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Black History Month in the UK, also known as African-American History Month, takes place each year in the month of October. It is a time to celebrate the outstanding contribution made by people of African and Caribbean descent throughout the world.

At The City of Liverpool College, we are proud of our diverse community and are committed to providing and improving the opportunities available to our students and staff, regardless of their background, race, gender, sexuality or ability.  We also understand why it is important to focus on our shared history and the presence of black people in business, the arts and education, not only during the month of October, but also throughout the year.

To mark Black History Month, we caught up with local councillor, and finalist in the 2020 National Diversity Awards, Vanessa Boateng, who outlined the details of her story so far, and why she is Proud to Be a positive role model for change.

“Upon my arrival in Merseyside a decade ago, I never dreamt that my future community work would become a ‘beacon of change’ and I would gain national recognition.

It all started by creating a space and avenue for migrants to integrate themselves into the community in the UK and also protecting the rights and welfare of children amongst migrants.

I then launched a campaign together with the Bring Back Our Girls movement and members of the migrant community to put pressure on the government of Nigeria and the UK for the release of 200 school girls who were kidnapped by the terrorist  group, Boko Haram. This gained national attention and for the first time I was featured on ITV news.

I joined the Liverpool Commonwealth Association and became it’s first female General Secretary and gained recognition from HRM the Queen for my contribution to the Commonwealth Diaspora community in the UK; and I was invited alongside 150 commonwealth citizens born outside the United Kingdom.

The demise of George Floyd in 2020 became a catalyst, a resurrection and blatant awakening that racism still exists and this is the time for a change.

Young people need to be encouraged and take on opportunities available to them to become tools for change because it is their voices and lives that matter. Young people should stand against forms of discrimination.

I have always been a believer and strong advocate for being ‘a player’ rather than being ‘a spectator’.  Being a player puts you in control of the game of change.

My work in the community has gained recognition and put a spotlight on my career and mandate as a public servant. This foundation is being laid for others to follow.

I am constantly reminded of the importance of  laying the foundation blocks for people across the Liverpool City Region, which is an integral part of why Black History Month is very important.

We should aspire to be the change we want to see in our society and communities. Stockbridge Village Ward of Knowsley Town Council opened its doors in the books of history where it is mentioned that in the year of #BLM2020, it’s first Black Councillor emerged.

I am looking forward to seeing boroughs and institutions across Merseyside, open their doors and embrace people like me to participate in nation building, however the bucks starts with you.

Be the change you want to see and be focused.

We have just started and the galaxy is the limit.”

The City of Liverpool College has introduced a brand new course, specialising in afro-textured hair, in response to a lack of knowledge across the industry and as part of the College’s work towards diversity and inclusion across its curriculum. 

The course, called ‘The Artistry of Afro Textured Hair’, which has been designed by Teaching Assistant Michaela Hall, previous City of Liverpool College student, follows the news that all UK hairdressers now have to be trained in cutting and styling afro-textured hair.

Currently, many qualifications do not require students and apprentices to be trained in cutting and styling Afro and textured hair, which means some people have to seek specialist salons and stylists for a simple hair cut. Through this new course, The City of Liverpool College will provide its students with the specialist skills they need to cut and style afro-textured hair, creating more skilled hairdressers and improving inclusion across the industry. 

The 12-week, Level 3 course – which has been in the making since last summer – begins in September and will teach students practical skills and theory, covering everything from the cultural, social and technological influences on the industry as well as cutting, styling and finishing. 

Michaela Hall, Teaching Assistant at The City of Liverpool College, who is currently studying for her PGCE teacher training, said: 

“Textured hair comes in many forms and so often hairdressers simply don’t have the skills and knowledge to be able to work with it. When I identified the need for the course, having found that nothing similar fitted the bill in the North West, the College was really supportive and allowed me to lead the project and design it from start to finish, using my knowledge and experience of what I would have wanted to gain from a course like this.  

