‘This was a unique opportunity for students to meet and question a Member of Parliament about democracy, government, parliament and citizenship and gain an insight into the parliamentary system in the UK’. In an email following the meeting, Mr Foster said ‘I thought the students were well motivated and asked lots of good questions’.

Sussex Coast College HastingsInspiring futures : Changing lives

COLLEGE NEWS October 2009 issue 2

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STAFF PROFILES

Two members ofstaff, Mick O’Driscolland Stella Carboni-Wren, tell us about themselves

INVESTORS IN PEOPLE

The college has been awarded theprestigious Investorsin People.

ORE INSPIRING STUDENTS

Construction and Engineering students take a visit to the new Ore Valley site.

Photo courtesy of Adam Piggot

College News will now be produced every two months.

The next edition will be in December

The college has achieved the prestig-ious Investors In People award.Supported by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the award is given to organisations that have transformed performance through developing their staff.Simon Jones, Chief Executive of Investors in People UK, said ‘This is a fantastic achievement. I would like to congratulate the college and its people’.Principal, Sue Middlehurst, said ‘We’re constantly raising the standard of performance at the college and have invested in staff development. It’s great that we’ve been recognised for supporting our staff to do out-standing work’.

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Over the next couple of months Marketing & Communications will be running Brand Directory workshops for both staff and students. The purpose of these workshops is to help implement the new brand and to ensure all use of the brand is consistent. We are now moving into a new phase in the College’s life where we say ‘good-bye’ to Hastings College and ‘welcome’ to ‘Sussex Coast College Hastings’.

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When Citizenship students were asked to find out how to contact their MP as part of their course, they decided to invite him to meet the class. To their surprise, not only did Local MP, Michael Foster, accept their invitation, but he also invited them to visit The Houses of Parliament in December.In an exclusive Q&A on Friday 16th October, students from all over the world gave local MP, Michael Foster, a warm welcome. Several wore traditional costume to the meeting, in which they raised questions on immi-gration, education and crime. Anna Kerekanikova from Slovakia said, ‘It was great - the students know now that if they need help or if something happens to them, Mr Foster will do what he can to support them. It makes us feel more secure about our lives here that we know we can’t be abused because we are not British.’ Otto Haas, who runs the course said,

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Ken Melsom, Chairman of SCCH Governing Body, celebrates with Sue Middlehurst, SCCH Principal and CEO.

Do you want to: Make your UCAS form stand out? Improve your CV? Meet new people and build your confidence? Gain experience for a place at uni? Discover if that dream job really is for you? A work placement could be just what you need. My work placement at Bliss Magazine, last June, turned out to be one of the best things I have done in

my student life. Not only did it prove to me that I definitely wanted to pursue a career in journalism, it also improved my CV, boosted my personal statement and put me ahead of the competition getting a place at uni. I’m proof that work experience isn’t just making tea and filing paper; I got to do loads of jour-nalistic activities and wrote articles that got published in a national teen mag! You can find your own placement or use the college’s Work Experience Coordinator, Katie McMillan, (pictured), who can help you get your hands on the perfect placement. Katie will discuss suitable placements and offer advice on what is out there. She will set up placements and sort out any issues. Place-ments can be part of your course or can be completed in your own time. They can range from a one-week block to one day a week for 8 weeks. Katie has already set up some exciting experi-ences for students, including national magazine Mizz, Hastings Magistrates Court, nursery care and a wildlife photography placement with the RSPCA Wildlife Centre - a Wednesday afternoon placement for a whole year! Work experience really can give you that employability factor… So what are you waiting for? Contact Katie on kmcmillan@sussexcoast.ac.uk or 01424 458534, pop in and see her, or request a visit to a tutorial session. By Stacey Amer

When we move to two new buildings where storage is limited, we will become aware of just how much ‘stuff’ we all have. Now is the chance to eliminate clutter and establish good office practice to ensure your workspace is clean and clear. Clear out the clutter and you’ll be amazed how much more productive your office becomes. As well as being a sign of efficiency and effectiveness, a tidy space:

creates an atmosphere of order and •calm gives a good impression to visitors •improves security as confidential •information is tidied away lowers stress levels •reduces accidents and spills •shows respect for your colleagues and •clients

So, how do you get to a clean, clear office?1. Have a full de-clutter. Then set aside half an hour each week to have a team tidy up. Don’t let the clutter return. Share the tidy-ing equally between your team.2. Operate a clear desk policy: Every night, desks should be left clear.3. When working in shared space, leave it as you would wish to find it.4. File electronically wherever possible.

