Monday, September 07, 2009

Learning to take the fast track to success



WFC students achieve their Uni dream



Daniel Tran wants to be a Formula One engineer, fine tuning racing cars in the pit lanes of the world’s Grand Prix circuits. Now the 18-year-old has the chequered flag in his sights after earning a distinction in the engineering diploma he studied at Waltham Forest College.

Daniel has won a place at City University in London where he will study for a degree in Automotive and Motor Sports Engineering, a four year course in which he will spend one year working in the motor industry. The ambitious teenager is one of more than 1,000 students from Waltham Forest College who are taking the vocational route rather than the academic route to achieving their goals.

Rather than stay on at school to study A Levels, Daniel chose to go to Waltham Forest College to study for a BTEC National Diploma in Engineering. The qualification is worth three A Levels. Daniel obtained a distinction and two merits in his diploma which earned him 280 UCAS points, the equivalent of two grade B passes and one grade C pass at A Level.

“I am really excited that I have a confirmed place at university,” he said. “It has been really hard work but it has paid off in the end. “The course has been fantastic and will help me achieve my ambitions in Formula One. The teachers have helped me a lot. They give up so much of their own time to give us extra support.”

More than 300 students will be heading off to university in the coming weeks after celebrating their success in vocational courses they have taken at the college. Many more have secured jobs in their chosen fields, and will continue their learning while they are earning.


Victoria pursues her passion for fashion



Fashion student Victoria Akinte is celebrating after securing a place at university where she will learn how best to design her own collection and market her own label.

Her success in the BTEC National Diploma in Fashion Design she took at Waltham Forest College has won her a place at Birmingham City University to study Fashion Promotion. She heard of the college’s outstanding reputation for teaching fashion design and decided to travel 30 miles a day from her home in Kent to study at the college’s campus in Forest Road, Walthamstow.

“I would recommend anyone with an interest in fashion as a career to study at Waltham Forest College,” the 22-year-old said. “I have gained an insight into aspects of fashion that I didn’t even know about before.” As the daughter of a dress designer, it was perhaps inevitable that she would develop a passion for fashion. She already has a diploma in media which should also help her in university course.

“I was working in a bride and groom salon when I decided I wanted a career in fashion,” she added. “I gained experience and confidence in design but decided I needed formal qualifications to progress. A friend in the business who has his own label told me how good the course is at Waltham Forest College, which is why I decided it was worth making the long journey every day.

“The course I did at college taught us not only design and garment making skills, but it also taught us the business skills we will need and I found I was quite good at that. As I want to have my own collection it is important to have marketing, promotion and business skills, which is why I chose to study fashion promotion at university.

“I would definitely recommend anyone who wants to study fashion to do so at Waltham Forest College. The staff are very patient and very positive. It was a beautiful and wonderful experience.”

No comments: