UCOL BLOG

The first recipient of new Universal College of Learning Council Honours was announced at a UCOL graduation ceremony today.

Council Chair Trevor Goodwin says the awards, made for the first time this year, honour people who have made an outstanding contribution to UCOL, the wider community and to society.

Malcolm Pettman, well known in the Manawatu for his contributions to business and the community, receives the highest honour of Honorary Fellow, for an outstanding and distinguished contribution.

Mr Pettman says he is honoured to receive the award and feels privileged to be amongst the many people who contribute in some way to the success of UCOL and its students. “In today’s world I believe it is particularly important for young people to be qualified to achieve their goals in life,” he says.

“For me, one of the highlights of the year is attending the UCOL graduation ceremonies. It’s an emotional feeling to see the young and not so young receiving their degrees, certificates and diplomas that they have worked hard to earn.”

Read More: “Highest UCOL Honour for Malcolm Pettman”…

UCOL holds its annual Graduation ceremonies this week, celebrating the achievements of well over a thousand students eligible to graduate with Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates.

Chief Executive Paul McElroy says the total 1078 eligible to graduate from the Palmerston North campus represents the largest number for many years. “That is 1078 success stories –people who have had the opportunity to learn and grow and who have achieved their study goals.”

Mr McElroy says for students, graduation represents great personal commitment and achievement, as well as hard work and, often, some financial hardship. “It’s a big commitment but for successful students, the rewards are great,” he says. “In a tight economy these graduates are entering the workforce with a vocational education that gives them the opportunity to contribute to the economy and make a success of their lives.”

Read More: “More than one thousand graduate from UCOL”…

The annual pattillo art scholarship award was launched in Whanganui.

The competition was established in 2007 by Anne Pattillo, director of Wellington based consultancy firm, pattillo, and is open to Whanganui UCOL
art students only. It is one of the country’s richest art scholarships, worth $7,500 to the winning student, and will run annually for 10 years.
Read More: “Arts award launched”…

Eight UCOL Performing Arts students have parts in this year’s Summer Shakespeare production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

The play is directed by Performing Arts Programme Leader, Jaime Dorner, as Palmerston North’s Visiting Artist for 2011. Film tutor for the Performing Arts Programme, Melissa Edmon, has also directed a short film which will be shown during the play.

The music for both the play and the film was composed by UCOL’s Contemporary Music Programme Leader Kane Parsons.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream opens this week and Jaime says all of his students have been working hard and doing very well. “Some of the parts are quite challenging and require a lot of energy and focus. The production is very physical and a little darker and more intense than traditional audiences might be used to. But it will be very beautiful.”

Read More: “Midsummer Night’s Dream roles for UCOL Performing Arts students”…

UCOL Wairarapa is turning up the volume with a newly launched programme to help young people find jobs.

The Certificate in Tertiary Study  programme, informally called AMP’d (Applied Motivational Professional/Personal Development), is designed as a staircase into jobs, or into further training towards a career goal. It is aimed at 16 and 17 year olds who have disengaged from education but realise they need more training to become employed in a job they enjoy.

  Read More: “UCOL Wairarapa amps up training for job seekers”…