Students will be teaching vital CPR and recovery position skills in aid of the British Heart Foundation.

ESOL Entry 3 Certificate in Science students will gather to demonstrate key life-saving skills in the canteen at the Harrow on the Hill campus, on 20 June at 11am.

Student Hibaq Abdi explained why it was so important for the college to host a charity event like this: “It’s vital to know how to save a life because everyone deserves to live. If five minutes of your time can save a life then everyone should learn how to do CPR."

There will be dedicated collection tins on display for students and teaching staff to donate to the charity.

Ameeta Jethwa, ESOL lecturer at Harrow College said: "My students chose this charity because after they got training in doing CPR and recovery position, they realised how important it is to be able to save a life. As they are science students who want to develop careers in the medical field, they are very enthusiastic about teaching other people these techniques. Being a first responder can save a life." 

Founded in 1961, the British Heart Foundation helps to fund research projects around the UK that are fighting against heart disease.

Coronary heart disease is the UK’s single biggest killer. The charity’s pioneering research has helped to transform the lives of people living with heart and circulatory conditions.

If you’re considering your options for September 2014 and are keen on furthering your education or exploring your employment prospects through training and learning, then visit Harrow College’s Open Evening.

The Open Evening will take place at the refectory at Harrow College’s Harrow on the Hill campus on Wednesday 19 March from 4pm to 8pm. See below for directions.

We offer GCSEs, A-Levels, BTEC, HND, Apprenticeships, Traineeships and Foundation courses.

The event is open to all students, parents and adults seeking courses to enhance their learning.

Visitors will be able to speak directly to Harrow College’s dedicated teaching and support staff about the following courses, facilities and services:

• Apprenticeships, Traineeships and Business Development
• ESOL
• Hospitality
• Travel and Tourism
• Sport
• Art and Design and The Gallery
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Maths
• IT
• Media
• History
• Government and Politics
• Law
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Business and Economics
• Drama and Performing Arts
• Children’s Care Learning and Development, Health and Social Care
• English Language and Literature
• Beauty Therapy and Hairdressing and the Image Salon
• Construction, Electrical Installation and Plumbing
• Communication Support Unit, Additional Learning Support, Counselling
• Enrichment and Student Union
• Careers
• Learning Support, Tutorial Support, Foundation Learning and Skills, and Learning Links

Harrow College Open Evening is free to attend and there is no need to book an appointment for attendance.

Harrow College Open Evening will take place at: Harrow College, Harrow on the Hill campus, Lowlands Road, Harrow, HA1 3AQ. For map details visit: http://www.harrow.ac.uk/contact-us.html 

For more information about Harrow College's Open Evening and the courses on offer please contact 020 8909 6000.

Students at Harrow College have taken part in a motivational lecture hosted by FixUp Seminars, an organisation focused on motivating students, teachers and parents.

The seminar was hosted by Joshua Ajitena in the lecture theatre at Harrow Weald campus on Tuesday 18 March 2014.

The aim of the talk was to empower Harrow College students to achieve a better quality of life and to train and development leadership skills to become a force for good.

Ajitena explained why is was so important for organisations such as FixUp to reach out to Harrow College students.

“FixUp gives students the tools and resources they need to not just talk about their dreams and ambitions but to actually achieve them. Are aim is to make students realise that anything is possible,” he said.

Dharshini Sanguhan, careers advisor at Harrow College said it was important for the college to host events to boost confidence among students. “The Careers and Employability team are aware of the importance of motivation as it encourages students to work hard, progress and reach their potential. We have been facilitating motivational talks to all Level 1 and 2 students for over three years.”

FixUp Seminars was founded in 2001 by Jackson Ogunyemi, better known as ‘Action Jackson’. The organisation’s aim is to empower people’s minds and to develop a better quality of life in a fun, creative and inspirational way.

For more information on FixUp Seminars visit: http://www.fixupseminars.co.uk/ 

Students on the Learning Links course have been presented with certificates from the principal of Harrow College Tony Medhurst.

