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Check back here to find out more stories and what's going on at Argyll College UHI. Document is updated regularly.
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NEWS: SPRING 2011
YOUR LOCALCOLLEGE
www.argyllcollege.ac.uk
Lochgilphead Hair Show raises over £500 for charityWell over 100 people made the journey
on 12th May to support and applaud the
efforts of the Lochgilphead Centre hair-
dressing students at their annual Hair
Show. The evening raised over £500 for
locally based charity the ARMS Centre.
The theme, planning and project man-
agement for the evening was very much
in the hands of the SVQ3 students who
had been working towards this evening
for several months.
The students had enlisted the help of
the SVQ2 and Skills for Work students –
many of whom were models on the eve-
ning – to complete the ‘Show Team’.
Maria McKenzie, tutor, was delighted
with the way the students had worked
together from the initial concept and
planning to the final delivery of the pol-
ished show, “they are a great team and
I’m really proud of them. The way they
were received by the local community is
a testament to the amount of work they
have all put into the evening. They have
really raised the College’s profile”.
There were many highlights during the
evening – the ‘peacock hair’, the Extreme
Magic dance troupe and not forgetting
Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley!
The students were unanimous in their
desire that the money raised during the
evening – over £500 – should be given
to the ARMS Centre (Action and Research on
Multiple Sclerosis) who help local people suf-
fering from the debilitating effects of multiple
sclerosis.
On 17th June, Rothesay students Holly
Colhoun, Leanne Chisholm and Alana
Graham were each presented with an
outstanding achievement award to
recognise both their commitment and
efforts in completing Skills for Work
Hairdressing Intermediate Level 1.
The awards were presented on behalf
of Argyll College and Nadia’s Hair and
Beauty Salon – where the girls attended
for their course. Well Done.
Outstanding Achievement awards for three Rothesay students.
The Corran Hall was booked, a full sound
system was in place, the catwalk was built
and the canapés ordered.
Argyll College Oban Centre’s SVQ3 Hair-
dressing students had spent several months
planning the evening down to the very last
detail.
However, the arrival on 23rd May of one of
the worst spring storms for many years test-
ed their resilience and planning abilities in
the extreme.
Atrocious weather conditions meant that
many students and guests were unable to
make the journey to Oban. Widespread
blackouts made the Corran Hall unavail-
able and students and local salons preparing
models were left with no power.
But, at the Oban Centre at 7.00pm - in front
of around 40 guests and using a hand-held
sound system - the show began on time!
Five SVQ3 students successfully created
three models each, despite the conditions.
A further two SVQ3 students, twenty-one
SVQ2 students and two Skills for Work stu-
dents also produced models.
The students received great support from
five local salons – Rutherfords, The Ark, The
Studio, Trinity and Reflections – who all man-
aged to develop styles for the Show against
the odds.
The Show – whilst a triumph of crisis man-
agement – was a great success. The efforts
of all the models and stylists were much
applauded as were Michelle Petrie’s sixties
songs. One other particularly memorable
highlight was the transformation of Argyll
College UHI’s SITS Administrator into an un-
forgettable Barbarella!
No matter what, the show must go on...
... and it did and on time!
The UK’s Best Workplaces Awards 2011
winners were recently announced in London.
The Awards this year attracted over 5,500
entries from companies and organisations
worldwide.
Argyll College UHI is proud to have been
awarded 16th place in the Best Small
Workplaces United Kingdom 2011 rankings.
Best Workplaces Award for Argyll College UHI - Update
For further information: Michael Breslin, Director, Argyll College UHI 01631 559 755
Campbeltown Grammar
School was the venue on 5th
May for the Argyll College
UHI Campbeltown Beauty and
Hairdressing students spring
fashion show.
The show was originally the
brainchild of the NC Beauty
Care and Make up students
and they enlisted the help of
both the SVQ Hairdressing
students and the Skills for
Work students – many of
whom were models on the
night – to create and produce
an extremely imaginative and
visual show.
Fashion Through the Decades
The models line up to display the different eras.
Charlotte Gilbert models fashion from the 90s’
Compere David Brody introduces Suzie Thomson, designer of Eilidh’s avante garde style.
