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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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July 2022
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Primary school teachers throughout North Ayrshire have attended training at Ayrshire College’s Kilwinning Campus on how to best deliver Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) lessons to their pupils.
Every school represented at the first session – which took place during the teachers’ recent in-service days – was given a box full of science equipment along with an activity booklet developed by Ayrshire College’s STEM department. Training will also be rolled out to teachers in East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire. STEM education in Ayrshire primary schools is currently delivered in a variety of ways, with some schools delivering regular lessons and others offering only limited dedicated STEM teaching. Ayrshire College hopes that its CPD sessions will standardise and improve the quality of the STEM curriculum being delivered to all Ayrshire pupils. The College appreciates the need to engage pupils with STEM subjects at an early age, which is why it has committed to offering the CPD training for teachers. The Ayrshire College Foundation has backed the project – with its Innovation for Learning funding covering the costs of the training. The first session was tailored towards how to best teach primary school pupils a science lesson. Marko Prorocic, Curriculum Manager for STEM at the Kilwinning Campus, said “I am hoping that this project, currently in its pilot year, will eventually spread to encompass all primary schools across Ayrshire. Better STEM education will ensure better prospects for the region and a bright future for our young people.” One of the teachers from the first CPD session, Victoria Fox from Ardeer Primary School, said “What I was hoping to get out of today was more practical experience of teaching STEM and an interesting context to teaching in the classroom. It was very good, the activities were well planned and fun, so it was a very valuable session. “We’ve been doing quite a lot of work in STEM - it’s part of our school improvement plan - so we have been focused on it this term and this has been very relevant to our needs.”
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Celebrating the second year of Enterprising Students at Ayrshire College
Ayrshire College in partnership with Bridge 2 Business will host an event on Wednesday 6 November to support and inspire students into enterprise and highlight the grant of up to £5,000 which is available to Ayrshire College students looking to start up a business. The event will take place in two parts, with a morning session attended by local employers, support organisations and staff from Ayrshire College who will learn how the Enterprising Students campaign will continue to offer students a comprehensive mentoring support programme and the opportunity to apply for a grant of up to £5,000, made available thanks to funding from the Ayrshire College Foundation. Guest speaker, Kelly Morris, Enterprise Consultant and Founder of Tartan Eyes will be sharing her thoughts on the importance of enterprise and the opportunities available for students in the Ayrshire area. The morning guests will also hear from student, Scott Haddow, who was successful in securing the £5,000 grant last year for his start-up business 11:11 Events. Scott will be sharing his personal journey into enterprise whilst studying at college. Fashion make-up student, Sharlene Atkinson, has recently received a grant for her new business Handmade Sewing Boutique. About her experience, Sharlene said “I was taking a massive step out of my comfort zone and I now have the confidence that I needed and the self-belief that I can do this!” Hairdressing student, Lorna Hamilton secured the grant for her business Hushed Hair Salon. Lorna said “the fund helped towards the cost of securing my own premises, which I now have, as well as helping with solicitors’ fees etc that comes with dealing with commercial leases.” The afternoon event is for students who are studying across all three campuses, as well as high school pupils in Ayrshire. The afternoon will bring a series of workshops hosted by guest speakers; Kelly Morris (Tartan Eyes), Lucy Thomson (Coach Lucy), Jack Allan (95 Social) and Mari Findlay (Interface). The first workshop of the afternoon will be hosted by five students who have been successful in securing the £5,000 grant for their business idea. They will each share their personal story, how they applied for the grant and what their plans for the future hold. Local support organisations Prince's Trust, Business Gateway and Interface will have exhibit stands on the day to highlight the support and opportunities available for any students interested in enterprise, whilst offering one-to-one advice. Lynn Kelly, Programme Executive, Bridge2Business - Ayrshire College I thought this would be an ideal time to reflect on the last eight months, since starting with Bridge 2 Business at Ayrshire College.