Twenty-nine students were recognised for their achievements in front of family and teachers, in a ceremony that took place in the Gaskell Building at the college’s Harrow Weald campus on 19 June.

Eight students graduated with their ASDAN Award diploma in personal development. A further eight students were recognised for completing their first year Next Step diploma in personal progress, while 13 students gained their Starting Out Award in personal development.

During the ceremony students presented a donation to Shooting Stars CHASE, the children’s hospice charity.

Sandra Calderbank, Learning Links lecturer at Harrow College said: "Learning Links is a great course for people who want to build upon core key skills in personal development. The Learning Links teachers and I have worked closely with these students and the results have been outstanding. They have grown and flourished into strong independent young people."

Medhurst praised the students and congratulated them on their awards. “I think I can speak for all the parents, teachers, support staff and volunteers here today when I say that we are all exceptionally proud of the achievements of our Learning Links students. This group of students are a key part of our College Community and they show us all on a daily basis that hard work, determination and a positive attitude really does pay off. Congratulations to each and every one of the students.”

Following the ceremony the students were treated to a party to celebrate their success.

Due to popular demand Harrow College’s course in Project Management for Building Your Home Extension is returning for another year.

The course, designed for those who want to learn how to effectively manage the development of their own home, will commence on 28 April 2014.

Les Coombes, adult and community learning co-ordinator has been running the course for four years and believes it is a must for those thinking about converting and extending their residential properties.

"This course is ideal for those seeking to manage their own home extension projects,” he said. “The course is specifically designed to give students the confidence they need to embark on their projects together with the necessary skills and knowledge required."

Former student on the course Manish Kataria added: "The course tutor brings many years of practical experience as an interior architect to teach students about how to effectively manage their own projects. What I found particularly useful was the tutor's ability to teach what is otherwise a minefield in an easy to understand and digestible format. I left the course much the wiser and will now approach my project (and builders) with greater confidence and know-how. It was an excellent investment."

There are limited places left on the Project Management for Building your Home Extension course. If you would like to enrol then please apply here.

Harrow College students hoping to make an impact in the world of art and design have taken part in an architecture workshop at Tate Modern.

Students on the BTEC Level 3 extended diploma in Art and Design, Architecture and Product Design attended the Tate Tank sessions on 26 April.

The sessions are designed to teach students about architecture as a performative space.

With guidance from architects Ruairi Glynn and Catrina Stewart, Harrow College students were also asked to create a space worthy for a performance of a giant architectural shadow puppetry show.

During the workshop students were given the opportunity to ask questions to Glynn and Stewart about career paths in the art and design industry. They also quizzed the practicing architects about the inspiration behind some of their works.

Joanna Anderson, lecturer in ceramics, sculpture and art at Harrow College said the workshop offered students a chance to explore the world of architecture: “My students found the workshop at Tate Modern with two London-based architects very inspiring. We had great feedback from the organisers and architects, who commented on how creative and enthusiastic the students were on the day.”

Harrow College students who have taken part in a money saving initiative have been rewarded for their efforts at a prize-giving ceremony.

The ceremony took place at the canteen at the college’s Harrow on the Hill campus on Thursday 20 March 2014.

Several students received prizes for their participation during Barclays Money Skills Week, which took place between Monday 10 February to Friday 14 February.

The Barclays Money Skills Week event encouraged Harrow College students to take part in a series of tutorials, classes and activities to learn how to better manage their money.

Prizes were awarded to students who offered money saving tips. Student Amadeusz Sobozynski took home first prize of a £25 voucher for his tip suggesting using picture incentives of items you really want could help you stop spending money on things you don’t necessarily need.

Second prize of £10, went to Aryan Bashashdoust, who suggested breaking bad habits could be achieved by putting money in a bad habit jar, while third prize of £5 went to O’Dean Elliott who suggested that parents and children could save money together by matching each other’s contributions to an account.

Student Luci Astall-Fuller won an i-Pad Mini for best overall idea of money saving tips.

Speaking of his win Sobozynski said: “I’m so pleased about winning first prize. I never realised I could offer up money saving advice like this, so it’s a great feeling.”