Annette McQuade - Beauty
Care Tutor - was thrilled with
the way both the preparations
and the evening had gone
“the students really mucked
in at every stage, it was real
teamwork and has given the
whole course a little extra
sparkle”.
Awards were made prior to
the event for technical skills.
On the evening Karen Willets
was rewarded with first place
in the ‘imagination and effort’
category for her ‘ensemble in
crisps’!
The students were supported
on the evening by Steps
Dance Troupe and a
staggering £570 was raised
for local charities.
Fashion Through the Decades
The models line up to display the different eras.
A futuristic Geisha look modelled by Siobhan Williams David Brody with Carly MacIndeor and Mahri MacKillop
Following a regional heat held at South La-
narkshire College in March, local hairdress-
ing student Aiden MacLaren has been cho-
sen as one of 20 national finalists who will
compete in London on 9th June for the Wella
Xposure 2011 title.
The competition - now in its second year -
attracted over 700 entries nationwide and is
designed to showcase the develop-
ing skills of young hairdressing stu-
dents throughout the United King-
dom
Following an initial photographic en-
try, Aiden was chosen as one of the
Scotland and North of England
region finalists. Along with his
model Gemma Hegarty he cre-
ated his design live for the judg-
es at the regional heat.
Aiden commented “the
most challenging part of
the competition was not
coming up with the design
but creating the mood
boards which build a scene
and setting around the de-
sign for the judges”. When
asked how he felt about
the finals and if he was ner-
vous, he said “a little, but
very excited – I just want
to be there”.
At the final in London on 9th June, Aiden will
have just one hour to recreate his design
and impress the judges for the last time.
Wella Xposure judge and Francesco Group’s
Head of Hairdressing Anya Dellicompagni
has said of the competition “I believe that
encouraging young people to showcase their
skills at this age will ultimately help instil the
passion and mo-
tivation which
they will need to
reach their full
potential in the
competitive hair-
dressing indus-
try”.
Aiden’s fellow stu-
dents at Argyll Col-
lege UHI are right
behind him and
have been put-
ting much effort
into fund raising
to help with the
costs of Aiden’s
trip to the final.
On 26th April the
students held a Fun
Day at the Oban
Campus with all
proceeds going to
Aiden’s ‘Finals Fund’.
Argyll College UHI Student Secures Place inWella Xposure National Finals in London
On Tuesday 26th April, Argyll College
UHI Oban played host to Scotland’s
First Minister Alex Salmond.
The First Minister made it clear he was very
supportive of the work Argyll College UHI is
doing in developing new courses and skill
areas to benefit the students of Argyll and
the Islands in 2011 and beyond.
Whilst discussing the impact renewable
energy schemes will have on Scotland in
the next 10 years, Mr Salmond said “Every
area of Scotland will benefit from this
energy revolution but Argyll particularly has
an opportunity to benefit economically. I
am delighted to learn that Argyll College is
already looking at introducing courses to
meet new skill expectations and I think it
is vital that the area’s education providers
understand and cater for the needs of such
a fast-growing industry.”
Michael Breslin, Argyll College UHI Director,
confirmed that the College is investigating
a number of options which could see
engineering disciplines added to our list of
courses. “The majority of jobs, particularly
in the offshore wind sector, will come about
in the long-term but we want to make sure
that we have the skills here in Argyll”, he
said.
Mr Salmond, who toured the Oban
campus meeting many members of staff
and students, confided to several of our
hairdressing students that he found a visit
to the hair salon an enjoyable experience as
it offered a relaxing environment.
“..I am delighted
to learn that
Argyll College is
already looking at
introducing courses
to meet new skill
expectations ” Alex
Salmond
First Minister at Oban Campus
It’s official: Argyll College UHI is one
of the best places to work in Scotland.
The announcement was made at the first
ever Scotland’s Best Workplaces Awards in
Glasgow on 31st March.
Argyll College UHI – your local college –
had already been included as one of the
25 finalists chosen from a large number of
Scottish companies, both large and small.
