On the 3rd February, the February cohort of new HNC students was invited to our Harrow Weald Campus for their induction. With over 20 students joining three HNC disciplines in Health and Social Care, Business Studies and Computing and Systems Analysis, the induction, organised John Lopez, higher education manager, brought together a number of speakers from a number of well-established educational institutions.

The induction started with Pat Carvalho, vice principal, welcoming the students to Harrow College and reminding them that they would be joining a well-established college which had been rated as 'Good' from the latest OFSTED Inspection. John Lopez followed by talking to students of the importance to be a 'good' student at Harrow College if they were to achieve their goals and progress to a Higher Education institution.

Our HNC student Samiha Farooqi studying Business Studies informed the new students of the advantages of studying a HNC course at Harrow College through her excellent power point presentation. The students also had the chance to hear about our career services from Claudette Bennett-Carayol followed by a presentation by Catriona Long representing our new progression link with Coventry University and Coventry University London Campus.

Ian Collier informed the students of the benefits of becoming members of the Student Union, Student Council and the advantages of joining the variety of activities that we have on both campuses including even zumba dancing and boxing. Alan Jeffrey, principal and Susan Simei-Cunningham, course co-ordinator for business from the well-established London School of Science and Technology presented their future co-operation with Harrow College. Finally, Charlotte Jacovou, announced to the new students the new agreement between Harrow College and the prestigious London School of Business and Finance based at Chancery Lane. Finally, Beatrice McAdam took all the students for a tour of the Harrow Weald Campus, followed by lunch. The new students then commenced their first lesson in their respective HNC disciplines.

Harrow College student and Paralympian Jordanne Whiley has taken home the silver medal, alongside teammate Lucy Shuker, at the World Team Cup final in Antalya, Turkey.

Whiley, who is studying sign language at Harrow College, and Shuker competed against the Netherlands in the final on 24 May. The World Team Cup is the wheelchair tennis equivalent of the Davis Cup and Fed Cup.

Although commencing her match with an encouraging start, Whiley was defeated 7-5, 6-2 in the first singles round against Jiske Griffioen. 

Whiley’s teammate Shuker was also defeated by her opponent, world no. 1 Aniek van Koot, in the second singles round by 6-3, 6-2, giving the Netherlands a 26^th World Team Cup women’s title.

Whiley said: “Netherlands gave us a really tough test but I’m so proud that we were able to get to the final as there were some great teams in this competition.

“I’ve had a bronze and a silver in the World Team Cup at senior level so the next logical step is for Lucy and I to push on and make it a gold next time around.”

Whiley represented Team GB at last year’s Paralympic Games in London, winning the bronze medal in the women’s wheelchair tennis doubles. It was the first time a British woman has medalled in the sport.

Former Harrow College student Premi Pushpalingham has been selected to play for Team GB’s deaf women’s football squad at the Deaflympics this summer.

The deaf footballer, who studied for a BTEC National Certificate in Business in 2009-2011, is proof that having a disability is no barrier to making your dreams come true.

Pushpalingham currently plays for Fulham Deaf Football Club’s ladies’ team. The 22-year old also volunteers at the Harrow Asian Deaf Club.

Pushpalingham spoke of her excitement at being selected for Team GB’s deaf women’s football squad: “I am proud to be selected and it is a dream come true for me. I am really honoured to be picked for the Deaflympics.”

The footballer is hoping to raise awareness of the Deaflympics through her participation and fundraising. Pushpalingham currently needs to raise £2,000 to perform at the games. The money raised will help go towards her flight, accommodation, kit and training facilities for the tournament.

Those wishing to help Pushpalingham on her sporting journey can donate here: http://www.everyclick.com/premipushpalingham

The Deaflympics takes place in Sofia, Bulgaria, and will kick off on 26 July.

Harrow College has unveiled plans for a proposed Enterprise Centre at the college and has invited local residents to attend a public consultation on the project.

The public consultation will take place at the Members’ Lounge at Harrow Civic Centre on Monday 17 February from 6pm-8pm.

The sustainable development has been designed by the architect IBI Taylor Young. The new build will be a circa 3,000 metre squared business teaching facility, which will sit north of the college’s Harrow on the Hill campus.

It is hoped the project will help enhance facilities for existing students.

The objectives for the site includes turning the negative appearance of the car park into a positive and active site facing Lowlands Recreation Ground in Harrow and to provide a more positive urban character at the southern side of the development fronting a railway line.

