New part time courses at Edinburgh College
Edinburgh College has launched its new range of part-time courses, with programmes to boost careers, earn professional qualifications and learn new skills. Continue reading Time to learn
Tag: Higher Education
Sums? Edinburgh College must do better
College faces £3.3 million funding shortfall
Edinburgh College faces ‘severe financial challenges’ according to a report presented to the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday. The report says the College ‘will face extreme financial difficulties without further financial support.’ Continue reading Sums? Edinburgh College must do better
Edinburgh College: January courses open for application
Edinburgh College is inviting anyone who wants to fast track their futures towards great careers and further studies to start a new course in January. Applications are now open for a range of full-time, part-time, evening and open learning courses starting in the new year at the college. Continue reading Edinburgh College: January courses open for application
OMG! College offers digital industry skills programme
Edinburgh College gives budding digital creatives the chance to make it with BBC scheme
Edinburgh College is giving creative young unemployed people who love likes, hashtags and telling stories online the chance to take the first steps towards a digital industry career.
The college’s eight-week BBC Make it Digital programme will teach skills to unemployed young people including: digital storytelling, building a website, planning a social media campaign, shooting and editing a film and learning how to pitch creative ideas to business.
The training programme was designed by the BBC Academy and is open to unemployed people between 16-24. It will take place at the college’s Milton Road Campus, where students will work with industry-standard software. The course will start on 2 November.
Taking part in this programme does not affect benefits and those between 16 and 18 on the programme will receive £55 per week Training Allowance. Travelling expenses are also part of the support.
Students will spend three weeks on work placements with local employers, who will ask them to design a social media campaign.
Make it Digital is a national scheme but the programme in Scotland has the added benefit of a recognised SQA qualification – the National Progression Award in Enterprise and Employability.
Trainees will also take part in a Radio 1 challenge based in London, where the best entries will be shortlisted into the final recruitment stages for a year-long Radio 1 Apprenticeship.
As well as new digital skills, students will also learn employability skills including business networking, CV and interview tips, budgeting, project management and creating an online portfolio. By the end of the training, participants will greatly improve their chances of finding a job or a modern apprenticeship.
Jon Buglass, head of Creative Industries at Edinburgh College, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to start to develop the skills they need to make it in the creative digital industry. The digital sector is one of the fastest-growing industries in the UK at the moment as businesses now rely on an online presence to survive. We’re excited to be working with the BBC Academy and Skills Development Scotland to give unemployed young people the chance to build digital and employability skills to help them make their way back into the workplace.”
Skills Development Scotland is funding the programme through the Employability Fund. Contact the Edinburgh Skills Development Scotland Careers Centre on 0131 718 2040 or speak to a Jobcentre Work Coach to find out how to apply for this course.
University Open Days at Edinburgh College
University advice at Granton Campus tomorrow
Edinburgh College will be hosting a series of university open days to give students, school pupils and members of the public the opportunity to find out which routes to university would be best for them.
Representatives from universities across Scotland will be on hand to provide advice on the courses they have to offer. The Scottish Institute of Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland will also be there to talk about the support they provide for students. There will also be a chance to talk to SAAS about funding options.
The university open days will take place at 11am-2pm at Edinburgh College’s Granton Campus (20 October), Milton Road Campus (21 October) and Sighthill Campus (22 October).
Attendees:
Granton: Tuesday 20 October. 11am-2pm.
University of Edinburgh, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh Napier University, Queen Margaret University, University of Stirling, University of Dundee, Glasgow Caledonian University, SAAS, Scottish Institute of Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland.
Milton Road: Wednesday 21 October. 11am-2pm.
University of Edinburgh, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh Napier University, Queen Margaret University, SAAS, Scottish Institute for Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland.
Sighthill: Thursday 22 October. 11am-2pm.
University of Edinburgh, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh Napier University, Queen Margaret University, University of Stirling, University of Dundee, Glasgow Caledonian, Glasgow School of Art, Robert Gordon University, Abertay Dundee University, University of Aberdeen, SAAS, Scottish Institute for Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland.
Last chance to get your full-time place at Edinburgh College
Edinburgh College has last-minute places still available on a range of full-time courses across its curriculum until the application deadline this Friday (11th September).
Spaces are also available on a part-time, evening and leisure courses aimed at boosting and expanding professional skills or learning a new hobby.
The college’s courses offer routes to employment and further studies in specialities from hair and beauty and dance to childcare, science, construction, events management and engineering.
