This Thursday (16 August 2018) will see students in the West Midlands nervously receive their A-Level results. But whilst many teens will be delighted with their grades, the day can also prove to be extremely testing for those who fall short of their expectations.

Ahead of A Level results day, NICEIC - the UK’s leading name for electricians - is reminding school and college-leavers to consider viable alternatives to the degree route.

NICEIC wants more young entrants to consider a hands-on apprenticeship and choose a career as an electrician. Research by the Federation of Master Builders¹ found that the average salary for electricians around the country is £47,265; far exceeding the university graduate’s average income of £32,000. Plus, without the added stress of looming debts, apprentices are now giving graduates a run for their money.

Darren Staniforth, technical development manager at NICEIC comments: “The perception that you can only have a successful career if you study at university is a false one. Students are increasingly taking an interest in trade industries – with apprenticeships becoming a much more enticing proposition.

“For some, it may be the appeal of learning a desired set of technical skills, whilst others will be inspired by the prospect of earning while they learn. Our role is to reach out to the younger generations to showcase the opportunities available and promote the electrical industry as an attractive career path.”

NICEIC believes that learning a trade is a viable alternative to studying at university and is committed to attracting the next generation into the industry. The NICEIC Student Membership Scheme offers support to apprentice electricians to complement the training and personal development of students undertaking relevant technical competency training.

Darren adds: “The construction sector is actually a well-paid sector that offers a vast array of opportunities. Yet, it is still viewed by some as a third-rate industry for people who do not perform well at school.

“We want to change that interpretation and show students what a rewarding and diverse career they can have within the electrical sector.”

Stardom beckons for performing arts students at Sutton Coldfield College who have now gained places at some of the UK’s most prestigious stage schools.

The majority of the college’s acting, dance and musical theatre students are going to university in September, with some successfully auditioning to join schools and academies attended by many of the UK’s top actors, singers and dancers.

This bumper crop of students includes Jasmine Finlan-Tuck who has been offered places at a number of dance schools, including the Bird College of Dance in Kent.

“It’s great knowing that industry people believe in me,” said the 18-year-old.  “I’d never have made it this far without the opportunities my course gave me.  Auditioning for and performing in so many college shows, for local dance companies and theatres has been a big part of my development.”

Also hitting new heights is Emily Palmer, 18, who is going to the Stella Mann College of Performing Arts in Bedford.

“These last few months have been about college shows, coursework and stage school auditions – now it’s all come together,” she said.

Others set for further showbiz success are Todd Dougan who is joining London’s Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.  In addition, Ruby Morrigan and Jada Campbell have accepted places at Addict Dance Academy in Leicestershire and Sophie Marsh is enrolling at Phil Winston’s Theatreworks in Blackpool.

“Our students have worked hard to achieve their goals so we couldn’t be more proud of them,” said Department Manager, Lorraine Foggin.  “Many of our past students have enjoyed major careers on stage, screen and across all areas of the industry.  They have then come back to the college to deliver workshops and give talks.

“Hopefully our class of 2018 will be doing the same thing in future as part of their incredibly busy schedules.”

Tyrone Lake of the U.S. Virgin Islands is the winner of the Junior Division of the 2018 Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Foundation Children's Environmental Poster Competition.

The 11-year-old Alexander Henderson Elementary School honor roll student topped the regional competition with a poster entitled 'Present and Future', which focused on disaster preparation and environmental preservation.

The theme for this year's competition, which was open to all students in primary and secondary schools across FCCA's partner destinations, was "Weathering the Storm: Disaster Preparation for my Destination". Students from 17 countries across the Caribbean participated.

Lake's piece was a comprehensive depiction of his vision for protecting the environment, specifically the waters surrounding the U.S. Virgin Islands. He visualized concepts for removing debris from the islands' waters after a major disaster, and focused on the utilization of modern technologies and increased recycling.

Understanding the linkages between a healthy environment and tourism, the youngster from St. Croix expressed the importance of maintaining clean beaches and oceans. "Many tourists come to marvel at our crystal clear waters. So if we protect it we can ensure we have an island with pristine water for both locals and tourists to enjoy."