“There will be lots to learn, from the science behind the strands to the unique curl patterns. Students will gain the in-depth knowledge and skills to give them the tools they need, whether they want to work in the industry as a professional stylist in editorial, in magazines, in film and TV, own their own salon, or even just understand more to be able to do their own hair or their children’s hair. 

“Leading this course gives me the opportunity to have a positive impact on our communities and make a change in our society as a whole, and I’m really excited for our students to help do the same.” 

To find out more and apply for The City of Liverpool College’s Artistry of Afro Textured Hair course, visit: https://www.liv-coll.ac.uk/courses/the-artistry-of-afro-textured-hair-level-3-september-start/.  

The City of Liverpool College’s Digital Academy welcomed NHS representatives to its state of the art motion capture suite this week, where students showcased the progress they have made to virtualise the radiotherapy process at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.

The visit marks the next pase of The City of Liverpool College’s partnership with international engineering enterprise Laing O’Rourke and The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, one of the country’s leading cancer centres. The partnership has been designed to inspire students with the digital technologies used to develop the brand-new cancer centre and promote the modern careers now available in the construction industry, using digital design skills learnt through games development.

As part of ‘Project Innovation’, students have been collaborating with the NHS to develop a virtualisation application for The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. Using The City of Liverpool College’s new motion capture suite, students are developing an app to support in alleviating patient anxiety.

The partnership provides students with experience and unique insight into the construction industry, as well as having the opportunity to provide support to the brand new The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.

Steph Doyle, Head of The City of Liverpool College Digital Academy, said:

“For our students to be given the chance to work with a multinational organisation such as Laing O’Rourke and the NHS to develop a truly innovative tool for The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre is an opportunity like no other. It has been incredible to see our students using our new state of the art motion capture suite, to create such an important tool that will make a difference to so many people.

“Providing our students with real world experiences is vital to ensuring they are ready to hit the ground running when they enter the world of work and projects such as this are shining examples of the value that this experience provides both for our students and for the organisations we work with.”

Nicky Hutton, Advanced Practitioner Therapeutic Radiographer at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, said:

“The facilities at The City of Liverpool College are wonderful and the motion capture suite has allowed us to replicate The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre Building incredibly well. I’ve been blown away by the quality of the work the students have created. Their technical skills are excellent and we will shortly have a brilliant app that will be of massive benefit to our patients.

“We know that patients can feel anxious when they first come for treatment at the cancer centre and this app will enable patients to familiarise themselves with the space and the facilities, helping them to feel much more comfortable early on. I look forward to seeing where this project will take us and the future possibilities collaborating with the college.”

To find out more about about courses at our Digital Academy, please click here.

Students from our Hair and Beauty department have been competing in the WorldSkills regional finals this week, creating a full make up look, along with an outfit and hair style to match the theme of ‘out of the box’.

WorldSkills is a prestigious global organisation which gives talented students the opportunity to compete against other colleges and learning providers within their vocational field. The competition gives learners the chance to represent the UK in WorldSkills competitions around the world.

All Hair and Beauty students were registered for the initial first round, where they had to complete their looks in a competition environment within the college before having their work emailed to the judges for consideration.

Several students were then selected to compete in the regional finals where they had to perform their look within one and a half hours via Zoom, with the judges watching.

The learners also had to email a photo of their look alongside a picture of their mood boards. Entries will now be judged with eight national finalists, selected from colleges across the UK, announced in August.

Our entries for the Commercial Make Up competition can be found below:

Hayley Grimsaw Lord
Level 2 Hair and Media Make Up

Grace Edwards
Level 2 Hair and Media Make Up

Jamie Fowell
Level 2 Hair and Media Make Up

Isabele Thompson
Level 2 Hair and Media Make Up

Mazie Williams (known as Syd)
Level 3 Theatrical Hair and Media Make Up

We’d like to say a huge congratulations to all participants on getting so far and wish them all the best of luck for the next stage!

To find out more about WorldSkills, please click here, or to browse our hair and beauty courses, click here.

Earlier this year the School of Access was able to secure a voluntary position for one college student to gain valuable research experience with Wirral Ark during the summer holidays, before heading off to university, as part of the college’s strategy of helping students to think about ‘careers not courses’.

