Career focus with an emphasis on networking and growing your connections was the focus of a series of interactive workshop sessions at Harrow College today.

Newly enrolled A-Level students at the college heard from experts in the field and also interacted with a number of employers who were also involved in the session.

A diverse range of representatives from industries ranging from magazine publications, healthcare, music, biomedical science, customer relationship software and more were in attendance as students listened to first hand experiences from them about the importance of networking and growing your contact base.

The event was delivered by Working Knowledge - a social enterprise that exists to open the eyes of business to the young talent available locally. The session highlighted the power of LinkedIn – a business orientated online social networking service. Students took part in a series of groups tasks including a word association games to get them thinking about their careers and the importance of a strong network.

The session ended with students being shown a live demonstration of using LinkedIn with many commenting on how they look forward to making use of the social network to start growing their own networks.

The sessions took place in the newly opened Enterprise Centre at Harrow College which is also the home of new Career Colleges – a new concept in further education for 15-17 year olds. One of the first to launch in London, the Career Colleges will specialise in Business and Professional Services as well as Digital and Creative.

Commenting on today's workshops and the wider career focus taking place at Harrow College, Lee Janaway, Director of Student Experience said "Working Knowledge support the good work Harrow College does in boosting students employability skills by giving them access to relevant employers who are willing to support our learners. Today has been a great success and we look forward to engaging our students with more expert sessions like this going forward".

Khurram Alavi, Learning Advisor at the Harrow College Learning Centre is embarking on an epic challenge to raise money for Mamillan Cancer Trust.

On 20th September, Khurram will take part in a gruelling Duathalon. This means he will first complete a 20k run, immediately followed by a 80k cycle and then finally end the challenge with a 10k run.

The charity is very close to Khurram following the death of his uncle a few years ago. A number of his family and friends have also received support from the cancer trust over the past few years. Speaking about his challenge, Khurram said 'Macmillan's is such a great charity. Most of us at some point have been affected by a friend or family member diagnosed with cancer. The nurses at Macmillan do a fantastic job and my aim is to raise as much money as possible so I can give back and support the work they do".

Khurram's sponsorship target is £400 and he has set up a JustGiving page for people to make a donation. As Khurram said "no matter how small your donation, every penny will be greatly appreciated and will spur me on even more to complete this challenge".

To sponsor Khurram, simply click here. Sponsorship is open from now up until one month after the duathalon has been completed.

We wish Khurram the best of luck!

Student life at Harrow College kicked off in style last week. A Freshers Fair across two campuses welcomed new students who got their first taste of life at the college and by all accounts, left many eagerly looking forward to the year ahead.

The Freshers Fair is an annual event designed to give students a warm welcome into student life. Students had the opportunity to mingle with their peers, speak with college staff and get involved with interactive activities during the packed event.

A number of exhibitors were in attendance to meet students and inform them about activities ranging from groups and societies in the college to keeping fit and eating healthy. Other exhibitor stands included local careers advice, sexual health information, local gym membership deals, volunteering opportunities, driving lesson offers, road safety guidance, fashion, live beauty treatments, NUS membership, counselling support, sustainability projects, sports and football teams and lots more. A smoothie bike saw student's burn calories to create fruit juices whilst a photo booth full of funny props meant students left the Fair with a smile.

Art student Rafal Szypniewski, 18, thoroughly enjoyed his first day at the college. He said;

"The first day can always be a little daunting. However, the Freshers Fair was brilliant and gave us a chance to meet lots of new people. I've come away with lots of information and really look forward to getting involved with some of the many activities run by the college".

Sandie Petrie, Enrichment Coordinator at Harrow College, organised this year's Freshers Fair. She said;

"The atmosphere was fantastic with staff and exhibitors all commenting on the positivity, motivation and interest from our new students."

Enrolment is still open at Harrow College. For more information, click here

Dragons Den met the Apprentice this week at Harrow College as Level 3 Business students became entrepreneur's and pitched their business ideas in front of established industry experts. Over 60 students let their creative juices flow at a fun employability and enterprise event delivered by social enterprise education specialists Working Knowledge.