Prizes were also awarded to a student each day for offering money saving tips. Students  Samantha Armfield, Luan Lima, Pratima Limbu, Nikki Razmara, Pernia Javid and Anika Henderson all received a £20 voucher for either a restaurant or cinema trip for their efforts.

Special mention also goes to students who acted as volunteers at Barclays Money Skills Week at Harrow College: Chris Santon, Sarah Appiah, Khyzra Riaz, Anca Purcaru, Tony Ho, Pritam Gohil, Alma Bida, Andrew Khamba, Jamuna Vasanthakumaran, Haider Qayam, Mail Lewis, Odean Elliott, Sivasurya Swamintha, Wenda Ruan, Chetna Rana, Maria Siddiqi, Kanwal Munir, Nana Bonsu Osei Poku, Emilia Cojacaru and Sabiha Husain.

Khamba said it was important for students like him to take part in Barclays Money Skills Week. “It’s important for students to know how to save money in these harsh financial times. I’m also glad that I had the opportunity to support the college by volunteering for this event.”

Learning Links students at Harrow College have put their creative skills to great use by producing a sign for Hatch End Library

Hatch End Library approached the Learning Links students to design and create a sign for their children’s library.

Taking three weeks to complete the students painted two letters each. The sign is now proudly hanging in the library adding vibrancy to the children’s area.

Sarah Pike, Learning Links tutor at Harrow College said her students had a great time working on the sign: “My art group were approached by Hatch End Library to do this project and enjoyed every minute of it. The sign has had a really positive response, with members of the public saying it looks really colourful.”

LLDD students at Harrow College have won the Anne Swain Award and £400 for their pond project.

The students, who came joint first alongside Shaftesbury School, were recognised for their fantastic achievement at the AGM of Harrow Environmental Forum on 4 July.

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

The LLDD students started work on the pond on the grounds of Harrow Weald campus last October. The aim was to maximise the biodiversity on site and to provide the best possible wildlife habitats to encourage more insects, amphibians, birds and bats on site.

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 pond and their interest and enthusiasm in this sustainable project really shows that they care about their college environment. We are very grateful to Squires our local garden centre who helped us achieve this great success by donating a liner and some pond plants.  We now have a wild life area and pond that the whole college can enjoy.”

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

Students at Harrow College eager to start careers in forensic science have taken part in a murder mystery event to test their crime scene investigation skills.

Organised by Right Angle Events Ltd, students took their forensic equipment to uncover a hypothetical crime in the gym at Harrow on the Hill campus on Wednesday 19 March 2014.

The CSI workshop was organised as part of STEM Academy at Harrow College, to help students gain a greater insight into future careers in forensic science.

The workshops involved examining fingerprints and evidence under microscopes and applying the facts to a crime scene scenario.

Student Kanwal Munir attended the class and said she had gained a greater insight into the mechanisms of working in the field of forensic science.

“It was a great opportunity to learn about crime scene investigations. There were a lot of topics covered which are not included on our current curriculum so it was an interesting learning experience.

The great and the good among Harrow College’s student body were rewarded for their staggering academic and personal achievements at this year’s Student Awards.

Current students, teaching staff and family members gathered together in celebration at the Kadwa Patidar Centre in Harrow, on 25 June.

Keynote speeches came from two former Harrow College students; canoe slalom Olympic champion Richard Hounslow and paratriathlete Faye McClelland.

Former The Apprentice winner and founder of the Raw Talent Academy Lee McQueen was also in attendance. McQueen handed out two internships and two awards to current students at the ceremony.

Hounslow said he hoped he could help inspire current students at the college. "It was a real honour to be invited by Harrow College to attend their awards ceremony. As an ex-student, I was really impressed with the fantastic achievements of the current students. I hope my little speech will help them to challenge themselves and strive for more success in both education and life."

During the event audience members were treated to traditional Indian dohl drumming, as well as singing from student Megan Hennessy-Wilson and Charlotte Perchard, performing arts lecturer at Harrow College. Students Cassandra Walcott and Priyanka Modhacalled also performed an interpretive, comic dance to Indian and hip-hop music.

