When we think of the creative arts, the first subject areas that usually spring to mind are the more traditional pathways. Painting, illustration, photography perhaps?

These courses will always form part of our core offering and are as popular as ever, but as the creative landscape evolves, we’re excited to incorporate many more digital courses into our Creative Arts offer.

The creative and digital industries are increasingly merging to form a new and innovative industry, often referred to as CreaTech. As a college, we’re always looking to provide students with skills that will equip them with future proof career options, formulating courses that focus on areas such as Games & Animation, Creative Digital Arts and Digital Design & Development.

CreaTech at MK College

We caught up with one of our talented Level 3 Games Animation and VFX, Oliver Guy, to get an insight into life as a Digital Arts student.

“The Level 3 Games Animation and VFX course is very flexible in supporting your interests, whether they are art, design, programming or 3D. It covers a wide range of skills, including both 2D and 3D technologies. We are encouraged to explore a variety of ideas both through our own research and feedback from others. The course is project-based, meaning that a majority of the course work is practical. Throughout the course, I have always been creating something, which is one aspect I have enjoyed.

The tutors are knowledgeable of the different software and techniques that will help achieve your ideas. I can always contact them if I need feedback on my work or need help to solve a problem. They are great at advising on both course work and career choices.

Watching someone play your game for the first time is very rewarding, and it is my favourite aspect of making games. Creating my first 3D game was a highlight for me. Our team accomplished working game mechanics, an interactive level with puzzles and a dialogue system. My work placement has allowed me to develop my skills to an industry standard. Gaining that experience will help me when I go to University, as I have learned advanced skills and techniques throughout the placement.

Level 3 courses that cover game technologies are rare, so I was pleased that MK college offered this course. It has allowed me to grow my skills but also helped me define what disciplines I am interested in with regards to the games industry.

Determination is key to accomplishing your ideas. Trying new solutions is the best way to progress your skills.”

Serena Robb, also known as The Isle of CC, studied the BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Performing Arts, followed by the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Music at MK College from 2011 to 2014. We caught up with her to hear how college helped her to pursue her dream career and to find out what she’s been up since we last saw her; from her favourite memories at college to how her tutors supported her in achieving her goals.

Serena’s Story

“Attending MK College definitely helped me creatively. I actually wanted to dance, act and sing, and maybe go to an Academy afterwards. Studying Performing Arts boosted my confidence and I enjoyed being in various theatre shows, from being in the chorus to having main parts. I realised I shined the most whilst singing and I think other people realised this before I did, and encouraged me to pursue this. I think that was one of the reasons that lead to my decision to move on to the music course.

I have lots of good memories of college but I think my three favourites were learning about Foley Art for film and making my own, going on a trip with the music class to watch The Lion King and performing at our final major performance.

When I first went to college I had no desire to go to University. I had it in my head that I wasn’t academic enough to do something like that. I didn’t even know that Music universities existed until my tutors told me. I remember Caroline helping me with my acceptance letter and giving me some really good tips. She helped me showcase who I was, why I should be accepted and most importantly – what made me different.

Thanks to her support, after MK College I went on to study at The British and Irish Modern Music Institute (Brighton Institute). I chose BA (Hons) Professional Musicianship in Vocals and graduated in 2017. Since graduating, I have my thumbs in many music pies. I’m a Solo artist, Radio Host, A director of MK Fringe, Sync Writer and Wordplay Magazine Writer.

While studying at MK College, I was able to get involved in lots of different projects and meet like-minded individuals, some of whom I still speak to. This definitely helped me, as I don’t think you ever stop learning in a creative industry.

My advice to anyone wanting to join the Music industry would be to go to gigs – especially the grassroots ones as you’ll be surprised how many people you meet. Try and network as much as you can and learn from others. If you show a willingness to learn and grow, people will help you.

Try and learn the basics of an instrument, even if it’s just simple chords and the basics of recording software. It does make it that bit easier when approaching a producer and explaining to them what you’d like to do. Research 2-3 different artists/musicians a few steps ahead of you who are doing what you want to do. See where they have performed before, who their target audience is, who has written about them, their radio play etc. It can help you to figure out where to start.