There were a number of applications for the role, but Joe Halliday was selected, with Wirral Ark stating that Joe’s “enthusiasm shone through and so did his drive to take the steps needed for his future career”.

Having studied on our Access to HE Diploma in Social Science, Joe will now embark on a piece of research looking into the effects of the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns upon the lives of homeless people.

It is thought this will be the first piece of research of its kind in the UK, with Joe interviewing service users at a number of Wirral Ark hostels, and also key workers to establish the impact of the lockdown on the country’s most marginalised people.

Joe hopes to progress to Liverpool University to study Psychology in September and is on course to complete his Access Diploma with all distinctions, which is a remarkable achievement given the difficulties we have experienced this year.

This opportunity will give him a vital insight into social research and show how organisations work with people who have a diverse range of complex needs; an experience that will no doubt help Joe in his ultimate career goal of becoming a clinical psychologist.

Joe visited the Wirral Ark charity on 1st June to have his first meeting with the Head of Fundraising and Development, Jacqueline Snell, who said:

“Covid-19 has been an extraordinary time and it has introduced even more pressures to Wirral Ark’s frontline services. The impact on homeless people who are some of the most at risk of exposure to Covid-19 and its effects has been devastating.

“Joe has shown incredible energy, enthusiasm and commitment to undertake this research and we’re really excited to be working with one of The City of Liverpool College’s students to highlight the impact of Covid-19 on the homeless population. This research will support us to develop new services and give a voice to homeless people, to share their experiences and hopes for the future.”

When asked about the opportunity, Joe said:

“Working with Wirral Ark is going to be an invaluable opportunity for me in respect of both my goals and aspirations, as well as my general life experience. I want to be a clinical psychologist in the future, so opportunities like this can do nothing but help me going forward, by providing me with crucial experience I will need both in university and in any future career. I am massively grateful to the college for providing me with such an opportunity, and I know how lucky I am to be able to work with a charity as fantastic as this one!”

To find out more about Wirral Ark and the work they do, click here, or to find out about our Access to HE courses, click here.

Gillian Keegan MP, Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills, visited The City of Liverpool College’s Arts Centre campus this week, home to the UK’s first further education Creative and Digital Academy.

The minister was interested to see the College’s newly refurbished premises, following recent investment of £3 million, £2.5 million of which was awarded by government following a successful capital bid in 2019. The investment has been used as part of the College’s mission to continuously innovate and provide world class facilities for its students, ensuring they leave college ‘work ready’ with specialist skills relevant to thriving and emerging sectors.

In her role, Gillian is jointly responsible for post-16 education strategy alongside the Minister of State for Universities, and oversees the development of T-Levels, which are due to be offered at The City of Liverpool College for the first time in September 2022.

During her visit, the minister met with students from the College’s prestigious Royal Academy of Culinary Arts apprenticeship programme as well as several health and social care cadets who have spent time on care work placements during the Covid pandemic, before taking a tour of the centre’s state-of-the-art facilities.

The tour took Gillian to the performance theatre, to meet some of the College’s rising stars, and to the new TV studio, where students demonstrated live event broadcasting and showcased footage of construction and engineering practical work filmed at the College’s Vauxhall Road campus, dedicated to technical and enterprise course provision. The final part of the visit took place in the College’s brand-new motion capture suite, where students demonstrated the latest in cutting-edge digital, computing and games design technologies.

The Arts Centre has established itself as the leading arts teaching and learning institution on Merseyside, providing state-of-the-art resources to equip learners with the skills needed to be successful in an ever-evolving digital economy.

The minister, who grew up in Knowsley, Merseyside, attended St Augustine of Canterbury Secondary School in Huyton as a child, which has since been renamed St Thomas Becket Catholic High School.

She started her career aged 16 as an apprentice at a car factory in Kirkby and is now the acting Member of Parliament for Chichester, and Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Apprenticeships and Skills, the first former apprentice to hold the role.

Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills Gillian Keegan said:

“It was such a pleasure to visit the City of Liverpool College. With state-of-the-art virtual reality technology and access to high-tech industry standard media facilities, it was amazing to see how the college is working with local businesses to train the talented and highly skilled workforce of the future.

“The students’ passion for where their skills will take them was truly inspiring to hear whether on stage, behind the screen or designing the video games of tomorrow.”

Elaine Bowker, Principal and Chief Executive at The City of Liverpool College, said:

“We were delighted to host the Minister at our Creative and Digital Arts Centre campus today. We welcome every opportunity to showcase our outstanding campuses and the fantastic work our students are doing, particularly after a year of so many challenges. Our students were pleased to speak to the Minister about their experiences and aspirations, and we are grateful to the Minister for spending so much time with each of them during a very enjoyable visit.”

To find out more about courses at our Creative and Digital Academy, please click here.

In June, we celebrate Pride Month, an event dedicated to celebrating LGBTQ+ communities all around the world. We also celebrate the creation of a new group, put together by students at the college, which launches at the Learning Exchange on Thursday 10^th June at 4:30pm – 5:30pm.

To tell us more, we speak to Jacob Reilly, a Creative Media Production student, who played a part in forming the group. Together with his fellow students, they’ve decided to name the group ‘True Colours’.

What have you enjoyed about your time at the college so far?

I have enjoyed being part of creating something that could possibly outlast my time at the college and that will help to support future LGTBQ+ students long after I’m gone.

What exactly is ‘True Colours’ and how did you get involved?

The True Colours social group has been created to provide a safe space for students, who fall under the LGBTQ+ bracket, to go and make friends. There have also been talks of us getting in guest speakers from the LGBTQ+ community in future meetings, so that should be something to look forward to.

I personally got involved as a way of coming to terms with my own sexuality, and to also help in the journey I’m going through in trying to accept it myself.

Where did the name for the group come from?

The name was created as a direct reference to the different colours featured within the pride flag, but also as a reference to what we hope this group will become, as showing your true colours is seen as being open and honest both with yourself and with others. By revealing your true colours, you are breaking down the facade used when you’re not in a safe space.

Why is it important to have this group?

It’s really important to have this group, to give people a place where they can feel comfortable being themselves, and not feel the need to hideaway.

What’s the college like when it comes to LGBTQ+?

In my personal experience the college is very inclusive when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community, it just needed this one thing which we are now focusing on through the Students’ Union.

What is the support network like for LGBTQ+ students?

The support network in the college is good, but we’re hoping it can become even better by adding this group as an extra network, to further support LGBTQ+ students.

What does pride mean to you?

Pride to me means being proud of who you are, and not being afraid to show it. A way of saying this is me and I’m happy with it.

How can other students get involved?

Other students can get involved by coming to our social group, the next one is Thursday 10th June at 4.30pm in the Learning Exchange (LEX), or by joining Microsoft Teams group.

The link below is for the Students’ Union’s Linktree, where you can access the Teams group. This is also accessible by scanning the QR code featured on posters around the college: linktr.ee/Colcsu 

Congratulations to Level 3 Photography student, Daisy Deevey, who took first prize in a City of Liverpool College 2021 Poetry Competition. Daisy’s winning entry entitled ‘My World’, is a thought-provoking and moving observation of how someone with autism might experience the world.  

The competition, which was judged by established poets Helen Kay and Greg Kearns, gave students an opportunity to express their neurodiversity experiences through the medium of poetry.  

The event was part of National Neurodiversity Celebration Week, which shines a spotlight on the strengths, talents and accomplishments of members from this community.  It also sets out to promote acceptance of people who view the world from a different angle, and who make a great contribution to their workplace, communities and the world at large.

Daisy’s winning entry can be found below.

Image: Why fit in when you were born to stand out

This week is Carers Week, an annual event that raises awareness of caring, highlighting the challenges that unpaid carers face and recognising their contribution to families and communities throughout the UK. On Tuesday 8^th June we also recognise National Young Carers Day.