The students aged 16-18 were given a unique opportunity to develop new business ideas with the support of expert local business volunteers from a range of sectors including finance, tourism, local government, medicine, construction and digital.

The students worked in teams to create innovative new products or services. With the help of the employers the students developed their business plan through a series of hands on workshops designed to develop their employability skills. They went on to pitch their ideas in front of the experts with the winning team and individuals being awarded prizes during a presentation ceremony at the end of the day.

Working Knowledge is passionate about creating chances for young people to open doors into employment and changing employer's perceptions of the value of young people in industry. Stuart McLean, Business Mentor at the Prince's Trust was one of the business experts today. He commented:

"It was fantastic to see the absolutely amazing transformation from where the students started off at the beginning of the day to the articulate, driven, business-savvy and highly employable young entrepreneurs at the end of the day.'

Hiren Tanna, 17, was one of the students who won a prize for his entrepreneurial endeavour during the day. He said "I have learnt a lot today and it will definitely help me in the future. Pitching in front of business experts tested my character and gave me confidence".

Commenting on today's event and the wider career focus taking place at Harrow College, Lee Janaway, Director of Student Experience said "Working Knowledge support the good work Harrow College does in boosting students employability skills by giving them access to relevant employers who are willing to support our learners. Today has been a great success and we look forward to engaging our students with more expert sessions like this going forward".

Recent Higher Education (HE) Graduates were invited back to Harrow College last week to celebrate their achievements at the colleges first HE Graduation Event. Over 20 proud graduates donned gowns and hats as they returned to the college where they successfully completed a variety of HE courses including HNC and HND levels in Business, Computing & Systems Development, Applied Chemistry and Health & Social Care.

Taking place in Harrow College's newly opened Enterprise Centre, the graduates took their seats with close family and friends sitting close by with cameras at the ready. Pat Carvalho, Harrow College Principal and Chief Executive opened proceeding and spoke about how proud she was to see the room full of students who had each shown dedication and commitment in reaching their goals.

Graduation certificates were awarded by curriculum staff from each subject area giving graduates another chance to catch up with tutors who had supported them during their studies. There were plenty of opportunities to take photographs as people enjoyed some food and drink after the ceremony and reflected on their time at the college.

One of the graduates was Michael George Roper who achieved a HND in Business. Mature student Michael also took to the stage at the event to speak to about some of his experiences throughout his career and education. During his captivating talk, he spoke about the importance of enjoyment and being passionate about the decisions each of us make; importance traits which helped him achieve this educational accomplishment. Michael now plans to continue his studies with a degree course at Coventry University.

Mr Sonny Peart, Curriculum Manager for Business and Professional Studies at Harrow College and also Compere for the graduation event was full of smiles at the event. He said "It was a real pleasure to see Harrow College's first HND graduates celebrating their achievements at our newly opened Enterprise Centre. It is always a pleasure to see hard work rewarded, and I am particularly pleased that so many are going on to complete their degrees at university."

Many will now be progressing onto university or into employment. Places are still open for students wishing to enrol onto a HE course for 2015/16. For more details, click here.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will mark World Mental Health Day at an event hosted by Mind, the mental health charity, at Harrow College on Saturday, 10 October 2015.

The Duke and Duchess will meet young people who have battled their own mental health problems and now volunteer with Mind in Harrow or the anti-stigma campaign Time to Change, to raise awareness about mental health with other young people.

Work to build awareness and understanding of mental health problems is a major priority for both The Duke and Duchess. The Duke recently took part in an anti-bullying workshop run by the Diana Awards charity, and The Duchess visited the Anna Freud Centre in London to continue her work on the mental health of children.

Pat Carvalho, Principal and Chief Executive at Harrow College said: “I am delighted the College has been chosen to host this event and promote Mind’s campaign. There are increased pressures on young people and it’s important that we provide them with the right guidance, support and environment to enable them to reach their potential and be successful.”

Paul Farmer, Chief Executive at Mind, said: “The Duke and Duchess will meet young people who have experienced mental health problems and volunteer for our Mindkit project which is being delivered across London and educates young people about emotional health and resilience. They will also be introduced to some of our Time to Change young champions. Through this invaluable work we are reaching more young people every year, raising awareness about mental health and breaking down the stigma that stops young people speaking out and getting help. Together we’ll celebrate both the personal achievements of young people who battle mental health problems every day, and the success of local projects that work to help young people through difficult times.

The Duke and Duchess are committed to raising awareness about the mental health problems faced by young people and we are grateful that they have chosen to champion Mind’s work. We hope it will inspire a new generation of young people to not be afraid or ashamed to talk about mental health problems.”  

Full operational details for the visit will be announced in due course.

Harrow College Beauty and Media Make-Up students recently took part in a national campaign to help make time in hospital that little bit more enjoyable. The 'Kissing It Better' campaign aims to enhance healthcare through the application of simple creative ideas.

Enthusiastic students from Harrow College were invited to get involved with the campaign. Eight learners studying Beauty and Media Make-Up spent time at Watford General Hospital armed with lots of beauty and make up material. Their idea was a simple one – to interact with patients and in doing so, bring a smile to lots of faces. Half of the students went to the children's ward and offered face painting whilst the other half provided manicures and hand massage to the Elderly patients.

Their efforts were also timed to coincide with International Older Person's Day and National Play Week which were both being supported by the Hospital. The activities laid on by the students were a great success allowing all involved to come together and celebrate.

The positive impact of this event has resulted in Harrow College planning to extend these activities into a more regular occurrence by visiting the hospital on a weekly basis during term time. Not only is this a great opportunity for students to work in the local community, it also helps to build student confidence and important employability skills.

Carole Richardson, representative from Kissing it Better joined students on the day and was immensely proud of what she saw. Commenting after the event she said;

"The students were a credit to Harrow College and the Beauty and Media Make-Up department, especially as it so early in their programme. Immaculately and professionally turned out with an adaptable approach to the new situations they found themselves, the students were able to modify the treatments they gave according to the surroundings and were not phased at all! Hospital staff and patients were delighted with the visit".

A brand new Media Edit Suite has been opened at Harrow College offering learners high quality equipment and facilities for their studies.

The Media Edit Suite is made up of seven workstations, each consisting of an Apple Mac Pro computer running Final Cut Pro and Adobe CS6 software – industry standard editing software.

Constructed this summer, careful consideration was given to designing the professional facility that meets the technical and creative needs of students. The interior décor uses vibrant colours creating a modern environment for students and helping to make it an enjoyable place to work.

The new facility will be used by A Level and BTEC students to produce music videos, adverts, documentaries, and for support with their motion graphics course work, as well as special one off projects for the college and external clients.

Commenting on the new facility Owen Price, Curriculum Manager for Media and Arts at Harrow College said;

"We believe this investment will contribute towards the high expectations we have of our students aiding in their aspirations to achieve high standards of work and quality productions. We also aim to provide industry standard environments for learners to work in to help with the transition into creative industries. In time we will be looking to hire out these spaces so other practitioners can benefit from our facilities, this in turn will help narrow the gap between industry and our college."

During a fine sunny day in early October, the main stage doors to Arc House were fully opened inviting members of the public to come in and see leaners from Harrow College put their creative juices to work.

Learning Links student Natasha Keen, Shivam Macadia and Simon Clack demonstrated their art and craft skills and treated visitors to Arc House, a new café and performing art space, to live die cutting, hand painting on mirrors and decoupage (the art of decorating an object by gluing coloured paper cut-outs onto it).

The learners also got the opportunity to exhibit some of their previously completed artwork and offer items for sale to help raise money to equip a sensory room in the new LLDD building at Harrow Weald Campus – a specialist centre for students with learning difficulty/disability.

Commenting on the day's activities, Lecturer for LLDD students Sue Makonnen said:

"Our visit to Arc House gave some of the students a 'work' session and the opportunity to show some of the craft work created by the LLDD groups. Arc House kindly invited us to showcase some of our products for sale there in the future. We thoroughly enjoyed the day and look forward to further events like this inthe future".

Yesterday, Harrow College hosted The British Council International Agents Fair for FE Colleges attended by 16 International agencies and 13 UK based FE Colleges.

The aim for the Fair was to introduce international markets to the further education sector.

