12 learning January/February 2009
HE, FE & WORK-BASED
NEWS IN BRIEF
Learning awards: How to nominate
The Cumberland News is sponsoring
the 2009 learndirect Achievement
Awards.
Nominations can be made by
visiting www.learndirect.co.uk/awards
before the March 27 closing date.
The awards aim to honour individual
learners or businesses who are going
that extra mile to develop their own
skills or to improve the skills base of
workers in their local communities.
Long service: Teachers honoured
Around 20 teachers were among
Cumbria County Council staff
honoured for 35 years' continuous
service.
They included Learning columnist
Alan Rutter, who is head at Carlisle's
Robert Ferguson School; Andy
Connell, a teacher at Appleby
Grammar School and Terry Whelpdale,
who recently retired from Trinity
School in Carlisle.
Conference: Roger is guest speaker
Cumbrian-
born
broad-
caster
Roger
Bolton
will be
the star
speaker
at a
conference taking place on January 31
that aims to strengthen links between
the University of Cumbria and the
community.
Mr Bolton, presenter of Radio 4's
Feedback, will address delegates at
the Fusehill Street campus in Carlisle.
`A 21st-Century University in its
Local Community' is an event
organised jointly by the university and
Rotary International.
Rural colleges: Supporting schools
Dumfries & Galloway College is
embarking on a new project to find
out how rural colleges can support
local schools.
It will investigate how challenges of
small and sparse populations can be
overcome to ensure young people
growing up in rural areas don't miss
out on educational opportunities.
Dumfries and Galloway College
already works with over 900 school
pupils from 16 secondary schools
across the 2,500 square miles of its
region.
Rural Foyer: Eden tops UK list
Eden Rural Foyer, which offers a wide
range of support to disadvantaged
young people, has been named the
top performing project of its kind in
the UK.
The Penrith-based scheme scored
more highly than any of the other 134
local foyers in an annual accreditation
inspection.
The Eden Rural Foyer offers
housing with support, including
training and development, to young
people between the ages of 16 to 25.
MICK FARLEYDirector for Cumbria, Univ. of Central Lancashire
HIGHER THOUGHTSI
hope it's not too late to be wishing
everyone a happy new year and at the
same time hope that with 2009 will
come some better public understanding
of the complex nature of child protection
issues.
The absolutely disgraceful popular
press coverage last year of the
desperately tragic Baby P case sank to
unprecedented depths in vilifying social
workers. The media witch hunt will add
to the profession's recruitment and
retention problems as potential social
workers are scared away, fearing that if
they make mistakes they might be
defamed by the whole nation.
In Haringey, a quarter of the social
work jobs are unfilled and half of those
that are, are filled by agency staff.
The unbalanced, not to say hysterical,
press coverage of the Baby P case will
have made matters worse not only in
Haringey but elsewhere in the country.
There was little attempt to explain the
complex nature of difficult child
protection issues; no understanding that
people who harm children are skilled in
deceit; no mention of recent research
showing that 10 per cent of children
suffer physical, sexual and emotional
abuse or neglect; no explanation that one
reason why social workers are reluctant
to take children into care is because
`Every child matters': the best
agenda for children's services
Carlisle City Council celebrated the
achievements of 45 staff and
members who gained qualifications
from literacy to postgraduate
diplomas with an event at Tullie
House.
City council: Qualifications honoured
The Government wants 10,000 more apprenticeships by 2012. Dave
Mutter tells Kelly Eve about his 10-year journey from apprentice to boss
E
arning his own money at 16 was
enough drive for Dave Mutter to
carve himself out a successful
career at one of Carlisle's leading
businesses.
Ten years on and Dave, now 26, is
climbing the managerial ladder and is
still grabbing the opportunities that
work-based learning offers.
It was a call from a careers adviser
while he was in year 11 that was the life-
changing moment for Dave, who was
brought up in Anthorn.
At the time, he was pondering whether
to stay on at Nelson Thomlinson School
in Wigton and take A levels. Instead, he
was offered the chance of going for an
apprenticeship at the former
CarnaudMetalbox factory in Botcherby,
Carlisle, now known as Crown Bevcan.
Dave said: "I left school in 1998. I'd
A foot in the door
on the factory floor
On the up: David Mutter, engineering co-ordinator (aluminum plant) at the Crown Bevcan plant in Botcherby, Carlisle.
`At the age of 26 I'm still learning but I want to progress up the ladder so it's the way to go' PICTURES: LOUISE PORTER

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