HE careers day promotes opportunities in horseracing

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Many of our equine science undergraduates are considering careers in horseracing following a successful HE information event focused on the industry.

After hearing about the variety of well paid and rewarding jobs which are available, 72% of students said that they would definitely think more about entering the industry.

The careers day was held in our dedicated HE faculty in partnership with Cheshire Racing Hub, which promotes horseracing as a career among school and college students. The event was aimed at illustrating the less recognised jobs such as marketing, media and office administration as well as more familiar race riding, grooming, veterinary research and breeding.

Opportunities for global travel were emphasised, along with the industry’s  well regulated standards of employment which include sickness and holiday benefits and bonuses.

Gillian Carlisle, Chief Executive, The British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre, told the audience: “The British Racing industry embraces young people. There are so many opportunities all over the world, so make sure you make the most of work experience and go somewhere exciting. Make sure you have transferable skills and above all be passionate about what you do.”

Other Inspirational speakers included Tallulah Lewis, Executive of The Thoroughbred Club, Samantha Trainer, a roving assessor for the Northern Racing College and Elisha Whittington, a work jockey at Manor House Stables, Michael Owen’s racing yard in Cheshire.

BSc Equine Science undergraduates Krystina Whitmore and Emily Cockerill spoke enthusiastically of their experiences while working in the racing industry and of the buzz of race days, and jockeys from Oliver Greenall Racing, Malpas, gave a ridden demonstration and commentary in Reaseheath’s indoor arena.

Said Dr Jan Birch, HE Equine Programme Leader: “The racing careers day was a resounding success. The students really enjoyed it and the pre and post event questionnaires revealed that the number  who would consider a career in the racing industry had risen from 30% to 72%!”

Reaseheath College, a leader in equine education, is for the first time offering a bespoke racing module within its equine courses which has been taken up by over 40  students.

For further details of Reaseheath’s equine degrees see www.reaseheath.ac.uk /higher-education/courses/equine

Header caption: Speakers and students at the HE Horseracing Careers Day

Inaugural BYRDS Symposium hosted at Reaseheath Equestrian Centre

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Last weekend, the inaugural British Young Riders Dressage Scheme (BYRDS) Symposium was held at Reaseheath College Equestrian Centre.

The schedule for the BYRDS Symposium, which was titled ‘Two Athletes – One Performance’, was packed-full of interactive presentations from a host of industry experts with topics ranging from sports science, rider psychology and training methods.

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Reaseheath’s apprentice stars recognised

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A trainee groundsman at one of the country’s top golf courses and a trainee food development technologist who helps to bring new ready meals to the supermarket shelf took the top titles at Reaseheath College’s Apprenticeship Awards.

Advanced Apprentice of the Year James Tickner of Hitchen Foods

Advanced Apprentice of the Year James Tickner of Hitchen Foods

Peter Lewis, an apprentice groundsman at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, was crowned ‘Level 2 Apprentice of the Year’ while James Tickner, a development apprentice with Bakkavor Hitchen Foods, Wigan, was awarded ‘Advanced Apprentice of the Year’.

The event marked the achievements of 150 apprentices who had gained their qualifications at the Nantwich, Cheshire, specialist college in the past year. It was held during National Apprenticeships Week, a celebration of the benefits which apprentices bring to businesses and to the national economy by increasing productivity and providing workforce succession.

Also selected for special awards were Best Horticulture Apprentice Rebecca Dawson, who works at Cholmondeley Castle Gardens, Malpas, Best Construction Apprentice (Brickwork) Adam Platt, who is employed by Greg Lambert Ltd., building contractors in Northwich and Best Construction Apprentice (Joinery) Ewan Collins of Magno Property Maintenance in Whitchurch.

Best Agricultural Apprentice was Jordan Brandrick, who works for his family’s arable farm in Burton-on-Trent and Best Food Apprentice was William Hill, an apprentice butcher with Woolliscroft Butchers, Stoke-on-Trent

Best Agricultural Engineering Apprentice (Parts, Sales and Marketing) was Mary Wallbank, a customer care trainee with Guy Machinery Ltd, Gisburn, Lancashire. Mary, 21, joined guest speaker Lee Webster, Managing Director of Hultons Landscapes, on stage to make a presentation to a packed audience of employers and families.