Within the new build, Harrow College and the architect envision a mix of traditional classroom spaces with more flexible, colourful and informal style classrooms towards the central atrium.

In line with the low carbon design there will be air source heat pumps and photovoltaic cells on the roof of the building.

Management and property consultant AA Projects has been appointed to provide project management, employer’s agent, quantity surveying and CDM co-ordinator services on the new scheme.

Students wishing to take their first steps in the field of construction were invited to attend a construction careers fair at Harrow College.

The event, open to all students, took place on 5 June in the Library and Lecture Theatre at the Harrow Weald campus.

Students were given the opportunity to meet prospective employers and training providers including representatives from Building Lives Training Academy (of which Harrow College is a partner), Amey, Construction Industry Training Board, HQ Recruit, Job Links, JTL, Army Careers Service, Travis Perkins, Wickes and Ealing Hammersmith and West London College.

Matthew Robert Jenkins, Level 1 plumbing student at Harrow College attended the event to engage with prospective employers.

“Today has been a great opportunity for me to see what apprenticeships are on offer,” said Jenkins. “Jobs are difficult to get these days, so events like this are useful for people like me because they help us enhance our job prospects.”

The construction careers event allowed students to meet the professionals and ask them questions about working and learning within the construction industry.

Vickie Mathew, group training manager at Travis Perkins said the response from students had been overwhelming: “Coming to a careers event like this gives us a great opportunity to get our brand known to prospective employees. Unless you’re already working in our industry you may not be aware of what the career opportunities are. Speaking to the students today has shown what enthusiasm there is among young people to work.”

Claudette Bennett-Carayol, careers and employability advisor at Harrow College added: “The construction careers event aims to heighten students’ awareness of the range of options available to them in terms of industry knowledge, employment and training opportunities, HE courses and institutions. This event is the first of its kind at the college, as it is aimed specifically at students studying construction courses, or those who have an interest in pursuing a career in the industry.”

Bob Blackman, MP for Harrow East, has met with students from Harrow College taking part in Barclays Money Skills Week.

The MP spoke to students at the college’s Harrow on the Hill campus as they took part in activities to help them learn how to budget their money and be more financially independent.

“It is great to see Harrow College students learning to take financial responsibility at such a young age,” said Blackman. “Schemes such as Barclays Money Skills Week are really important when it comes to helping students learn about enterprise and employability and become financially savvy and independent.”

Barclays Money Skills Week is a money management programme for students at further education colleges across the UK.

Barclays and the National Skills Academy for Financial Services have worked in partnership to develop a series of money related activities, which touch on enterprise and employability, to provide students with the tools they need to stay in control of their finances and achieve their future goals.

In 2013, over 150,000 students took part in interactive money management activities based on topics of interest to young people such as food and fashion.

Students that participated in 2013 demonstrated clear improvements in their money management skills, demonstrating an improved knowledge of financial terms and positive behavioural changes relating to saving, understanding the terms and conditions of financial products and their overall confidence in managing money.

“We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Barclays to offer this much needed programme for the fourth year running” said Sylvia Perrins, CEO at the Skills Academy. “The programme has been of huge benefit to students taking part over the last three years. I am confident that this year will be the most impactful with the introduction of new resources reflecting the changing issues facing students in terms of money management and entering employment.”

Chris Hearn, head of education at Barclays, added: “Around the UK, young people are facing unprecedented social and financial challenges. We recognise that, through the Barclays Money Skills programme, our resources and knowledge as a business can help young people overcome those challenges and gain the skills they need to achieve independence and financial security. That is why we’re pleased to once again be teaming up with the Skills Academy for the fourth year of Barclays Money Skills ‘weeks’.”

For more photos of Blackman's visit at Harrow College for Barclays Money Skills Week please visit the college's Facebook page.

National Apprenticeship Week is from the 3rd to 7th March and we'll be getting involved by attending the following events:

• 4th March, Job Centre Plus Hendon 10am -12pm
• 5th March, Job Centre Plus Harrow 2pm - 4pm
• 5th March, Hounslow Business 5pm – 7.30pm event
• 6th March Job Centre Plus Kilburn 10am - 1pm

At Harrow College we welcome apprentices that are seeking an opportunity to learn on the job, develop their knowledge and skills, gain nationally recognised qualifications and earn money all at the same time. Training as an apprentice gives you the skills that you need to become suitably qualified for your chosen industry. For potential learners that aren't quite ready for an apprenticeship, we also provide traineeships to help you to prepare for the next step.

