Mechanic and graphic design students from Milton Keynes College had the trip of a lifetime around Aston Martin’s Aramco Formula® One Team’s AMR Technology Campus at Silverstone.  The visit was made possible by a collaboration between the College, the racing team, and global leader in automotive and industrial solutions, Valvoline Global Operations. 

The connection with the College began last year, when the companies supported mechanic students in refurbishing a Formula Renault racing car, with the intention of getting it back to full working order.  That work has continued this year, again with the companies’ sponsorship as part of Valvoline Global’s Mechanics Month, an annual global event celebrating those either with a career in the field or who aspire to have one.  Meanwhile, graphic design students were given the challenge of creating advertising for Valvoline Global that could be featured on the racing car’s body panels. 

Another element of the collaboration was to send a group of eighteen students to take part in an International Women’s Day event at Aston Martin Aramco Formula® One AMR Technology Campus.  Alongside 200 other young women, the students heard from inspirational speakers including Jessica Hawkins, Aston Martin Aramco Formula® One Team’s driver ambassador. 

Both Aston Martin Aramco Formula® One and Valvoline Global aim to encourage more women to enter the automotive profession, and ran a half-day event for ninety girls from local schools at the College’s South Central Institute of Technology at Bletchley, where they heard from two current Milton Keynes College students, Lucy and Georgie, as well as Rebecca Moroney from Aston Martin and Kara Dunmore and Evangelia Boumpouli, both mechanics at Steven Eagell Group’s Cambridge branch. 

The graphics students who’ve been involved in the work on the Formula Renault car went to the Aston Martin Aramco Formula® One Team Technology Campus at Silverstone to present their designs to judges from the racing and lubricant companies, with the winning team looking forward to seeing their design on the Milton Keynes College car.  

At the final event, the motor vehicle mechanic students presented their team’s work to a panel of judges, including Jamal Muashsher, President and Chief Executive Officer of Valvoline Global, who selected the best three. The winning team will have the fantastic prize of a four-day work experience placement at the AMR Technology Campus, while the second and third placed teams received professional mechanics’ tool kits. 

One of the winning student mechanics, Sam Mitchell, said, “The challenge was really enjoyable and tougher than I thought it might be.  It’s taught me an improved understanding of electrical theory and application, as well as helping with my teamwork and communication skills, not just between me and Joe but with the other teams, as well a wider understanding of race car mechanics.   It was great to have the chance to talk to the Valvoline CEO and other officials and amazing to see the final car, the livery and seeing what we had done.” 

Sam’s teammate, Joe Rose, said, “We’d never worked on motorsport vehicles before so this gave us an incredible insight into how it works. It’s given me some really valuable skills and knowledge which could help start my career in the sport, which really is my ambition.” 

All the student winners said they had an amazing time at the celebratory event.  Chiamaka Ahaneku, one of the graphics students involved said, “The experience provided by Aston Martin during the presentation of the Valvoline livery was truly inspirational to my teammates and me.  All the members of my design team felt included and heard.  The opportunity we were given will stay with us forever, and we thoroughly enjoyed our day.” 

Caroline Indge, Head of Partnerships and Innovation at Milton Keynes College Group, says, “We’re so grateful to Aston Martin F1 and Valvoline for taking such an interest in the students, and for giving them the most amazing window into a world which not only excites them but which is there for them to join if they work hard.  We’re always looking out for local businesses with which to create these kinds of partnerships.  They’re great for the students, and they also give companies an insight into the calibre of skilled young people we’re training.” 

Mark Gray, Head of Build & Car Assembly at Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, stated: “We are proud to continue supporting Valvoline’s Mechanics Month initiative. Mechanics play a crucial role in our sport – without them, racing wouldn’t be possible. It was a pleasure to welcome students from Milton Keynes College, give them a behind-the-scenes look at our work, and hopefully inspire the next generation of mechanics, whether in Formula 1 or the broader mobility industry.” 

Speaking at the event, Jamal Muashsher, CEO and President of Valvoline Global said, “By providing students with mentorship and resources, we help bridge the global skills gap and support the next generation in building successful careers.  These young mechanics will drive the future of the industry, tackle evolving challenges, and may even become elite engineers behind Aston Martin Aramco Formula One’s success.” 

