Almost a year after finishing college, Mollie Blakey is more determined than ever and is pursuing her dream of one day opening her own bakery.

Now studying for a degree in business management and marketing with the Open University, Mollie is working at Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms, in Harrogate, and hopes to climb the ranks. However, her confidence didn’t come overnight and she had to overcome a number of challenges.

Finding her confidence

Mollie, who wanted to become a veterinary nurse when she was younger, struggled at school and felt she didn’t fit in. It was not until she started at college that she got the support she needed and discovered that she was dyslexic.

“I have loved animals all my life and it was a natural choice for me to work with them. However, after my GCSE results I had to look for an alternative and I’d enjoyed food tech at school.”

Shortly after her GCSEs Mollie had a conversation with one of her teachers which led to her applying for a food preparation course at the college.

“The support I received from my tutors throughout my two years at college made a massive difference academically as I really struggled at school.

“My tutors were able to help me and identified that I have dyslexia. It boosted my confidence massively as I was now aware of why I was struggling, and I was able to have one-on-one support at college, where a tutor helped during my lessons and throughout the pandemic.”

Improving her overall experience

Speaking about her overall experience at college, Mollie said that if it were not for the support she received she would not have been able to get her ‘dream job’ at Bettys.

“I don’t think I would have landed a job at Bettys if I had not received the support I needed. College gave me the confidence to believe I could do what I wanted and achieve what I wanted to achieve.”

Determined to get things done, despite the challenges.

Last year, Mollie was diagnosed with autism but has never let this get her down. Instead, she has felt empowered to speak out and support others.

Plans for the future

Inspired by Horticap Harrogate, Mollie would like to open her own cafe, run by people with learning difficulties and autism, to show that these conditions don’t define who you are.

“Horticap works with young adults with learning difficulties and they have inspired me, in a way, as a person with autism and dyslexia.

“I have been rejected by a number of companies as a result of my disabilities. However, I would like to think I have proved those who didn’t believe in me wrong because, despite being told that I may not be able to get through a level 2 course, I achieved a distinction.”

Message for others wanting to pursue their dreams

“I want to encourage others, especially those who may have a disability, to follow their dreams and pursue what they are passionate about. Don’t ever let anyone ever tell you that you are not capable of achieving what you want.”

Two Motor vehicle students recently put their skills to the test – by creating their own e-bikes.

The Level 2 students were looking for a more reliable mode of transport. So when an opportunity to convert their bicycles into e-bikes presented itself at college, they seized it.

Student Aidan Stone said: “I converted my bike by taking off the back wheel and fitting a new one with the motor attached to the wheel, then I fitted the battery and controller to the frame and wired everything up.

“I needed a more reliable mode of transport than an e-scooter. This helps me get to work and to college, and it has better range.

“We learned about the electrics of vehicles which helped me a lot when wiring my bike up. Our technician, Chris Poole and lecturer, Howard Wallace were a great help.

“I have found my course brilliant and we’re always learning new stuff. Once I’ve finished, I’m hoping to go into a garage.”

Harrogate College is focused on supporting the green economy by providing the green skills training our district needs. As part of that commitment, we will be introducing a new electric vehicle infrastructure training course this September.

We have also teamed up with a number of local experts to promote the sustainable agenda. Those include eDub Conversions, a North Yorkshire company that specialises in electric vehicle conversions.

When it came to his bicycle conversion, student Eddie Gibbs took inspiration from the local business’s example. He said: “What eDub is doing is trying a completely new thing in the area of vehicles, and helping to expand the motor vehicle industry.”

Eddie is hoping to land a job in the motorsport industry.

Programme Manager for Business and Professional at Harrogate College, Deborah Redman, taught both students English over the past two years.

She said: “We are all really proud of the progress they have made while they have been here. They are both passionate about cars, and showing an interest in the green agenda.”

Sustainability is a key value for the college, which has published a pledge that sets out its goal of becoming net zero carbon by 2030.

It is also providing carbon literacy training for students and staff, and has taken steps to ensure recycling and sustainability are embedded into all of its courses.

The future success of Harrogate’s economy rests on its ability to attract investment, grow its existing workforce and expand current enterprises with the support of education institutions such as Harrogate College, writes Haddleton’s Chief Executive Officer, James Haddleton 

As part of its ongoing commitment to support the local economy, Harrogate college has set up an employers’ network aimed at delivering the skills and courses local firms need. This initiative has come at an opportune time as the economy continues to recover from the effects of the pandemic. 

