Somerset College

September is always a busy period for education and this year has been no different. We have opened our brand new state-of-the-art Graduate Hair Academy, won competitions in Europe, received planning permission for our new buildings and enrolled more than 3,000 new students onto our courses.

But the exciting times will not stop there, oh no!

We will also see a lot more emphasis on enterprise. Students will be encouraged to work ever closer with businesses to foster links between themselves that will stand them in good stead when they leave us. But we will also encourage businesses to use our students to come up with innovative ideas.

This year will see the first Foundation Degree (FdSC) in Transport Planning and Engineering set up in partnership with Somerset County Council. It is an innovative course involving mobile e learning. Also we are taking applications on the new Foundation Degree with Hewlett Packard as we are one of only 12 centres across the UK to be given the course - and the only one in the South West!

We will have many art exhibitions in our White Space Gallery, whilst this year our Enterprise Gallery will be curated by the third year BA (Hons) Fine Art students. Our fashion undergraduates will take part in two national events this year at Clothes Show Live in December and Graduate Fashion Week in June.

We will see success at all levels, and we will celebrate that success. Last year saw our first Further Education Awards Ceremony and we are planning another ceremony this year. Next month will see our Graduation Ceremony were we celebrate the successes of our degree level students.

Pending funding arrangements, it will see the start of building work on our new industry standard Arts and Design and Construction and Motor Vehicle centres. These will become the foremost centres in their sectors offering the leading skills provision in the South West.

I am really looking forward to an exciting year at Somerset College and I hope you are too.

You can leave comments below on what you hope to achieve this year as well.