futures MARCH 2009
futures10
CATH
RICHARDSON
PRINCIPAL, LAKES COLLEGE WEST CUMBRIA
HIGHER & FURTHER EDUCATION
Hand in hand: Education and vocation
E
DUCATION is, as the whole world is,
in a state of flux. The introduction
of the new Diplomas for 14 to
19-year-olds, the development of
academies, foundation degrees and
funding streams such as Train to Gain are
just a few of the initiatives facing the
education and employment sector.
All have their critics and their
champions and none have really been
given the opportunity to succeed or fail.
This overhaul of education, in particular
the Diplomas, is to ready students for the
working world and, refreshingly, to marry
vocational and academic learning that
have been mutually exclusive far too
long, in my opinion.
Historically, the more academic
students have been encouraged to
achieve in their GCSEs, continue on to
their A-Levels and then step straight in to
university. Some students then do not
start their first job until they are 21 and
although academically they may well be
very highly qualified often the employer
still has to take the university graduate
through an internal process or further
education, learning basic business sense
such as dealing with peers, senior
management and customers,
time-keeping and organisational skills or
specific industry-led qualification to make
them truly "work ready".
Recent headlines in British broadsheets
said that the UK is `awash with
unemployable graduates' and plans to
introduce a graduate internship
programme which encourages businesses
to take on graduates at a reduced wage.
Here at the college, vocational
qualifications are at the core of what we
do, as is producing our own "graduates"
that are qualified and ready and able to
step straight in to work and become an
immediate asset. Work experience,
work/study schemes such as
apprenticeships, industry specialists
teaching subjects and close links with
employers who inform and often design
our curriculum offer gives our students
the edge when stepping out in to the
working world.
However, a vocational education is
often regarded by some as a poor second
choice, particularly those who wish to
pursue a career that involves continuing
on to higher education.
Even if you want to pursue what would
be considered a usual academic route and
continue on to university then our level 3
BTEC diplomas are equivalent to 3 A
Levels and provide enough points to get
in to Oxford or Cambridge if you so
desired!
This route works particularly well in
areas such as our sport programme, which
sees the majority of our students
progressing on to higher education.
Although some parents and students
may be concerned with the changes in
education it is opening up opportunities
to students that can result in a highly
educated and eminently employable
graduate.
STUDENTS MARCH ON
Claire: The
next chapter
T
HE West Cumbria Catholic Sixth Form
Centre saw scores of prospective
students walk through its doors for an
open evening.
The open evening at the centre, at St
Benedict's School, Whitehaven, gave
teenagers the opportunity to look round.
With 250 students following a variety of
courses � including 26 Level 3 subjects and a
number of Level 2 subjects � the sixth form
is one of the most popular centres for
higher education in West Cumbria.
In recent months the sixth form has
enjoyed a record number of students
applying to university. Out of 115 final year
students, 108 have applied to UCAS.
This increase in numbers, according to
staff, has been put down to a programme
of student support, tutor mentoring and
sound advice at university visits.
U
NIVERSITY of Cumbria creative
writing graduate Claire Lewis is
one of the featured writers in a
new anthology showcasing a
decade of award-winning
unpublished writers.
Ten Years After has been published to
celebrate the 10th anniversary of the
Northern Writers' Awards, to support
unpublished writers from the North East
and recognise their talents.
Claire is one of only 11 writers to be
featured in the book, who have all won
prizes at the Northern Writers' Awards
over the years.
Claire won the Northern Promise
Award earlier this year after submitting
the first chapter of The Dinosaur Room, a
novel she wrote while studying at
Cumbria Institute of the Arts in Carlisle -
now University of Cumbria's Brampton
Road Campus.
Her prize was a �3,500 bursary and the
opportunity to receive mentoring and
some feedback from the Literary
Consultancy Agency.
Since then she has been working on her
second novel, A Sick Work of Art. It's the
opening of this novel which is featured in
Ten Years After.
Claire said: "I'm really excited about
the anthology. It seems like a great way to
get more exposure for my work and it is
good to know that other people thought
my work was good enough to be
included."
Claire credits her time spent studying
at the Brampton Road Campus for making
her a stronger writer.
She added: "When I compare pieces of
work which I wrote at the beginning and
end of the course, I notice a real
difference. I think I learned a lot, more
than I had expected to, and really
benefited from the input of Nick
Pemberton and the other lecturers."
Nick Pemberton, creative writing
lecturer at the university, said: "It's
always a buzz to see people's talents being
recognised. Last year an early draft of The
Dinosaur Room was runner up the Helene
de Coudray prize for the best
undergraduate novel of the year � an
award organised by one of the Oxford
Colleges. Now the same book has led her
to this new award. Money, mentoring and
publication � what more could a young
writer ask for?"
WRITE LINES: Claire Lewis
BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE: Students from the West Cumbria Catholic Sixth Form Centre on a
university trip to Newcastle. In recent months the sixth form has enjoyed a record number of
students applying to university, partly helped by a series of university visits.
College helps engineer's dream come true
A
WORKINGTON teenager has proved
that dreams really do come true.
Since the age of six it has been
Damien O'Connell's ambition to be a
marine engineer in the Navy and now that
dream is becoming reality.
Damien, who left school at the age of 16
to study an NVQ in performing engineering
operations at Lakes College, felt the one
year course would be beneficial to him and
give him the engineering experience he
needed to get a step closer to his dream
job.
In March last year Damien, 17,
successfully applied to join the Navy.
Damien said: "It was very
nerve-wracking, I was eventually getting
the opportunity to prove myself and show
how determined I was to achieve a place in
the navy. When I found out I had passed I
was over the moon, I was finally going to
get to do what I had dreamed about for so
long."
After nine hard weeks of basic training at
HMS Raleigh in Torpoint, Cornwall �
including marching drill, fire fighting, first
aid, sailing, rifle drill and shooting practice
� he passed out on the January 23.
Damien is now on phase two of his
training to become a marine engineer
dealing with the ship's engines.
He will spend 18 weeks at HMS Sultan
then have his first deployment to sea.
OVER
THE
MOON:
Damien
O'Connell

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