Aspirations Week 2012

Winning Floristry Students

Doncaster College's Academy of Commercial Enterprise has hosted it's own version of The Dragons' Den and Master Chef and a whole host of other events and activities as part of Aspirations Week.

For the third year running, students from all programme areas of the Academy have been involved in a variety of activities designed to raise their aspirations and motivate them to consider the next step in their career or in their education.

A snapshot of the activities across areas included body painting, speed typing, visiting speakers from industry, workshops and best in show competitions

At the ever popular Dragons' Den judges listened to innovative ideas pitched by five groups of students from each of the Academy's teaching sections.

After much deliberation it was decided that the Floristry students pitch would ultimately take the splendid glass trophy.

The successful students came up with the winning idea of a colourful ‘Tool Belt’ to be worn around the waist in which scissors, torches, pens and all manner of tools could be stored for use when working with flowers or anything else for that matter.

To round off the week A Master Chef Challenge competition was held in the college’s spacious kitchens and judged in the Waterfront restaurant before an audience of students.

Two student chef teams and two lecturer teams, competing against each other, had two hours to produce a three course meal consisting of two portions of each.

It was a hard fought competition with a lot of pride at stake, but the judges, who tasted the food without knowing who had cooked it, George Trow, Principal and Chief Executive of Doncaster College, Gill Parkes, Director of the Academy of Commercial Enterprise, Richard Farthing, College Governor, and Nigel Fox, College's Catering Manager, had an extremely hard decision to make.

After much deliberation the judges deemed that team three, consisting of lecturers Simon French and Lisa Pyott, just pipped the other three as winners.

Gill Parkes, said of Aspirations week: "It has been hugely successful in opening students' eyes to a broad variety of opportunities in their vocational areas and has been very motivating for both staff and students as so much fun was had along the way."

Doncaster College offers a wide variety of courses at varying levels. Further details are available by calling 0800 358 7575 or by visiting http://www.don.ac.uk/