Agencies from Vietnam, Russia, Turkey, Nigeria, China, Brazil Middle East, Ukraine, Azerbaijan had the opportunity today to talk about the possibilities of future co-operation which could bring and open new possibilities.

Welcomed by Pat Carvalho, Principal and Chief Executive, agents were invited to Harrow College’s Enterprise Centre to learn about the range of courses and opportunities available for international students. The visit included a tour of the Harrow on the Hill campus and a networking lunch before one to one sessions were available between agents and representative colleges.

Colleges in attendance included Warwickshire, Kingston, Lincoln, Brockenhurst, New College Nottingham and Sussex Downs.

Afshan Baksh, Associate Director for International Development said: “At Harrow College, we’re proud of our international and higher education offer. We’re thrilled that the British Council have chosen to host today’s event in our newly opened Enterprise Centre. The College encourage our students to maintain a consistently high level of achievement. We do this by providing a high quality of teaching and learning support.

Harrow College also places a high emphasis on student progression and entrepreneurship which remains applicable to international students taught in Harrow or via in-country support."

The College looks forward to continuing its work with partners like the British Council and the opportunities that this can provide.

It was a Royal affair as Harrow College welcomed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to their Harrow on the Hill campus on Saturday 10 October. The College was host to the Royal visitors who joined the mental health charity Mind to celebrate World Mental Health Day.

Mind Chief Executive Paul Farmer first greeted the Royal guests before leading them through the college grounds and into the College's new Enterprise Centre where various activities were taking place. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were introduced to groups of young people who have experienced mental health problems and now use their personal experiences to create materials and deliver training for schools via a project called MindKit.

A reception then followed which gave everybody the opportunity to celebrate World Mental Health Day and recognise its achievements and ambitions for the future. The Duke and Duchess mingled with young volunteers from Mind and young champions from Time to Change. They also spent time with students from Harrow College's own welfare programme which, in partnership with Mind in Harrow, offers young people with mental health problems the support they need to ensure they can progress through their College career.

Harrow College Health Care and Social Care students had the opportunity to meet the Duke and Duchess. This included excited Level 2 Childcare students Kenna Dolby and Nerice Campbell-Forde who were delighted to get the opportunity to present their mental health app idea. Kenna said "The Duke and Duchess were really impressed with the app idea that we had developed and really hoped that the idea would one day become a reality". Nerice also commented "We both feel really proud today".

The day concluded with a number of closing speeches. Firstly Mind Chief Executive Mr Paul Farmer spoke about the important role that Mind and Time to Change play and why World Mental Health Day is such a valued celebration. He then introduced Time to Change young champion Vithuja Balasingam who spoke bravely about her experiences of mental health problems, the challenges she faced and how she is now working to raise awareness and improve understanding of mental health. She said "as someone diagnosed with depression, being open about mental illness has eased the recovery process. It's ok to talk without fear or being ashamed."

Finally Harrow College Principal and Chief Executive Pat Carvalho spoke of her delight of Harrow College hosting such a prestigious event. She commented "The College is very proud to support the work of Mind In Harrow and to ensure our students have the right support and guidance to help them to develop and reach their full potential. Today has truly raised awareness of the positive approaches young people can adopt to better understand and manage their own mental health."

The last honour of the day went to Harrow College student Alma-Ella Bida. Just before the Duke and Duchess departed, Alma presented the Duchess with a bouquet of flowers and thanked them for their involvement in the event and their visit to Harrow College.

Year 11 learners from Harrow College recently enjoyed a day out in Canary Wharf at the head offices of Thompson Reuters. The visit was in recognition of the students winning a TechBac challenge earlier this year.

The day at Thompson Reuters – the organisation that championed the challenge - consisted of a site tour including the Design Lab where staff observe customers interacting with their products, as well as the news floor where students had the opportunity to sit in the studio chairs used by hosts and guests. The learners also participated in various workshops where they networked with graduates and senior professionals.

The Harrow College learners won the City & Guilds TechBac Team Challenge back in March 2015 when they were set a brief of creating their own political party ahead of the 2015 general elections. The task tested their teamwork, presentation and communication skills and it was the party political campaign of 'We Are One' which really impressed the judges at Thomson Reuters.