"We extend our utmost congratulations to Tyrone Lake, the Alexander Henderson School and the entire U.S. Virgin Islands for their commitment to not only this rewarding learning experience, but also to a level of excellence that will pave the way to success," said FCCA President Michele Paige, who added she could not be prouder to recognize the talented and dedicated students participating in this year's competition.

Malcolm Edwards of Jamaica and Tefari Prevoo Francisco of St. Maarten earned second and third place, respectively, in the Junior Division.

In the senior competition, first place went to Shannaz Horne of St. Maarten, second place to Tana Valmond from Dominica, and third place to Shanique Perez from Belize.

Lake earned a scholarship of $3,000 and his Alexander Henderson Elementary School an equal donation of $3,000 to purchase art supplies. Lake and his classmates were also invited for an upcoming award ceremony with a luncheon hosted aboard a visiting cruise ship.

Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty congratulated Lake on his outstanding performance and thanked teachers and staff of Alexander Henderson Elementary School for nurturing the gifts and talents of the Territory's youth.

A highly decorated British Army explosives expert made history when he presented his daughter with her Ammunition Technician badge after she graduated in the trade to follow in her father’s heroic footsteps.

Lt Col Eamon Heakin RLC QGM* (Queen’s Gallantry Medal), 52, of Wantage, Oxfordshire, became the first ever British Army officer to proudly present his only daughter, Private Blythe Heakin, 19, with her Ammunition Technician (Class 2) badge, marking her entry into the AT trade at a graduation ceremony held at Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search Training Regiment (DEMS Training Regiment), Kineton, Warwickshire.

Not only did the presentation make history, it also came as a complete surprise to Private Heakin, who knew her father was attending the ceremony to see her and her fellow 10 students graduate from the 28-week AT (Class 2) course, but not that he would be there as the Presenting Officer.

Describing the moment she realised that her father was going to be presenting her with her badge and certificate at the ceremony, Private Heakin said: “It was a major shock, I didn’t think it was going to happen at all; a couple of people have made jokes about it and I’d actually bet the course and now it’s going to cost me a bit that my dad would not be the presenting officer – but I was thrilled to find out that he was.”

“I’ve never heard of a father being the Presenting Officer before, so it was an honour to be welcomed into the trade by my dad.”

The young soldier, who has been in the Army for 13 months, opted to train in the same trade as her father, and signed-up straight after gaining A* A Levels in Medical Science and Health and Social Care subjects.

Following her graduation, Private Heakin will now move to Deepcut where she will learn to drive and will then go on to Shrivenham to complete her training before being posted to her new unit – and will be promoted to the substantive rank of Lance Corporal.

Passing the Ammunition Technician Class 2 Course is the first step in her Army career during which she hopes one day to eventually commission as an officer – following again in the steps of her father who is also a late entry officer, commissioning in 2006.

A proud Lt Col Heakin, who is the recipient of 2 Queen’s Gallantry Medals, awarded in 2004 and 2007 respectively for operational tours of Northern Ireland and Iraq, said: “Having spent the last 30 years in trade as an Ammunition Technician and later an Ammunition Technical Officer I could never have imagined being in the honoured position to be presenting an Ammunition Technician badge to the Ammunition Technician Course which included my only daughter Blythe.

“She was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, whilst I was a serving Warrant Officer Class 2 with 321 EOD Sqn and since then she has accompanied me on every tour, always there on deployment and then on post-operational tour leave, sharing many special leaving and returning moments in the family of Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Operations.

“Blythe has spent her childhood in the shadows of a well-respected trade watching the various challenges which the MOD has met, and now she has transitioned into that trade herself having spent the last 9 months at Shrivenham and then Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal Munitions and Search Training Regiment on what is one of the most challenging courses in Defence.

“I cannot believe that she is now part of a very special trade and extended family within Defence”.

Lt Col Heakin, the youngest of nine children, grew up in Salford, Manchester, where he lived for 21 years. He is a former pupil of St Bede’s College, though the family are now settled in Wantage, Oxfordshire.

The Ammunition Technician Class 2 Course covered a wide syllabus including explosive chemistry, electronics, ballistics, ammunition design, material science, explosive storage and movement, with safety as the number one priority. The course was split between sites at Shrivenham and Kineton, the largest ammunition depot in Europe.

Wolverhampton’s education chief has issued a good luck message to students collecting their A-levels and other results next week.