Best Agricultural Engineering apprentice (Parts, Sales and Marketing) Mary Wallbank addresses guests

Best Agricultural Engineering apprentice (Parts, Sales and Marketing) Mary Wallbank addresses guests

Opening the ceremony, Reaseheath Principal Meredydd David emphasised that apprenticeships were recognised by the government as the preferred training route for employers and that demands for places from young people were currently at an all time high.

The apprenticeship training programme delivered meaningful and highly valued qualifications along with skills and knowledge which were of vital importance to the country’s economy. Continuous upskilling was essential if the UK’s workforce was to be able to compete in European and world markets.

Describing the apprentices as the future leaders of local businesses and communities, he said: “You will be the influencers and the drivers for change. Through the skills and knowledge you have gained, and through your resilience and adaptability, you will prosper.”

Meredydd also pointed out that Reaseheath’s apprenticeship provision had earned praise from Ofsted inspectors last November, with the college’s outstanding work with employers and the industries it serves being particularly commended.

The college’s apprenticeship frameworks and success rates were well above the national average and apprentice satisfaction rates were also very high.

Speaking from the employers’ point of view, Lee Webster confirmed:  “A Reaseheath apprenticeship is a qualification that horticultural employers value highly. Having a Reaseheath ticket on their CV helps to make young people more employable.”

Reaseheath currently has 355 apprentices studying agriculture, agricultural engineering, animal care, construction, construction plant, food industry skills, horse care, horticulture, motor vehicle and sports turf.

Other apprentices to be commended during the evening were:

Certificates of Excellence:

Owen Taylor (Horticulture – Tatton Park Gardens)

Beth Grindey (Agriculture – G Marrow and Partners, Congleton)

Bethan Roberts (Animal Care – Groom Room, Chester)

Dan Waring (Sports Turf – Ashbourne Golf Club)

Joshua Martin (Construction – Mark Pine Joinery, Tarporley)

Certificates of Endeavour:

Nathan Fox (Agriculture – J W Fawcett and Son, Whitchurch)

Benjamin Graham (Construction – Elliot Build & Glaze Ltd., Wirral)

Certificates for Outstanding Achievement:

Rob Clowes (Agriculture – A&JE Goldstraw, Stoke-on-Trent)

For further details of apprenticeships visit www.reaseheath.ac.uk/apprenticeships or call Reaseheath Training on 01270 613221

Paige and Poppy scoop Crufts title

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Reaseheath student Paige Jepson and her border collie Poppy beat off strong competition to take an obedience title at Crufts, the world’s most prestigious dog show, last weekend.

The 18 year-old, who lives near Congleton, took the top award in the Young Kennel Club’s (YKC) Pre-Beginners Good Citizen Stakes after she and Poppy completed a flawless round. The pair also made the final of the YKC Handler of the year class. And it wasn’t just Poppy who came under the spotlight, as Paige and another of her dogs, a bearded collie called Puzzle, qualified for the final of the YKC pastoral stakes.

bearded collie Puzzle and paige competing crop for web

Paige shows off Puzzle in the pastoral showing class

“I was very pleased with both of the dogs,” said Paige. “This was the first time I had competed in an obedience class at Crufts so I was quite nervous to start with, but we had an almost perfect  round which made me feel confident that I’d done well.

“While Poppy is eight and quite steady, Puzzle is only two years old but he did everything I asked of him too. Crufts is my favourite show and this year it was really special.”

It is not the first time Paige and Poppy have been under the spotlight at Crufts – last year they won the YKC’s ‘Over 12 groom through’, and were  then awarded Runner Up in the YKC’s ‘Groomer of the Year’. They have competed at Crufts in grooming competitions for the past five years but this is the first year they have challenged the obedience category.

Paige has another three border collies at home and spends much of her free time training her dogs. She’s a member of the Danesford Obedience Dog Training Club in Congleton and the Dig It Dog Training in Sandbach, where she practices dog agility and competitive obedience. She also helps to teach dog training at club level.

Paige has almost completed her Level 3 Extended Diploma in Agriculture with us and originally thought of entering dairy herd management. But now we’ve launched a Foundation Degree in Canine Training and Behaviour she is considering widening her canine skills and possibly turning her hobby into a career.

