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July 2022
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NEWSKeep up to date with the ayrshire college Foundation. Follow us on twitter here
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Archives
July 2022
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Foundation apprentices at Ayrshire College have completed an “invaluable” team challenge set for them by McLaughlin & Harvey and North Ayrshire Council, as part of their Civil Engineering course.
The first- and second-year apprentices, who are S5 and S6 secondary school pupils studying at Ayrshire College two days a week, were asked to produce a report and a presentation on how they would look to provide sustainable flood protection to Upper Garnock Valley. Four teams delivered online presentations to a panel of judges from McLaughlin & Harvey, North Ayrshire Council and Ayrshire College on Tuesday 27 April, with the winning team named at a presentation ceremony held over Microsoft Teams two days later. The four members of the winning team – First Year Group A – were: Morgan Gillon (St. Joseph’s Academy), Cameron Murray (team leader – Garnock Academy), Josh Neil (Kyle Academy) and Ben Reed (Belmont Academy). The competition relates to the ongoing Upper Garnock Valley Flood Protection Scheme, which is expected to be completed in spring 2022. McLaughlin & Harvey was named as the main contractor for the project last year. Subject to what the Covid-19 restrictions will look like this summer, the winning team is set to enjoy a work experience placement with McLaughlin & Harvey as a reward for their hard work. A site visit for all first-year foundation apprentices is also expected to be organised, if possible. Stuart Millar, the Head of Apprenticeships and Work-Based Learning at Ayrshire College, was part of the three-person judging panel and he said: “Every team presented to a very high standard, showing they are confident in their subject knowledge. It was a very tight call, with the winning team impressing with their ability to offer thoughts and opinions on things they would have changed about the project, which showed good initiative. “I would just like to say a big thank you to North Ayrshire Council and McLaughlin & Harvey for organising this live brief competition for our foundation apprentices. It has obviously been a challenging year for all students and pupils across Scotland, with limitations on what can be offered in a work experience sense. This project has been invaluable in providing the students with a real life look at what a project like this involves.” Fellow judges Adrian Pollock, Contracts Manager at McLaughlin & Harvey, and Patricia Rowley Flooding Team Leader at North Ayrshire Council, said: “Both McLaughlin & Harvey and North Ayrshire Council are delighted to be working in partnership with Ayrshire College to provide Civil Engineering Foundation Apprentices with insightful and rewarding opportunities to link in with our Project Management Team at our Upper Garnock Flood Protection Scheme. We look forward to continuing to work with Ayrshire College throughout this project, providing students with real insight into the construction industry.”
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Ayrshire College hosted a special Small Business Week for students who are considering starting their own business, as well as anyone who has started their own company and would like to grow their business.
Various online events took place over the last week, which culminated in an Enterprising Students Showcase, featuring Ayrshire College’s business start-up students who have benefitted from support from the Ayrshire College Foundation. The Ayrshire College Foundation offers a programme of support and funding of grants up to £5000 for students of Ayrshire College who are interested in developing ideas to start up their own business. Tracey Stark, Chair of Ayrshire College Foundation introduced key speaker, Sir Tom Hunter from the Hunter Foundation, as he explained why Scotland is the ideal place to be an entrepreneur. He said "there has never been a better time, or more support for people who want to start and grow their own business. Small, agile, entrepreneurial teams are the ones who are creating the jobs. Entrepreneurship is not just about building a business and making money, it’s about making a difference, and that’s an amazing thing to do.” Bridge 2 Business Enterprise Executive, Kirsty Hepburn explained about the Enterprising Students programme offered at Ayrshire College in partnership with Bridge 2 Business, with former enterprising students giving an insight into the ways that the programme has helped them: Sheila Munro, Aroundtuit Complementary Therapies - “the Enterprising Student programme gave me access to mentoring, digital training and advice and has made starting my business a lot less stressful”. Jamie Agnew, Jamie Agnew Photography - “I’ve learned so much practical experience at college and my advice would be to take every opportunity and never stop learning. If you always update your skillset you’re always going to be on top of your game. It’s never too late to become self employed.” Magdalena Zielinska, Soft Olive - “the support we received has opened up a lot of opportunities for us. We never gave up, and although it’s not always been easy, I would say turn your idea into something amazing. If you have the opportunity, just go for it!” Ayrshire College alumni and business expert Frank Gormanley, President of the Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce, introduced their new Business Mentor Programme ‘Connect Me’. Frank said “it’s so important to always champion a new business and entrepreneurs. Scotland has one of the best ecosystems for business. There’s an abundance of support out there, so when the time is right, go for it!” Ayrshire College is offering £5,000 to students who are thinking about starting their own business or are looking to grow their existing business.
The Enterprising Student Fund is offered by the Ayrshire College Foundation to students and recent graduates of Ayrshire College. To be eligible to receive the funding, students must submit a comprehensive business plan to a panel which will then be considered for funding. As well as receiving a grant of up to £5,000 to be put towards developing a business, applicants can access a wealth of support that includes one-to-one sessions with Bryce Dunlop, Enterprise Executive at Bridge 2 Business, to create their business plan. The students are also able to enjoy nine free digital skills training courses offered by Accenture. The Ayrshire College Foundation’s Enterprising Student Fund was set up in 2019, and so far, 17 students have received grants of up to £5,000. Three of the students will be speaking at Ayrshire College’s Small Business Week ‘Enterprising Students Showcase’ on Friday 30 April. Magdalena Zielinska (Soft Olive), Sheila Munro (AroundTUit Complementary Therapies) and Jamie Agnew (Jamie Agnew Photography) will be explaining their businesses and how they have made use of the £5,000 grant. Sir Tom Hunter from The Hunter Foundation is the guest speaker for the event and will be speaking about the importance of small businesses to the economy, and why students should consider starting their own business as a realistic destination after their college course. Ayrshire College is hosting a special Small Business Week for students who are thinking about starting their own business, as well as anyone who has started their own company and would like to grow their business.
Various online events will take place from 29 April to 4 May, culminating in a showcase focusing on Ayrshire College’s enterprising students. Small business owners can join in various events throughout the week and all are invited to attend the Enterprising Student Showcase. The week brings together employers, students, staff and business experts to explore why students should consider starting their own business as a realistic destination after their college course. Attendees will hear from Key Speaker, Sir Tom Hunter from the Hunter Foundation, as he explains why now is the perfect time to start a business. Business expert Frank Gormanley, President of the Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce, will introduce their new Business Mentor Programme, and Ayrshire College’s business start-up students who have benefitted from support from the Ayrshire College Foundation, will share their experiences in a special Enterprising Student Showcase. The Ayrshire College Foundation offers a programme of support and funding of grants up to £5000 for students of Ayrshire College who are interested in developing ideas to start up their own business. Enterprising students who will give an insight into their new businesses and their plans for the future include: Greig Allan, Soft Olive Sheila Munro, Aroundtuit Complementary Therapies Jamie Agnew, Jamie Agnew Photography Bridge 2 Business Enterprise Executive, Bryce Dunlop, said “The idea of creating a business plan can be daunting, however Bridge 2 Business workshops break down the idea-generation process into smaller, more manageable chunks. If you have the passion and the drive to get started, then anything is possible!” |
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July 2022
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