To find out more about studying Motor Vehicle at MK College, visit Motor Vehicle Advanced – MK College

To find out more about studying Graphic Design at MK College, visit Graphic Design Advanced – MK College

Thames Valley Police (TVP) has launched a campaign to empower witnesses and victims of antisocial behaviour (ASB) to speak out and report incidents, featuring artwork designed by a student at Milton Keynes College. 

Towards the end of last year, TVP visited graphic design students from Milton Keynes College to talk to them about ASB and the effect this can have on communities. 

The students were given the opportunity to design adverts to support the campaign and encourage reporting of any instances of antisocial behaviour that they see.  The winning design was by Milton Keynes College student Chiamaka Ahaneku.  

ASB is not always categorised as a crime and often takes a multi-agency response. It can also occur during an incident which involves another crime type.  

A national report into antisocial behaviour in 2024, published by Resolve UK, found that there were likely more than five million incidents of ASB nationwide in 2023. Not only that, ASB has forced more than one in seven of us to consider moving home, with one in four left feeling unsafe in their area.   

Dishearteningly, YouGov data continually shows that more than half of victims or witnesses to all types of ASB do not report them. In the last three years, only 26 per cent of victims and witnesses reported an ASB incident to the police.   

Head of Thames Valley Police’s Community Policing Command, Superintendent John Batty, said: “Antisocial behaviour can take many forms, from noise nuisance and graffiti to neighbour disputes and drug dealing. It can be a real blight on people’s lives. ASB is not a crime in itself but a description for a number of behaviours, many of which can be criminal offences.  

“The police are not always the agency with the right powers to tackle every ASB issue, for instance local authorities have the powers to deal with noise nuisance. However, it is important that agencies work in partnership, to identify and tackle the root causes of ASB. In order to do that effectively, we need people who are affected by ASB to report it to us.”   

Deputy Head of School for Arts and Media at Milton Keynes College, Kyle Kirkpatrick, said: “It’s fantastic that our students have been able to support the new campaign against antisocial behaviour from Thames Valley Police. They all loved working on a project that can make a real difference in local communities and the designs that they came up with were fantastic. We’re particularly proud of Chiamaka for producing the winning design, and we’re hopeful that her design can help to make the campaign a success”.  

Thames Valley Police urge anyone who experiences or witnesses ASB to report it  via their  website.  

For more information on studying Graphic Design at Milton Keynes College, visit Graphic Design Advanced – MK College 

Milton Keynes College Group names Student of the Year

Graphic Design student, Nashe Mataya, has been named Milton Keynes College Group’s Student of the Year for 2024. 

Nashe won the overall award having won in the Creative & Digital Arts category. The College Group’s Students of the Year Awards recognises learners who have achieved in their studies, with twenty categories covering the College Group’s Further Education provision, adult learning, inclusive learning, ESOL, the South Central Institute of Technology (SCIoT) in Bletchley and its prison education services.  

“I’m shocked but also blessed to win this award,” Nashe said, at the College’s fabulous awards night held at the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit.  Sitting with family and friends, he said, “Everyone who came tonight showed me such love and support; the people on my table are the people who got me here and I’m so grateful to them all.” 

Nashe reserved particular praise for his mum, who he said, “is the strongest woman I know and has always pushed me to go as far as I can.” 

The graphic design student was singled out by the judges, not just for his hard work and talent, but also for the maturity he showed when struggling with personal difficulties halfway through his course. 

“Nashe took the brave but really sensible decision to take some time away from his course, only coming back when he felt stronger and more able to cope with the rigours of his studies,” said Sally Alexander, CEO and Principal of Milton Keynes College Group.  “He came back stronger and has produced some wonderful work, as well as helping other students as a surrogate tutor, which shows what a level-headed and kind young man he is.” 

Nashe is preparing to continue his studies with a Graphic Design degree at Northampton University, and while he’s looking forward to the new challenge, he admits he will be sad to leave the College. 

