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Monthly Archives: February 2019

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Events, News

Success at Chef V Chef 2019

 

On the 15th February our Catering Department and Shrubbery Restaurant once again hosted the annual Chef v Chef Competition. This was an incredible day showcasing not only the talent of local Chefs but also of the Bath College Catering and Hospitality students.

 

To kick off the day students undertook a Canapé and Knife Skills Challenge. Tasked to create a selection of delicious canapés to be served at the awards ceremony at the end of the day. The students made a delicious selection, including a range of perfect Macarons! The winner of the Canapé Challenge was Modesta Petrauskaite, well done Modesta! Knife skills involved students preparing ingredients in different cutting styles, such as julienne and brunoise. They were then marked on how well they had prepared the ingredients and the accuracy of their cutting, the gold award winner of knife skills was Will Evans, closely followed by Fred Veal and Leon Dyer in second and third place respectively.

 

The Level 3 students were tasked with creating a two course meal to serve to guests in ample time. They had to design, cook and serve the meals, all whilst being keenly watched by our judges. This was a fantastic opportunity for them to practice in an environment much like a lunch service in a restaurant, with many high profile guests including the Mayor and Mayoress of Bath. The atmosphere in the kitchen was very tense, but the lunch service was a success and there wasn’t a scrap of food left on any of the plates! This meant the judges had an incredibly difficult decision to make, but ultimately it was Team Connaught who came out on top, consisting of Florence Sewell, Keziah Morgan and Thomas Will.

 

 

The day culminated in the Professional Chef Challenge, which saw Chefs from all over the local area coming down to compete. They needed to prepare a two course signature dish, consisting of a main and a dessert, all whilst being watched by our keen eyed judges. These plates were then tasted by the judges and a display plate was placed in the restaurant for viewing by attendees during the awards ceremony. Once the Chefs were finished they came out and mingled with the audience of the awards, where our Catering and Hospitality front of house students served drinks and the canapés made earlier to guests who were eagerly awaiting the winner’s announcement. After a long period of deliberation, the judges came to a decision, and Jethro Lawrence, Head Chef of Woolley Grange Hotel, was crowned the Professional Chef Champion! The celebration continued on, with more bubbly and canapés making the rounds as winners and runners up chatted about their dishes and collected their awards. What an incredible day! We can’t wait for next year.

 

We would like to thank our esteemed judges:

 

We would also like to thank our sponsors, without whom the day would not have been possible.

 

If you’re interested in our Catering and Hospitality courses, please click here

 

Otherwise scroll on for our complete list of winners and short gallery

 

Canapés challenge:

Gold: Modesta Petrauskaite

Silver: Molly Wilson

Bronze: Samuel Rossiter

 

Knife skills challenge:

Gold: Will Evans

Silver: Fred Veal

Bronze: Leon Dyer

 

Level 3 team challenge:

Gold: Team Connaught

  • Florence Sewell
  • Keziah Morgan
  • Thomas Will

 

Silver: Team Goring

  • Maddie Dodd
  • Jasmine Barnett
  • Ben Colley

 

Bronze: Team Savoy

  • Rosa Juodaky
  • Connor Adamson
  • Lewis Nash

 

Level 2 Team Challenge:

Gold: Team Pineapple

  • Destiny Smith
  • Liam Cottle

 

Silver: Team Strawberry

  • Lucy Knight
  • Emily Hunt

 

Bronze: Team Orange

  • Vikki Pearcey
  • Kaitlin Ellis

 

Front of House challenge

Winner: Ben Colley

Highly Commended: Thomas Will

 

Professional challenge

Gold: Jethro Lawrence. Head chef at Woolley Grange hotel.

Silver: Andrew jenkinson, Lucknam Park Hotel

Bronze: Fraser Jones (best western plus centurion hotel)

 

 

Have a look at some of these snaps from the day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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News

Bath College Stonemasonry Student on Road to Russia

 

A stonemasonry student from Bath College is taking on their toughest skills challenge to date this week, when they compete against other stonemasons to try and win a place to represent the UK at WorldSkills Kazan 2019 this summer.
 