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GOT A REVIEW WORTH SHARING?Send up to 150 words about a film, book or

show of your choice tonewsletter@sussexcoast.ac.uk

Staff Profiles

As part of Colleges Week, Sussex Coast College Hastings is launching a competition to share skills. Entrants should produce a 1 minute lesson for our website. All formats are welcome, from film to a series of images, from a written list of instructions to voice recordings.You could teach anything from flower arranging or fixing a puncture to making an omelette. A panel of educational experts will pick the winning entry. RULES:1. No flammable liquids, hazardous waste and chemical reactions. 2. No hazardous activities and lessons must be tasteful. 3. Remember it should take no longer than a minute to watch, read or listen to.DEADLINE:The deadline for entries is Monday 16th November and anyone can take part.PRIZE:The winner will receive an iPod or a part time course worth up to £100!HOW TO ENTER:Email your name, age, contact number and the title of your 1 minute lesson to marketing@sussexcoast.ac.uk or call 01424 458 514. We’ll then send you instructions for submit-ting your entry.

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Cat Denning, Learning Support Manager, organised a college-wide Jeans for Genes event for Friday 9th October (one week following the national date).On the day, staff and students wore their jeans for a suggested donation of £2 and staff also participated in a staff raffle with some fabulous prizes. Altogether the

college raised £170. Cat said ‘it’s very positive for the college that we are able to support such a worthwhile charity’.

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Film Review

Construction and Engineering learners have visited the new building at Ore Valley for the first time. After a guided tour of the site, the learners took part in dem-onstrations with site workers, including bricklaying and plumbing. The Ore Campus opens in Summer 2010. State-of-the-art facilities include an atrium containing a model house, providing hands-on train-ing in current, emerging and sustainable construction techniques. Design, carpentry, plumbing, electrical and decorating learners will be taught alongside each

other in open-plan workshop spaces, closely reflecting the reality of the industry. On the model house, walls, fixtures and fittings will be continually constructed and demolished, enabling students to work with different building materials and gain experience in decommissioning buildings. Mohan Chana, Assistant Principal for Technology, said, ‘This building gives local students, who may previously have chosen to study elsewhere, excellent integrated training facilities for engineering and construction right on their doorstep’.

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Recently this year at Ealing Council, an infected USB stick was plugged into a PC and the virus quickly infected their network. 200 devices had to be replaced costing over £500,000.

Tips to keep information secure. 1. Working from home? Ensure you have up-to-date anti-virus software. Free Sophos anti-virus is available from the Retail Exchange.2. External data from USB drives, CD’s, internet downloads and external or un-known email addresses can have infections. 3. College laptops, USB drives and CD’s should be password protected or encrypted if they contain sensitive data. 4. When you delete data - it is not perma-nently deleted and can be retrieved. Be careful with USB drives that once held sensitive data. 5. Never email your network username or password to anyone. For advice and information contact the IT Helpdesk on helpdesk@sussexcoast.ac.uk.

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Up (U)With what may possibly be the most emotional animated film opening since Bambi, ‘Up’ will have you gripped from the beginning. Upon seeing a montage of the life of seventy-eight year-old grump, Carl Fredricksen, you’ll instantly fall in love and you’ll never go back. This hilarious and charming family film is a tale of adventure and following your dreams – without being too ‘Disney-fied’; it’s perfect to lift your spirits on a rainy winter’s day. Add

to this fantastically imaginative story Pixar’s stunning graphics and you really can’t go wrong. The extra treat of the 3D experience makes you feel as if you have stepped into the world of Disney – Pixar, however it doesn’t lose any of it’s magic in 2D … it’s still pretty darn amazing! With lovable characters, loads of laugh- out-loud moments and A LOT of colourful balloons, what more could you want from an animated family flick? Once again, Disney Pixar is way ‘up there’ in the movie rankings.By Stacey Amer

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Role:Energy Centre ManagerWhat you do: I manage the daily running of the centre, working with employers and learners. I train and assess gas qualifications and Level 3 plumbers. I am a qualified first aid trainer and assessor.

Background:I trained as an electrician and taught horse riding before re-training as a plumber and then taking 3 years out to play in a rock band. I got married at 27 and worked for British Gas for 6 years. I was then in partnership with my brother in a large plumbing and heating company. I have taught at Hastings College (Sussex Coast College Hastings) since 2002. Hobbies:Music, mowing my large lawn so my 3 dogs don’t get lost in the grass, the environment and energy issues.Advice:Get your qualification/s and then take time out travelling if you want. Attend all lessons on time: it will aid your learning.Proudest moment:Seeing my learners achieve and going on to a successful career. Getting a Highly Commended City and Guilds award, for which I was nominated by my learners.

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Mick O’Driscoll

Role: Learner MentorWhat do you do: Help students if they have a crisis and give them guidance and advice. Work with them on a one-to-one basis over a period of time to help them overcome any difficul-ties they encounter whilst at college.

