Summer School success at Central Sussex College
12/08/2010
One student receives his certificate after completing the course
A group of 45 learners from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently returned home, after attending the first ever Summer School programme, based at the College's Crawley campus. The group, who are all full-time students at The Vocational Educational Development Centre (VEDC) in Abu Dhabi, but who hail from all over the UAE, were able to attend the Summer School thanks to a partnership between the College's Faculty of Technology, and the UAE Technical Training Project, which is based in Bexhill and funded by the UAE government.
VEDC, which is one of six campuses that comprise the Institute of Applied Technology (IAT), has a unique focus on developing young Emirati males, who have previously disengaged from formal learning, and for many of the students attending the Summer School, it was their first time abroad.
After a welcome address by College Principal, Dr Russell Strutt on Monday 5 July, the group was able to spend the next four weeks studying a range of technology-based subjects, such as Electronics, AutoCAD, and Welding. They also got to improve their English skills with regular, practical lessons and the opportunity to explore British history and culture with a weekly visit to a local attraction, which included a visit to The Science Museum, a day out in Brighton, a day of sight-seeing in London, and a trip to RAF Hendon.
Feedback from the students was extremely positive, and the day trips proved particularly enjoyable for the group, some of whom stated that they would like to return to study at Central Sussex College full-time. Before they returned home, each learner was presented with a certificate to celebrate their achievements during their time at the College. Director of the Faculty of Technology, Richard Brooks said "The Faculty of Technology was pleased to be asked to be involved in this project with the UAE Technical Training Project. It was great to see the students getting to grips with the activities provided by the College. We hope that we can repeat this next year."
