MP visits college to see HIVE students thrive
Ayrshire College was delighted to welcome Alan Brown MP, the SNP Member of Parliament for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, to its Kilmarnock campus on Friday, May 17.
After members of staff greeted Mr Brown and his guests at reception and showed them around the campus, the dignitaries then had the chance to hear inspiring stories from the College’s HIVE students, who talked about how life was before they came to The HIVE and how it has helped them prepare for a positive future.
The HIVE (Hope, Inspiration and Vision in Education) focuses on preparing young people for life, learning and work — and their creative skills impressed the guests after a digital presentation which included: course work from Bridge to College, Intro to Careers Stage 1 and 2 and Princes Trust as well as topics such as employability, health and wellbeing, enterprise and digital skills.
The students then treated Mr Brown to a stunning showcase about their adventures on the Ocean Youth Trust Voyage.
Earlier this month, Employment and Engagement Officers Kenny Allison and Stuart Muir along with nine students from The HIVE set out to sail around Scotland for five days with the Ocean Youth Trust. Throughout the trip they encountered challenges and overcame obstacles — both on deck and within themselves.
By the time they had returned each student had gained several qualifications including a start yachting certificate from the Royal Yachting Association and SQA qualifications such as problem solving, numeracy and literacy.
Alan Brown MP, Kilmarnock and Loudoun, said: “Thank you to Ayrshire College for inviting me to their Kilmarnock campus to meet with everyone at The HIVE.
“It was a pleasure to see hear such inspiring and engaging stories from the students and their aspirations for the future.
“I look forward to keeping in touch with the campus and HIVE and wish them every success as they strive to guide young people on new pathways to success.”
Angela Cox, Principal and Chief Executive, Ayrshire College, said: “We were delighted to welcome Alan Brown MP to our Kilmarnock campus and hope he enjoyed meeting with staff and students.
“The HIVE is here to help young people always believe that they can achieve their goals in life — and judging by the feedback following their fantastic presentations, they certainly have bright futures ahead.”
Shona Howat, Curriculum Manager, Essential Skills, Supported Learning and ESOL, Ayrshire College, said: “I would like to thank Mr Brown for taking the time to share his employability journey, inspiring our HIVE students to take opportunities presented and never give in to fear.
“Our students enjoyed hearing the story of how Mr Brown became interested in politics and became a Member of Parliament. They overcame their nerves and posed a few well-thought-out questions which they devised during their class when learning about the world of politics. Mr Brown showed a real interested in all of the students’ hard work and how it is helping them gain employment skills for the future.”
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