College’s biggest graduation
A County Durham college has celebrated its biggest ever graduation ceremony this year.
Students at New College Durham, which is in Durham’s Framwellgate Moor, graduated in more then 45 higher education programmes.
More than 400 higher education students gaining HNCs, HNDs, foundation degrees, honours degrees, top-up degrees, higher apprenticeships and professional qualifications, attended one of four graduation ceremonies, which were held throughout one day in July.
The awards were presented to the graduates by guest speaker Dr Simon Goon, who is Managing Director of Business Durham, an economic development company for County Durham.
Principal and Chief Executive of New College Durham, John Widdowson, said: “This was a significant ceremony for the college, as we congratulated our students on successfully gaining their awards, with many graduating from our new higher apprenticeship programmes.
“We wish all our students who have graduated every success for the future, and we hope their success inspires others to study at degree level so we can raise aspirations and increase participation in higher education.”
For the first time, students graduated from higher apprenticeship programmes in Human Resource Management, Leadership Health and Social Care and Children and Young People’s Services and Management and Leadership. A higher apprenticeship is a nationally accredited work-based programme, which includes a higher education qualification such as a foundation degree or degree.
New College Durham currently offer more than ten higher apprenticeships and can tailor programmes to individual employer requirements.
For more information about higher education programmes at New College Durham visit www.newcollegedurham.ac.uk, ring 0191 375 4040, or register for a higher education drop-in session at the college over the summer from now until Thursday, August 31.
The sessions are held Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm, except Tuesday, when the times are from 10am to 6pm.
New College Durham, a further and higher education college, is consistently one of the top general further education colleges nationally for performance rates.
“Significant ceremony for the college”
JOHN WIDDOWSON