Daniel Jenkins was one of the winning team members from Harrow College who was fascinated with technology he saw at the Thompson Reuters offices. He commented "It was really interesting seeing all of the different types of technology that has been used over time and how technology worked back then compared to now. It's amazing to see how much the world has developed".

Thomas Brosnan, Skills Centre Lecturer at Harrow College, said: "The challenge and the visit to Thompson Reuters was an amazing experience for the learners. This was a very rare opportunity and highlighted the significance of being a part of the TechBac programme which really has opened doors for the students and will continue to do so".

Students at Harrow College have scooped top prize for their innovative sustainability project. The prize was part of an environmentally focused competition called the Ann Swaine Award.

The award is granted to an educational project which has a sustainable or environmentally friendly theme and is organised by the Education Group of the Harrow Environmental Forum.

The students, part of the College's LLDD (Learners with Learning Difficulties / Disabilities) Learning Links programme created a wildlife habitat on the site of the Weald campus. The aim was to maximise the biodiversity on site and to provide the best possible wildlife habitats to encourage more insects, and small mammals on to the site.

Using old storage pallets and wild berries and shrubbery from around the local area, the students produced the perfect environment to attract wildlife. The students named the project 'Bug Hotel'. Over the following months, Bug Hotel was full of occupants.

Celia Reece, supported learning, entry and LLDD lecturer at Harrow College said: "We are thrilled to have won this award. The students have put in so much work constructing the Bug Hotel and their interest and enthusiasm in this sustainable project really shows that they care about their college environment."

The winning prize also included a cheque for £500 which is to be used towards enhancing this project or for other environmental activity. Purchasing a guinea pig house and the necessary equipment to keep guinea pigs at Harrow College is also something being planned for.

Ann Swaine was a founding member of Harrow Environmental Forum and the award is in her memory.

Harrow College recently hosted two activity-packed cycling event days on 22 September and 8 October at the Harrow-on-the-Hill campus. The events not only encouraged more people to get on their bikes but also showed the many benefits of doing so.

The events included a number of guests from the cycling world. The London Cycling Campaign team were present and offered advice on all sorts of cycling matters and also gave people the opportunity to try out a number of new bicycles.

The weather was kind on both days and the event attracted a good number of students. Free maintenance checks were given to those who brought their own bikes. Students and staff also had the opportunity to meet the Metropolitan Police who were in attendance to give safety advice and free bike security marking (normally costing £17).

Harrow Council were there to provide route planning advice and details of cycling courses to help gain confidence with bike riding. On the second day (8 October), the ever-popular Smoothie Bike was brought along where students sat on a specially designed bike and pedalled with as much power as possible to make their own smoothie – a just reward for all those calories they burnt in the process!

Overall another fantastic bicycle event which was enjoyed by guests, students and staff.

Staff from accounting powerhouse Deloitte spent a day with learners from Harrow College as part of a volunteering event. A group comprising of Learning Links students from Harrow College (from the specialist LLDD department at Harrow College for Learners with Learning Difficulty/Disabilities), year 11 pupils from Shatesbury School and Kingsley High School, along with tutors and support staff welcomed the team from Deloitte and together undertook two projects.

The first involved transforming old classroom chairs into stylish newer chairs using the art of Decoupage (decorating an object by gluing coloured paper cut-outs onto it). Using an array of colour and thinking carefully about design styles, the resulting transformations were very impressive.

Another team of Deloitte employees offered their ideas, experiences and expertise to teach students job skills including interview techniques and writing CVs. The learners received tips on how best to present themselves both face to face and on paper and had the opportunity to ask lots of questions.

Johanne Narayn, Lecturer for LLDD students at Harrow College, was involved with the event. She said "Throughout the day students engaged with volunteers and worked together to produce chairs which had been given the Decoupage treatment. There was a lot of creative work going on all round and the volunteers pitched in enthusiastically. Lots of interaction took place during the job skills session which was great for the students. The day has been a thoroughly productive day for all involved".

Maria Powell, Tax Analyst from Deloitte who was one of the volunteers thoroughly enjoyed the day. She said "I think I speak on behalf of our whole team in saying that we all had a lovely time. Everyone was so welcoming and the students were so kind and interactive which definitely made our jobs a lot easier. It was great that we could get so many students involved, I'm glad to hear that they got something out of the day – we certainly did! Hopefully you'll have us again next year".