Harrogate College is the ‘one-stop shop’ in the district for your skills needs and should be the first place to visit, whether you are in trade or in a profession. People think of apprentices sometimes as tradesmen, but it is broader than that and we need to promote the benefits of apprenticeships and why employers should consider taking a few on. The college is currently part of a ‘100 in 100’ campaign, which aims to get 100 apprentices hired in as many days and the significance of this campaign is one the district desperately needs. 

Currently with the employers’ network, members’ feedback is helping shape the content and structure of the college’s courses to make sure they better reflect employers’ needs and deliver a suitably skilled future workforce. I think it is imperative for businesses to form a relationship with the local college and to establish the gaps they have within their organisations where the college can support. 

What I am hoping for as an outcome, is a discussion about how we can broaden the offer across the district and get more employers engaged with the FE sector to fill the gaps they are currently experiencing. As a small business owner in Harrogate, I wasn’t aware that I have a training need and a need for an apprentice until I engaged with the college.  

Harrogate is a relatively affluent town. The proportion of pupils who go on to study A Levels and then on to university is high. But there is now an increasing trend of pupils veering towards more practical subjects and course options. 

As a provider of T Levels and other Level 3 courses, Harrogate College provides a vocational and technical route into higher education, which will to some extent, result in them becoming employees in many local businesses further down the line.  

This is in addition to providing high level technical education and training, as well as apprenticeships up to degree level. All this combined, makes the college central to bridging those gaps required by a wide range of industries or sectors in the district. 

Through this apprenticeship campaign and the employers’ network, we (both the college and employers) can create those apprenticeship opportunities, help businesses find the right fit and support existing and new apprentices to progress and take their careers to the next level. 

As a small business that is always looking at ways to scale up, ready access to an appropriately skilled workforce is a prerequisite for growth. Now, more than ever, apprenticeships will play a key role in driving growth and helping retain the talent businesses need to level up on a local and national scale. 

With employer leadership or input becoming increasingly embedded within our post-16 skills system, it is important that engagement between employers and further education (FE) organisations such as Harrogate College work closely together to address how they can work together to equip learners with the skills required in the workplace.  

Existing relationships between local employers and Harrogate College appear limited and ripe for further development. Which is why I believe that the work that the college is doing so far to collaborate with employers is a great start.  

Working together with education institutions such as Harrogate College is such an important step forward to tapping into local talent that is committed to the area. Having a workforce with a good transferable skill set is going to enable us to grow without having to spend additional time and money going around the country or using agencies to attract the talent we need when we have them right at our fingertips. 

The advantage of building relationships with the FE sector is that you can drop into your local college and find ways you can work together to support existing and new staff. I think it is about accessibility, commitment to the area and the right connections. 

For more information about Harrogate College and the employers’ network, visit the website.

Harrogate College students have contributed to a stunning art installation at Himalayan Gardens & Sculpture Park.

Artist Anna Whitehouse held collaborative workshops with lots of people, including our Level 2 Art & Design students, to create 1,300 ceramic blue poppies.

Painted by hundreds of hands, the resulting artwork creates an illusion of a ‘poppy river’ flowing down the North Yorkshire attraction’s hillside.

The Himalayan Gardens & Sculpture Park commissioned the installation back in 2019, but it was put on hold due to the pandemic. 

The enchanting Himalayan Blue Poppy (meconopsis) is known for being difficult to grow in the UK, as it needs a certain kind of soil. The species flourishes, however, in the Himalayan Gardens which enjoys a flush of poppies every year.

Ceramics specialist Anna, who led the workshop with the students, uses her passion for environmental issues to fuel her art and drive community projects.

The poppy process

Each of the ceramic poppies, which were created by 450 people, were handmade, glazed, fired and painted.

Anna said: “Different people’s hands do different things. There’s the decoration on the back of each poppy, the way they’ve moved the petals to shape them, the kiln reactions and colours.

“Each poppy has been personalised by its maker; with messages of freedom, names of family and friends, and those they have lost.” 

Commenting on how the poppies look on site, she added: “Then it’s seeing them differently, almost like a river flowing down the hillside.”

An insight into the industry 

Level 2 Art & Design student, Keiran Holland-Eadsforth, said: “From doing the workshop I learned how to work on-demand, producing something that a client wants. This gave me an insight into working in the art industry.”

Student Olly Cook added: “I learned how to create stippling on a clay texture at a higher level than I’d done before.”

The Himalayan Gardens are open to the public over the summer. 

A few tips on how to grow a poppy 

Despite the Himalayan Blue’s reputation, other poppies are less tricky to grow. They are best sown in spring where they will flower through to autumn. 

Here are a few tips on how to grow poppies in your garden. 