Our apprenticeships are designed with the help of the employers in the industry to ensure that we offer a structured programme that guides apprentices through the skills needed to do a job well.

Harrow College offers a range of Apprenticeship subjects covering different industries from the list below:

• Business Administration
• Childcare
• Customer Service
• Hairdressing
• Accounting
• Maintenance Operations (Construction)
• Warehousing
• IT
• IT & Telecoms

Our apprenticeship vacancies with local employers are updated to the website on a weekly basis. Learn more about an apprenticeship at Harrow.

We are continually seeking to improve our Apprenticeship offer, ensuring that we stay relevant to the world of work and provide skills and training of value to employers. For all enquiries or to join an apprenticeship at Harrow College, please call the team on 0208 909 6333 or email us to discuss your options.

The next Harrow College open evening takes place on Wednesday 19th March, 4pm to 8pm, providing another fantastic way to meet tutors and learn more about the right apprenticeship for you.

Harrow College’s annual summer fair has raised a staggering £1299.70 for Harrow Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre.

The fair, which took place on 8 June at the college’s Harrow Weald campus, hosted games including bottle tombola, teddy tombola, hook a duck, penalty shoot-out, basketball and coconut shy, among others.

There was also cake and plant sales as well as a traditional BBQ. People were also given the opportunity to indulge in manicures courtesy of Image Salon, part of the hair and beauty department at Harrow College.

Gill O’Brien, business support staff governor at Harrow College helped to arrange the fair. “This is the second year running the college has run the summer fair in aid of Harrow MS Therapy Centre. We’ve raised a fantastic sum of money for the centre.”

Multiple sclerosis is a neurological condition which affects around 100,000 people in the UK

O’Brien and Jeremy Ridout, chairman of the trustees at the Harrow Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre, recently took part in a podcast for Harrow Community Radio talking about the centre‘s work. To listen again head to: http://www.podcasts.canstream.co.uk/harrow

Health and social care Level 1 students at Harrow College have donated their time to host a coffee morning for guests from Kent House residential home.

The students welcomed Kent House residents to the canteen at the Harrow Weald campus on 4 June. The drop-in sessions are designed to bring together different members of the community to chat over a cuppa.

Rebecca O’Grady, student at Harrow College, said that the coffee mornings also helped health and social care students to develop their vocational skills.

“Doing things like this really help us build up our communication skills. Most of us have done work experience in care homes so it really helps us expand on our learning. It’s also really lovely to hang out with the Kent House residents as well.”

Mary Pocock, resident at Kent House added: “It’s nice to come to a different area and meet people from different walks of life. The students are so friendly. I really appreciate the time they spend with us.”

Mandy Humphreys, entry and LLDD lecturer at Harrow College, explained why coffee mornings at the college were so important.

“Some of these kids have never spoken to an old person before, so events like this are an ideal opportunity for them to hear some interesting histories. From the perspective of the health and social care course, it allows the students to put their learning into practice, while also giving something back to the local community.”

Humphreys and some of her students picked up the residents from their care home in the college’s minibus. The students are hoping to hold more coffee mornings in the future to raise funds to help Kent House purchase its own ambulance.

On Wednesday 5^th March, a public consultation will be held in the reception area of Harrow College’s Weald campus; visitors are invited to visit the college between 5pm and 7pm to view the designs and discuss them with the Architects.

Harrow College has submitted a planning application to build a new 950m2 teaching facility at the Harrow Weald campus, Brookshill, Harrow Weald.

The proposed development will be towards the back of Harrow College’s Weald campus and involves the redevelopment and part demolition of the existing Gaskell building which has been identified as an unsuitable facility for Learners with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities (LLDD) students.

The new building will include a centralised flexible learning zone and courtyard, sensory room, additional classrooms and increased facilities specifically for LLDD students.

Judith Abbott, Director of Finance and Resources at Harrow College says "we are delighted that we will be able to provide state of the art purpose built learning facilities for some of our most vulnerable students, and that in future we will be able to provide more places for growing future needs within the borough, as identified by Harrow Council".

We await the due decision date to be confirmed by Harrow Council's planning committee but expect this to be in April/May 2014.

Four students from Harrow College are celebrating graduating from Harrow College Careers Academy (HCCA).

Aazim Ashroff, Mithilesh Zavar, Matthew Small and Vidhi Shah were all recognised for their great achievements at the HCCA graduation ceremony, which took place at the Institute of Education in London, on 7 May.

