Students of all ages have been celebrating GCSE success at Harrogate College.

For many, their time at college has been used to gain a qualification that they missed out on during their school years – and to build up their self-belief.

Jen, for example, wasn’t able to sit exams at school and had lacked confidence  before taking on her maths GCSE, which she achieved a grade 5 in.

Amazing support – and growing confidence

She said: “I loved coming to class and will really miss it! The support from my tutor was amazing, and I am coming back to do GCSE English.” 

JD Jackson came to the UK from the US a few years ago without any maths qualifications, so was delighted to achieve a grade 7.

He said: “I thought about doing maths for several years and finally decided to do it this year.

“I lacked confidence but, like many people now, I realise as long as you keep trying you will succeed.”

Happy to continue growing at Harrogate College

For Holly Parker, who was anxious about exams during her school years, it was a similar story – but this time in English, which she has just achieved a grade 5 GCSE in.

She said: “I couldn’t have done it without the support of my teacher. I am excited to come back to Harrogate College to do my maths GCSE next year.”

For others, like Maruta Cesmane, taking on a maths GCSE was a chance to prove to herself that she could do well in the subject – and the course has also helped her manage her everyday finances. Martua was pleased to have made some great progress this year, and is returning to the college to aim for a higher grade.

Libby Proctor, meanwhile, has already been on that journey and re-sat her English GCSE to improve on her grade. She is now, after achieving a grade 4, looking forward to studying level 3 Childcare at the college.

For more on courses at Harrogate College click here.

Two leading lights of the local catering industry have praised Harrogate College for helping them launch their careers.

Chef Callum Bowmer and restaurant and hotel general manager Neil Mendoza have both gone on to great things since training with the college.

Neil Mendoza, who studied management and hospitality courses from 2008 to 2010, went on to fill several senior positions for celebrity chef Marcus Wareing’s restaurants, including MARCUS at The Berkeley Hotel in London.

Neil is now back in Harrogate where he is General Manager at The Studley Hotel and Orchid Restaurant.

Callum, meanwhile, who was named Chef of the Year at the Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Awards 2022, did an apprenticeship with the college in 2011. He is now Head Chef of the 3AA Rosette Horto Restaurant, at Rudding Park.

Both agree that their time at college provided a crucial, and rewarding, route into the industry.

A fantastic experience with great tutors

Neil said: “It was a fantastic experience as it allowed me to learn more about the sector and led me to exactly where I am today.

“I was already working part-time in a restaurant where my dad was a chef. The course made me understand the industry much better and helped me decide that this is the career I’d like to pursue.”

Callum said: “My time at college was fun, progressive and useful. I had two great tutors in Mark Wilkinson, who’s no longer with the college, and Karina Dodsworth.

“I believe I showed passion and respect so they invested their time in me. I did day-release and had a session with Mark where we covered all the skills we needed, from butchery to pastry.

“I even remember going to London with a small team to do a sushi demonstration at Excel Arena, at a WorldSkills competition, which was fantastic. A sushi chef had come to train us months beforehand, and gave us the skills we needed.”

The college’s hospitality team has been working hard over the past year to strengthen its support for local businesses. Those efforts have included reaching out, through the Harrogate College Employers’ Network, to find out exactly what skills firms need.

They were also pleased to welcome Neil earlier this year, when he came in to college to deliver an inspirational talk to students.

Targeted help for the local industry

The hospitality sector was one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, due to repeated lockdowns which shook consumer confidence and led to the loss of many skilled employees.

Harrogate College’s Cultural, Contemporary and Heritage Studies Programme Manager, Jason Parry, said: “The fantastic success of former students like Callum and Neil is an inspiration to us all, and shows what can be achieved. We are delighted to have played a part in that success.

“We have been working closely with many local hospitality businesses over the past year as part of our efforts to help the district recover from Covid-19.

“That work has included talking directly to employers about what they need from new employees and then customising our training to ensure it delivers.

“Our themed dining nights have also been part of that, and have given our students some invaluable experience of working in a fast-paced restaurant. We have also been taking them on fact-finding trips, to places like Rudding Park, to show them best-practice and to help them gain an understanding of how businesses operate.