Header image caption: Paige and Poppy celebrate their obedience win at Crufts

MP builds on skills during Apprenticeship Week

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Local MP Antoinette Sandbach watched horticulture trainees grow their skills during a visit to Reaseheath College on Monday.

MP Antoinette Sandbach joins Latisha Woolley and Simon Daynes in Reaseheath’s high tech glasshouses.

MP Antoinette Sandbach joins Latisha Woolley and Simon Daynes in Reaseheath’s high tech glasshouses.

The MP for Eddisbury was at the Nantwich college to help launch activities for National Apprenticeships Week, a celebration of the benefits that skilled apprentices bring to businesses and to the national economy by increasing productivity and ensuring workforce succession.

Antoinette joined the trainees, who are being prepared for entry into an apprenticeship programme, at Reaseheath’s new Centre for Horticulture, the Environment and Sustainable Technology.

After chatting to Latisha Woolley, 21, and Simon Daynes, 20, as they worked in the college’s high tech trial facilities, Antoinette said: “Apprenticeships offer a great option for both students and employers as they deliver the qualifications and skills that our growing industries require. Young people can earn while learning and also be confident that they have started on an excellent route into employment.

“It is good to see that Reaseheath puts apprenticeships at the heart of its education and training programme and that it works so closely with regional and national employers to make sure that its training programmes deliver appropriate skills.

“I am also delighted that the college, through its traineeships, is supporting the government’s agenda to ensure that young people who have left school remain on a training programme until they are at least 18 years old.”

Traineeship programmes provide progression into apprenticeships by giving trainees the chance to improve their English and maths, learn interview techniques, become more confident and receive support in their search for a suitable apprenticeship.

Latisha, of Crewe, completed Level 1 and Level 2 Diplomas in Horticulture at Reaseheath before moving onto her traineeship with Malkins Bank Golf Club, Sandbach. She enjoys helping to maintain the golf course so much that she is hoping to secure an apprenticeship in sports turf.

Simon, also from Crewe, has a Level1 Diploma in Horticulture and is actively looking for an apprenticeship in that field. He is currently gaining valuable experience at a Christmas tree plantation.

Reaseheath College is a leading trainer of apprentices and trainees throughout Cheshire and surrounding counties and also provides a valuable recruitment service for employers.

The college and its sister company DART Training currently trains around 1,000 apprentices and trainees. Reaseheath Training works with over 300 employers, from national blue chip companies to small, local enterprises, and is looking for more employers to take on apprentices.

Typically, apprentices receive academic and practical training at Reaseheath on one day a week and spend the rest of their week in their workplace. Training programmes can start at any time of the year, and there are vacancies in a number of trades currently available.

For further details see www.reaseheath.ac.uk/apprenticeships

 

Young Horticulturists prove their growing knowledge

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Reaseheath students have celebrated success in the prestigious Chartered Institute of Horticulture’s ‘Young Horticulturist of the Year’ competition.

Two Reaseheath trained students were among eight contestants to qualify for the North West and North Wales regional final, held in our new Centre for Horticulture, the Environment and Sustainable Technology last weekend.

The demanding competition, in front of an audience of supporters, tested the breadth of the contestants’ knowledge over ten hard fought rounds with the quickest off the buzzer gaining valuable points.

Former Reaseheath horticulture student Matt Wood, who was in the open category, took the runner-up position while Finin Talbot, representing Reaseheath, was narrowly beaten into fifth place.

Matt, 26, joined us from school and progressed to a Level 3 Diploma in Plant Production. He now runs The Tiny Plant Company in Northwich with partner Susi Boxall. Finin, 25, a current Level 3 Extended Diploma in Horticulture student, qualified for the regional final after winning an inter college heat contested by over 30 students. He wants to be a collections manager in a tropical house

Winner of the regional final was Joshua Stevens from South Staffordshire College, while Jamie Leslie, a student gardener at Chatsworth House, was third. Other contestants were Mike Wilkinson (Myerscough College), Jacob Watts (Derby College), Jen Hyatt (Nottingham Trent University) and Sion Williams (Coleg Cambria).

