Glasgow Kelvin College

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Glasgow Kelvin College is a ‘Beacon’ in Glasgow

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Glasgow Kelvin College was presented with a UK national award at the Association of Colleges Beacon Awards held at Westminster this week. [box style=”light-blue ” ]The Award was presented for the College’s innovative Youth Access Programme which was judged to be a shining example of this type of programme in the ‘Widening Participation 14-19yrs’ category and was sponsored and presented by the University of Southampton.  Alan Sherry, Glasgow Kelvin College’s Principal, received the award on behalf of the College at a glittering ceremony on Wednesday afternoon.[/box]

Alan Sherry, Principal at Glasgow Kelvin College with the Beacon Award presented for the College’s innovative Youth Access Programme which was judged to be a shining example of this type of programme in the ‘Widening Participation 14-19yrs’ Youth Access Programme

The College’s Youth Access programme supports young people aged 12-17 from the North East of Glasgow in youth club settings to develop an early relationship with lifelong learning.

They learn, based on their own interests, transferable ICT skills through creative hardware and software.  Their learning is recognised through a variety of youth work awards, benchmarked College certificates, SQA units and arts awards.  The young people also gain the key social skills required for effective communication with peers and with adults.

The programme is led by college youth workers and further support is provided by partner youth workers in community settings.  A typical week will involve 26 sessions in 15 different venues, with average attendances of over 20 young people at each.   A variety of partnership arrangements are in place at each of the different venues.

The North East area of Glasgow witnesses significantly high levels of deprivation and social exclusion.  Therefore the Youth Access programme widens access to the opportunities which relevant skills and qualifications can provide.  The College felt it was essential that young people have the opportunity to progress to further learning and gain the skills needed by employers.  In fact, almost 30% of them ultimately progress to full-time College programmes.

A delighted Alan Sherry, Principal at Glasgow Kelvin College, said;

[quote] Glasgow Kelvin College is truly proud that its work to ensure young people remain engaged positively with education has been recognised in such a prestigious way and we are very pleased indeed to receive this UK-national accolade.

We are very grateful to the Association of Colleges and to the University of Southampton for recognising the importance of the programme in helping young people to remain engaged with learning, in spite of any other challenges they may face in their lives.  ‘Youth Access’ is a key route to accessing learning for local young people, guiding them towards the skills and qualifications they will need in the jobs market.

The Award is also a tribute to the hard work of our partners who have supported this innovative programme.

We are delighted for all the staff and young people involved in the Youth Access initiative  –  this Award is for them.” [/quote] [box style=”light-blue contact” ]

For further information, please contact:

Lesley Lang,
Communications & Planning Manager

Tel: 0141 630 5168
Mob: 07860 730 909
Email:llang@newsite.glasgowkelvin.ac.uk [/box]

Samsung Young Achiever of the Year Award

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Young Achiever Aydan MacMillan
Young Achiever Aydan MacMillan

On Wednesday the 27th of November the Princes Trust held their annual Celebrate Success awards.

The top award of the night, the Samsung Young Achiever of the Year Award, saw one of our Get Into Security students, Ayden MacMillan as a finalist.

Aged just 17, Aydan’s life was turned upside down – his mum died and he was left grieving, to fend for himself. With Prince’s Trust support, Aydan is now in full-time work, paying his own way and on the path to achieving his life-long dream of becoming a policeman.

Aydan was a runner-up for the award and we would like to offer him our sincere Congratulations.

Aydan’s story can be found on The Prince’s Trust website.

Last year’s winner of the Samsung Young Achiever of the Year award was also a Get Into Security student of ours, that’s the second year running that one of our students has placed in the running for the top award.