If you want to be a session musician, practice, practice practice – surround yourself with like-minded people and research function work. Function gigging might not feel like the best thing in the world, but it helps you think on your feet and learn songs in a short time frame. Once you’ve done this for a while you can start approaching networks such as GO2 Entertainment and Alive Network.

I’ve noticed that there’s a lot of camaraderie,  especially with indie labels. At the end of the day, we are all in the same boat and helping one another, which I believe is important. Don’t be afraid to ask for help too, I’m a bit introverted at times but sometimes don’t overthink it – just go for it, otherwise, you’ll never know.”

We’ve loved hearing about Serena’s journey since leaving MK College and can’t wait to see where she goes from here. If you want to check her out for yourself, follow her on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, as well as YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music.

Want to study Music or Performing Arts? Check out our range of Creative Arts courses and turn your passion into a career.

Many students struggle with stress and anxiety from time to time, particularly when juggling exams, coursework and life in general. Over the past year, however, students have had to face more stresses than usual. The pandemic has affected everyone in one way or another and we’ve all found our own ways to cope.

One of our Digital Marketing students has turned to Mindfulness to help manage stress and has found it so helpful, that she chose to share this newfound passion with her fellow coursemates. Megan Shipton led a Bitesize weekly online session with students to give tips on how to use Mindfulness effectively, sharing useful resources and even her own self-published book focusing on gratitude awareness and breathing methods.

Megan’s Story

“My interest in Mindfulness began while studying – I tuned in to myself and realised the importance of looking after my mental health. Mindfulness is something I try and tune into on a daily basis. By practising mindfulness techniques such as yoga, meditation and breathwork, I feel more present. As a mindfulness advocate, being present is so important when working or doing college work.

My favourite ways to practice mindfulness range from meditation and yoga to listening to podcasts. I try to find what works best for me in that moment by listening to how I feel. Sometimes, just taking a step back from everything and going for a walk helps me to feel more mindful and connected to myself.

‘Being Mindful’ is the short book I self-published, focusing on using gratitude awareness, breathing methods and guided imagery to help readers feel more mindful. Also, Mindfulness is different for everyone, however, the book shows that we can all use our own mindfulness techniques to create meaningful connections with the world around us.

Personally, the best piece of advice I have received is to take each moment as it comes. By focusing on the present moment, we are not thinking about the past nor worrying about the future. It is important to live presently and make the most of that moment whatever it is. Too often, we are trying to live as our future selves by stressing about our work or other tasks, when fundamentally all that matters is the here and now. If you are feeling stressed try to take a moment to remember what is important to you right now, whether this be prioritising work or focusing on yourself.

There are so many amazing podcasts and apps out there to help you on your mindfulness journey. At the moment, I am listening to Radio Headspace and The Alan Watts Audio Experience podcasts on Spotify. These podcasts are helping me understand the importance of perception and creating a positive environment in my mind. I also really recommend the Calm app, which is great for meditation and sleep.”

We’re loving these fantastic tips from Megan and can’t wait to take a look at her book. If you’re struggling at all and are in need of more wellbeing support, remember that anyone at Milton Keynes College can access free online mental health support with Togetherall, any time, any day. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you to explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. 

After discovering university just wasn’t for him, Jay knew he had to make a change that would suit him and his learning style. Now a fully-fledged digital marketer thanks to a change to an apprenticeship, Jay tells us about his unconventional journey to gaining the necessary qualifications to start his career and how it was all really just a blessing in disguise.

Jay’s Story

“During my GCSEs, the Brand Director for New Era, the world-famous cap company, was invited into my Business class at school to provide us with an insight into his marketing role and to talk about what our options were after secondary school. I was completely inspired by his talk about the marketing industry, especially where he discussed the psychological side of what makes a person buy into a product. It was from that moment on that I knew marketing was the perfect career path for me. 

After gaining the GCSE grades required for A–Levels, I went on to study business for another two years alongside computing, with the aim of combining the two together to focus on a digital–based marketing career. Upon completing my A–Levels, I was then fortunate enough to get into my first-choice university in Portsmouth to study digital marketing. 

After my first term, however, I realised that the course just wasn’t for me – I learn best through very hands-on education – so, I dropped out and instead worked a full-time job in retail whilst on the hunt for an apprenticeship in digital marketing. I realised that I only went to university simply because all of my friends did. 

