Richmond upon Thames College (RuTC) recently hosted the first Sightlines to Careers Week in the current academic year which took off with an enthusiastic start with a number of guest employers and professionals providing students vital and important information to enhance their skills and prepare them for the world of work.

Throughout the week (15-18 November) industry experts for major companies including British Airways, Cisco and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) shared their personal work experiences and journeys with RuTC’s Business, Travel & Tourism, IT and Science students.

British Airways cabin crew staff, Jay Howard Vale and Aldrin Brainard, discussed teamwork, customer service and problem-solving skills to help students become better equipped for work experience and apprenticeship programmes.

Camilla Reeve, Senior Editor from Palewall Press, delivered a presentation on her organisation’s aims and objectives, and how it impacts popular thinking.

Linda Hansell from Arts Richmond, spoke to students about ‘writing as a creative exercise’ also highlighting the Young Writers’ Competition organised annually which promotes arts and culture in the London Borough of Richmond.

Dr Francisco Cabrera, Marie Curie Scholar at the City University in London, outlined to Engineering students the importance of changing energy landscape in the fields of technological advancement which will impacts the daily lives of ordinary citizens.

The GP Alliance in Richmond was represented by two experienced professionals, Karen Crawford and Wendy Majewska, who spoke about the wide range of NHS career pathways available to Health & Social Care students and the importance of work experience to complement vocational learning.

The week ended with Melissa Robinson and Ethan Paice from Cisco, a leading networking company, highlighting various pathways in the IT sector and how their organisation could be a stepping stone towards success.

Tirthankar Bandyopadhyay, RuTC Work Experience Co-ordinator was delighted with how well the week was received by students saying “Sightlines to Careers is a fantastic opportunity for students to learn from and find out more about the organisations which operate in various industries and how their subjects are relevant.

"These experiences can help students to secure their first role as well as offering them the chance to conceptualise in real life the subjects they have studied. It is also a great chance for employers to develop their social responsibility, by helping their community and inspiring students for the future.”

Learn more about studying at RuTC here

In October, Richmond upon Thames College’s A Level Government and Politics students attended the ‘Battle of Ideas Festival’ at Church House, Westminster.

The Battle of Ideas Festival is a two-day event in which academics, commentators, artists and the audience come together to debate in a public forum style an assortment of topics, such as cancel culture, modern parenting, policing, biometrics, immigration and many more.

The festival takes place in London and Buxton for three days in the UK and other European cities including Warsaw, Berlin, Stockholm and Athens.

Student, Kiera Napier attended one of the festival days at Church House, learning interesting political knowledge. as well as challenging some of her existing beliefs about the police, culture, health, and American political systems.

Kiera attended four debates, ‘Who do the police serve?’ ‘Is cancel culture killing the arts?’ ‘Can America survive the cultural wars’ and ‘Too Fat – Too thin: Are we obsessed with calories?’

Kiera discusses her time at the festival, saying, “At the Battle of Ideas, they believed that the more discussions you have, the more it will impact on how the future is formed. I really cherished the different perspectives I encountered and where I can now incorporate them into my own political opinions.

“This was a fantastic experience in which I discovered many diverse types of opinions. Anyone interested in politics or debate should participate in this festival. I am grateful to have attended an environment where free expression is encouraged.”

Learn more about studying Government and Politics at Richmond upon Thames College, here

In October, Level 3 Travel and Tourism students, attended the West London Young Hoteliers & Hospitality Conference at the Marriott Hotel, Heathrow.

During the conference the students had the chance to find out valuable information about how the hospitality and tourism industries cater to customers’ needs and the different jobs available within both industries.

The students also met with a number of industry speakers from a variety of sectors, including lecturers and managers from University South Wales Trinity St David (USWTD) and gained interesting and thoughtful insight into their respective roles.

Hannah Talabany, Travel and Tourism teacher said the event was a brilliant opportunity for her students, remarking, “The students had a tremendous time at the conference, they fed back to me later how much they enjoyed the event.

“Conferences like this one are a great chance for students to learn more about the world of work, higher education and the hospitality industry at large, by speaking and engaging with real people in the industry who can inspire them through their experiences.”