From innovative classroom workshops, A Nil by Mouth photography competition winner, on-going business projects with Supported Learning Students, exclusive events, exciting new collaborations with local employers, to classroom visits from Local Heroes and support organisations it has been an inspiring and enterprising year, and it’s not over yet! An exclusive highlight was the launch of the Enterprising Students Grant, which is designed to offer Ayrshire College students a comprehensive mentoring support programme and the opportunity to apply for a grant of up to £5,000. A first for a UK College, which is non-restrictive to a student’s age, level or course area. Since September last year, I have been privileged to meet so many inspiring and talented students who are interested in developing their enterprise skills to start up their own business. Four such students were the first to be recently awarded the 5k grant submission deadline in March. This was testament to their dedication to developing their practical skills and putting their ideas into practice, which is key to learning by doing. Each of the four students worked over 2-3 months to develop their business plan, which saw an idea progressing from a few thoughts jotted down to a completed business plan. Although the idea of completing a business plan may sound daunting, if you are passionate about your business idea and believe in the heart of the business – then anything is possible. I saw each student learn new skills and gain knowledge when preparing their business plan. The more they talked about their ideas, their confidence grew as did the scale and potential of their idea. Not all their original plans stayed on track – which is why it is so important to put your ideas into practice to then learn from the experience and adapt. Read the links below to learn more about the students who were approved for the grant and share their personal journey into enterprise. Aaron Gregory Scott Haddow Sandra Laurenson Bryan Shaw When you have a business idea, the quicker you can start to put that idea into practice then the sooner you will learn and develop. Over the last six months, I have worked with students on developing their practical skills, by securing work experience opportunities and exhibition stands at trade events to “sell” their business ideas and products whilst getting feedback and gaining essential practical skills. Networking is key for developing your business idea, as you never know what collaboration opportunities are around the corner. On that note, it was encouraging to see the initial round of applicants collaborate with each other. Bryan Shaw of 18:15 Media created digital campaigns for Scott Haddow’s 11:11 Events business, and Aaron Gregory of Artificial Pathogen created branded T-shirts – all in the name of collaboration and supporting similar start-up businesses. The original four students who have been approved for the grant have all agreed to act as mentors to give advice and support to future students who are planning to start their own business. This is an invaluable opportunity to learn and hear from students who have successfully completed the process and are still learning something new every day! When you start to talk about your ideas, you will soon gain feedback and confidence in your ability. Self-believe is sometimes hard to achieve, but as you make progress and start to develop your skills then this adds confidence to your approach in achieving your goals. The opportunities available now whilst studying at College are incredible. I would encourage every student to make the most of them all, and part of my job is to direct you to the right opportunities for your career and business plans. If you are interested in developing business skills, you can request for me to host a Bridge 2 Business workshop for your class or as part of an event. Equally there are on-going enterprise workshops I host for students interested in starting a business and who wish to apply for the grant, which you can request to join. If you are interested in meeting to discuss your own business plans, then this is something you can book with me anytime. You don’t need have finalised plans, or to have prepared anything – just knowing what you enjoy and how you want to develop your skills is a great starting point. I have included more information about the Bridge 2 Business programme and a link to the website, which hosts great resource materials and all our news updates across colleges in Scotland. At https://bridge2business.org.uk/ we practice a “Learning by Doing” model, designed to get students essential practical skills to develop their business skills. Bridge 2 Business offers college students first hand opportunities to engage with appropriate entrepreneurial role models. Role models who are relevant to college students who have an interest in setting up their own business now or in the future or for those who are looking to take enterprise skills to their workplace. Alongside the opportunity to meet and engage with role models the programme helps connect college students with the great networks that exist in Scotland to support our much-needed start-up businesses. Networking is key for developing your business idea, and here have been several Bridge 2 Business events at the college, which has seen college students in event roles, and presenting whilst developing their networking skills. For more information on the Bridge2business programme available to Ayrshire college students please visit http://www1.ayrshire.ac.uk/enterprising-student/ For information on Bridge 2 Business follow @bridge2business and visit www.bridge2business.org.uk For direct information please contact [email protected] An 11-year-old pupil from Wellington School took one giant leap towards her dream career, with an out of this world work experience placement at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Lillie McCluskie was invited to spend the summer in Texas with Sarah Murray, NASA’s Deputy for Vehicle Systems Performance & Analysis. The pair met at Ayrshire College’s Mission Discovery programme last year, supported by many local partners including the Ayrshire College Foundation, and Sarah was so impressed with Lillie’s attitude, knowledge and work ethic that they kept in touch once Sarah had returned to the United States. Now Sarah has given Lillie an inside look at her dream job, with a summer placement at NASA’s Johnson Space Center – where they conduct human spaceflight training, research, and flight control. Last year’s Mission Discovery Ayrshire programme was the third week-long space school at Ayrshire College delivered to secondary school pupils from East, North and South Ayrshire by the International Space School Educational Trust (ISSET). Sarah was part of a four-person strong ISSET team that also included NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen, ISSET’s Chief Scientist Julie Keeble and ISSET founder Chris Barber. The pupils – who were working in mixed teams throughout the week – were all aged 15, 16 or 17. Except for one: then 10-year-old Lillie McCluskie. Fi McClelland, manager of the Scottish Dark Sky Observatory, wrote to Ayrshire College asking for special dispensation for Lillie to join the programme. She said that Lillie, who volunteers at the Scottish Dark Sky Observatory, is obsessed with all things space and has dreams of becoming an astronaut. The College agreed on the basis that she was chaperoned at all times. Lillie not only enjoyed the week-long space programme but she also contributed massively to her team’s project. The teams designed space experiments, knowing that the winning idea would be launched into space and tested by astronauts at the International Space Station. Although Lillie’s team did not win the grand prize, she impressed the ISSET team with her ideas and presentation skills alongside pupils up to 7 years older than her. Since the Ayrshire College programme Lillie has had an amazing year: she’s recorded a podcast for CBeebies radio about telescopes, she’s working with an astronomer to develop resources to teach blind children about astronomy, and she has been asked to appear in a marketing programme about astronomy. Now she’s enjoyed a perfect summer in Houston with Sarah Murray at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Lillie said: “I feel like the luckiest girl in the world! Spending time with all the astronauts was a dream come true. I kept having to pinch myself to make sure it was real. I’m incredibly grateful to Sarah for all the amazing opportunities she gave me and can’t wait to go back to Houston next year!” Aaron Gregory, an HNC Business Management student at Ayrshire College, is one of the first to receive a grant for £5,000 from the Ayrshire College Foundation to help him start up his own business. Here is Aaron’s story. What made you interested in enterprise activities? I’ve always had business ideas since I was about 14. One of my first enterprises was fixing phones for my teachers. At school I joined in the Prince's Trust project and this introduced me to what was involved in running a business and the whole experience really inspired me. I’ve always loved music, from the age of five I had my first guitar and it’s been my passion ever since. At school we formed a band called Artificial Pathogen. We’re still going and doing really well, and have played in festivals all over the UK. What have you done since leaving school? I have been at college doing various courses that interested me; Sound Production – which helps me with the band, Computing Science – learned how to build a website and now Business Management, to help me learn how to run a business. For me it’s all about the preparation you put in so that you are ready for the opportunities once they come along. How did the opportunity come along to start your business? I was down in England at a music festival and I met an African band. After the event finished they were discussing what to do with all their promotional merchandise that was left. I offered to take it all and sell it for them – which I did! They were delighted and we both won out of the deal. After that, I just carried on doing it for other bands and the business has been demand led since then. Tell us more about your business I aim to offer a high-quality service for merchandise design/printing and distribution. I currently offer a distribution service for bands, and in doing this I ship off orders from the UK to the USA and European countries as it is a lot cheaper to do so. I work with three bands directly, but also have access to 200 bands through another site I manage called CHUGCORE. I have two types of customers. Firstly, the band is a customer and for these contracts I will be working with them to sell an agreed number of units of products. My other customers are those buying the products directly from e-commerce websites which I manage. As well as the retail side of the business, I will also offer touring services, which I have done before. This involves going on tour with the band, and setting up merchandise stalls at gigs, selling and keeping a track of inventory. Anything left over after the tour would be put up on to their online store to be sold at a discounted price. The band ideally want to network after the gig and meet contacts or rest – not sell merchandise, so this is an important role to play when the band are on tour. How has the Enterprising Students Fund helped you get your business off the ground? Lynn Kelly, our mentor has really helped me get to where I want to be. We met once a week and she helped me put together a business plan, she introduced me to other contacts that could help and invited me along to various enterprise events to hear inspirational speakers and have an opportunity to network. I’ve also got to know some of the other students who are writing business plans, and we help each other out as each person brings a different skill set to the table. I have been fortunate to have my funding application approved, and I’d like to thank the Ayrshire College Foundation for supporting me. The £5,000 grant will allow me to purchase the necessary equipment to print the merchandise for the clients instead of having it made from another company. This will save a lot of money and maximise profits for myself and for the bands. What do you think makes your business unique? I have a lot of contacts and knowledge in the metal band music scene which will help me source the best products for my customers. I can do the whole printing process myself, which means I can offer better prices and my customers only have to deal with me. How do you plan to grow your business? By using my network of contacts. I have a great contact in New York, he manages a record label and looks after 170 bands so I am optimistic about the potential demand for my products and services. I also think my band tour packages will be in high demand. I am in a really happy place right now and just embracing all the opportunities I have had at college. It has given me confidence to know that I can do this and that any barriers I face can be overcome. If you have been inspired by Aaron and would like to find out more about the Enterprising Students Fund, read more here: http://www1.ayrshire.ac.uk/enterprising-student/ Scott Haddow, a NC Sound Production student at Ayrshire College is one of the first cohort of students to be awarded a £5,000 grant from the Enterprising Students Fund supported by the Ayrshire College Foundation. Here is his story. Tell us about your business Eleven:Eleven Events I offer a range of entertainment to bars, clubs, hotels and host private events across Ayrshire and Glasgow. Entertainment ranges from Comedy nights, Live Music