A big life lesson for me was to not follow the crowd, and do what I know is best for me.

After four painstaking months of searching and working in retail, I finally joined Haines Watts on a Marketing Assistant apprenticeship in May 2018, I was enrolled with the apprenticeship company 3aaa. I attended 3aaa’s academy in Milton Keynes to undertake my studies alongside work, but in October 2018, the company were forced into liquidation, leading me to lose my place as an apprentice which was extremely disappointing. Did I give up? No! 

I sat tight until the new year, enrolling with MK College to restart my apprenticeship again. Despite a delay in completing my apprenticeship because of the outbreak of Covid-19, I finally received my grade in December 2020. After nearly two and a half years as a digital marketing apprentice, I’m so pleased to say that it has all been 100% worth it.

I have gained a wealth of hands-on experience and been fortunate enough to meet people I never would have had the chance to if I continued my University journey. Being brave and making the difficult decision to leave University ultimately changed my life for the better and I haven’t looked back since.”

What advice would you give to anyone unsure of their education or career journey?

“Simply follow what you have an interest in and do what you can to gain experience in that area. Employers value experience as it shows you can work effectively within a team, as a degree can sometimes lack those experience opportunities. Internships and apprenticeships are a great way of getting your foot in the door, particularly in my situation! As long as you have a can-do attitude and a willingness to learn, employers will value this. You can shape your future through hard work, dedication and an open mind.”

Discover apprenticeships at MK College

Inspired by Jay’s story? Take a look at our brand new promo film, Follow Your Voice. 

Deborah Mungai joined the South-Central Institute of Technology to study Security and Networking this year after finishing her A levels. She began exploring the options open to her that would cater for her passion for tech, and reviewed universities, apprenticeships and IoT. 

Deborah’s Story

Deborah’s schoolteacher managed to schedule a meeting with Laura, Head of Curriculum at South Central Institute of Technology, and the rest is history. Deborah tells her story about her experience.

“This turned into a golden opportunity for me as soon as I visited the college for the boot camp. The building is separated from all other buildings and it was so quiet and clean, there were only a few students around which was positive as the teachers can offer more advice one-on-one or in small groups. At the Digital Boot Camp we were presented with all of the modules involved in the course and what we would gain from these modules. 

Throughout the course we have learnt so much from the tutors – they really speak from the heart because they have so much personal experience. The tasks we’re set really push you to communicate and ask for help from teachers and fellow students. I have enjoyed meeting new people, and the flexibility of the course means I can keep my part-time job and my online business as well. 

 After finishing my course, I would want to get more experience in Cyber Security and to work for a big company like Cisco, Microsoft or Google, that would be a dream come true! I generally want to work and gain experience across different sectors, I could even help educate others.”

What would your advice be to someone interested in studying at the SCIoT?

“To those who may have finished school and might not know what they want to do after school, I would advise to try out the South Central Institute of Technology, it gives you the option to study further before you decide if you want to continue with higher education, begin an apprenticeship or straight into work. It can also help you decide what area of Computing or Games & Animation you want to specialise in. 

I can’t say how much I love being part of the South Central Institute of Technology, it has given me so many opportunities and really opened my eyes to how I can achieve my goals. 

South Central Institute of Technology is the best place to be!”

What do SCIoT students get up to? Watch to find out!

Daniel Allison is partway through studying Music Performance here at the College, and has been reflecting on his experience from this year, and how learning in lockdown has inspired him to learn new skills and even new instruments.

With a long running passion for music, and a year of playing the drums under his belt, Daniel was inspired to learn more about playing his instrument live, and saw that studying at MK College would give him the opportunity to do just that, and more.

“My experience with the course has been great. It has given me both challenges and opportunities, and I’ve met a lot of like-minded people who have since become close friends”, said Daniel. “Within two months of being on the course, we had the chance to perform live at the college, We had six weeks to prepare to perform three songs of our choosing. It was a great experience and it taught me a lot about music performance.”

So far, being at college has taught me performance skills, production skills, songwriting skills and how to work efficiently in a team, which is essential as I’d love to perform in a band professionally one day.”

“My dream job would be to perform on live tours, festivals and shows with a band.”

