Ambassadors - East of England
With the launch of the 2010 Awards it has been a busy month. The first of our Information Session was held in Cambridge on 4th and we had a good turnout with potential applicants for all the organisational Awards represented in numbers as well which is most encouraging. I also had a very interesting conversation with one attendee about the Individual Award which is something to which she had not previously given consideration. There are 4 more Information Sessions in Ipswich, Chelmsford, Norwich and Hatfield, so if you know someone who is considering an application for a 2010 Award or want to encourage someone to apply then get them to book for one of the remaining sessions via the website.
The Regional Ambassadors' Meeting was held in St Ives on January 25th and our thanks to City and Guilds for the use of their premises. A diverse group of Ambassadors attended with an even mix of experienced hands and new Ambassadors. There was a lively and productive discussion and an inspiring talk about the effect of being a winner from Adrian Fisher who won with the Kier Group before moving to new pastures. What was very clear is just how much support there is for National Training Awards from people who know about them - we just need more to be aware. The level of activity that has been generated since the meeting has been excellent with further widespread coverage in Newsletters, on websites and in Ezines. Two more exhibition opportunities have also been confirmed as a direct result of the meeting.
A big thank you to all those Ambassadors who attended January's meeting and to all those who have supported the launch of the 2010 Awards in other ways.
Enterprising Women
Enterprising Women Community Becomes an NTA ambassador
City College Norwich's (CCN) commitment to expanding its education provision for those with disabilities has resulted in a unique 'Outstanding' commendation from Ofsted (2008 inspection). This award was specifically for the inspiring work it is doing with those suffering from Aspergers Syndrome.
The college is one of the largest FE/HE colleges in the country, attracting around 16,000 students into programmes from pre-entry to post graduate level. It has a focus on inclusive learning and has recently chosen to enlarge the provision for students with learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities.
CCN was particularly aware of the gap in educational provision for people suffering from Aspergers Syndrome (AS). The condition is not recognised as a learning disability or a mental health problem, meaning that there is simply no support through education for this disadvantaged group. In 2005 the college set up a staffed haven for AS students, who couldn't cope with the lunchtimes and breaks away from structured classroom routine. This developed into a forum for the students that they named the Really Useful Group (RUG).