Jay Valand, Business Lecturer at Harrow College volunteered for 10 weeks in Tanzania over the summer period helping young local villagers to set up their own businesses, feel empowered and provide the foundations for sustainable development in their community. The charity he volunteered for was Raleigh International - a charity dedicated to sustainable development and developing skills for people in developing countries.

Based in a village called Itulike in Southern Tanzania, Jay lived with a local family. His team, consisting of thirteen volunteers taught basic business skills such as idea generation, planning, financing and budgeting.

The team mentored young villagers to create their own business ideas and plan to pitch to the charity (Raleigh International) and local partner East African Dairy Development (an organisation funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) for a start-up loan for their business.

Jay assisted two female entrepreneurs to create a partnership business to raise chickens and produce eggs. He also assisted a young male entrepreneur to establish his own solar panel business. Out of the eleven entrepreneurs that went forward to pitch their idea, all eleven were successful in securing financing.

Jay would like to send out a big thank you to all the Harrow College staff members and students that supported him to be able to volunteer in Tanzania. Without their support and assistance to raise the fundraising target he required (£950 in 9 days, exceeding the target of £800) he would not have been able to make the positive impact his team had in the village. The project was a great success!

The history of black entrepreneurs was discussed today at an event to celebrate Diversity Week. Harrow College welcomed award winning entrepreneur, business coach author and speaker Julian Hall to give students an insightful look into the history and present day success of black business pioneers.

With the lecture theatre occupied with intrigued learners and staff, Julian kicked of his talk by going back to early Egyptian history where the first black entrepreneurs made their name. Students were surprised to learn that everyday items and activities such as toothpaste, cutting hair and bowling all originated from this era.

Learners were then taken on a journey through time which highlighted a number of successful black entrepreneurs with Julian pointing out "many of whom unfortunately did not get the recognition they deserved".

This included Lewis Latimer (1848-1928) who worked with the famous Thomas Edison to invent the first carbon filament for the light bulb; Garrett Morgan (1877-1963) who invented the gas mask which at the time save 50 people from an underground fire and went on to save thousands more; Marc Hannah (1956-present) who invented the first 3D graphics technology used in film – something which has since revolutionised the film industry.

The talk then brought fascinated listeners forward to modern day entrepreneurs. Russell Simmons (founder of the Def Jam Hip Hop record label amongst an array of other successful business ventures) and 50 Cent, rapper and business man who famously sold his own brand of vitamin water to Coca Cola in a deal worth a reported 100 million dollars. Jay Z, Birdman and P Diddy were also discussed.

The presentation provided an eye opening perspective of black entrepreneurship over the years and provided a context for business entrepreneurs of the future. Julian's passing message encouraged the learners to set their sights higher, just as many of the entrepreneurs discussed in the presentation had done. He closed the talk by saying "let the past show you how far you've really come". An inspirational message delivered during an intriguing and often thought provoking presentation.

The history of black entrepreneurs was discussed today at an event to celebrate Diversity Week. Harrow College welcomed award winning entrepreneur, business coach, author and speaker Julian Hall to give students an insightful look into the history and present day success of black business pioneers.

With the lecture theatre occupied with intrigued learners and staff, Julian kicked of his talk by going back to early Egyptian history where the first black entrepreneurs made their name. Students were surprised to learn that everyday items and activities such as toothpaste, cutting hair and bowling all originated from this era.

Learners were then taken on a journey through time which highlighted a number of successful black entrepreneurs with Julian pointing out "many of whom unfortunately did not get the recognition they deserved".

This included Lewis Latimer (1848-1928) who worked with the famous Thomas Edison to invent the first carbon filament for the light bulb; Garrett Morgan (1877-1963) who invented the gas mask which at the time saved 50 people from an underground fire and went on to save thousands more; Marc Hannah (1956-present) who invented the first 3D graphics technology used in film – something which has since revolutionised the film industry.