The shortlist was based on employee
surveys and independent assessment of
company management practices by the
internationally renowned Great Place to
Work Institute, the organisers of Scotland’s
Best Workplaces Awards. Argyll College
UHI took 11th place overall.
The Institute describes a great place to work
as an organisation where the employees:
“Trust the people they work for, have pride
in what they do, and enjoy the people they
work with”.
Crucially, two thirds of the score which
secures a place on Scotland’s Best
Workplaces Awards list relies on the
employee survey, ensuring that success
is based firmly on the voice of those who
work at the coalface.
A delighted Michael Breslin, Director, Argyll
College UHI commented: “I’m incredibly
proud that Argyll College UHI has received
this accolade. 2011 has already been an
exciting year for us, and to know that my
colleagues throughout Argyll College UHI
feel so positive about the college and our
future, puts us on a stronger than ever
footing for the rest of the year and beyond.”
Argyll College UHI Reaches The Final of Scotland’s Best Workplaces Awards 2011
Our SVQ Hairdressing and Skills for Work
Hairdressing students on Islay raised
over £390 for Comic Relief with a ‘Glam
Walk’. The SVQ students undertook the
3 mile walk, raising around £290, whilst
the Skills for Work students organised a
street collection along the route adding a
further £100 to the total.
At the end of April, Argyll College UHI
Islay student Rasa Bagdzeviciute
stepped confidently into the Dragon’s Den
at Lews Castle College. Rasa, an HNC
Business student, had been chosen as
one of seven finalists in the Lews Castle
Dragon’s Den Business Ideas competition.
She presented her business proposal, via
a video conferencing link, to a panel of the
best Lews Castle Dragons.
The idea which secured Rasa a place in the
finals has at its heart good coffee, great
conversation and accessible surfing. The
proposal was designed and developed with
the specific wants and needs of her local
Islay community very much in mind.
Rasa is now awaiting the Dragon’s verdict.
COMIC RELIEF NEWS FLASH
INTO THE DRAGON’S DEN
The Scottish Government has put in place
a scheme - ILA Scotland – to help students
with the costs involved in either learning
a new skill or in developing their existing
skills.
If you are over 16, living in Scotland and
have an income of less than £22,000
per annum, or are in receipt of benefits,
then you can receive up to £200 a year
towards a wide range of courses available
throughout Scotland.
Once in place, your Individual Learning
Account (ILA) is available for you to use
throughout the following 12 months to
undertake as many further education
courses as you choose up to the value of
£200.
The money is not a loan – so you will not
have to pay any of it back.
Over the next month, Argyll College UHI
will be holding an ILA Information week
across its local campuses. College staff
will be on hand to explain exactly how the
scheme works, advise which courses are
right for you and to guide you through the
application process. Please contact your
local campus for further details about their
ILA Information Week.
Don’t miss out.
Did you know you can get up to £200 a year towards the cost of learning something new?
www.argyllcollege.ac.uk
Argyll College UHI students have once again
been showcasing their media talents – with
six radio shows and an award winning film to
their name they have now made an exciting
and eye -catching foray into the world of
animations.
The students – many of whom are members
of the Isle of Bute based Phoenix Centre –
really seem to have hit the right mark with
this latest enterprise. The steadily growing
number of hits on their website is helping
to bring their talents to an ever increasing
audience.
Nicola Jones a tutor with Argyll College UHI
was pleased to report: ‘Since the Animations
went online a month ago, we have had
hundreds of hits and lots of interest in what
we are doing. We are making people laugh
with our music videos.”
The students have many more projects in
the pipeline. You can check them out on the
links below.
“We are making people
laugh wi th our music
v ideos.”
Also check out what’s going on at Rothesay Campus
2 February was a historic day for
Argyll College UHI as UHI Millennium
Institute became the University of the
Highlands and Islands (UHI).
Following confirmation from the Privy
Council, the milestone was marked
by celebrations hosted jointly by the
Scottish Association for Marine Science
(SAMS) UHI and Argyll College UHI.
On the day Michael Breslin the director
of Argyll College UHI said: “Argyll
College UHI is delighted with today’s
announcement that UHI is now the
University of the Highlands and Islands.
