Words by FoxyJust imagine, being able to learn about maintaining and repairing your pride and joy. Or even, going on a course to further your skills to get a job in the motorcycle industry and getting an NVQ qualification at the end of it. This can all be achieved at Lambeth College in Vauxhall, central London. Where they offer, Motorcycle/Scooter Repair and Maintenance courses.
Lambeth college is one of the best providers of further education in London with an exceptional reputation. That was confirmed by the Governments OFSTED inspection report in 2004. The college itself has approximately 21,000 students situated over three main centres in Brixton, Clapham and Vauxhall. It offers a wide range of full-time, part-time day and evening courses, most of which lead to a qualification, permitting people to go onto a higher level course, university or even allowing people to apply for work or a promotion. The college offers a supportive, safe and friendly environment to study in and has excellent facilities, all of the highest standard. Students also have access to careers guidance, childcare, as well as welfare support.
The Vauxhall Centre opened its Motorcycle Engineering workshop in September 2003. The facility itself was suggested just over two years ago by Mike Bristow, who is the Head of Engineering at the college. After a lot of research, Mike approached one of his friends, John Ryan, who was the service manager at Carnell and asked him if the industry would like a facility in London where they trained up mechanics. John thought that this would be a great idea and said yes they would. So, about six months later Mike approached John again and said that they had got the funding. And that the construction had already started, would he like to come and have a look at what they were doing. The project in total cost around £500,000; they spent £300,000 on the building, £100,000 on bikes and scooters and £100,000 on tools. John was employed as the tutor when the centre opened and, within three weeks he was asked to be the course manager. He has now been doing that for over two years.
In its first year, the course was completely unknown and the centre struggled to get its first 36 students. This year they have recruited 159 students and extra courses have to be made available. Just after two years, they are having to turn people away. The course has achieved outstanding results with a lot of students in full time employment and a many more in part time employment. There are lots more people waiting to get on a course and the way things are going, they are already looking to expand.
The Prime Minister, Tony Blair heard about the centre and on the Wednesday 23rd February 2005, he visited the centre in Vauxhall. He was accompanied by Ruth Kelly (Secretary of State for Education) and Brendan Barber (TUC General Secretary). Tony Blair was interested in what they were doing there because; they offer Vocational Training for youngsters, which is just what this government is trying to achieve. After the OFSTED inspection in February of last year, the centre got the highest grades in the report, as did the course and content.
The college offers fulltime courses in Motorcycle/Scooter repair and Maintenance. Where you work towards getting a City & Guilds National Vocational Qualification Level 1 and after that you can get the C&G NVQ Level 2. After Level 2 you can go into Kingston University and complete Level 3. They also offer an evening course.
The only differences between the day and evening courses are, that when the college was given the OFSTED report, they realised that they didn't offer a provision for employed students. Unlike the daytime courses, which were designed for students and unemployed people on various benefits who want to improve themselves. These people also have the time to do a full course of two and a half days a week. But if you were an employed mechanic, the college offered nothing. So the evening class was intended specifically for people that are either employed or can't get away during the day. There are people who want to get a certificate higher that the one they have already got or get a certificate they haven't got. There are still a lot of people in the industry who haven't got the proper qualifications, even thought they are really talented and are very capable of doing the job. The evening class allows them to get that qualification which is at City & Guilds Level 2 VRQ (Vocational Related Qualification).
The courses are not just designed to teach people about mechanics, although the tutors would like them to be at the end of it. What they are teaching is something called Performing Engineering Operations. This teaches the students about mechanical things, in all different areas. They have just tailored the course to be motorcycle oriented for the students. When the students have successfully completed this course, they will have a really good knowledge of motorcycles, which they can then also use, if they wanted to work on cars. They will have an in depth knowledge of electrical systems and they will know some machining operations too. They could actually get jobs in a garage as a motorbike mechanic, or as a car mechanic. They could work in the stores, they could work as machinists, or as tool makers with a bit of extra training.
With John Ryan's contacts in the industry, due to many years in it, the students get visits from several employers, which come to talk to them on a regular basis and offer them work. He also has good contacts within the bike manufacturing industry, which allow the student go to the factories and look for themselves. In November, the students are going to the Triumph Factory and after that, to the Avon tyre factory; they also take them to the bike shows. The centre is lucky enough to have, 29 brand-new bikes and scooters, with another nine on the way. They range from 50cc scooters to a 900cc Ducati. The only second-hand bike they have is a VFR800. The centre comes complete with its own classroom built into the workshop; they don't have to share it with anyone. It has computers with internet connections and a data projector.
The centre also does a course called the Vocational Access Entry into Engineering for youngsters with serious learning difficulties. Where they are not just training the boys to be mechanics, they also actively promote their english and numeracy skills. A lot of the young people that go to the course have come from really bad backgrounds. And for one reason or another have not achieved at school. So the college offers them support as well. They have a full time classroom assistant to help out. There are eight students on the course at the moment; they are doing some motorcycle engineering, health and safety, sound engineering, metal craft, computer repair, money management, Interview skills and a whole range of other life skills.
The college also offers a Foundation Course for young adults that haven't achieved, but didn't achieve because they didn't want to. When these youngsters get their qualification here it's usually their first one. A few of the kids were threatened with Feltham young offenders centre and this course has given them the focus do something with their future.
So what's stopping you getting your dream job? Or broadening your knowledge and your skills? Nothing really.
Related Linkslambethcollege.ac.ukofsted.gov.uk/reports/manreports/2298.htmlambethcollege.ac.uk/courses/course_list.cfmRelated GalleriesLambeth College gallery
