Press Releases

Members from the local business community have been given advice on how to be competitive in difficult economic times at an event hosted by Burton College.

Held in partnership with Business Link West Midlands, the event was organised by the recently established Economic Focus Group, a partnership of local business organisations, which aims to provide support and advice to the community, and was designed to provide a positive perspective of the current economic situation, showing businesses how to take advantage of the downturn.

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Learners from Burton College’s Highways programme, which is especially designed for young people with learning difficulties, have taken part in a variety of activities to raise over £350 for the RSPCA Burton on Trent Branch.

The RSPCA works to prevent cruelty, promote kindness and alleviate suffering of animals. As part of this, the Animal Centre, based at Stretton, offers re-homing facilities, pet care information and subsidised veterinary treatment.

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Students from Burton College have held a cabaret designed to showcase the dance, music and drama work they have written, choreographed and performed over the last year.

The End of Year Cabaret, which was performed at the Belvedere Park Club, involved over 150 students from a range of Performing Arts, Dance and Music Technology courses, performing a variety of dance, music, singing, musical theatre and drama pieces.

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A young painter and decorator from Church Gresley has been confirmed as being amongst the top young tradespeople in the East Midlands after her performance at the Regional Area Finals of the national Skillbuild competition. Sponsored by CITB-ConstructionSkills and Jewson, the competition, which is part of WorldSkills UK, is designed to promote excellence amongst young craftspeople in the country.

Held at Moulton College in Northamptonshire, the competition saw apprentices in the East Midlands compete against each other in Construction Craft trades including Bench Joinery, Site Carpentry, Painting and Decorating, Brickwork and Plastering.

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Over 400 students from the Faculty of Creative Studies at Burton College have showcased a range of their work in an imaginative End of Year Exhibition.

On show was a cross section of art, design, film and media work representing the current range of courses on offer that have allowed students to specialise in specific areas of expertise including fine art and illustration, photography, sculpture, interior and furniture design, textiles, surface pattern, fashion, ceramics and glass, graphic design, film making, animation and multi media computer based art work.

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Two Burton College learners have taken part in the national trials of the 2009 Mencap Sport National Five A Side Football Championships.

As part of a team from Burton’s CREST (Challenge Resource Endeavour Support & Training) sport, leisure and training centre and club for people with mixed abilities, Nick Ford (26) from Burton, a learner on the College’s Level 1 Literacy course and Clifford Reid (34) from Burton, a learner on the Adult Foundation Programme, came first in the trials, winning the gold medal.

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Four Performing Arts students from Burton College are celebrating after winning places at some of the country’s top training academies.

Natalie Lisle (18) from Wilnecote and Katie Thornewill (17) from Mickleover have been successful in securing places at Expressions Academy of Performing Arts, which is fast becoming one of the leading Academies of Performing Arts in the country. Based in Mansfield, Expressions offers training in dancing, singing and acting and both girls will be joining a three year Musical Theatre course.

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Burton’s Brewhouse has been the venue for “A Celebration of Cats”, a Musical Theatre Evening devised and performed by dance students from Burton College.

A form of theatre combining music, songs, dialogue and dance, The Musical Theatre evening featured extracts from the famous musical Cats, the spectacular composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber which ran for 21 years in the West End.

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A team of three accounting students from Burton College are celebrating after a winning performance in the Regional Area Finals of a prestigious competition has secured them a place in the National Finals.

As part of “Burton’s Best”, a team name chosen to reflect the town’s brewing heritage, Andrew Briers a trainee accounting technician at Burton College, Steph Jones who works as an Accounts Manager at Leisure Vehicle Services Ltd and Accounts Payable Clerk Laura James who is employed at International Hotels Group, won their heat of the WorldSkills UK Accounting Technician Skills.

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Students from Burton College’s BTEC Music Technology course have enjoyed a visit to the BBC’s Radio 1 and 1XTRA studios in London.

The group were given an exclusive tour of the radio station and its facilities together with the chance to meet DJ Scott Mills, who currently presents the station’s weekday 4.00pm until 7.00pm show. In addition, they were shown the station’s newsroom, known as the newsbeat facility, and were allowed to engineer and present a news slot.

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Over 400 students from the Faculty of Creative Studies at Burton College are showcasing a range of their work in an imaginative End of Year Exhibition.

On show will be a cross section of art, design, film and media work representing the current range of courses on offer that have allowed students to specialise in specific areas of expertise including fine art and illustration, photography, sculpture, interior and furniture design, textiles, surface pattern, fashion, ceramics and glass, graphic design, film making, animation and multi media computer based art work.

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A Burton College apprentice is one of the country’s top young technicians after his winning performance in the Regional Area Finals of a prestigious competition has secured him a place in the National UK Finals.

Chris Wileman (18) from Ashby, a motor vehicle apprentice who works at Castle Garage in Ashby, won the East Midlands Regional Finals of the national Automobile Technology competition. Organised as part of Worldskills UK, the competition is designed to promote excellence amongst young craftspeople in the UK, encouraging them to excel in their vocational area.

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Two representatives from the Pertemps Recruitment Partnership team based at the Burton office, have visited Burton College to give students on a range of Business Administration courses, cv and interview advice.

The students had the opportunity to participate in mock interviews run by Matt Rowell and Lorna Simpson, who also provided advice on how best to prepare a cv including tips on layout.

Talking about the visit, College Lecturer Linda Scrimshaw said, “It was very good of the Pertemps team to spend time with the students.

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Four photography students from Burton College have successfully beaten off stiff competition from across the country to reach the finals in a prestigious nationwide photographic competition, organised by Fujifilm Professional in conjunction with Penguin Books.

Within the competition, photography students were asked to provide an image for the cover of the next edition of Rachel Carson’s revolutionary work Silent Spring, taking a picture, to capture the significance of the book’s subject: the human destruction of our environment.

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Two representatives from Barclays Bank have visited Business students at Burton College to provide an insight into the financial management of businesses.

In their roles as Local Business Manager, Donna Kelly-Walley and Robert Barke spoke to the BTEC First Diploma in Business students about various financial issues including profit and loss and cash-flow and break-even forecasts. In addition, the group learnt about fraud and how to prevent it.

Talking about the visit, Lecturer Cheran Stevens said, “This visit was organised as part of the Investigating Financial Control module of the students’ course.

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Learners from Burton College have gained an insight into the re-manufacturing industry with a visit to local specialist engineering company LH Group Services.

The group, who are following the Learning for Life course for adults with learning difficulties and disabilities, toured the Barton under Needwood based facilities, seeing first hand the company’s specialist re-manufacturing workshops and equipment.

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The training restaurant at Burton College has been awarded the highest grade possible for its food hygiene.

Following an “on the spot” inspection by the council’s Environmental Health Officers, the Mulberry Restaurant at the Lichfield Street campus, scooped the prestigious five star award for its food safety and hygiene, signifying “excellent” standards.

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Dance students from Burton College have performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall; one of the most prestigious theatre venues in the country.

The group of 23 students took part in The Stars in the Round show, which is traditionally staged twice a year at the Hall. Organised by Mardi Gras Promotions, the UK’s number one production company for youth dance events, the show is designed to raise awareness of and standards in young dance performances, bringing together a number of dance schools and colleges from across the country.

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