1. Choose a spot that allows a decent amount of sunlight. 
2. Weed the area and sprinkle your poppy seeds on well-drained soil 
3. Water frequently, but not too often
4. Let the magic begin!

An artist from Harrogate College has teamed up with the National Trust and Henshaws to create a stunning water-based art trail.

Catt van Leijen’s, Waterlogged, features a series of nature-inspired artworks that have been installed in and around Fountains Abbey’s Water Garden and stream.

MA Creative Practice student, Catt, is a long-established artist and a pottery and paper tutor at local charity, Henshaws, where she has worked for 12 years.

So when it came to doing her course’s ‘collaborative project’, she knew she wanted to involve the Art Maker students that she teaches at Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre.

The results, including everything from colourfully painted bird and animals, to floating Roman goddess heads, went on display on 28 May and have been enjoyed by thousands of visitors.

Inspired by nature and the need to connect

Catt said: “As the brief was very open, it gave me a great deal of scope for my own interpretation on how I would like to lead this project, from an artistic standpoint and as project manager.

“The inspiration was the nature around us, and getting people out into the fresh air to follow the trail. This focus on connecting with nature, I hoped, would be beneficial in so many ways, including physically and emotionally.

“The complete trail itself is a few miles round so it encourages people of all ages and abilities to connect with the sculptures in their natural setting.”

Catt was delighted to get lots of the people she teaches, and works with, at Henshaws involved – both in the initial discussion and then in creating the artwork.

She said: “I really believe that the students at Henshaws deserve their work to be included in projects like this. And it served as a fantastic opportunity to give our Art Makers a platform in a wonderfully open and public space.”

The trail includes boards with fun animal facts along with, in a nod to The Skell Valley Project*, information on recent flooding and the impact of global warming.

A heady experience on the water

One of the most striking features meanwhile, five porcelain floating heads, were made from a mould that was taken of Catt’s own head.

She said: “These are my take on female Roman goddesses. The Moon Pond Garden only seemed to have male statues, based on Roman figures.

“As I am interested in swimming and nature, I thought it would be quite a playful idea to incorporate five swimming heads which are also related to the goddesses Luna, Salacia, Diana, Minerva and Flora.

“The idea being that animals and humans should all be able to enjoy nature and be part of the narrative along the water.”

Displaying much of the artwork actually on the water turned out to be a challenge in itself, but gave the pieces the impact Catt wanted.

Setting the scene

She added: “I decided they needed to be enjoyed from a distance, and what better way than actually on the water? So I sourced two boats, filled the gaps, applied resin, and sanded, painted and varnished them.

“We made two rafts from pond linings and seasoned wood, and used these as a platform for all the artwork. Then, on the second installation day, we put these in the water.

“Due to the risk of cross-contamination from footwear/equipment, the gardener at Fountains Abbey also went in, wearing his own extremely long waders, to secure the vessels.”

 *The Skell Valley Project is a multi-partner initiative, co-led by the National Trust and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, to safeguard the valley’s cultural and natural heritage.

All kinds of eye-catching artistic creations have gone on display at Harrogate College.

The college launched its FE Art and Design End of Year Show, to showcase the amazing variety of work that has been produced by art students, in June. 

Lots of parents, carers and students – plus the Mayor of Harrogate, Councillor Victoria Oldham – turned out to view the drawings, paintings, ceramics and print works on display at the launch.

Many of the pieces will now adorn the college’s corridors throughout the summer, so visitors still have plenty of time to get along and enjoy them.

A celebration of creativity and hard work

Johnathan Leng, who is the Level 3 course lead for FE Art & Design at Harrogate College, said: “Our end of year show is the culmination of a year’s work across four levels, and displays the full spectrum of art practice that our students experience here.

“The show allows the students to celebrate all the hard work they have done over the course of the year and display it in a professional manner.

“Although there was a show last year, this was very much scaled down due to pandemic restrictions. So this year has been particularly important for our completing second year students. This will be great preparation for either university or the personal exhibitions they have in the future.

“Examples of drawing, painting, ceramics and printmaking – which includes etching, lino and silkscreen – can be seen. We also have a broad range of photography on display, both in black and white and colour and produced using digital and traditional cameras.

“Visitors can see films that were shot and edited by our students too, along with an animation, a 3D installation, comic books, illustrations, furniture design, garment design and more.

“It was an exciting show with something for everyone. I encourage everybody to come and see what our talented students have achieved this year.”

An amazing way to round off the year

Some of the artworks carry a political or social message, such as Sarahjane Liu’s collection of origami shirts sporting faces. Sarahjane, who is a Year 2 Level 3 Extended Diploma in Art and Design student, said: “My piece represents how normalised racism towards the Asian community has become.”