“It is all about ensuring that they leave here with a skillset that will prove invaluable to our local hotels, restaurants, cafes and bars – and so enable them to thrive in the industry.”

The value of apprenticeships, hard work and patience

Neil and Callum, meanwhile, are happy to share some tips with aspiring hospitality professionals. Callum said: “You have to be happy in your work, so for me being a chef is great because that’s what I love to do.

“I would definitely recommend considering an apprenticeship, as you will learn so much more with the combination of a good workplace and a great college course. Also, question everything and if you don’t know something, ask – there’s no such thing as a silly question.

“It’s also vital to demonstrate a great work ethic; be on time, be eager, be passionate, be driven, be clean and work hard. Good luck!”

Neil added: “I am loving every bit of my current role, especially because I am also now back in Harrogate after living and working in London for a decade to elevate my career.

“To all the aspiring young chefs, waiters and other hospitality professionals, I would say: focus on the positives and learn from your mistakes, as this will define who you are in the industry and only make you better.

“It may be a long journey to where you want to be, but patience is key and working hard will get you there.”Click here for more details on the college’s hospitality and catering courses. More information on apprenticeships, meanwhile, can be found here.

Budding Paralympian, Emily Holder, is celebrating a ‘brilliant year’ that has seen her add to her medal collection while excelling in her studies.

Emily, who has just passed her Level 3 BTEC National Extended Diploma in Business at Harrogate College with flying colours (she achieved three distinction stars), is one of the country’s top para fencers.

Her ultimate sporting ambition is to represent her country at the Paralympics. Emily took another stride towards that goal in July when she competed, for the first time, with the GBR women’s team at the Warsaw Para World Cup.

Achievements and medals

That event was one of many highlights in a year that has seen her fence in several top level competitions, win three medals – including her first international medal – and achieve an offer from her favoured university.

Emily was particularly pleased with her performance at the IWAS World Cup in Pataya, Thailand, in June, where she was ranked 18^th and 21^st in her two respective weapons.

She said: “My biggest achievement this year is probably making the direct elimination rounds, multiple times, when I was in Thailand and Warsaw at just my second and third world cups. Many people don’t reach this stage until they’ve competed in many world cups.”

In Warsaw, Emily competed in both individual events and as part of a team with two legends of the sport – Justine Moore and Gemma Collis. Justine is a World Cup medallist and Paralympian, while Gemma is a World Cup winner, medallist and three-time Paralympian.

Her medal haul (one silver and three bronze), meanwhile, came at the British Senior Championships at EIS Sheffield, in June, and then the Commonwealth Fencing Championships, in August.

Pushing ahead in sport and education

She said: “My 2022 so far has been brilliant. In fencing I have competed well and had the best time learning from my teammates, as well as competitors.

“I have also received five university offers and achieved a distinction in my BTEC exam, plus distinctions for all of my coursework.

“My long term goal of  representing GBR at my first Paralympics is going well. I am getting stronger and improving on every element of my fencing. This is showing in training, as well as in competition.

“I still have a long way to go, but I’m looking forward to continuing my journey of improvement whilst I’m at the University of York, studying a BA in Business Management.”

Emily has credited Harrogate College and her tutors for helping her to successfully balance the demands of her sport and her studies.

The college recently nominated her for a Living Our Values award, for ‘overcoming many challenges to achieve high grades in her course’ whilst also competing.

A North Rigton resident, she started fencing with Harrogate Fencing Club but now does most of her training at Milton Keynes Touche Fencing Club.

Click here to find out more about courses at Harrogate College.

We have been awarded £16m of government funding to transform our campus.

The money, from the Department for Education’s Further Education Capital Transformation Fund, will allow us to completely replace the main building.

The £20m project (the £16m will be combined with an existing, £4m budget) will result in a sustainable new purpose-built facility for technical and vocational education.

This will support priority growth sectors for Harrogate and North Yorkshire such as advanced manufacturing, low carbon construction, retrofit, sustainable energy and bioeconomy, health science and hospitality.