The top three celebrate – Jamie Leslie, Joshua Stevens and Matt Wood

The top three celebrate – Jamie Leslie, Joshua Stevens and Matt Wood

Joshua, 18, now goes through to the grand finals to be held at the National Botanical Gardens in Dublin in May. The national winner will receive a £2,500 travel bursary sponsored by the Shropshire Horticulture Society through The Percy Thrower Trust.

Reaseheath has strongly supported the competition, which is open to horticulturists aged between 16 and 30, for many years. We encourage as many students as possible to take part and have had national finalists in previous years. We also hosted the national finals last year.

Sue Nicholas, Young Horticulturist of the Year Action Group Chair, said: “We were delighted to bring this competition back to Reaseheath and have been very impressed with the new facilities here.

“Over 2,500 young people are eligible for this competition. Those who have qualified for the regional final here have done really well and should be congratulated.”

Image caption: Regional finalists l-r Finin Talbot, Jamie Leslie, Joshua Stevens, Sion Williams, Matt Wood, Jen Hyatt, Mike Wilkinson and Jacob Watts

International Recognition for Reaseheath’s Food Centre

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Reaseheath College’s Food Centre in Cheshire has gained a globally recognised Grade A certification for food safety from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) for the third successive year.  The college remains the first and only educational institution in Britain to achieve the accreditation for BRC issue 7, the latest benchmark for best practice in food manufacture.

The quality mark was approved after an exacting repeat audit showed that Reaseheath’s food manufacturing systems continue to operate under highly controlled conditions and to the highest industry standards. Areas inspected included food safety procedures, cleanliness of the facility, knowledge of staff and students and the traceability of food ingredients.

The successful bid was led by Reaseheath’s newly appointed Quality Assurance Manager Shaun Whitlock, who said: “Any changes to the BRC standards are a difficult time for industry, however the college has taken this head on and achieved the results we wanted. Changes to the standard include stricter supplier management, labelling control and prevention of food fraud.

“The team has worked extremely hard to ensure we can deliver the best possible service to our students and local businesses and should be congratulated on their success.  Thanks to their hard work, we can ensure the ever changing standards followed within industry are replicated in a controlled learning environment.”

As well as Shaun’s appointment, the Food Centre’s team has been reinvigorated with the promotion of Nick Blakemore to Food Centre Manager from Curriculum Manager, and the recruitment of Emily Fisher as the new commercial development manager. Emily, who has previously been employed by several blue chip companies, is working closely with national and international businesses on food trials and training. Julie Bent has been promoted to Commercial Development Co-Ordinator.

There have also been some major renovations to the bakery to allow the introduction of a Bakery and Patisserie foundation degree.

Reaseheath’s £7 million Food Centre was opened in 2011 and remains one of the best equipped food processing teaching and practical facilities in Europe.

Built to exacting standards and staffed by a team of specialist food technologists recruited directly from the food industry, the centre has dairy processing halls and production areas for butchery, bakery, cake design and confectionery. Many local, national and international food and drink manufacturers use the facilities for new product development, technical advice or staff training. These partnerships lead to work experience and job opportunities for the college’s food technology students. The college also offers training sessions to members of the public which include cake decoration, HACCP and food safety.

For further details see www.reaseheathfoodcentre.com

Caption: Shaun Whitlock and other members of the processing halls team celebrate gaining BRC7

Families flock to Reaseheath College’s Lambing and Zoo Weekend

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Hundreds of local families flocked to Reaseheath College over the weekend for the first of two lambing and zoo events.

Spring has sprung in the Nantwich college’s lambing sheds with the arrival of the first newborns of the season. The lambing weekends have been a major draw to the college over the past 20 years, with many visitors returning each season to meet the lambs and hopefully experience a live birth. 500 expectant ewes are due to produce 1,000 lambs, including three sets of quads and 59 sets of triplets. The college’s agriculture students have been staying up through the night to make sure the lambs and their mothers get the best care.

The campus zoo is also open to the public. The zoo houses over 1,000 animals including meerkats, lemurs, tapirs, otters, companion animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs, reptiles and amphibians. Families can get involved in handling and flying birds of prey, thanks to student members of Reaseheath’s Birds of Prey Society who are running special sessions with some of the college’s owls.

Reaseheath’s lambing and zoo event is on again next weekend, March 12 and 13 (10am – 4pm)

 A family ticket for both attractions is £25.