The college has full-time places across its curriculum:
- Community-based programmes including Entry to Learning and Preparation for Employment
- Creative Industries courses including dance, musical theatre, music and computing subjects including HND Computer Games Development
- Engineering programmes including electrical, manufacture, fabrication and welding, and the college’s BEng Energy and Environmental Engineering, delivered with Edinburgh Napier University
- Science courses including Scottish Wider Access Programme (SWAP) courses to prepare students for university study, and NC Higher Applied Science courses to develop practical laboratory skills
- Health, Wellbeing and Social Sciences courses including early education and childcare, and courses to prepare students for Higher studies
- Construction HND courses in construction management and architectural technology
- Hair and Beauty therapy
- Events management
Students get access to industry-standard resources, from specialist engineering facilities including renewable and sustainable technology to our arts rehearsal and performance spaces and theatres, and our hair and beauty salons.
The college’s Creative Industries Department is also holding a clearing day to provide more information on courses available for application. This will take place on Sighthill Campus (for Broadcast Media & Photography, Computing, Music & Sound Production) and Granton Campus (for Performing Arts and Art & Design) on Thursday 10 September, 1.30-6pm.
Part-time, evening and leisure courses are also available across the curriculum, including: languages; National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher; Engineering, including occupational health and safety; Business and finance including accounting, marketing, management and admin; creative courses in photography, art portfolio and computing; courses in hygiene and food standards; counselling and social care and medical and pharmacy courses.
For more information on the full-time courses with spaces, visit www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/august15.
For part-time courses, visit www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/august2015/pt.aspx
TV ‘Hair’ star is guest speaker at Graduation
Former Telford student Denise McAdam announced as guest speaker at Edinburgh College Graduation
Hairdresser to the Royals and reality TV show judge Denise McAdam will be guest speaker at Edinburgh College’s Graduation ceremonies in September.
Denise, who grew up in Penicuik and studied hairdressing at the college, has worked with the Royal Family, international supermodels and Hollywood stars and is currently one of the judges on BBC Two’s popular amateur hairstyling competition Hair. She will give the guest speech at the Graduation ceremonies on 25 September at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall.
The college’s Graduation ceremonies celebrate the success of HNC, HND, Advance Diploma and degree students.
Denise first came to the forefront of British hairdressing in the 1980s and is known for being the first female celebrity hairdresser in the UK.
Having worked with photographers David Bailey, Lord Lichfield, Lord Snowden and Terry O’Neill, she came to the media’s attention when she styled the Duchess of York’s hair for her wedding to Prince Andrew. Denise went on to receive the Royal warrant in 1989 and was awarded the Royal Victorian Medal for services to the Royal Family in June 2010.
She has worked with generations of style icons including Grace Kelly, Joan Collins, Yasmin Le Bon, Cindy Crawford, Jane Seymour, Naomi Campbell and Kylie Minogue.
Denise said: “It’s an honour to share graduation day with Edinburgh College’s talented and enthusiastic students. I am inspired to celebrate their achievements, hard work and the passion they have given to their chosen subjects throughout their time at the college. The college and lecturers have encouraged and worked incredibly hard to prepare their students for the work place, further education or to go forth and change the world. My own memories and my time at Edinburgh College inspire me every day.”
Student fashion show raises funds for charity
Edinburgh College students organise fundraising fashion show for people with dementia
Edinburgh College events management students have staged a fashion show featuring people with dementia as models to raise funds for Alzheimer Scotland.
Service users, carers, staff and volunteers at the charity’s Fife Dementia Resource Centre in Kirkcaldy strutted the catwalk as models at the event, which was organised by a team of four college students -Sara Penn, Laura Presly, Zoe Fraser and Megan Fairley.
The team raised more than £700 for Alzheimer Scotland with the fashion show, which formed part of their coursework for their BA (Hons) Event Management. The four students named their project team Icon Events and organised the show with the support of their lecturers.
BHS, Wallis, Dorothy Perkins and New Look provided clothes for the fashion show, while a local salon donated handbags and accessories.
Edinburgh College events students have organised 37 events this year, each raising vital funds for a variety of charities.
Team member Sara suggested Alzheimer Scotland as their charity as she regularly volunteers at the Resource Centre alongside her mother and grandmother. Both Sara and Laura’s family members have been affected by the disease, which affects more than 86,000 people in Scotland.
Alzheimer Scotland’s deputy regional manager for Fife and the Forth Valley Anne Buchanan said: “This is a great example of inter-generational working and will help to raise awareness of dementia, as well as raising funds for us so we can continue to provide the range of activities, advice and support for people living with dementia and their friends, families and carers.”
Alzheimer Scotland is the leading dementia organisation in Scotland. The charity campaigns for the rights of people with dementia and their families, and provides an extensive range of innovative and personalised support services. The Fife Dementia Resource Centre provides information and support to carers and service users including drop-in information cafes and day care.