MA Creative Practice student Hannah Alderson’s The Joy of Clay, meanwhile, shows the results of a collaborative project that involved using clay therapeutically with a variety of specialist groups.

Johnathan added: “Many of the first-year students were unaware of the buzz that surrounds the private viewing, and could not believe the amount of people who approached them to speak about their work.

“The launch evening was a particular success for Natalie Hunter, who had numerous requests from people to print extra sets of her beautifully designed Tarot cards.

“As a tutor it was an amazing way to finish the year off, and rewarding to see the hard work all the students put into their course displayed in such a professional way.”

A film of the show’s launch night, produced by The Harrogate Informer, can be viewed on YouTube here.

The full show finishes on Friday 15 July, but many of the works will remain on display around the college over the summer.

‘A really successful collaboration’.

That’s the tasty verdict on a design-the-menu project that Harrogate College has just completed for RHS Garden Harlow Carr.

Hospitality students were asked to create a hypothetical menu, with a focus on sustainability, for the new café Harlow Carr is creating at the former Harrogate Arms pub.

The challenge involved the students splitting into sub-teams to come up with different ideas. Their completed menus ended up featuring everything from vegetable lasagne to an eggs Benedict and smoothie combo, along with some inventive twists on traditional family favourites.

Each sub-group had to then explain their concepts, and provide samples of their dishes for tasting, during an end-of-project presentation.

The Harlow Carr team were impressed with the results, and gave positive feedback across the board.

Praise for thoughtful, well-planned and sustainability-focused ideas

Commenting on a presentation by students Ellena, Chris and Amber, they said: “The vegetable lasagne and side salad looked very colourful and fresh. It was excellently presented and would appeal to both adults and children alike.

“The presentation was extremely thorough and well planned. There was excellent consideration given to sourcing local food and reducing the carbon footprint.

“Their menu choice appealed to us as they had considered our audience and their needs. They provided a menu that created the option of eating in or ‘taking out’, which customers would appreciate the flexibility.

“Consideration was also given to the ‘take-out’ packaging providing ethical choices, for example through using beeswax wraps.”

The project proved a hit with the students too, who enjoyed a fact-finding trip to the gardens. They were then given a ‘sowing and growing’ masterclass – using planters built at the college – by an RHS Harlow Carr gardener, who visited several times.

Harrogate College, which is working towards becoming net zero carbon by 2030, has made sustainability one of its key goals and provides carbon literacy training to students and staff.

A great chance to grow and develop

In her report, Professional Cookery student Ellena Harrison-Wood described how she relished the chance to come up with environmentally-friendly solutions as part of her team’s pitch.

She said: “Doing this project massively helped me personally grow and develop a lot of skills, including my *STEM 7 skills. 

“We were very conscious of our carbon footprint and making it as small as possible. Part of our plan was to use local businesses in Harrogate to really cut down on the travel of our ingredients, and to give back to the local community. “

Harrogate College’s Cultural, Contemporary and Heritage Studies Programme Manager, Jason Parry, added: “It has been a really successful collaborative project and the students have taken a lot from it.

“They did a great job, and we’re already talking to Harlow Carr about teaming up again soon.”

Students, staff and visitors, meanwhile, will be able to sample some of the vegetables and herbs that the students have been growing when the Bistro holds a Street Food Festival on Thursday 30 June.

The event – which will include entertainment – runs from 6pm to 8.30pm and costs £15, which gives diners five tickets to spend at food and drink stalls. 

More details on our hospitality courses can be found here.

*STEM 7 refers to the core skills that underpin STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects and are vital in all kinds of jobs. Those are: creative thinking, data-driven decisions, collaboration, communication, flexibility, intellectual curiosity and problem solving.

Artists, sculptors and ceramicists at  the college staged their first North Yorkshire Open Studios event.

The students, who are studying for master’s degrees in creative practice, showcased their work during the Platinum Jubilee weekend on 4 June. 

The artists also had the opportunity to talk to a wide range of people about their work and many of them sold several art pieces.

Dr Annabel Smith, Programme Manager, MA Creative Practice at Harrogate College said: “The NYOS event was a success and we are delighted to have been part of the north’s most prestigious open studios event.

“It is such an incredible platform and our year 1 and year 2 MA creative practice students were able to exhibit and sell their work, which is a remarkable achievement and a celebration of all their hard work.”

The exhibited work included ceramics, paintings, printmaking and textiles.

North Yorkshire Open Studios, run by a voluntary steering group of North Yorkshire based artists, gives creatives the chance to network, as well as show and sell their work directly to the public.