Since joining the college and during lockdown, Daniel has furthered his skills and taught himself how to play the piano, the ukulele and bass.

“After college, I plan to use my qualifications and everything that I have learned to go onto a music university and try to play some shows on the side as a hobby. I have my eyes set on Brighton for the music scene there! After university, my absolute dream job would be to perform on live tours, festivals and shows with a band.”

You can hear some of Daniel’s music over on his Instagram page.

Kiana Kamalian is only part way through her engineering apprenticeship at Carlsberg, but is already learning the ropes and is hoping to inspire more young girls to join the engineering industry.

She currently spends 2-3 days a week learning at College, and the rest on the job at Carlsberg, learning as she goes and shadowing other engineers to learn about their roles and responsibilities.

Kiana’s Story

“I find it so interesting and inspiring to be around all the experienced engineers and learn technical skills from them. Recently I was paired with Mick, an engineer I hadn’t yet met at work. He showed me around the area he was responsible for and explained his tasks for the day, and how he prioritises what needs to be done first.”

Kiana expected to shadow Mick and learn through watching what he was doing, however, she was soon handed the tools and supported to try tasks out for herself. “He was with me every step of the way, asking me questions, making sure I knew why I was doing things and making sure I was safe”,

“It was a great experience to be able to use the engineering tools and learn at the same time as get some practice in. Mick made sure I was safe and I felt supported every step of the way”.

Kiana was also introduced to an inspector as It was inspection day for some of the equipment and facilities. “We walked around the site and found the specific pipes and gages that needed inspecting. I learnt about the high standards the equipment is required to be in, and how the company tests to make sure everything is running smoothly”.

Engineering is still a very male dominant industry, and Kiana is hoping more young girls will take the step into joining the industry. “Before I started my apprenticeship I was expected to be treated differently, however, I’m so glad to say that I’ve been proved wrong. I’ve been treated exactly the same as everyone else, and everyone I’ve interacted with has been very respectful and thoughtful. I’m very grateful to my colleagues for sharing their experiences and knowledge with me”.

Interested in doing an Apprenticeship like Kiana? Take a look at our most recent apprentice vacancies and get applying!

Stacy Lewis passed her Level 2 Customer Service Apprenticeship with flying colours (technically called a Distinction) and is now working as a Receptionist at Jubilee Wood Primary School.

Stacy’s Story

From leaving school at 16 to having her daughter at 21 and working various retail jobs at the likes of JD Sports and Tesco, Stacy’s confidence had been knocked. She was looking for a new opportunity that would offer her a chance to try something different, with flexibility and the ideal work/life balance.

“I was in a real rut, I thought that was it for me and I would be stuck in the same sort of jobs forever. I really wanted to go back to studying, but I’ve got a daughter and responsibilities, I couldn’t cut my income.”

When Stacy saw the job advertised, she was instantly drawn to it because of the convenient hours that would fit around school. The fact it was an apprenticeship was a bonus, although she wasn’t 100% sure what it really entailed.

“I was scared of the unknown”, admitted Stacy. “I didn’t know what to expect as I’d always assumed apprenticeships were for school leavers. I even asked if I was too old to be applying! I thought there was no harm in just applying so I went for it.”

Amazing Support

“I was interviewed by staff at the primary school, and once I was offered the role I met my amazing Workplace Trainer, Caroline. We instantly clicked, and I was honest in that I wasn’t 100% sure what I’d got myself into, but she reassured me it was the right step for me.”

It took a while for Stacy to get back into the mindset of studying and completing coursework, as well as getting the balance right between being at work, being a mother, studying and everything else that life throws at you.

“It was daunting at first, but I had a fantastic support network both in and out of the workplace. Time and practice go hand in hand, it takes a lot of trial and error to find the routine that fits you. I knew that leaving your work to the last minute wasn’t the best idea, but it didn’t stop me doing it at the beginning!”

Connecting With New People

Stacy credits her success to her fantastic connection with Caroline, who was always on the other end of the phone with advice, or just there when Stacy needed sometime to talk to. “We spent many meetings just putting the world to rights, which was more of a help than I could ever have imagined.”