As one of the university’s academic
partners, we have helped to create
a university for the area but we also
remain a college where further education
is the mainstream of our business.
Being part of the new university allows
our students to study at all levels in
further and higher education, up to post
graduate level. Providing students with
local access to education is at the heart
of what we do and recognition that we’re
part of this new university gives us even
more reason to be proud of what we’ve
achieved here in Argyll and the Islands.”
Argyll College UHI has centres scattered
through Argyll and has been offering
further and higher education in one of
the most geographically fragmented
areas of Scotland since late 1999.
“Providing students
with local access to
education is at the
heart of what we
do” - Michael Breslin
UHI comprises thirteen colleges,
specialist institutions and research
centres spread across the Highlands
and Islands of Scotland; an area twice
the size of Wales. It uses information
technologies to link together students
and staff to bring access to higher
education to dispersed communities.
The achievement of university title by
UHI is the realisation of a long-time
ambition for the region to have its
own university to support economic
development and to help sustain rural
and island communities.
Historic Day For Argyll College UHI as University Of The Highlands And Islands Becomes Scotland’s Newest University
“The achievement of title and the
University of the Highlands and Islands
is wonderful news. This is the fulfilment
of a long held vision. Social justice and
economic prosperity have always been
our aspiration in creating Argyll College
UHI as an academic partner of UHI. We
are delighted with the news.” said Wilma
Campbell, Chair of Argyll College.
Chris Talbot, Argyll College UHI student
and UHI Student Association Vice
President said: “There is a certain
amount of kudos in graduating from
the new university. Overall this will
help the Islands regionally, and after an
initial period of time will help centres
of excellence to win funding from
the government which in turn aids
employment.”
Student representative, Hannah Poulton is
a seventeen year old degree student from
Bunessan on the Isle of Mull. Currently
studying BA History and Politics Hannah
said “Argyll College UHI has been fantastic
and the course fits in with my personal
life. There’s not many jobs on Mull and
the few jobs that are available don’t have
a big career progression. It’s important
to get young people to stay on the island.
Knowing about your own culture and
history is important which is harder to
do from a distance. University status
will encourage more students to stay and
study with the prospect of employment.”
Pink, white and blue pyjamasfor Red Nose Day
Childcare Studies students at Argyll
College UHI Dunoon held a 2 day pyjama
party last week to help raise funds for
Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day appeal 2011.
Alex Davies, Childcare Tutor at Argyll
College UHI Dunoon commented:
“The students made the decision to
support Red Nose Day themselves.
The planning, promotional ideas and
successful fund raising was entirely down
to them. We had a great two days.”
Thanks should also go to the Skills for
Work students from Dunoon Grammar
School who joined in enthusiastically while
attending Argyll College UHI Dunoon last
week.
In excess of £ 115 was raised for Comic
Relief and the many projects it actively
supports both at home and abroad. A
great effort from our students and staff –
thank you.
Martin Stephenson, formerly of
the Daintees, delivered a one-
day workshop for Argyll College UHI
in December. Funded by prize money
from the Good Practice in Adult Learning
Awards, all the students involved in the
Bute Multi-Media Project were invited to
take part.
The singer-songwriter travelled to
Rothesay Learning Centre to pass on
some of his skills and experience from
more than twenty-five years of touring
and writing music.
The result of the day was a song written
by the students (with a little help from
Martin) titled “Breath of Life”. The song
was recorded and mastered by college
staff and made it’s debut on Bute FM
96.5, Christmas Day 2010. The track was
received well by listeners.
Martin said “This has been an amazing
experience, it’s been a learning curve for
everybody, I’ve learned a lot from the
students as well as them learning from
me. It’s amazing how everybody works
together for the common goal, the team
have done great things here.”
“Breath of Life” is still being given air time
on Bute FM.
Above: Martin gives advice on writing verses.
Left: Diane, Christine, Anne & Tommy, put their imagination to the test.
Martin G Stephenson Gives Students “Breath Of Life”
Above: all smiles, taken after final recording.
Left: Martin gets everyone singing.
Below: Peter takes ideas from his group.
Click here for more Martin G Stephenson