evenings to Magic Shows and our very exciting new Variety Show, which has already been receiving some attention. Besides offering entertainment for bars, club and hotels, I want to give back to local charities by running events to help raise awareness of mental health, invisible illnesses, and kids with autism in Scotland. My nephew has autism and I want to be able to help in any way I can to bring people together for great causes and raise money. The acts I have been working with recently include: Laura B (Singer/Songwriter) from Glasgow who has recently featured on BBC One, Nicholas McDonald (Singer) Glasgow - X-Factor runner up, Steven Blair (Magician), Joe McTernan (Comedian/Actor), and Ben Davidson (Singer) from Kilwinning. What drives you? In the creative industry you have to make your own opportunities! I love the energy you get from an audience. I am passionate about music and helping others, so it made sense to me to create a business that uses my creative and enterprise skills to do something I love doing. When I left school I was a labourer and then trained as a fencer, but I was miserable working for others. Working for myself - I just love it. It’s a pleasure to do my work, in fact I don’t even see it as work, so I don’t mind working long hours because it’s what I want to do with my life. What have you learned so far about being self-employed? I love learning and to be successful you need to keep on learning and improving to be the best you can be. I have read lots of self-improvement books and the one that inspired me the most is, “The Secret” by Rhonda Burn. I have learned how to channel positivity – this was a real turning point for me. For example, I organised an event and it did not go as planned. However I carried on and reflected on it afterwards, and learned from that experience. When you think it’s all going wrong, you still have to believe you can do it. You have got to think on your feet, be flexible and willing to change how you do things. I have also learned that networking is very important, and can help you find the contacts and information you need to be successful. I have learned that it’s fine have your head in the clouds, but it’s important to have your feet on the ground too, and it will take time to build up credibility as an events organiser. How has the Enterprising Student Fund helped you start your business? My mentor Lynn Kelly believed in me and helped me realise my potential, and that has had the biggest impact of all. She helped me to understand the finance and marketing side of my business, and showed me how to write a business plan. I have also enjoyed going along to various enterprise events and workshops Bridge2Business has organised, these have been inspiring. It’s also lifted my aspirations – if I didn’t come to college, I wouldn’t be doing this now. It really has turned my life around, and got me to a better place. The grant is fantastic and I will be buying equipment such as a PA system, microphones, lighting, projector, cameras, smoke machine and even a red carpet! This means that whatever venue I hire for my events, I know the equipment will be reliable and will enhance the show. I’d like to thank the trustees from the Ayrshire College Foundation for this fantastic opportunity. The skills I am learning on my sound production course are great for helping me create the perfect sound for my events. I have learned how to use a mixing table to optimise the sound. I will be continuing on to the HNC Sound Production course next year, as well as running my business. It’s just three days a week, so plenty time to fit everything in. If you have been inspired by Scott, and are interested in starting your own business, read more here about the Enterprising Students Fund. http://www1.ayrshire.ac.uk/enterprising-student/ Tell us about your business 1815Media is a multi-level photography and videography business which will cover corporate, private, and individual work. The business is unique because we encourage and offer work experience for the community and college students within Ayrshire. I am passionate about creating the finished product. I love working to a brief, by adding my creative flair to make the videos or photos work. What made you decide to become self-employed? I’ve always loved photography as my main hobby. When I left school, I went to university to do web development, but it wasn’t for me. Instead I came to college and studied HNC Media Analysis and Production where I learned about filming and editing. Now I am doing the HNC Photography course to learn technical skills for lighting, camera and editing, good people skills, and the ability to work under pressure. I just like the idea of having my own business as I enjoy being creative and telling a story through images. Every job is different and I like meeting people and helping them to get the images/film they want. In a busy marketplace how do you get work? Networking provides massive opportunities. I think if you do a good job, you will get repeat business and referrals, so the quality of your work and the service you provide is vital for new business. You can’t beat word of mouth and a lot of my work comes this way as I’m asked to photograph lots of local events. Online, my Facebook page and my website work well so it’s important to keep my portfolio up to date. What opportunities have you had since coming to college? The lecturers have been outstanding. They helped me believe in myself and built up my confidence. They have inspired and encouraged me to go further and realise my true potential. College is a friendly, supportive place to learn and my experience here has raised my aspirations to go further and higher. How has the Enterprising Students Fund helped you? My Bridge2Business mentor Lynn Kelly has worked on my confidence, she is always so upbeat and happy and it’s infectious! She has taught me how to manage my time, and given me advice on how to plan my work. The whole experience has prepared me for life after college. I am delighted to receive the £5,000 grant. The main pieces of equipment I will be buying with the funding are a new SLR camera, 3-Axis Handheld Gimbal and a Drone. With this extra equipment, I can secure more contracts. I have already had some great offers which came about from an opportunity I had through the Tom Hunter Foundation. Now I will be able to fulfil the client brief and I am excited to get started on this. I would like to thank the Ayrshire College Foundation for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. If you have been inspired by Bryan and would like more information on the Enterprising Students Fund, read more here: http://www1.ayrshire.ac.uk/enterprising-student/ Ayrshire College students behind ACTV – a broadcast channel ran by students and staff from the College’s media department – have successfully held their 2019 film festival.
