The South Glos Post

Thousands of young people from South Gloucestershire will be gathering at the University of the West of England over the next two days (19th to 20th October) for the one of the region’s biggest careers events.

Ambitions 2011 is a unique annual event that brings together young people aged 14-19 years with local training providers and employers from the public, private, voluntary and academic sectors.

Organised by the Kingswood and Concorde Partnerships of local schools and FE colleges, with the support of South Gloucestershire Council and the University of West of England, the event gives young people a unique chance to explore the career options open to them and gather first-hand insights into the world of work through contact with more than 100 employers.

More than 2,500 young people have already signed up for daytime career workshops, in 34 areas of employment ranging from animal care to transport and broadcasting to retail.

The two-day event also features a Careers Guidance Centre and dedicated evening sessions in which young people and their parents can meet and talk with local training and education providers and employers including Airbus UK, the BBC and Wessex Water.

More: Event provides opportunity for first-hand advice »

Source: South Gloucestershire Council

Children attending special schools in South Gloucestershire and Bristol enjoyed a day of music-making thanks to South Gloucestershire Council’s Music and Arts Service and the support of the Bristol Aztec Rotary Club.

The ‘Music Rules OK’ event was held at Little Stoke Primary School on Thursday 6th October and brought together children aged 10-15 years old with a range of learning needs.

Students took part in activities included DJ mixing, Chinese dragon music, drumming, exploring the Apple Mac music software ‘GarageBand’ and moving and creating music with a ‘skoog’, a new type of instrument designed specifically for special needs music and music education.

South Gloucestershire Council teaching and learning adviser for music Christine Wright said:

“This was a very special day for students and staff. There is a great sense of camaraderie in making music and learning new skills. The whole place was abuzz with a cacophony of music and happy faces and the disco after lunch provided opportunities to sing and dance along to the latest pop music and recharge batteries for the afternoon session. We are very grateful to Rotary for sponsoring the workshops and the gift of a hat and balloon as a reminder of this wonderful day.”

The event was sponsored by Bristol Aztec Rotary Club, whose President Sue Bamber-Powell said:

“The Club is delighted to support this special music day. This is the fifth year we have sponsored the event and fundraising for it is our main activity for the year. It is a privilege to see and hear so many young people achieving so much musically in such a short time. For us music really rules OK!”

More: Local school students helped out at the event »

Labour councillors have been urged to get behind a local bid to build a new aerospace University Technical College (UTC) in South Gloucestershire, following a government announcement that it has passed the latest approval stage.

The call from the Council’s Conservative education chief, Cllr Sheila Cook, follows criticism from Labour councillors at council meetings that the UTC will just add to the number of surplus school places in the area.

But this is a short-term issue that will be resolved once the thousands of homes that already have planning permission in the surrounding area are fully built.

The focus of this UTC on an environmental and avionic engineering curriculum has been developed through extensive discussions and research with local engineering companies, particularly those located a short distance away from its proposed site next to Abbeywood Community School in Stoke Gifford, such as Rolls Royce, Airbus and GKN.

Labour should stop undermining UTC bid says Tory Councillor »

Source: Conservative Group on South Gloucestershire Council

South Gloucestershire’s Conservative administration has come under pressure to say what impact a new college might have on neighbouring schools.

Labour councillors representing the Filton and Patchway areas are seeking assurances about future educational provision following the recent bid for a University Technology College (UTC) for 14 to 19 year olds to be located on land adjoining Abbeywood Community School.

The local UTC bid is backed by UWE and employers such as Rolls Royce and Airbus. However, Labour councillors are concerned that the council’s ruling Tories cannot give assurances about the level of consultation with existing secondary schools. They point to the proximity of so many other education providers and a likely excess of local secondary places at the point when the UTC is supposed to open.

Cllr Eve Orpen (Labour, Patchway) comments:

“At the recent Full Council meeting I asked the Tory schools’ chief what impact the UTC would have on existing schools. I received no direct answer to this except that ‘pupil numbers are expected to increase’. The council needs to do better than that to make sure all local schools and colleges – old and new – thrive.”

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