BTEC Year 2 Level 3 media students were also given the opportunity to showcase their work – a video on burglary prevention, which went on to win Film of the Year at the awards ceremony.

Tony Medhurst, principal at Harrow College said he felt extremely proud of the exceptional students being recognised for their efforts.

“Once again, Harrow College’s Student Awards Ceremony has shown everybody the wealth and depth of the amazing student talent we have at the College. I would like to extend my gratitude to all the students, members of staff, partner organisations and guest speakers who made the event such a memorable one. “

For a full list of winners see below:

Department of Health, Arts and Wellbeing

Art and Design Awards

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Haiderali Hameed

Excellent Work: Mahmuda Khan

Outstanding Achievement: Jake Adsley

Student of the Year: Amir Gafori

Health and Social Care and Early Years Awards

Excellent Work: Leigh Flynn

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Nicole Govia

Outstanding Achievement: Gibredingl Afework

Outstanding Achievement: Andreea Burlibasa

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Brigitte Ntulume

Sport, Travel and Hospitality Awards

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Keira Chapman

Outstanding Achievement: Amy Wight

Hair and Beauty Awards

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Rupinder McGurk

Student of the Year: Lydia Robertson

Outstanding Achievement: Titania Titus

Access to Nursing Award

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Christopher Fisher

Department of Business, English and Media Studies

Media and Performing Arts Awards

Outstanding Achievement: Jamie Orbell

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Aamir Khan

Film of the Year: BTEC 2nd Year Level 3 - Burglary Prevention video

English Award

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Mamanah Achakzai

EFL

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Jabintha Mahenthirarajah

Business Awards

Student of the Year: Anna Bartos

Outstanding Achievement: Shana Henry

Excellent Work: Anca Purcaru

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Chandni Chauhan

Humanities Award

Excellent Work: Chloe McIntosh

Access to Humanities and Social Science Award

Outstanding Achievement: Shakara Watson

Community Learning Award

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Anuradha Bhogaita

Department of Foundation Learning and Skills

Foundation Learning Awards

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Leutrim Krasniqi

Excellent Work: Daniel Jamanadas

Excellent Work: Rayhan Ahmed

LLDD

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Mikolaj Mrozinski

Student of the Year: Mikaela O’Neill

Mel Pimm Award: Zain Sudegar

Plumbing, Electrics and Construction Awards

Excellent Work: Ivan Kyle Alele

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Vijay Patel

Outstanding Achievement: Shafiq Walji

ESOL Awards

Excellent Work: Saleema Amin

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Ivan Leite

Excellent Work: Utpal Chowdhury

Department of Science, Maths and Technology

ICT Awards

Maureen McEvoy Award: Waasen Al-Khakani

Excellent Work: Haider Ali Qayum

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Nikhil Chudasama

Outstanding Achievement: Saleem Rankin

Maths Awards

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Raymon Fshaye

Excellent Work: Gunalan Edwin Christo

Excellent Work: Haniyya Mahmud

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Regina Baranyi

JD Booster Prize for the Most Promising Talent in Maths: Chen Xin Yang

Science Awards

Excellent Work: Adhe Noviello

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Luwam Teklizgi

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Lady Claire Mangilit

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Abid Lalporwal

Outstanding Achievement: Amin Boateng

Outstanding Achievement: Amy Yong

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Pernia Javid

Psychology Award

Outstanding Effort and Progress: Dominic Warren

Teacher Education

Excellent Work: Monika Clifford-Varley

Student of the Year: Rose French

Cross College Awards

School Link Learner of the Year (14-16 years): Jabraan Urfan

High School Link Learner of the Year (14-16 years): Tianna Tia Harris

Lesley Pinchen Learning Centre Awards: Hesammudin Yakubi

Tutor Group of the Year: Group W084

Student Ambassador of the Year: Abid Lalporwarl

Most Enterprising Student Group and Protocol Award: Tutor Group W221

Sportswoman of the Year: Lesley Devine

Apprentice of the Year: Zoe Brown

Work Experience Student of the Year: Katrina Hamilton

Student Mentor of the Year: Guneet Singh

Charity Group Challenge: Hair and Beauty Tutor Groups

Outstanding Progress in Teacher Education (Protocol): Ben Hemmings

International Student of the year: Hinda Hassan

The Student Group that has contributed the most to the Environment: Learning Links Next Step Year 1