The energy-efficient new building will include a workshop unit that provides large scale facilities aligned to industry needs. This will complement the college’s existing tech centre which is home to its motor vehicle, electrical, joinery and welding workshops.

A complete rebuild focused on supporting key sectors

Danny Wild, Principal at Harrogate College, welcomed the funding and said it will go a long way in improving the college’s facilities.

“Being able to work towards having a net zero carbon building, alongside a learning environment that will help our students progress on to university or the workplace, is central to our strategic priorities. This funding will be key to helping us achieve this.

“The development will also help us deliver a wide range of T Level qualifications which will not only close the skills gaps, but reinforce the government’s nationwide plan to strengthen technical education and give it the credibility it deserves.

“This upgrade will strengthen the work we are doing with businesses in the district to deliver an employer-led curriculum. It will also support Harrogate Council’s aims of prioritising and supporting ‘good growth’ and achieving a sustainable economy.”

As part of the project, there are also plans to install green electric-based heating systems, as well as a soft landscaped social hub, which will improve biodiversity on site.

The £1.5bn Department for Education’s Further Education Capital Transformation Fund was set up last year to pay for upgrades to further education buildings.

A trio of artists from Harrogate College are celebrating achieving their MA Creative Practice degrees.

For Tom Ransom, Irene Vassiliou and Douglas Thompson receiving their degree certificates in July marked the successful conclusion of a two-year creative journey.

They are now looking forward to putting their honed artistic talents to good use – and full of praise for the college and their tutors.

Pandemic support and new horizons

Douglas Thompson, who specialises in paper cutting, said: “I really loved the course. Programme manager Annabel Smith was so supportive throughout the pandemic, providing zoom sessions.

“All of my tutors’ support has boosted my self-confidence so much and created a rigour in my practice that wasn’t there before.

“I work four days a week for Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre and the degree has improved the standards of my practice with differently-able artists there. Several of the staff from the centre have now also joined the programme as a result.

“At the end of my degree I was accepted into the UK Creative Communities Fellows programme and am off to the US this year, on a retreat funded by the Arts Council.

“I have also joined the Knaresborough arts festival (FEVA) committee to help programme arts events for this summer’s festival, and have an exhibition at the Black Mulberry cafe in August.”

Douglas will also be holding a number of paper cutting workshops this year, and producing commissioned work for various arts organisations including Harrogate Theatre.

Dramatic skills improvements

Irene saw her photographic skills – which she uses to shine a light on the issue of food waste – improve dramatically during the course.

She said: “Looking back, my skills as a photographer have improved so much, especially in my studio work which I had done very little of before.

“Looking forward, I have been applying for photography jobs and have been in contact with a community centre who are looking to put up some of my images on food waste.”

The Covid-19 restrictions created extra study challenges for Irene, just as she was beginning to focus on strengthening her studio and video work. 

She ended up having to build a studio at home, but says regular phone and online contact from her tutors was ‘a great help’ and enabled her to produce top-quality work.

Tom, meanwhile, is a painter who also works with printmaking, and studied Fine Art at Harrogate College before going on to do his MA.

It is one of his works, Knaresborough Viaduct from the Riverbank, that is the main image attached to this article.

He said: “The MA helped me to broaden my creative horizons and push my practice forward to the next level. I was encouraged to experiment with a range of mediums and to search for a deeper contextual understanding.

“After completing my degree I felt ready to pursue a career as a practising artist, which continues to this day.

“I am also due to start a PGCE in September which will enable me to pursue my dream of becoming a teacher.”

A showcase for fellow artists

The creations of three other artists who have completed the MA Creative Practice course, meanwhile, will go on show in Harrogate from Thursday 28 July.

Works by Claire West, Lisa Lundqvist, Clare Paul will be exhibited at St Peter’s Church, on Cambridge Road, under the title of Masters Art Exhibition.

An invite-only preview will take place from 6pm to 8pm on Thursday 28 July; after that the works will be on show at the venue, between 10am and 4pm, from Friday 29 July to Sunday 31 July.

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.

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.