Thousands of students are due to find out what grades they have achieved at sixth form and college on Thursday 16 August, 2018.

Councillor Lynne Moran, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, said: “I'd like to wish everyone collecting their A-level results next week the very best of luck.

“I hope they achieve the outcomes they were hoping for and are looking forward to the next stage of their learning journey, whether that is going on to university or entering the world of work and training.

“We've seen really positive post-16 results in Wolverhampton over the last decade or so, with performance by local students consistently among the highest nationally, so we’re hoping for another bumper set of results in 2018 which would be a fantastic achievement and credit to the hard work of students and their teachers.”

There are lots of options available for young people – whether their exam results are as they expected, better or not quite as good as they hoped they would be. These include going on to university – with places now available through the Clearing process – entering the world of work or becoming an apprentice.

Apprenticeships are real opportunities for people of all ages who are motivated to work, enthusiastic to learn, and want to earn a competitive salary while gaining a nationally recognised qualification. Leading industries and businesses are looking for the next set of dynamic apprentices to shape the future of organisations in Wolverhampton.

More information about apprenticeships is available from Wolves Workbox, www.wolvesworkbox.com/apprenticeships.

Black Country Impact provides one-to-one customised support and training for young people in Wolverhampton who are aged 16-29 and not in employment, education or training. It helps them overcome the barriers that may be stopping them from finding and securing training, education or a job. For more details, please visit www.wolvesworkbox.com/impact.

Young people can also get impartial advice and help to apply for opportunities from Connexions Wolverhampton on Salop Street. No appointment is needed to use its drop-in service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1.30pm to 4.30pm, or by calling 01902 773040 during office hours. For details, please visit www.wolvesworkbox.com/connexions.

Councillor Moran added: “If you haven't quite decided what to do next, don't panic – there are plenty of doors open to you, and plenty of support out there to help you make the right choice including from your school or college, Connexions Wolverhampton or Wolves Workbox at www.wolvesworkbox.com.”

The University of Wolverhampton has signed an agreement with the Institute of Demolition Engineers (IDE) to provide a new qualification in Demolition Management.

The Undergraduate Bachelor of Science (Honours) Degree will be partly delivered by IDE up to Foundation level and then topped up by the University.

The University of Wolverhampton launched the first Demolition Management Master’s degree in Europe last year.  Accredited by the Institute of Demolition Engineers (IDE), the course has been designed in conjunction with industry specialists and is being delivered by both academics and demolition sector experts.

This follows the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the University of Wolverhampton and IDE, providing significant opportunities for students and existing practitioners. IDE practitioners have been involved in the development and delivery of the new degree which will provide a pathway for people interested in working in the industry.

The new qualification was announced at the EnTRESS ‘This is Demolition’ Event held at the Springfield Campus recently.  The event brought together academics, industry and practitioners from the demolition industry as well as businesses and employers to share ideas and consider knowledge transfer to feed into the degree curriculum.

IDE President, David Darsey, said: “Today has been a long time in the making and it’s very exciting.  I feel very privileged to be at the helm of the IDE whilst signing the official document today.

“This is a huge milestone for the industry and, having started at the bottom of the ladder it’s very encouraging to see how things are progressing in the construction sector.  This new degree will provide a vital stepping-stone to encourage people to join the demolition industry whilst also offering them pathways to progression.”

Jackie Dunne, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University, said:  “This important partnership with the IDE will ensure that there is a ladder of education for young people which links back to the construction industry.

“We are very proud that we are the only University in the world that offers a programme for the entire lifetime of a building from design right through to demolition and it is thanks to the tireless efforts of partners like IDE that we are able to develop programmes which are both relevant to industry and vital to supporting local, national and international economies.”

Anyone interested in studying Demolition at the University should register for the next Open Day on 18^th August 2018.

Our Clearing website is now up and running and courses still have spaces available. Clearing offers an alternative route for enrolling on a University course.  BTEC and Access students who already have their results can start the application process now while A Level students can apply for a place when they receive results on Thursday 16^th August 2018.

Applicants can register for a phone call from an advisor on A Level Results day or call the Clearing Hotline on 01902 518585. The next Open Day takes place on Saturday 18^th August 2018.