The Career Academies UK aims to raise the aspirations of young people by building the bridge between the classroom and the boardroom. It consists of a structured programme of paid internships, mentoring, motivational lectures and workshops to give 16-19 year olds the experience and skills they need to perform effectively in the workplace.

During their time with HCCA, students Ashroff, Zavar and Small undertook paid internships at BDO, while Shah took an internship with Lloyds TSB Banking.

Ashroff said that the Careers Academy had “transformed” his life: “Thanks to the internship I completed at accountancy firm BDO, I am now confident in conversing with people, which would not have been possible two years ago. Without a shadow of a doubt, joining HCCA has been the best decision I have made.”

Throughout their studies at Harrow College the students were given the opportunity to hear lectures from professionals at BT, Virtusu and UK Broadband. They were also invited to visit BT Future Labs in Ipswich, Transport for London’s Database Centre and the BT Tower and Media Centre.

The students were also invited to take part in workshops at the Ministry of Defence and the Chartered Institute of Insurance. They also had mentors from Lloyds TSB, BT and Carole Spiers Group.

Fellow student Small said of his experience: “Through the Careers Academy I have become more self-confident. The highlight of experience was my internship at BDO. Working at BDO has definitely improved upon my team working, interpersonal and organisational skills. I would strongly recommend the Careers Academy to any student.”

There are 140 schools and colleges that participate in the Careers Academy nationally. Certificates were presented to students by Caroline Hemstead, vice-president of global affairs at AstraZeneca and David Trott, partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP. The students were also treated to speeches from motivational speaker Action Jackson and economist and journalist Evan Davis.

Trina Ghurbhurun, computing and IT lecturer at Harrow College said that she was proud of the students for graduating from the HCCA.

“This has been a fantastic opportunity for the students who completed the two-year programme.  They are a shining example of what can be achieved when opportunities are not wasted.  The experience gained from Harrow College Career Academy is one that has definitely shaped the aspirations of these students.”

Lecturers from the Hair and Beauty department at Harrow College have donated their skills to pamper VIPs and visitors at Harrow United Deaf Club’s International Women's Day event.

International Women's Day celebrates the social, political and economic achievements of women while focusing world attention on areas requiring further action.

A panel of inspirational women, including Nana Asante, the Mayor of Harrow and Mei Sim Lai OBE DL, the deputy lieutenant of Brent, joined Harrow United Deaf Club’s International Women's Day celebrations at the Bridge Centre on Saturday 1 March 2014.

Also on the panel were Susan Hall, leader of Harrow Council, Sabina Iqbal, founder and chair of charity Deaf Parenting UK and Emma Richards, chief inspector of Harrow police.

Harrow College lecturers Coron Zammito, Helen Beckwith, Stephanie Raven, Nicky Lester and Sladzhana Dimitrov all offered beauty treatments to attendees to celebrate the day.

Zammito said that the whole event was a great success and celebration of women. “As a department we are working with the community more and more and this was a perfect opportunity. We were also able to promote Image and the courses that Harrow College offer.”

The Hair and Beauty team were later presented with a framed certificate of thanks for the help and support they offered during the day and have been asked to work with Harrow United Deaf Club on future projects.

A team of Harrow College students have displayed businesses acumen that entrepreneur Lord Alan Sugar would be proud of by making it to the national final of Barclays Money Skills Built for Business competition.

Benjamin Donnan, Pinak Thapa, Sujit Rai and Mustafa Ahmed, all Year 1 BTEC Level 3 students, teamed together under the name Experiencing New Dimensions to produce a business plan to increase the sales of 3D glasses for commercial use.

The Barclays Built for Business competition invites students to work in teams to devise a business idea. The students are then asked to work with an imaginary budget and outline how they would get their idea off the ground.

Lee Janaway , head of department of business, English and media at Harrow College said: “It is great to see the business students highlighting the enterprise skills they have developed and come up with an excellent project idea. To make the national final is an excellent achievement and I am sure that they will enjoy the experience of presenting their pitch in the last leg of the competition.”

The team behind Experiencing New Dimensions will now go on to pitch their business idea to a panel of judges at the competition final, which will take place at Barclays’ headquarters in Canary Wharf on 14 June.

Sylvia Perrins, CEO of the Skills Academy, said: “I am very much looking forward to judging the Built for Business competition. Our student finalists from Harrow and the other colleges have shown real entrepreneurial flair with their innovative ideas.”

Students from the Travel and Tourism department have successfully completed a fortnight's worth of challenging work experience placements.