Find out more at www.reaseheath.ac.uk/lambing

Watch a group of children who had the opportunity to see triplets being born at our Lambing event on Sunday:

Wildlife undergraduates introduced to life behind the lens

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Wildlife Conservation and Ecology undergraduates have been learning how to shoot and edit videos as part of their course.

Twenty-six final year students who are studying a ‘wildlife in the media’ module spent the half term week studying conservation film-making, delivered on campus by the Wildeye International School of Wildlife Film-making.

This is the first time we have completed this exciting module, and it has given our undergraduates some excellent skills which will help them to record, communicate and promote their research projects.

Delivered by Wildeye Principal Piers Warren and Camera and Production tutor Mike Linley, both of whom have worked with major broadcasters, the training covered all the skills required to make a relevant conservation film. Research, planning and storyboarding was followed by training in practical production which included filming techniques, sound recording and editing., and our students also had training in stills photography.

Ten groups each made a two-minute film followed by feedback which will be invaluable as they need to complete an eight-minute video by April as their final project.  Their subjects ranged from zoo residents including otters, meerkats, birds of prey, fish, frogs and leaf cutter ants to wildlife on campus such as rabbits, ducks and squirrels.

They also enjoyed a photographic competition – here’s the winning shot taken by Amy Callaghan:

Amy Callaghan's winning Robin photography

Amy Callaghan’s winning Robin photography

The course was so successful that we are already planning to offer it annually to undergraduates.

Said Piers: “Film-making is a powerful way of putting out a message.  Having a zoo on site has been a tremendous asset and this, along with the grounds and lake, have given us the scope for a project which has tested the students’ observational skills and knowledge of habitat and animal behaviour.  They have also had to work as a team to a tight deadline, all skills which will hopefully help them in their future careers.”

Earlier this month members of Reaseheath’s Conservation Society enjoyed a lecture from wildlife film-maker Madelaine Westwood, founder of the Great Apes Film Initiative (GAFI), who has co-authored a book on conservation film-making with Piers.

For further details about our animal management degrees see: www.reaseheath.ac.uk/higher-education (animal science)

For further details about Wildeye see www.wildeye.co.uk

 

Dodson & Horrell Launch Bursary to Support British Equestrian Industry

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Europe’s leading equine feed manufacturer Dodson & Horrell is pleased to announce the launch of the Dodson & Horrell British Equestrian Bursary that aims to enhance and support the equestrian industry.

Are you a dedicated rider who would benefit from funding towards extra training? Do you know a deserving charity that is in need of specialist equipment? Are you or is someone you know embarking on an equestrian course and would like a helping hand? Would you like to recognise your equine physiotherapist or farrier who has gone beyond the norm for your horse? Then make sure you nominate for the bursary.

Dodson & Horrell is offering a bursary of £2,000 to each of the winners of the four categories to contribute towards funding such as equipment, training, education and travel. Entrants can either nominate a deserving person or organisation who they think will benefit from the prize, or they can put forward their own application.

The four categories are:

  • Equine Health (veterinarian, physiotherapist, equine dentist, farrier)
  • Inspirational Rider
  • Equine Charity
  • Equine Supporter (groom, parents, friend, trainer)

The winners will not only receive financial help but will also have access to expert nutritional advice from Dodson & Horrell and a VIP day out at the Dodson & Horrell Chatsworth International Horse Trials in Derbyshire on Saturday 14th May 2016 where they will be awarded their prize.

Nominations will be shortlisted by industry experts including the world renowned cross country Course Designer Ian Stark OBE and equestrian enthusiast and Marketing Director of Dodson & Horrell, Sam Horrell.

The winner from the final shortlisted entries will be nominated by public vote through the Dodson & Horrell website and the four winners will be announced on Wednesday 27th April.

Dodson & Horrell Marketing Director Sam Horrell commented “We are excited to announce the launch of our bursary and believe it is a valuable opportunity for the equine industry. We look forward to receiving the nominations and selecting the final three in each category and it will be fascinating to view the nominations as they come through.”

Nominations open on Friday 29th January 2016 and close Sunday 6 March 2016 midnight GMT. To find out more about the bursary and how to apply please visit the website www.dodsonandhorrell.com.