“I’m gutted to be leaving,” he said. “I’ve met so many cool people here and I’ll always remember my time at the College with great fondness.  I want to thank my teachers for everything they’ve done for me.  You get so much support here, and I know I wouldn’t have achieved this without their kindness and help.” 

The student awards event involved learners in every area; Catering and Hospitality learners prepared, cooked and served the food that guests enjoyed, Performing Arts students entertained the guests before and during the awards and Games and Animation student Sienna Rogers was a co-host for the evening. 

Sally added “Our Students of the Year Awards is always a fantastic event, offering us the opportunity to recognise and celebrate the achievements of our learners and the staff who have supported them.  

“A huge congratulations to Nashe as our overall winner as well as all of our student winners, their family and tutors who have supported them in achieving great things.” 

Milton Keynes College is taking part in this year’s Christmas Tree Festival at local shopping centre Midsummer Place.  

The festival involves local organisations sponsoring one of 20 Christmas trees for a charity of their choice and in return decorating their trees however they would like. There is a competition where shoppers can vote for their favourite tree and the organisation with the winning tree will be rewarded with a portion of the total funds collected during the campaign, contributing to the charity of their choice. 

MK College has chosen to support St Mark’s Meals, it’s chosen college charity. St Mark’s Meals MK provide and distribute dinner kit boxes to over 100 schools and children’s centres all across Milton Keynes so that any member of staff at these places can give a box to any child, whenever they see the need.  

Rebecca Myrie, Head of Community Engagement at Milton Keynes College, commented: “We were so excited to hear about the Christmas Tree Festival and we knew immediately that we wanted to support St Mark’s Meals. 18,000 local children are living in poverty right now – that means that there are thousands of parents and carers who know the stress and pain of not being able to provide dinner for their family. St Mark’s Meals is working hard to make sure that no children in Milton Keynes are going to bed hungry, and we wanted to do our bit to support them”. 

The College’s learners have been heavily involved in the decoration of the tree. Julia Klimaszewska, a former Level 3 Graphic Design student at the College, designed an amazing mural for our Chaffron Way campus, inspired by our vision of education that goes Beyond the Classroom. Colleagues at the College loved the mural so much that they’ve incorporated elements of the mural into the designs of the tree’s baubles. 

The College’s Engineering department took Julia’s creations and used a laser cutter to produce the fantastic baubles on the tree in our brand colours. Staff and learners from across the College then came together to decorate our tree – it was a real team effort! The tree also includes baubles from the College’s charity partner, St Mark’s Meals MK.  

For more information on the College’s work in the community, visit https://mkcollege.ac.uk/community/working-with-the-community/  

MK College out in force to support MK Can event for local food bank

Staff and students from Milton Keynes College Group came together to support the MK Can event on 16^th October at Campbell Park, in support of Milton Keynes Food Bank. Around 100 businesses, 20 schools, 30 churches and faith groups, 50 community organisations and 25 charities from Milton Keynes were all involved with a target of collecting and positioning over 100,000 cans of food along a 10km line through the park. The event was awarded a Guinness World Record for the longest unbroken line of cans of food, with the tins then being collected and taken over to the Food Bank afterwards. 

The College Group and its Brasserie Restaurant sponsored two sections of the 10km course, with staff volunteering on the day to place the donated tins along the course. 93 students from the College’s Public Services courses also helped at the event by carrying the tins to the different sections, marshalling, and showing supporters to their areas of the course. 30 Music students from the College also performed throughout the day to entertain those taking part and 25 Photography students were on hand to photograph the event. 

The College was required to collect 700 cans for the two sections it sponsored, but on the day had far exceeded that number with over 1,800 cans donated by staff and students. All of the cans collected on the day will go to supporting the Food Bank’s service users, with the total of over 100,000 being enough for six months’ worth of food supplies for the communities of Milton Keynes. 

Rebecca Myrie, Head of Community Engagement at the College, commented: “What an incredible event! When the Food Bank approached us earlier this year about the idea of a World Record attempt, we were very excited to take part but we couldn’t have imagined what was achieved today. To see thousands of people from across Milton Keynes come together to support the Food Bank was really amazing.” 

