andrew Barton, who is a hugely respected name in the industry, is something I didn’t think I’d be saying this year but aside from winning, the whole experience has reinforced why I love the industry so much. I can’t thank my lecturers and the college enough for the support they’ve given me and the opportunity to be part of such a highly respected competition.”

Highly regarded throughout the industry, the Hairdressing Council Student of the Year Award 2012 is supported by colleges and training centres nationwide and sees hundreds of students competing for the title of Student of the Year.

Edinburgh College was formed as a result of merger between Edinburgh’s Telford College, Jewel & Esk College and Stevenson College Edinburgh. It’s the biggest FE college in Scotland and accommodates more than 35,000 students – the biggest student body in Edinburgh.

Goodbye, Telford – hello, Edinburgh!

 

Telford no more, but new College is a class apart!

The vision to create a bigger, better and stronger college that will serve Edinburgh and the Lothians long into the future became a reality today with the launch of Edinburgh College. The new College is set on a clear path to provide improved opportunities and outcomes to everyone who walks through its door – and in turn help to kick-start the regional and national economy by delivering skilled people to those industry sectors where Scotland enjoys a competitive advantage.

New Principal Mandy Exley said the potential of Edinburgh College, both for students and for Edinburgh and Lothians, is limitless. She said: “This is a significant landmark in the history of education provision in Edinburgh and the Lothians. By being bigger and better, we can combine strengths and resources to give our students high quality skills that will allow them seize life-changing opportunities. Equally we will work hand in hand with businesses to ensure we are not just providing a curriculum of varied courses – but are actually focused on training future staff to work in those key industry sectors where there is high demand or in those sectors which have been identified as growth areas for Scotland. We want to be an economic powerhouse for the Edinburgh and Lothian region – helping to drive growth and prosperity to benefit both the local and national economy.”

The creation of Edinburgh College also marks the end of an era for three of Edinburgh’s most recognisable educational institutions – the College being a product of the merger of Edinburgh’s Telford College, Jewel & Esk College and Stevenson College.

Edinburgh College, which as a £60m business makes it the biggest FE college in Scotland, will accommodate more than 35,000 students – the biggest student body in Edinburgh. The College will employ around 1300 staff operate from four main campuses; Granton, Sighthill, Milton Road and Midlothian.

Mandy added: “In many respects today’s launch is just a start of a journey. We know there is a lot of hard work ahead to deliver our vision for the college. However, the depth and breadth of our staff talent and resources is enormous. By working together and ensuring staff and students play a key role in the decision-making, we can make Edinburgh College a real success story; a college that is inclusive, innovative and excellent. We know that this is a sad day for some as three institutions from Edinburgh’s educational landscape disappear. However, as Edinburgh College starts to deliver on its aims, I am confident it will become a name that will have real resonance across Scotland, the UK and internationally.”

The college in particular will look to focus on developing and promoting ‘centres of excellence’ in key learning fields; including engineering and construction (particularly renewables), hospitality and tourism services, creative industries, service industries, care professions and performing arts.

Ian McKay, Chair (Elect) of Edinburgh College, said the new Board will be looking to set the management team some tough targets both in the first year, and more crucially, in 2013-14, which will see the new college’s first full curriculum being rolled out.

He said: “Edinburgh College will be challenged to support economic growth by delivering the right people for real jobs through a high quality and evolving curriculum. It has an enormous role to play in offering hope and opportunity to our young people and providing the skills needed to benefit the regional and national economy. To achieve that, we will be looking to agree a series of objectives matched against positive outcomes that the college team can be measured against to ultimately demonstrate that Edinburgh College can deliver on its promises.”

Education Secretary Michael Russell said: “As one of Scotland’s largest colleges, Edinburgh College will have a key role to play across the country and particularly in Edinburgh and the Lothians. I believe it will offer new and greater opportunities for students and help make sure they have the skills and knowledge they need for jobs in the area. I know a lot of work has been required to deliver the new college and I am confident the college, staff and students will reap the rewards of this.”

Named after one of Scotland’s finest civil engineers, Telford College opened on Crewe Road South in 1968. The former Ainslie Park Secondary School was added as an annexe as the College population grew and space became an issue, and the College moved to it’s present – and final – custom-built home on Granton’s waterfront in September 2006.