As part of Engineering Week Wales 2009 (EWW09), over 150 year 9 students from local secondary schools including; Connah’s Quay High School, Castell Alun High School, Buckley Elfed, Argoed High School, St Davids High School Saltney and Howells took part in a hands-on engineering event at Deeside College on Tuesday 24th November 2009.

EWW09 was set up to spark an appetite for engineering and to encourage youngsters to explore all the options open to them – from aeronautics and automotive to electronic, manufacturing and mechanical engineering. Since its inception in 2005, more than 4,000 school pupils have participated in Engineering Week Wales activities, helping them to evaluate engineering as a potential career.

At this year’s event pupils were challenged to design, build and operate a motorized model of a controllable lift, using pulley systems, geared motors and switching mechanisms controlled by an electronic controller. The task required the pupils to use team working, logical thinking, and practical planning, in addition to engineering and construction skills. In many ways the groups were faced with same challenges encountered by those working in the industry. The challenge which was supported by Careers Wales, Hawker Beechcraft and Airbus UK, allowed the pupils to really showcase their skills and talents.

First place went to an all girl group from Howells School, in this group were Chelsea Grimshaw, Sophie Carpenter, Lauren Gardener, Sarah Stewart and Harriet Glenn. Second place went to St David’s High School of Saltney pupils; Liam Dorbin, Matthew Johnson, Peter Bland and Anthony Clarke.

The Engineering Wales Week event was officially opened by Nick Tyson, Deeside College’s Head of Faculty for Engineering and the Built Environment who said, “We were very pleased to host this Engineering Week Wales event once again. Engineering and construction industries play a vital role in the Welsh economy, and the need to attract people of all ages, abilities and interests in to these sectors is crucial if we are to continue to improve innovation, quality and productivity. The Engineering Week Wales is an excellent way of giving young people an early taste of what a career in engineering and construction is all about.”

For further information, please contact Claire Nicholson or Vicky Barwis at Deeside College on 01244 834531.

A look at the courses offered at Deeside College's Centre for Aerospace Training

Floristry Students Commissioned for NFU Celebration Displays.

Deeside College Catering students last weekend played an influential role at the fourth annual Mold Food Festival. At the Festival, which attracted around 10,000 visitors, was an Interactive Cookery Zone hosted by Deeside College. For a small donation to the College’s chosen charity, PAPYRUS, visitors were offered the chance to try their hand at a range of cookery techniques. The demonstrations, which included sugarcraft, fruit flowers, stir frying and flambéing, proved popular and raised £1,600 for the prevention of youth suicide charity.

An innovative new learning centre based at the Connahs Quay Campus of Deeside College was opened on 18th September 2009 by Carl Sargeant, Assembly Member for Alyn and Deeside.

The brand new centre, which has been funded through a £1.7m Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) grant and a £0.5m contribution from Deeside College, will be available for use by 14-19 year old students from High Schools in Flintshire and students from the college. The centre will provide the focus for the innovative curriculum developments and learning programmes co-ordinated by Flintshire County Council on behalf of the Flintshire 14 19 Learning Pathways.

The main aim of the centre is to promote extended learning opportunities to all students in schools and colleges across Flintshire. It will support the work that all educational settings in Flintshire are doing to ensure that 14 19 year olds have access to a wider variety of learning opportunities, which will aid their personal development and employability, in order to open up career options they may not have previously considered. Flintshire schools and colleges are working in partnership to offer new courses to students at the Learning Core Centre, including Digital Photography, Spanish, Business Administration, Principal Learning in Engineering and the Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification.

The Flintshire Learning Core Centre will also promote shared training and professional development between schools and colleges, focussing on further improving the teaching and learning provision for 14 19 year olds across Flintshire. This will further enhance the collaboration which has been developed between Secondary Schools in Flintshire, private training providers and Deeside College. It is also anticipated that the centre will provide students with access to the shared Flintshire E-Learning Zone and other e-learning opportunities that could lead to interactive ways of delivering learning core subjects including Entrepreneurship and Basic Skills.

In line with Deeside Colleges Environmental Policy, which is the only college in Wales to have achieved the highest possible Level 5 Green Dragon accreditation, the centre has been built with sustainable issues in mind. The building boasts a rainwater harvesting system and natural light has been maximised wherever possible.

Deeside Colleges Principal and Chief Executive David Jones, said: This is a unique project for Wales and highlights the collaboration between Flintshire County Council, local high schools, colleges and other training providers. It also demonstrates the partnerships innovative approach to learning.

Deputy Minister for Skills John Griffiths said: "The new Learning Centre is an excellent example of the Welsh Assembly Government's commitment and support to help deliver projects that contribute to the Government's sustainability agenda and to improving the learning environment for the young people of Flintshire".

On Wednesday September 9th 2009, Welsh Deputy Minister for Skills John Griffiths AM visited the Welsh College of Horticulture site in Northop, which is to see a £4m combined investment in further and higher education in North Wales.

Mr Griffiths toured the site following the merger on 1st August 2009 which saw all Further Education (FE) provision at the college transferred to Deeside College and Higher Education transferred to Glyndŵr University.

The merger marked a first for Wales in seeing further and higher education being delivered by two different institutions through shared facilities.

During the visit the Minister was given the chance to talk to the new intake of FE students as well as discuss land-based education with staff from Further and Higher Education

The campus is set in 91 hectares (225 acres) of picturesque grounds close to the North Wales Coast and overlooking the Dee Estuary. The estate has been developed over the last 50 years to provide a range of environments and land use, including ancient woodlands, wood plantations, ornamental gardens, a nursery for hardy ornamental plants, over 4 acres of environmentally controlled glasshouses, areas available for landscape practical work, an Organic production unit, a plant centre, and a comprehensive Equine Unit.

Deeside College students and staff are celebrating their outstanding A level results today. Students achieved 100% pass rates in most subjects, with an overall college pass rate of over 99%.

On Wednesday 1st July 2009, Colin Everett, Flintshire County Council Chief Executive, joined staff at Deeside College to celebrate the colleges inaugural Sustainability Day. To mark the event, Mr Everett joined staff co-ordinating the colleges Trees to you team to plant a rowan tree at the front of the college. The Trees to You scheme is run by Information Technology students who are also studying towards the Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification. The scheme encourages local businesses to be more environmentally friendly and purchase a tree which is then planted by the students. As part of the scheme, the students have set up a website, developed a brand and have approached a large number of local employers. The group have also received training on the correct way to plant trees from the Welsh College of Horticulture.

Kriss Akabusi MBE joined students, staff and guests to celebrate the outstanding successes of students at Deeside College on Thursday 25th June 2009.

On Wednesday 20th May 2009 a group of Construction students at Deeside College raced their water propelled car's which they built as part of their course.

1,500 school children from across Flintshire gathered at the Deeside College Stadium on Thursday 30th April 2009.

Hair and Beauty students and staff at Deeside College sharpened their scissors this week to host the Association of Hairdressers and Therapists Welsh Regional Final on Monday 26th January 2009.