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of support we’ve had from colleagues and learners in donating cans for this event. But the highlight has to be the incredible effort we saw from our students on the day. From music students performing to an amazing standard, to our photography students capturing special moments and our Public Services students being so helpful to everyone involved, they really did themselves and the wider College proud. Plus, I hope that the students will have made special memories and gained skills that they will carry with them into their courses and beyond.” 

The feedback from the colleagues and students involved in the event has been overwhelmingly positive. For instance, Mark Davis, Course Team Leader for Public Services at Milton Keynes College, commented: “It was amazing to be part of something so beneficial to the community and a privilege to part of a world record. When it was announced that we had broken the record it took a minute or two to sink in because the total number of cans collected was staggering. The students have said that they feel it was an amazing opportunity and they were proud to be a part of the proceedings. The organisation that went into this event was immense and I would like to say a personal thanks to Louisa and the team at the Food Bank for inviting us to be a part of it”. 

Rachel Glass – Course Team Leader for Photography – and Chris Gascoigne – Photography Lecturer – added: “The whole of the Photography department had a wonderful day at MK Can. All the learners turned up with great enthusiasm and cameras at the ready. They all had a chance to practice their location photography skills while having fun at the event; and they were a credit to the College for their behaviour and professionalism. Plus, the pictures they have taken are superb. The sun was shining on a great day with a Guinness World Record to boot”. 

For more information on the work the College Group does to support our communities, visit Working With The Community – MK College.

Phill Manson, Founder and Managing Director at PAASE Digital, an email marketing agency, has experienced first-hand the benefits that hiring an apprentice can have on a business.

Apprentice Liz Wright joined the Leighton Buzzard-based agency in May 2021 as a Digital Marketing Apprentice, as businesses were starting to return to office-based working. They have since taken on a second apprentice, Fern Gilks-Tanner, to support the company’s exponential growth.

Phill said, “I have seen first-hand in my previous company how valuable apprenticeships are for both young people and employers. Having people in the business who want to learn is a huge positive and is a cost-effective way for us to recruit and retain talent.”

He added, “We contacted MK College early in 2021 as we were keen to hire a local apprentice. Our office is based in Soulbury, and we are firm believers in supporting the local community.

“The College put forward a number of high calibre students for our consideration. Liz’s CV stood out as she had already got some experience and was keen to retrain in digital marketing.

“She settled in really quickly and was able to use the knowledge from her college studies and put this into practice at work, such as updating our website. Her feedback on the course has been positive and we have a good relationship with the College apprenticeship team.”

Phill added, “Having apprentices in the business has also accelerated the learning and development of other staff within the company, who have been able to get experience of supervising and line managing for the first time. The benefits really go right across the organisation.”

Phill explains that this is just the start for PAASE and hopes that they can continue to support students in Milton Keynes get their first step on the career ladder.

He said, “PAASE is a fast paced, growing agency with some fantastic clients, so we see this as the start of a long-term partnership with MK College. We hope that with the right support, we can help lots of individuals get a kick start with their digital marketing career.”

For more information on hiring a digital marketing apprentice, contact the Apprenticeships team at MK College on apprenticeships@mkcollege.ac.uk

It’s great to see what our students go on to do once they’ve finished their course, which is why we loved catching up with Ellie, a past Graphic Design student.

Ellie studied Art and Design for a year and quickly found her love for Graphic Design which she then studied at Level 3. Read Ellie’s story to find out why she thinks MK College helped her to get into a career that she loved and her advice to anyone looking to develop a career within the Creative Arts.

My favourite memory of studying Graphic Design at MK College was definitely my tutors, as they always made sure that we enjoyed ourselves and had fun as we were learning. I was excited just going to class as I knew that they were the ones teaching me – they were more like friends than just tutors and made you want to learn more. It was even more enjoyable when I was learning the valuable skills I still use today with the best tutors I could have ever asked for. My tutors supported me with everything I did, whether I struggled with some deadlines, something new to learn, or even simple things such as having a bad day. They made sure that they motivated me to do the best I possibly could and it ended up working and paid off in the end. 

