Lewisham College celebrated and made the most of the opportunities of Colleges Week 2022 to bring staff, learners and higher education institutions and community organisations together to highlight the important work further education colleges do to boost businesses, build communities and support individuals.
During the week, the College hosted a series of events to connect learners with universities and community organisations to support learners on their next steps after college and celebrate diversity, equality and inclusion as part of Black History Month.
Gerard Garvey, Principal at Lewisham College, said: "Colleges Week is a highlight of the year and has been a celebration of Lewisham College’s diversity, our commitment to our learners and our position as a transformative place that helps promote social mobility and economic growth in the London Borough of Lewisham. The events that took place over the past few days were organised to enrich our learners' lives, academically and culturally. We're delighted to have welcomed universities and organisations representatives from across the country to meet our learners and help them make informed decisions on their next steps.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the amazing staff at Lewisham College for the fantastic work they do every day to ensure our learners succeed in order to achieve their ambitions and progress after college, whether that be in higher education or employment.”
Drumming sessions
Lewisham College hosted drumming sessions for its learners at the Deptford campus, to honour Black History Month. The event was provided by Ancestral Hands, a musical organisation which works with communities to educate adults and young people on cultural music.
Musician, Emmanul Okine from Ancestral Hands put together an educational workshop for learners at Deptford Bridge Campus allowing learners to have a go and learn how to play West African drums. The sessions were a cultural sharing experience where learners discovered the origins of the instruments and a range of musical techniques, while also developing teamwork and communication skills.
Higher Education and University Fair
The Learner Support team hosted a Higher Education and University Fair for learners to have the opportunity to speak to universities and local organisations in preparation for their next steps after college.
Lewisham College welcomed representatives from more than 20 universities and mentoring and organisations, including University of Greenwich, Queen Mary University College London, Goldsmiths University, University of the Arts London, City, University of London, University of Law, Oxford Brookes, Point Blank Music School, and Coventry University, London amongst others.
More than 230 learners were invited to attend the fair to speak to representatives about courses and careers paths, applications and get advice on UCAS personal statements. They also met with representatives from FE colleges and community organisations who offered advice and support to help the learners make an informed decision.
Marija Glavicka, Health and Social Care learner at Lewisham College, said: “The Higher Education and University Fair has been useful; I was given the opportunity to speak to a lot of universities and find out more information about their courses.
“I learnt about what the universities have to offer and was able to find out what I need to be doing so that I can prepare for my next steps. The fair helped me to decide what course I'm going to apply for. I had a lot of fun and I’m excited about moving on to university after I finish my course at Lewisham College.”
Mary Fudge, Careers Advisor at Lewisham College, said: “The Higher Education and University Fair is not only important for learner progression and raising their aspirations; universities are also big employers in London and many learners may eventually work at a university in a range of career areas.
“Universities also lead on academic development and provide insight for staff around academic innovation and new subjects that are being taught. This event strengthens our relationships with these organisations who can provide a range of opportunities for our learners and offer some exciting initiatives which we can take forward over the coming year.”
UCAS Personal Statement Surgeries
The College’s careers service will host UCAS personal statement surgeries, where representatives from universities will visit the College to check and provide feedback on our learners’ personal statements. These events are suitable for Level 3 and Access to HE learners, with representatives from the University of Greenwich, London Southbank University, and Goldsmiths University of London.
The workshops will take place between Tuesday 1 November and Thursday 3 November. To take part, print out a draft of your personal statement and come along to room B31 at the times shown below:
Tuesday 1 November from 12pm to 2pm with University of Greenwich
Wednesday 2 November from 12pm to 2pm with London South Bank University
Thursday 3 November from 12pm to 3pm with Goldsmiths’ University of London
To find out more about the careers service at the College, visit lewisham.ac.uk/careers