The Student who has contributed the most to the Environment: Hussein Abdurahman Ali and Zain Sudegar

Principal’s Awards

Courage and Commitment: Dillon Parmar

Courage and Commitment: Amir Gafori

Contribution to college life: Chloe McIntosh and Yvette Adu-Mante

Contribution to the Community and Protocol Award: Hair and Beauty Level 1 Tutor Group

Contribution to the Community: ESOL

Governors’ Award for Outstanding Achievement: Chen Xin Yang

Harrow College students have been lucky enough to attend a symposium of inspiring women organised by Capgemini's UK chairperson Christine Hodgson.

A leading provider of consulting, technology and outsourcing services, Capgemini held the event, in support of International Women's Day, at their offices in Holborn, London, on Thursday 20 March 2014.

It was hoped the intimate event, attended by just over 70 people, would help inspire women to achieve their full potential in the world of business.

The key note speech came from former chief executive of Trinity Mirror and current board member of Ladbrokes and non-executive director of Greencore, Sly Bailey.

Bailey discussed her career progression from shop assistant to one of the most powerful women in the world of publishing and business with the female-only audience.

In attendance from Harrow College were students Preya Shah, Hetal Mehta, Nor Hamza, Shadine Cornish and Hibaq Abdi.

Following Bailey's address the students were given the opportunity to meet and talk with leading women within Capgemini.

Student Shah said that she was encouraged by Bailey's rise to success through hard work and determination.

"This talk was such a great experience. Sly has given me a fantastic insight into how we can manage our careers as young students. It was such an honour to meet a women like Sly," said Shay.

International Women's Day is held every year to celebrate women's economic, political and social achievements with an emphasis on respect, appreciation and love towards women.

This year International Women's Day was held on Saturday 8 March.

Students at Harrow College have taken part in a Green Travel Day to learn about environmentally friendly forms of travel.

Students were given the opportunity to learn about bike maintenance and eco travel at the event held in the canteen at the college’s Harrow Weald campus on Tuesday 25 March 2014.

Those intrigued by pedal power were given the opportunity to try out eco driving simulators, that help show how to save money while driving, and smoothie bikes, that operate blenders while they are in use.

Students who cycle to and from college were also encouraged to have their bikes checked by expert bike mechanics to ensure they were working properly.

Claire Savaryn, estates and environmental co-ordinator at Harrow College said Green Travel Day was a great way to inspire students to try new, alternative modes of transport: “Students enjoyed participating in the Green Travel Day. Well over 100 smoothies were produced by pedal power, around 80 students tried the eco driving simulator and over 80 tried various types of bicycles around the campus. We also had six students going on a guided cycle ride around the district with cycling instructors.  We hope that more students will feel empowered to cycle to college and as a leisure time activity as a result of the day.”

Maths students at Harrow College have gone on a fact-finding mission to Bletchley Park, the centre of decoding operations during the Second World War.

Twenty students and four members of staff travelled to the historic site on 17 June to discover how messages from Nazi Germany were intercepted and their contents revealed.

Bletchley Park holds particular significance to the maths students as it’s where the discipline really came in useful decoding messages that Germans were sending during the war.

Thanks to the efforts of staff at Bletchley Park during that period, they were able to shorten the length of the war by two years.

Students were treated to a talk about the Enigma machine used by the Germans to encode their messages and were later led through a sequence of calculations showing the staggering number of ways a message could be encoded. Students were also given the opportunity to see Colossus, a primitive computer that was used to decode teleprinter messages during the war.

April de Alwis, student at Harrow College said that it was inspiring to learn the role that women played at the site: “Visiting Bletchley Park was a wonderful experience. Finding out that women had a big role to play was a nice surprise to me. Getting to know more in depth what happened at Bletchley and how everything was organised was really interesting. I had no idea how huge Bletchley Park actually was until I arrived.”