Edinburgh College offers a range of events management courses from introductory level to the BA (Hons) course, the last year of which is delivered by Queen Margaret University. Applications are currently invited for these courses and more than 900 other courses across the curriculum offered by Edinburgh College and starting in August on its four campuses.
See www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk for more information on how to apply.
Creative Industries Open Days at Edinburgh College
Edinburgh College Open Days next week
Edinburgh College is throwing open its doors next week and inviting anyone interested in careers in the creative industries to find out how they can get on course to success.
The college’s Centre for Creative Industries is hosting three open days to introduce prospective students to its range of courses across three of its campuses, including art and design, computing, broadcast media, photography, music and sound production, and the performing arts.
There will be opportunities to speak to lecturers and students, experience the cutting-edge facilities at each campus, and get hands-on with interactive activities.
The Creative Industries Open Days will take place from 3-6pm at Sighthill Campus on Tuesday (3 March), Milton Road Campus on Wednesday and at Granton Campus on Thursday 5 March.
More than 100,000 people are employed in the creative industries sector in Scotland, with careers in film, radio, media, theatre, music, and digital media available.
Jon Buglass, head of the Centre for Creative Industries, said: “These open days provide the perfect opportunity for prospective students to get hands-on experience of what studying at Edinburgh College’s Centre for Creative Industries is really like. It is an exciting time for the creative industries in Scotland, and our courses provide the perfect framework to develop the skill, nurture the talent and develop the creativity of our students to prepare them for a creative career.”
Visitors to Granton Campus can see the top-of-the-range performing arts facilities at the Performing Arts Studio Scotland (PASS), which provides training in acting, dance, make-up artistry, technical theatre and theatre costume.
Budding musical theatre stars and musicians can visit Sighthill Campus, where the Music Box facilities include recording studios, practice rooms and an auditorium. The Music Box is the high-tech home to most of the college’s music performance students, both classical and pop.
Those who would prefer to study the technical side of music production can visit Milton Road Campus, where courses in sound production and the music business are offered in the CRE:8 creative centre alongside the HND Popular Music.
The campuses also have excellent facilities for those interested in courses in photography, audio visual technology and radio. The college’s computing courses provide essential skills in software development, games design, web development and building and testing computers and IT networks.
The college’s art and design students work to exciting briefs in their chosen field, whether fashion, textiles and costumes, jewellery, interior design, architecture, contemporary arts, interactive media, graphic design or illustration.
Not all courses are taught at all campuses, please check the Edinburgh College website to identify the appropriate open day for your subject area.
Applications for the all the college’s Creative Industries courses starting in August are open now – find out more about the courses available on www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/august2015 or by calling the college course information line 0131 660 1010.
Applications for August courses will close on 15 May.
Edinburgh College in the running for marketing awards
Edinburgh College has been shortlisted for three prestigious marketing awards, recognising achievements in marketing courses, catering for students’ needs and communicating with staff.
The College Development Network (CDN) Marketing Awards 2015 – which take place next Wednesday (25 February) – are designed to recognise and celebrate the excellent marketing and communication practice taking place in colleges across Scotland.
The college is shortlisted for the following awards:
- The Internal Communications Award, for communications around the college’s first staff conference in June 2014. The staff conference brought all the staff together to take part in workshops around the theme of innovation, covering technology, sustainability, teaching and learning, the workplace of the future and outward innovation.
- The Customer Experience Award, for the college’s Centre for Creative Industries student Employability Day. The day was designed to develop students’ understanding of employers’ needs, give them insight into how they can make themselves as employable as possible, and promote positive destinations. Professionals from a wide range of creative industries ran workshops, talked to groups of students and shared their expertise.
- The Integrated Marketing Campaign Award, in recognition of the success of marketing campaign held to promote, and increase, applications for college courses starting in January 2014. The campaign used the theme ‘Of course you can’ and achieved the highest attendance recorded for an open day at Edinburgh College or at any of its legacy colleges.
Edinburgh College interim principal Elaine McMahon said: “Being shortlisted for these awards is a great achievement and our staff deserve huge congratulations. It’s fantastic to see the creative work put into supporting, encouraging and communicating with students and staff being recognised in this way.
“The Creative Industries Employability Day was a fine example of the focus college staff put upon preparing students for working life in a competitive market and was so successful that the event will run again in February.
“The nomination for the staff conference is a welcome credit for the work done to build a sense of community in the still newly merged Edinburgh College.
“It is also satisfying to see that the work of our marketing and communications staff to promote the range of courses on offer at the college has been recognised. Their hard work led to a highly successful open day and the college meeting student recruitment targets for the year.”
Last year, Edinburgh College achieved a silver award in the Internal Communications category and bronze in the Event category in the CDN Marketing Awards 2014.