It is estimated that there are currently more than six million unpaid carers in Britain who are looking after a parent, partner or family member, and many of these are young people.

We’re proud to have many young carers currently studying at the college, as well as many who have graduated and progressed into successful and rewarding careers over the years.

Our teaching and dedicated support team of safeguarding, mental health and wellbeing professionals work hard to ensure that being a carer doesn’t prevent young people from accessing an education and opportunities that our college provides. The college is also working towards the Carer’s Federation quality standard in Carer Support for Young Adult Carers.

We have a number of events taking place throughout the week aimed at raising awareness of the role young carers play and support those carers who are currently studying with us at the college. The events are free to attend, so come and say hi…

“Being a young carer can be a daunting, scary but deeply rewarding role. The people you look up to and seek guidance from now need you to help them. It can make you grow up quickly; it can feel too quickly at times. For me, it felt like the family dynamics had changed; parenting the parent as it were. There were a lot of changes and we struggled, but we got through it as a family. A good sense of humour, resilience and love got us through some really dark times.

“A good support network and communication helped us through it, and will help you too, whether it’s friends, family, or specialist organisations like Barnados. Without the support of others, I would have struggled a lot during my A-Levels. Caring for a parent can be emotionally demanding as well as demanding on your time. So, sticking as much as possible to a routine was crucial in my education. Having teachers and other staff who were understanding of my situation also gave me the breathing room I needed to produce the best work I could.

“With their support, things can get better. You should never feel guilty for any of the emotions you feel, positive or negative, we are all human. Always talk about your feelings and don’t carry this alone, each out because I know you may be scared or angry. Yes, angry, it’s ok to feel that too. Things can get better, and you are doing an amazing job and I’m sure the person you are caring for thinks you are an amazing person for doing what you are for them.”

– Young carer and former college student.

If you’d like to access further resources for young carers, please click here.

The City of Liverpool College has partnered with virtual reality (VR) developer, Viz Box Ltd, to create a VR experience for children to help reduce anxiety, improve mental health, and develop motor and concentration skills, as a cost-effective solution for use in hospitals and primary schools. 

Students on the College’s Digital Games Design & Development course were tasked with the live brief with Viz Box, to help create a virtual reality app that replicates a sensory room – an effective tool often used to support children. 

Whilst incredibly useful in child support, sensory rooms can often be expensive for organisations to install and maintain. As part of the project, students worked as a team alongside industry experts at Viz Box – including previous College alumni, Liam Heron – to create the app, which will enable organisations to provide a sensory experience by purchasing a headset, avoiding the need for additional space, equipment and technology.  

Students used the College’s new cutting-edge motion capture suite and VR studio for further development of the app, which will be rolled out in a future version to engage even more with local primary schools. 

Steph Doyle, Head of The City of Liverpool College’s Digital Academy, said: 

“At The City of Liverpool College, as well as high-quality teaching, one of our top priorities is providing our students with the real world skills they need to secure future jobs in the industry. It’s not just about courses, it’s about careers and setting them up for successful, fulfilling futures. This project has allowed our students to apply the skills they have learnt with us to a setting they may not have expected, demonstrating how transferrable the techniques and knowledge they gain with us are. 

“Given the current climate, it has never been more important for us to ensure our students are industry ready. Through fantastic partnerships such as this, we can be sure that they will hit the ground running.” 

Liam Heron, App Developer at Viz Box, said: 

“As an ex-student of The City of Liverpool College, it was great to come back with a project from Viz Box, to work alongside the students on this Sensory VR. 

“Students had great ideas for new features and models, but the COVID-19 pandemic made it more difficult to execute due to all work being done remotely. However, we were able to work around this through the use of online project management tool, Discord. Students were able to send over their work and I was then able to add it to the project, which was an effective way of working. 

“Lockdown rules are starting to ease up and we are really excited to make use of the motion capture suite offered by the College, to make some unique animations for a specific idea we have in the pipeline. Watch this space!” 

To find out more about courses at our Digital Academy, click here.