Level 3 Travel and Tourism students Keira Chapman and Lule Jama undertook work experience placements for two weeks in February 2014.

Chapman attended café The Dolls House on Harrow on the Hill, while Jama attended Italian restaurant Il Cacculio in Piccadilly Circus, London.

The experience allowed the students to understand the world of working life and enhance their skills set.

“Working in a restaurant has given me more confidence working in the hospitality industry. I learnt a lot about interacting with customers. It was a really worthwhile and enjoyable experience,” said Jama.

Chapman, who has managed to obtain employment through her placement, added that work experience placements were vital in helping students’ transition from education to employment.

“From this work experience placement I have been offered a full-time job for when I leave college,” said Chapman. “I wasn’t intending on going to university after I finish my course at Harrow College so this is really great news for me. Gaining work experience is so important in helping students understand the world of work.”

• For more information about the Travel, Tourism and Hospitality courses we have on offer at Harrow College go here

Performing Arts students at Harrow College have been enhancing their theatrical skills by learning one of the earliest mediums of self-expression.

Under the watchful eye of professional mime performer Gerrard Mikelsons, Level 3 performing arts students were initiated into the world of mime on Wednesday 5 March 2014.

Mikelsons is a professional mime performer who trained with the Etienne Decroux School, France, and has taught mime at degree level.

Mikelsons performed a short piece called Poppy Day to students which tells the story of an old soldier looking at his medals as he remonstrates with his memories of playing war games as a child and actually fighting in battle.

Student Dwayne Mclean attended the workshop and found Mikelsons’ performance inspiring. “The Poppy Day performance made tears come to my eyes it was so moving,” he said.  

The workshop was an ideal opportunity for the learners to grasp the key techniques and illusionist secrets of the art of mime. The students will be studying a mime unit and will be creating both a group and a solo performance for an audience as part of their course.

• For more information on the Drama and Performing Arts courses we have on offer at Harrow College visit here

From tomorrow (11 June) adult learners on the ceramics workshop course at Harrow College will be presenting their ceramics work at the HotHouse Gallery.

Students, Linda Davidson, Jung Ju Seo, Iris Bryant, Natalie Tobert, Menna Haria, Valerie Levy and Sharon Rhodes will all be displaying their work at the HotHouse Gallery on the Harrow on the Hill campus from 11-13 June.

The exhibition ‘Ceramics Heaven’ features a varied selection of ceramics pieces. There will also be an opportunity to buy selected works on display.

WHAT: Ceramic Heaven exhibition

WHERE: HotHouse Gallery, Lowlands Road, Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 3AQ

WHEN: 11-13 June

OPENING HOURS:  Tue 3.30pm-6pm // Wed-Thur 10am-2.30pm

Students at Harrow College will learn first-hand how to lead a more sustainable life during a week-long event designed to promote environmentally friendly initiatives.

Sustainability Week will take place from Monday 24 March to Friday 28 March 2014 and will see a slew of activities, tutorials and informative stalls set up over both Harrow Weald and Harrow on the Hill campus.

Also in attendance will be Martin Francis, communications officer and spokesperson on children and families at Brent Green Party, who will be viewing the stalls along with students and explaining his party’s commitment to a more sustainable planet.

On Monday 24 March students at the canteen at Harrow Weald campus can learn more about the role of bees in our ecology and take part in a local honey taste test, visit stalls hosted by Fair Trade and Affinity Water and understand the importance of recycling with Harrow’s Waste Diet and Viridor’s Waste Management. There will also be guided trips around the college’s wildlife pond and meadow.

Green Travel Day will follow at Harrow Weald campus on Tuesday 25 March. The event will show students how they can use more environmentally friendly methods of transport. There will be a range of bicycles and electric bikes available for students to try out, an EcoDriving Simulator, which guides users through a series of situations while teaching you techniques to drive more fuel-efficiently, as well as bikes that power blenders as you cycle to make smoothies.

From Thursday 27 March Sustainability Week will transfer to the canteen at the college’s Harrow on the Hill campus with the addition of a solar panel demonstration and information stall.

Claire Savaryn, estates and environmental co-ordinator at Harrow College said she anticipated the event would be invaluable in teaching students and staff about leading a sustainable life.

“We are looking forward to holding Harrow College’s first Sustainability Week, which will cover many interesting and important issues such as water use, recycling, the role of bees, air quality, green travel and Green politics. The event will be participatory and enjoyable with prizes on offer and we hope that many students and staff will visit the stalls and take part.”

Justin Plesea has won his heat in the Microsoft Applications Specialist category at the WorldSkills UK competition.

The year two BTEC Level 3 Diploma in IT student competed for the title at Barnfield College, Luton, on 29 May.

WorldSkills UK competitions focus on all the essential requirements for a successful career as a Microsoft Applications Specialist, working in the IT department of any organisation.

Microsoft Specialist Applications competition tests competitors' in-depth knowledge of Microsoft Office software, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access and Microsoft Visio.

"I am really happy to win my heat of the Microsoft Applications Specialist,” said Plesea. “I hope to score the highest in the region competition to be eligible to be entered for the national heat. If I end up winning the whole competition the prize will be a trip of a lifetime to Canada.”

Plesea is now in with a chance to compete for a medal in the WorldSkills final. If his point score is in the top eight entrants, he will secure his place in the final, which will take place at the NEC Birmingham in November.

Plesea follows in the footsteps of Janell English and Lydia Robertson who were successful in taking accolades home for Harrow College in their regional heats at the WorldSkills UK national competition.

English, who is on the Nail Services NVQ2 course, took third place in the nail enhancements category. Robertson, who is studying on the Theatrical, Special Effects and Media Hair and Make-Up Diploma course, took the same position in theatrical and media make-up and body painting.

One of the UK’s leading providers of consulting, technology and outsourcing Capgemini has spoken to Harrow College students about work opportunities with the firm.

BTEC IT students learnt of Capgemini’s recruitment campaign for over 160 new apprentices with the company, at the Lecture Theatre at Harrow on the Hill campus on 12 June.

Dipen Limbu, BTEC Level 3 IT student at Harrow College said he was glad that he met the recruitment team from Capgemini. “I wanted to come today to hear about the types of apprenticeships they had on offer. I think it’s really important to have these types of events at the college to show students what’s available to us.”

Capgemini is hoping to create a new digital division within the company creating jobs for the next generation of IT workers.

Those who successfully apply to the apprenticeship scheme will have a chance to undertake a five-year programme that could continue onto a permanent role with the company. Apprentices on Capgemini’s higher apprentice sponsored degree programme will be offered the chance to earn while they learn on the job. They will also be given the opportunity to study for a fully-funded sponsored degree.

Members of staff from Capgemini hosted a question and answer session regarding the consulting, technology and outsourcing industry.

Michelle Perkins, employee engagement director at Capgemini explained how the company’s scheme was a “fantastic” opportunity for people wanting to earn a salary and gain vital work experience. “For Capgemini, it’s important to talk directly to young people to understand why they might choose to do an apprenticeship. Events like this are a means of us to show students the scheme we have on offer.”

Current apprentice on the Capgemini programme Callum Wood said his experience with the company had been “great”: "A year and a half into my apprenticeship and I know I’ve made the right decision. It’s a really good scheme. Once you’re qualified you get to work on some really interesting, multimillion pound projects.”

Harrow College currently has its own Apprenticeships programme ‘You’re Hired’. Students on the scheme gain experience working with professionals to enhance specific job skills as part of their vocational qualification.

Harrow College Apprenticeships cover industries including business administration, accounting, IT, customer service, maintenance operations (construction), hairdressing and childcare.

Speaking of the importance of the talk given by Capgemini Ollie Hill, work-based learning manager at Harrow College said: “It’s essential for learners to get an understanding of how apprenticeships work and know that there is an alternative to university. Getting into work isn’t all about getting into debt.”

Students at Harrow College hoping to become the next Bradley Wiggins have learnt about greater road safety and bike maintenance with the London Cycling Campaign.

The organisation offered students free bike checks, repairs and advice as part of their London by Cycle campaign, outside the canteen at the college’s Harrow Weald campus on Thursday 13 March 2014.

Funded by Transport for London, the London Cycling Campaign are running a series of events promoting cycling at universities and colleges across London.

Level 1 Business student Haisan Abdisalan, a regular cyclist around the Harrow area, thought the London by Cycle initiative was a great way to get other students interested in cycling to and from college.

“I cycle into college everyday so to have a free service like this check my bike and give me tips when I’m out on the road is great,” he said.

Claira Watson-Parr, bicycle mechanic and cycling instructor with London Cycling Campaign added: “Enabling young people to cycle gives them freedom. A lot of these students are too young to drive on the roads so cycling is the most effective way for them to get from A to B. Initiatives like this give students the confidence to cycle on the roads as we teach them aspects of road safety and help them with their bike maintenance.”