Background:I have worked for 10 years at the college sup-porting the Student Union. Before that I was in London, where I used to be a PR Executive. Our clients included Ant and Dec, Peter Andre and Caprice.Hobbies:Music, making clothes, swimming, camping, fishing.Advice:The best careers advice I ever heard is: ‘find out what you like doing best and get someone to pay you for doing it’.Proudest moment:Seeing someone go on to achieve on their course after they were ready to drop out.

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Stella Carboni-Wren

Colleges’ Week 9th-15th Novemberwww.collegesweek.org

Whatever your skill, we’d like your 1 minute lesson for our website.

How to enter

Rules:

A PANEL OF EDUCATIONAL EXPERTS WILL PICK THE WINNING ENTRY

1Minute Lesson

1Minute Lesson

COMPETITION

COMPETITION

Any men out there in need of a trim? You are required by the Hair & Beauty department as a model. Don’t worry, you don’t need to look like Brad Pitt.Tuesday evening between 6pm - 8pm.Call to book your appointment!Tel: 01424 428494

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In over 20 years at the college, Hayley Jules has joked on more than one occasion that she may as well bring her bed in.Well on Friday November 20th that joke becomes a reality as Hayley and colleagues, plus 18 students, will do a ‘sleepover’ to raise money for Children in Need. To sponsor the team, speak to Hayley on ext. 8429.

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The competition for coming up with a name for this newsletter is being rolled over until the next edition in Decemeber, when we hope to announce the successful winner!

Keep those suggestions coming in!

COLLEGES WEEK – 9th to 15th NOVEMBERwww.collegesweek.org

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We give our learners the support they need to succeed, including those with disabilities, learning difficulties, medical conditions or those recovering from mental health problems. Our team assesses individual needs and removes barriers to learning wherever possible. We can provide one-to-one support and specialist equipment; so don’t hesitate to ask for advice. You can contact Additional Learning Support on 01424 458539, email ALS@sussexcoast.ac.uk, or get in touch via

Learner Services or your tutor.HE

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Printed on 100% recycled paper

Robin Angel Michael CallarPaul Askew Sheila FermorDavid Bloomfield Julia HopeJames Bloomfield Slavomira NecasMark Caton Lenka SramkovaCaroline Develyn Susan StocksAnna Dobrzynska Sandra Edir Laura Elliott David Kofoed Onya McCausland Tracey MurphyPhilip Perry Victoria PopeJane RunchmanHelen SheppardCaroline SherrardJoanne StillRachel StoneDanyel StratfordAnne Taylor

Alexander Waring Kathryn Brudenell-Bruce

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WELCOME TO FAREWELL TO

November datesMonday 2nd : Day of the Dead (‘El Día de los Muertos’) & All Souls DayMonday 5th : Guy Fawkes NightSaturday 7th : Battle BonfireWednesday 9th -15th : Colleges’ Week

Dates for your diary

Thanks to Brian ‘Bill’ Lower, from Facilities, who has distributed over 4,000 of our new 2010/2011 prospectuses to 100 destinations around Hastings, Rother and beyond over the past fortnight.Want to thank someone?Email up to 30 words tonewsletter@sussexcoast.ac.uk

Thank you!

30th September was the official opening of our Energy Centre on Castleham Industrial Estate. Around 80 people attended the event, including Hastings’ Mayor, Maureen Charlesworth. The Centre is run by the Construction and Engineering Division and offers training and qualifications in current and emergent energy systems, including

solar, wind and nuclear power, water safe-guarding, recycling and energy efficiency. Mohan Chana, Assistant Principal for Technology said: ‘These new technologies will be the norm in 10-15 years and now the south coast has the facilities to teach suppliers the techniques they need to thrive in the future’.

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Sports learners supported the East Sussex Young People’s Inclusive Sports Festival at Brighton University in Eastbourne. Bob Lake of the PE and Sports Development Service said ‘The success of the event was in no small way due to the efforts and expertise of sports leaders provided by Sussex Coast College Hastings’. The Chairman of the County Council said

‘The care taken to ensure young people were encouraged was wonderful’.200 pupils from special schools took part and the event was a huge success. Certificates were presented to Craig Puttock, Elliott Blyth-Brown and Luke Davey.

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Peter Suret, Equality and Diversity Officer, has been raising awareness of black history with posters and presentations around college. On 2nd November, the Catering Division celebrates black history, when chef Michael Little of The Jenny Lind and SCCH, and his learners create dishes from around the world. Black history in schools tends to focus on the slave trade, missing the wider context and feeding cultural misconceptions. Black History Month aims to paint the full picture of black history and celebrate the

individuals who played a part in it.

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