Known as the ‘Skills Olympics’, the WorldSkills Competition sees the world’s best apprentices and students battle it out to win Gold, Silver and Bronze in their chosen skill. The UK is currently tenth in the WorldSkills rankings following its medal success at the last WorldSkills Competition in Abu Dhabi in 2017.
 
Ethan Conlon, who studies at Bath College and is also an apprentice with APS Stonemasonry in Oxford, was invited to compete for a place in Team UK for WorldSkills Kazan 2019 after excelling in the WorldSkills UK National Competitions. He will compete from 4 – 7 March at York College.
 
Joe Leber, Stonemasonry Lecturer at Bath College said: “We are delighted that Ethan has reached the final three for selection to compete at world skills in Kazan 2019, we are very proud of him and wish him the very best of luck in the final selection stage next week!”
 
WorldSkills UK is responsible for selecting, developing and training the team for the WorldSkills Competition. A partnership between business, education and governments, WorldSkills UK runs skills competitions for thousands of young people every year in key economic skill areas, boosting the technical skills, mindset and employability skills of young people.
 
Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE, Chief Executive of WorldSkills UK said: “I wish Ethan the very best of luck as he competes for a place in the team to represent the UK at WorldSkills Kazan 2019.
 
“By entering the WorldSkills Competition, we can transfer the insights gained from competing against other countries into the wider economy, driving up training standards in the UK to world-class levels, boosting productivity.”
 
Team UK for WorldSkills Kazan 2019 will be announced on 11 March.
 
Inspired by Ethan? WorldSkills UK is looking for apprentices and students to take part in WorldSkills Shanghai 2021. Register at www.worldskillsuk.org by 5 April and see how far your skills can take you.
 

 

International student being interviewed for International Foundation Year promotional video.

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News

Students star in promotional video for Bath University International Foundation Year programme

 

Our students have been busy making a new promotional video for our Bath University International Foundation Year (IFY) course.

 

Six students took part, Liza, Ricardo, Ethan, Anjani, Erin and Pearl, who were fantastic on the day of filming.
 
The students come from across four continents and really represent the diversity of the students we have on the IFY course.
 

“The students were great to work with and we are really pleased with the finished product. It tells the story of the course from the student point of view, which we think is really important.”

Simon Bracken, HE Manager at Bath College

 

Watch our new IFY promotional video below:
 

 

IFY is a one-year full-time course, beginning in September each year, which prepares international students for entry onto their chosen degree at the University of Bath.

 

The course is for international students whose qualifications are not considered for direct entry to a degree programme because of their home country’s education system, or for those who have studied the correct qualification but are not quite at the standard required for direct entry. It is designed to cover the key principles, theories and practical skills which are the standard entry criteria for the University of Bath, and broadly based on the A-level syllabus.

 

International students standing outside our City Centre Campus in Bath

Cameraman following international students through Bath

International students conducting science experiments at Bath College

 
 

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News

Bath College Business and Accounting students wow local Accounting Experts during Business Challenge

 

Last week 23 Level 3 Business BTEC and Accounting students participated in the annual Business and Accounting challenge. To complete the challenge Students had to look at a business case study and prepare a presentation to suggest the direction this business should take for the future. They had to work in teams to create their plans, thinking about how the business might grow and develop and what obstacles may be in their way. Midway through they were given newspaper articles and memos, which altered the plans of the business and challenged them to rethink and adjust. They had to show the judges they could adapt to different scenarios, just like in the ever changing world of business.

The challenge was run by Jack Henman from the Accountancy body ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales) and Donna West, Bath College’s own AAT Co-ordinator.  The judges themselves were all from local accountancy businesses, including MHA Monahans Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors, Richardson Swift LTD and Independent Vet Care.  Richardson Swift Ltd were kind enough to sponsor the trophies, which were given out at the end of the day to the team with the best plan. The decision as to who was the winner took a lot of deliberation from the judges, as all the students had done so well! After much discussion they came to an agreement and announced the winning team, which consisted of Bethany, Alexandra and Maddison.