Harrow College has proven its commitment to a sustainable future my making it to the finals of the Green Gown Awards 2013.

Currently in its ninth year, the Green Gown Awards aim to recognise sustainable initiatives implemented in universities and colleges across the UK.

The college was shortlisted as ‘Best Newcomer’ for its project ‘Sustainability on a Shoestring’.

The project helped reduce energy usage in existing, old energy inefficient buildings on a limited budget, by investing in low cost initiatives and facilitating behavioural changes among students and staff.

The college invested in new recycling bins, fitted percussion taps to reduce water wastage, increased the biodiversity on-site with a wildlife pond, wild flower meadow and bird and bat boxes and championed a ‘Turn It Off’ campaign, which encouraged students and staff to switch off appliances when not in use. Free solar panels were also installed.

The Green Gown Awards Ceremony 2013 will be held at The Roundhouse, Derby College on 12 November 2013.

The event will be hosted by the geologist Professor Iain Stewart, MBE, a Fellow of the Geological Society of London and President of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society.

The nomination proves Harrow College's strong commitment to a sustainable future, highlighting the college's achievements so far.

The college has achieved a 17.3% reduction in carbon emissions since 2010 and has a strategic objective to be a leading sustainable college not only in Harrow but the whole country.

The college joined the Carbon Trust Five Year Carbon Management Programme for FE colleges in 2011 and produced a plan with over 30 projects and a 25% carbon reduction target.

In 2011 Harrow College was the first general FE college to be awarded the Carbon Trust Standard, and was a finalist in the Times Educational Supplement FE Sustainability Awards in 2012.

Proving that one person’s rubbish is another’s treasure, Harrow College has taken part in its first ever swishing event to help reduce waste and promote ethical fashion.

Staff and students were asked to donate their usable and unwanted clothes and exchange them for other donated items, at a swishing event held in the canteen at the college’s Harrow on the Hill campus, on Wednesday 26 March 2014.

The purpose of swishing is to swap your unwanted clothes for someone else’s. It is seen as the eco-way to update your wardrobe without spending any money.

Roger St Paul, waste minimisation officer from West London Waste Society said swishing events were a great way to create a more environmentally-friendly planet. “Each year so many clothes end up in the bin because we either don’t want or need them anymore. These events are ideal at directing waste away from landfill and helping the environment.”

The event was held in conjunction with Harrow College Sustainability Week, with the aim of teaching staff and students how to lead a more sustainable life.

Sandie Petrie, student experience co-ordinator and organiser of the swishing event said: “The swishing event was a great addition to Sustainability Week and really showed staff and students that you can save money and the planet by being creative with everyday items like clothes. Swishing is a superb way of parting with your old wardrobe and exchanging it for something new and exciting.”

Harrow College students have undertaken a training programme on international business headed by former apprentice contestant and founder and director of InspirEngage International, Melody Hossaini.

Nine business students took part in Enterprise YOU! at the Harrow on the Hill campus on 15-16 July. Enterprise You! is a unique two-day European Commission training programme that allows young people in education to explore the complexities of international business.

Hossaini, with her company InspirEngage, delivered a training programme that covered modules including identity and personal branding, leadership qualities, social enterprise, mapping communities, InspirEngage PROMA, sales, communication skills, social media campaigns and project management skills. 

The aim of the programme is to support young people aged 15-30 across Europe to develop essential skills to turn personal interests and passions into a career, with an international focus.

Hossaini added: "Enterprise YOU! is a European Commission programme delivered by InspirEngage International, which Harrow College pioneered this week. The two-day programme helped students to develop skills in order to run an international social enterprise. We were so pleased with the students' progress and look forward to coming back to work with Harrow College as part of the next academic year."

Watch the below video messages from some of Harrow College's Enterprise YOU! particpants:

Harrow College students keen on taking their first steps into a career in IT have attended a lecture in the field presented by an IT expert from BP.