Guest judges at the film festival included film director Charlie Francis and BBC Scotland’s journalist Carole Erskine and social affairs correspondent Chris Clements. Johnnie O’Byrne, Curriculum Manager for Arts, Fashion and Media at Ayrshire College, completed the four-person panel. Three finalists from each of the College’s Introduction to Broadcasting, NC Film and Broadcasting, and HNC Media Analysis and Production courses presented their films at a ceremony held at the Ayr Campus, with a winner chosen from each course. ‘Riverside’ by Joe Pettigrew was announced as the winner of the Introduction to Broadcasting category. The NC Film and Broadcasting winner was a called ‘Detox’ by Euan Millar, while ‘Verdes do Brazil’ by Natasha Colborne was named the winner from HNC Media Analysis and Production. ‘Riverside’ was a television soap series concept, ‘Detox’ was a 60-second film about a person detoxing from drugs, while ‘Verdes do Brazil’ was about a Brazilian adjusting to living in Ayrshire. ACTV was launched on YouTube in December 2017 by Ayrshire College’s media department thanks to funding support from the Ayrshire College Foundation, in order to produce and promote the creative work of media students and the creative department, while also engaging students and teaching them applicable video skills. To date there have been almost 200 videos uploaded to ACTV, amassing an incredible 34,000 views. Content ranges from student short films that were produced for assessment purposes, to personal projects and specially commissioned videos for Ayrshire College and external partners. Johnnie O’Byrne, Curriculum Manager for Arts, Fashion and Media at Ayrshire College, said “Congratulations to all of the winners. This year saw a very high standard of entries, so it was a really difficult decision. I’d like to thank the guest judges for giving up their time at this event, and I hope that they enjoyed our students work. “The ACTV film festival is a fantastic collaboration between our media department and our core skills team, and the standard is getting better and better each year.” Talented Sound Production students at Ayrshire College have snapped up Ayrshire psych-rock artist and Access to HNC Music student at the College, Gerald James, aka JOG, to their Sun Turtle Records label.
Two years ago, Sound Production students took on the ambitious challenge of running their own record label and PR company, High Tide PR, from their college campus in Ayr. To date they have successfully released three records, and achieved national radio airplay on the likes of Vic Galloway’s BBC Radio Scotland programme, as well as earning positive write-ups on the acclaimed music magazine Clash’s website. Sun Turtle Records was created to give Ayrshire musicians an opportunity to record and release original music while at the same time giving Sound Production students at Ayrshire College real experience of the music industry. One group of Sound Production students is behind the record label, with roles ranging from marketing and talent scouting to handling all of the legal complexities and distribution. The other group of students handle the PR side and taking on the responsibilities of event management. The students held a launch night at Kilmarnock’s The Tartan Suite on Saturday 11 May 2019 to promote JOG’s recently released debut four-track EP ‘Driftwood’. JOG’s EP ‘Driftwood’ was released digitally on Friday 10 May 2019 and includes title-track ‘Driftwood’, as well as ‘Yesterday’s Mallet’, ‘I Won’t Look’ and ‘Karbon Kopy’ (featuring Pop/R&B artist and HNC Music student Annabel). Every instrument heard on the four songs is performed by JOG, and the EP was recorded in the College studio, Rockpool Studios, by lecturer David McAulay (who has previously worked with King Creosote and Mogwai) and mastered by Joseph Carra (King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard). Murray Baxter, Music and Sound Production lecturer at Ayrshire College, said of the students’ work: “This year's release is really special. To have such talented students involved this year has been fantastic to see, and the launch night in Kilmarnock was a great night. Gerald's musicianship and songwriting is among some of the best I've witnessed.” |
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July 2022
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