If you’re interested in a Business or Accounting course please click here

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News

£32m investment approved by the West of England Joint Committee, giving Bath College £2m

 

More than £32 million investment in projects to drive economic growth and support residents’ skills was approved by the West of England Joint Committee on Friday 15 February.

 

Committee members agreed to invest £23.9 million from the Economic Development Fund and £7 million through the Local Growth Fund to support Bath & North East Somerset Council’s initial development works on Bath Quays North. The project will see the creation of around 200,000 square feet of offices on the Bath Quays North site in the Enterprise Zone.

 

The West of England Joint Committee also awarded Bath College more than £2 million from the Local Growth Fund to support the refurbishment of its Catering and Hospitality Education and Training Hub. This will create a state-of-the-art hub with specialist training facilities to keep pace with the growing demand for hospitality and catering sector skills.

 

Professor Steve West, Chair of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We are happy to approve the funding for these schemes which support our ambitions for clean and inclusive economic growth in the West of England, through improving skills opportunities for people across the region, helping more start-up businesses to develop and grow, and increasing productivity.”

 

Tim Bowles, West of England Mayor, said: “These are big, exciting projects that will make a real difference to our residents’ lives, boosting business, skills and job opportunities in Bath and the wider region.”

 

Councillor Paul Myers, Bath & North East Somerset Council’s cabinet member for Economic and Community Regeneration, said: “This funding both contributes to the physical development of key office space in Bath as well as delivering facilities essential for skills development for a future workforce and is to be welcomed. I am especially pleased that Bath continues to attract new business and with this funding we are demonstrating our commitment to economic vitality in the city and across the wider area.”

 

Laurel Penrose, Principal and CEO of Bath College: “We are delighted at the allocations of the capital funds for catering/hospitality and the next steps for the digital centre as we know how beneficial it will be to the local economy. Furthermore, it’s a real vote of confidence in Bath College’s staff and students, who will benefit greatly.”
 

The committee also invited the following colleges to develop further business cases for new projects, totalling more than £10 million, to benefit local learners and businesses:
• Bath College’s Digital and Creative Innovation Centre at the Bath city centre campus
• South Gloucestershire and Stroud College’s sub-regional Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths Hub, at its West of England Institute of Specialist Education campus at Stoke Gifford
• Weston College’s Animal Management Education Centre – a new education facility for the delivery of the animal management curriculum at Puxton Park.
 

The Joint Committee is the decision-making body for issues relating to the West of England Combined Authority, Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire councils, and the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership.
 

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News

Bath College introduces girls to careers in Construction, Engineering and Computing

 

Bath College held a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) workshop event – Bath Girls in Construction, Engineering and Computing at the Somer Valley Campus, introducing 30 local girls to the opportunities in the sector.
 

Year 9 and 10 girls were invited to attend workshops run by Bath College staff and guest speakers from companies such as Stride Treglown, Galliford Try, Buro Happold, Willmott Dixon and the Soroptimist Bath & District.
 

The girls took different workshops in which they built bridges out of different materials, tried on a robotic vest and even got to program robots to navigate around the surface of ‘Mars’, for which they won a Mars Bar if they were successful.
 

The day started with an introduction from Rachel Bell, an architect who is Head of Business Development and Divisional Director at Stride Treglown who has recently been nominated as one of 30 UK Construction Week role models and was a finalist in the European Women in Construction and Engineering Awards this year.
 

She said: “I am really proud to be regarded as a role model in the construction industry. There is still only 14% of the construction industry who are female. If you look at site based jobs and trades, that is reduced to just 1%.
 

“As an architect it’s exciting to see how technology is changing: how we draw, present and engage with design along with new apprenticeships and new careers emerging through connections to other industries.
 

“It was wonderful to be a part of the Bath Girls in Construction, Engineering and Computing day and help inspire the next generation of girls entering the sector.”
 