The talk then brought fascinated listeners forward to modern day entrepreneurs. Russell Simmons (founder of the Def Jam Hip Hop record label amongst an array of other successful business ventures) and 50 Cent, rapper and business man who famously sold his own brand of vitamin water to Coca Cola in a deal worth a reported 100 million dollars. Jay Z, Birdman and P Diddy were also discussed.

The presentation provided an eye opening perspective of black entrepreneurship over the years and provided a context for business entrepreneurs of the future. Julian's passing message encouraged the learners to set their sights higher, just as many of the entrepreneurs discussed in the presentation had done. He closed the talk by saying "let the past show you how far you've really come". An inspirational message delivered during an intriguing and often thought provoking presentation.

 The event was part of a full week of activities organised by Harrow College to celebrate Diversity Week where issues such as black history, multiculturalism, background, ability and ethnicity will all be brought to the forefront and celebrated.

It was an afternoon of celebration at Harrow College as Diversity Week concluded with a lunch time fair for students.

The Harrow on the Hill campus canteen became a hive of activity as issues related to the topic of Diversity including black history, multiculturalism, background, ability and ethnicity became the focus. Colourful displays, international food, traditional clothing, local community groups and lots of passionate students all came together to make the event a great success and a fitting close to Diversity Week.

Displays were set up for different countries from around the world which are represented by students within the College. Ghana, India and Romania were just some of the displays which showcased traditional memorabilia and furnishings, tourist attractions and lots of food including savoury snacks, meat dishes and sweet treats. Students dressed in traditional clothing and played local music to create an all-encompassing international flavour to proceedings.

Leaners from the Hair & beauty course set up a display to showcase different African Caribbean hair styles. They were on hand to give live demonstrations and speak about the history of hair styles along with photos and well known case studies of leading African Caribbean women.

PC Perry from the Metropolitan Police provided information about hate crime. Students were told what hate crime is and were encouraged to report it they ever felt victimised. PC Perry commented "no one should suffer in silence for who they are".

Representatives from the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community were also present. Local youth centre Mosaic had lots information promoting local youth groups and also the seriousness of LGBT crime. Much of the attacks suffered by the LGBT community are verbal. The team from Mosaic displayed words which are deemed acceptable and also words which are not.

Harrow Mencap was there to give students information about the work they do including volunteering and fundraising opportunities. The charity support people with learning difficulties and deliver a number of fantastic services to ensure members are given lots of opportunities to progress in life.

Reflecting on Diversity Week and today's celebratory Diversity Fair, Sandie Petrie, Enrichment Coordinator for Harrow College said "It's wonderful to see so many cultures coming together and enjoying each other's company. Diversity Week aimed to raise awareness of the different sections of our community and to celebrate the diversity we enjoy here in London and here in Harrow College".

AGED 16-18 AND LOOKING FOR A COLLEGE PLACE?

MADE THE WRONG CHOICE?

Harrow College is offering a range of NEW courses to start week commencing 26th October 2015.*

FRESH START

Our new Fresh Start course will give you the opportunity to experience study in several vocational areas e.g. Business, IT and Media, and help you decide on your next step in progression. You will take part in learning which will give you the opportunities to develop not only vocational skills and knowledge, but also your personal skills, employability skills and attributes essential for working life. You will also be able to improve your English and Maths as required.

GCSE SOCIAL SCIENCE PACKAGE

This one year intensive course covers GCSEs in Health and Social Care, Sociology, English and Maths.  This is an interesting, enjoyable yet demanding course that enables students to improve upon their previous GCSE grades and progress to A Level study in Humanities and Social Science-related subjects.  Applicants will need a profile of GCSE grades that are mainly a D/C profile with a minimum of D grades in Maths and English and C grades in at least two other subjects.

Level 1/2 DIGITAL MEDIA

This exciting course will give you an insight into the media industry and will help you to gain both practical digital IT skills and knowledge relevant to future study in either IT or Media or employment as an Apprentice. You will study units such as Graphics and Web Development and will work on projects. You will also have the opportunity to improve your English and Maths as required.

If you're aged 16-18 and interested in a course, apply as soon as possible by calling 020 8909 6000 or click below to apply online.

We also have a few places to fill in some of our existing courses – just ask us!

*Subject to viable numbers