Centre of Excellence set to open in Weymouth

Budmouth College is opening its new Centre of Excellence on March 1 in response to criticism that students are ill prepared to succeed in the work place.

The launch will celebrate the opening of the project created by Budmouth’s Director of Enterprise Mar-cel Ciantar to bring business and education together through the curriculum.

The new initiative stems from the college’s business and industry liaison scheme.

Students will be able to work directly with businesses and apprenticeship providers allow them to take an idea from development stages to the sales pitch in one room.

Mr Ciantar said: “The centre is about leaving school behind and finding a place of work.

“Every week somebody publishes something saying students are not ready for work but the centre will do the opposite because it is totally geared up to make sure students will be employable by the time they leave school.”

He added that the benefits of working alongside business and industry providers will mean there are opportunities for work experience, internships and training programmes.

Budmouth College Principal, David Akers, said: “The centre offers students the opportunity to work in a business environment and en-ables them to explore the world of work first hand.”

The students will be encouraged to take responsibility for running and managing the centre themselves.

Daniel Foley, a student undertaking an advanced internship, said: “It has provided me with the ability to learn, develop and showcase transferable and professional skills to use outside the classroom.”

The centre has already gained several founder sponsors who will benefit from it as a professional space.

Anna-Maria Geare, President of the Weymouth and Portland Chamber of Comm-erce, who are sponsoring the centre, said: “For students, they will acquire skills useful in the work marketplace and become confident to use those skills.

“For businesses, they will gain interaction with the workforce and business owners of the future and, by working with the students, help their own businesses to grow and adapt to the changing needs of today and tomorrow.”

Rob Goodwin, of founding sponsors Champagne Film, said he would consider students for employment if vacancies came up and even hold interviews at the centre.

To become a member students must subscribe and declare areas of interest for a personal programme to be designed.

“It is really coming back to an old fashioned method of practise makes perfect,” said Mr Ciantar.

Students will also have the chance to do an internship for two years in the sixth form college before progressing on to a scholarship supported by the Sir Samuel Mico Trust.

Get involved

Mr Ciantar, staff and students of the Centre of Excellence are inviting business owners, managers, students and entrepreneurs who are interested in the outcomes of business thinking skills and how they are applied in the work place to attend the launch.

To book a place at the launch visit business-scene.com/event_detail. php?e=19105