Dr Daisy Walsh, Head of Technology at Bath College said that: “We are delighted with how the day went, we had a fantastic selection of guest speakers who we hope will come back for future workshops.
 

“I was really impressed with how engaged the Year 10 and 11 learners were and hope to see them at the College in the next couple of years leading the way for young women in the industry.”
 

Bath College has a range of STEM courses, to find out more visit www.bathcollege.ac.uk
 

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Apprenticeships, News

Bath College’s Top Three Apprenticeships of the Month

 

February Edition

 

#1
Apprentice Care and Support Worker

This is an excellent route into the care industry. If you are reliable, caring, compassionate and organised you will be perfect for this role. This apprenticeship is based at Safe and Sound Homecare and is an ideal entry point in to the care industry, and on the apprenticeship you will gain a Level 2 Diploma in Care. Upon completion of the apprenticeship you will have the opportunity to progress within the sector. You will need to be aged 18 or older and hold a full UK driving license with access to your own transport. The salary is generous, at £6.15 per hour on weekdays and £7.15 per hour on weekends. The closing date is the 10th of February, so get your application in early! Click here to find out more information and apply.

#2
Business Administrator

This exciting Apprenticeship is in Bath’s brand new Casino, Century Casino. The Casino is set across three floors and includes a brand new private Beau Nash Suite which is available for private hire. The Apprenticeship will be working in the administration side providing support and ensuring the smooth running of the admin office. Some of your duties will include; payroll administration, HR administration, invoice processing, liaising with department heads plus many more. This apprenticeship is a great way to gain lots of administration experience including international liaison, as the accounts team is based in Colorado. Alongside your work you will complete an NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration. The wage is negotiable, and will not be less than £8 an hour. Applications close on the 24th February so make sure to get your application in early! You can find out more information and apply here.

#3
Junior Accounts Assistant

This last Apprenticeships is an ideal pathway into a career in accounting. The Apprenticeship is with Abel & Imray, a firm of Patent and Trade Mark Attorney’s. The role will be within the accounts team and will see you learn the systems and processes to work within and support the accounts team. Abel and Imray have offices in Bath, London and Cardiff, and this Apprenticeship is based in Bath. Alongside your apprenticeship you will study a qualification at Bath College, this will be a Level 2 Foundation Certificate in Accounting (AAT) and a Level 3 Intermediate Certificate in Financial and Management Accounting (ACCA). This is a great way to get experience and the relevant qualifications to succeed in the Accounting industry. The salary for this Apprenticeship is £250 per week, this is the minimum you will be paid, as depending on your prior or attained experience it will go up. If you’re interested in this Apprenticeship applications close on the 28th February, click here for more information or to apply.

 

If you would like to find out more about our Apprenticeship provision at Bath College please click here

 

If you would like to check all our Apprenticeship Vacancies please click here

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Apprenticeships, News, Student Spotlight

Apprentice of the Month: February 2019

 

 

 

Our February Apprentice of the Month is Charlotte Wetton. Charlotte is a second year Veterinary Nursing Apprentice working at Orchard Vets and has been nominated by her assessor Naomi.

 

The Veterinary Nursing course is aimed at anyone wanting to start a career as a small animal Veterinary Nurse and has an interest in all aspects of animal health and welfare. This is a great Apprenticeship for anyone looking to become a Veterinary Nurse and can lead to jobs such as Head Veterinary Nurse and also lead on to opportunities to specialise in other areas, such as Animal Welfare and Training.

 

Charlotte’s assessor Naomi told us:

“Charlotte has placed an enormous effort in taking feedback on from assessors and lecturers and applied this into new found knowledge to achieve the best grades she can. Because of this brilliant achievement and extended leap in her learning, Charlotte has been nominated for being a high achiever, the whole of the vet nursing team congratulate Charlotte on being apprentice of the month.”

 

It’s always difficult to select the Apprentice of the month, as they are all so hard working and achieve so much on their Apprenticeship journey. However, this month Charlotte really shone out for her high achievements and so was completely deserving of this award. Well done Charlotte!

 

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