Learn about studying Travel and Tourism at RuTC, here

Check out the gallery below. 

At the end of October, Richmond upon Thames College won ‘Best Training Provider’ at the ECITB (Engineering, Construction Industry Training Board) Awards 2022.

The College was nominated along with Forth Valley College, Hexis Training and Hydratight HTL.

The College won the award for being an exceptional ECITB approved training provider with a proven track record in delivering high quality training and assessment and through this, has created a positive impact with learners and employers throughout 2021.

The award acknowledges and celebrates Richmond upon Thames College as an exceptional ECITB approved training provider and recognises the impact it has made by delivering exemplary training to learners and employers.

Sheila Fraser-Whyte, Executive Director of Business Development and Innovation at RuTC was delighted to accept the award on behalf of the college, saying “Winning this award (Best Training Provider) is an absolute honour for our Engineering and Construction team.

“We know we provide the highest quality level of training but feel extremely honoured to have won such a highly regarded award.

“Huge thanks go to our brilliant Engineering and Construction teachers, for all of their hard-work, passion, effort and commitment to their students and subject.”

As well as taking home an ECITB award, RuTC engineering student, Mikey Boncey was nominated for ‘Scholar of the Year’ which although he didn’t win, was declared a finalist.

The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) is the employer-led skills, standards and qualifications body for the development of the engineering construction workforce of Great Britain.

Learn more about studying Construction and Engineering at Richmond upon Thames College, here.

In July 2022, Richmond upon Thames College received an award for ‘Best Digital Marketing’ at the Richmond Business Excellence Awards.

As well as receiving an award for Digital Marketing, the College was also highly commended for a Best Environmental and Sustainability award.

The College was nominated alongside Super Structures Associates, PageTiger and Studio K, but won the award for its well-executed and eye catching 2021 digital marketing campaigns.

Deputy chair of the London Chambers of Commerce, Anne Newton explained why Richmond upon Thames College won the reputable award explaining, “The winner delivered excellent and engaging digital media, aimed perfectly at their target audience of students, parent, stakeholders, including sector colleagues and the wider community.

“This digital communication medium proved even more critical during the pandemic, as many students were still distance learning. Congratulations to Richmond upon Thames College directors, staff and the marketing team for a well-deserved win.”

Learn about studying at RuTC, here

At the end of October, our Level 3 Art and Design students were recognised and awarded by the Friends of Turner’s House in Twickenham for their intricately planned and orchestrated impressive project in collaboration with the Turner’s House Trust.

Earlier this year, the students were tasked with creating a collection of decorative and functional that would professionally manufactured for the trust’s gift shop of the late artist, JMW Turner. Turner was one of Britain’s greatest and most prolific painters, best known for is expressive colouring, imaginative landscapes and turbulent marine paintings.

To develop inspiration for the pieces, students explored JMW Turner’s house, analysing his works of art and learning what may best appeal to visitors of the trust.

Each student created at least three products which could be sold using 2D and 3D techniques, including clay, glass, textiles and printmaking. Some of the products included ceramic tiles and coasters and lino prints developed into greetings cards and notelets.

In October, the students finally unveiled their efforts to representatives from Friends of Turner’s House at an awards presentation in the college’s art exhibition space.

Winner, Sam Lee Randall, and two runners-up, Yusuf Belkadi and Tom Ralph, were announced on the day, for designing great products.

Sam won because he explored Turner’s work and life through a range of technical experiments all to a high standard. He produced an organised project which took its inspiration from Turner’s work and his love of fishing and mallards.

His work was chosen because of his attention to the context of his work and ultimately his focus on achieving an accomplished final outcome that has detail and a high quality of finish especially considering his use of paper stencils to achieve his T shirt print.

Teacher, Adele Marolf was impressed by the passion, skill and care each student put into their project, saying, “My students have done an incredible job at designing and producing a real variety of brilliant, thoughtful gifts for Turner’s House – this project has been essential for their development as working artists, as working to a brief for a client is something they will face in the world of work.”

Check out the gallery below, for some pictures from the awards presentation. 

Learn about studying Creative Arts and Media at RuTC, here