Stacy’s apprenticeship required her to have a study day away from her workplace once a week, with one per month being spent in college. “These days were essential in getting my coursework done. Getting back into education after 12 years is more difficult than you’d think – you almost have to retrain your brain to learn in that style again. I had to attend College one day a month which was a great opportunity to connect with people on the same journey as me.”

Throughout her apprenticeship, Stacy came to realise that she already had some of the skills required from her previous experience. “I didn’t realise that being able to perceive people’s facial expressions was a skill – I spent years doing this in previous jobs”, she said.

Stacy now works full time as a receptionist at Jubilee Wood School and is excited to see what else is out there to help her continue learning.

“If you’re looking for a change, or considering an apprenticeship, stop thinking about it – just do it. What’s the worst that could happen? No one else tried to talk me out if it other than myself. Ask all the questions – the Apprenticeship team at the college are so relaxed and happy to help.”

When you first leave school you may be somewhat concerned about leaving your friends behind. Making the move to College may mean that you’re leaving friends and taking this next step on your own. We understand that making new friends may seem a little daunting but we promise, that feeling won’t stick around for long.

You’re braver than you know

It’s easy for us to say, but we’ve seen it first-hand year after year. It won’t take long before you meet new friends. Studying at a college means that you’ll get a load more independence, which in turn means you’ll meet loads of new people really quickly. Once students leave us at the end of their studies, they leave with great memories and friends that they regularly keep in touch with after college.

Making friends isn’t the easiest thing to do, we get it – especially if you are a bit shy and in totally new surroundings. Take a look at some tips below from current students:

• I found that the best way to make new friends was to find people that shared common interests and spend some time getting to know them. If you’re on a focused course like a BTEC, you’ll know for definite that you will share a few interests with your fellow course mates.
• It’s important to keep an open mind, after all, you will go through life meeting all sorts of people and you never know who you will connect with.
• Keep in mind that during your time at College you still get weekends as well as two days off during the week to meet up with your old school friends. Just because you go to different colleges or schools, it doesn’t mean your previous friendships are over.

If you feel like the thought of making new friends is holding you back from pursuing what you really want to do then remember, good friends you will keep and you’ll make even more once you start at MK College – is there such a thing as too many friends? We don’t think so!

Ashleigh Rudd has been on a work placement at MK Hospital for around six months. Currently studying Level 3 Health and Social Care, she is just about to complete 500 hours of valuable work experience.

Having worked on a variety of wards, Ashleigh has been shadowing nurses and health care assistants, and has learnt to perform a variety of tasks on real patients.

Ashleigh’s Story

“I’ve always wanted to work with children, and I can’t think of anything better or more rewarding to do as a job than helping poorly children get better. I thought about going to Sixth Form but I knew that having to take different A-Levels wouldn’t offer me what I wanted”, explained Ashleigh.

Health and Social Care students are required to complete their hours at a variety of work placements. In addition to MK Hospital, students have worked at MK Snap, YMCA, dementia-specific care homes and many more local establishments. This offers students the chance to find out what life working in the industry is really like, and to help them decide which path they want to go down.

On a typical day at the hospital, Ashleigh is paired with a Health Care Assistant that she shadows throughout the day, helping with things like taking and reporting observations of blood pressure, oxygen levels and general health, making beds, assisting with serving meals, interacting with patients, and much more.

What have you learnt?

“I’ve learnt how to deal with a wide variety of patients from watching how the nurses and staff interact. Everyone is different, and you have to learn how to read people’s body language and facial expressions to find out how they’re really feeling and how you should approach the situation. People can sometimes become aggressive or violent, which I found intimidating at first I’ve learnt how to deal with different situations appropriately”.

“Ashleigh has matured massively, she has come out the other side a different person. Not only has she grown in confidence in her skills, but in herself and her people skills. Six months ago she was shy and timid, but now she’s able to interact and work alongside senior nurses and managers with confidence in her ability”, commented Claire Jelley from the Private Education Department at MK Hospital.

Students on placements at MK Hospital have also worked alongside staff on the Surgical and Paediatric wards, giving them the best chance to scope out where they might like to work in the future.

Ashleigh has been offered a place to study Child Nursing at three different universities and is currently deciding which one to take up.

Interested in Health and Social Care? We have Advanced and Intermediate courses available, as well as other related subject areas. Take a look at our course finder for more information.