Students hoping to become the next Mark Zuckerberg or Marissa Mayer attended the talk, given by John Kendrick, lead project manager in IT at BP, at the lecture theatre at the college’s Harrow on the Hill campus, on Wednesday 26 March 2014.

The talk was part of a series of ‘Guru Lectures’ forming part of STEM Academy. The Academy’s aim is to strengthen higher education and career opportunities through the power of science, engineering, technology and mathematics (STEM).

Students at Harrow College are invited to take part in STEM Academy talks and lectures. Students are given an award for their participation in the scheme and are also allocated a mentor upon the scheme’s successful completion.

A-Level student Andrew Khamba has found the STEM Guru lectures an ideal opportunity to enhance his existing skills and prepare him for his future career. “The talk John gave was really insightful. As I’m currently doing my A-Levels I’m conscious of my career progression, so this talk has really put things in perspective for me.”

Kendrick added: “It was great to meet the students at Harrow College, and to hear their questions about careers in IT. I was really impressed with their knowledge, and how far the curriculum has come since I was in school.”

Hackney Building Lives Training Academy – a collaboration of partners including Harrow College – has been shortlisted in the Nectar Business Small Business Awards 2013.

Steve Rawlings, CEO of Building Lives, has been put forward for the Contribution to the Community award for the organisation’s work helping people into employment with apprenticeships in construction, while benefitting the local community.

The Contribution to the Community award will be issued to the organisation that has best demonstrated the positive impact they have made on their local community and will be voted for by the public. If successful, Building Lives will win £2,000 and 50,000 Nectar points.

Speaking of his nomination Rawlings said: "I’m delighted to be shortlisted in the Nectar Business Small Business Awards and I hope that people vote for us. It’s a great opportunity, as winning will help encourage more people to start an apprenticeship and convince more London boroughs to open Building Lives academies."

James Frost, marketing director at Nectar added: "The number of entries to the Nectar Business Small Business Awards rose by over 80%, while the standard remained high this year, so competition is fierce. If you want Building Lives to win, you’ll need to get voting. We wish all the shortlisted candidates, including Steve, the best of luck.”

To vote for Building Lives visit: https://www.facebook.com/nectarbusiness/app_122252354652436. Voting ends 4 August.

Launched in April this year by former London Mayor Ken Livingstone, Building Lives is an employer-led training provider aiming to close the gap between training and employment.

Building Lives provides apprenticeships and training in the construction sector to people in deprived areas of London aged between 14 and 65. There are currently four academies across London, with plans to increase this number to seven later this year.

Building Lives is working in conjunction with Harrow College, Hackney Homes, Manor House Development Trust, Lakehouse, Mulalley and Mansell, and many other construction companies and subcontractors.

Students from Harrow College taking part in social enterprise programme InspirEngage are nearing their goal of making a difference to the local community.

Participating students have spent the past six months developing social enterprise ideas to help their local community and promote a more cohesive society.

In a session taking place at Harrow on the Hill campus, on Wednesday 26 March 2014, students finalised their ideas with the help of InspirEngage trainer Manpreet Darroch and ambassador for InspirEngage International Comfort Nsek.

“The purpose of these sessions it to get younger people to give back to their community through social enterprise,” said Nsek. “We want them to be motivated to make changes in the not-for-profit sector and turn their ideas into reality.”

One group of students has taken the initiative to organise an event to offer their hair and beauty services to staff and visitors of Great Ormond Street Hospital. Fees from treatments offered will be donated to the renowned children’s hospital.

Level 1 Beauty student at Harrow College Gabrielle Blench said that the InspirEngage programme had made a real difference to her life. “In these sessions I’ve learnt how to start my own business and make a real contribution to society. I’d recommend this programme to other students who are looking to boost their confidence.”

Manpreet Darroch, trainer with InspirEngage, has been working with the students from Harrow College to develop their ideas. “These students have been working hard to create and establish their social enterprise ideas and are well on their way to implementing them with terrific results.”

InspirEngage was founded by former Apprentice contestant Melody Hossaini. The organisation helps to promote leadership qualities, social enterprise and communication and project management skills among young people.