Because of this, I ended up getting the “Star of the Future” award just after I finished my Graphic Design course, which then motivated me even more as they saw potential in me that I didn’t see myself. 

I am learning the ins and outs of Digital Marketing and even include my Graphics work in any way that I can, as they love my creative eye – I create banners, leaflets, advertisements and many more things for the dealership. I have even redesigned the logo for Bicester Ford – who we work with, which are now known as Bicester Motor Company. The logo is now on courtesy cars, the building and on social media, I managed to complete the redesign within the first couple of weeks working there, which is something I’m really proud of.

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.”

Hearing from past students is always fantastic. We love to find out what they’ve been up to since leaving MK College and hearing them reflect on their time with us. Preparing students for the world of work is very important to us as a college.

Work experience, industry collaborations and live project briefs are just some of the ways that our students get the opportunity to develop their professional skills before entering employment or continuing their study.

That’s why we were thrilled to hear from past Graphic Design student, Rachel Sharp, whose work experience with Rightmove’s design studio while at College, turned into a full-time job offer!

Rachel’s Story

‘I studied Level 3 in Graphic Design at Milton Keynes College which I then continued for an extra year to complete my HND. Looking back at my time on the course, I can honestly say this was the first stepping-stone to an ongoing Graphic Design career.

This course allowed me a great opportunity (which I am still very grateful for), to take part in work experience with Rightmove, with who the College have a partnership.  I was given the chance to work closely with Rightmove’s in-house Design Studio and used this time to take in and learn as much as possible.

This eventually led to an internship possibility which I was fortunate to land, then a full-time position on the Rightmove Graphic Design team. Milton Keynes College was the beginning of my journey and the reason I was able to gain the opportunities I did.

The years I studied at the college not only prepared me in my skill-set but also helped to mould me as a person and to equip me for what was to come. Thank you for the continued support of my tutors who encouraged me throughout.’

We caught up with MK College Graphic Design lecturer, Dan Vine, to hear more about the fantastic working relationship MK College have with Rightmove and how it continues to benefit out students.

I remember going to the Rightmove offices with a view to firming up some work experience for my students and upon walking into the design studio, seeing around 5 of my past students! Alongside the Design Studio Manager at Rightmove, Nicky Pinto-Perez (also a past MK College student), we put in place a period of work experience that our students could take part in. This involves working on live briefs with Rightmove’s design studio, for two days a week which lasts for a few months. During this time, the team at Rightmove assess our student’s skills and offer Internships to students who stand out. These Internships can then lead on to full-time positions – Rachel Sharp being a great example.

Over the past year, Rightmove have been excellent at providing the same work experience opportunities to our students virtually. Students are put through their paces and assigned to live briefs once their skillset has been assessed. This provides our students with a great deal of experience with things like printed posters and digital banners, providing them with excellent pieces for their portfolios once their placement has finished.

Graphic Design as an industry is constantly evolving and we’re redefining the subject with each academic year. Because of the great need for digital arts-based professionals, within arts-based and non-arts-based companies, I would always advocate that if you have a passion for design, the courses that we offer at MK College will give you a very realistic, vocational based foundation – more so than A Levels ever could. I think this stems from the fact that the people and tutors who teach our courses are all industry professionals themselves, so we set up our lessons to reflect a working design studio.

If you’d like to join our next cohort, work on live briefs and see where your studies could lead, why not explore our range of Creative and Digital Arts courses. As well as Graphic Design, there are pathways available in Fashion & Textiles, Photography, Performing Arts, Animation and many more. It’s time to turn your passion into a career.

Gaining real-life work experience and equipping our students beyond the classroom is an important part of student life here at MK College, and when it comes to the Creative and Digital Arts, there’s no exception.

As a department, the Creative Arts have connections with a wealth of partner organisations, professional visiting artists and fellow collaborators that continue to enrich our courses and in turn, our students’ experiences.

Artist and Industry Links

As a result of these fantastic links, our Creative Arts students are continually exposed to their chosen industry, equipping them with a broader knowledge of their subject and a professional outlook.

In addition to creative professional and industry links, MK College is proud to be part of the Milton Keynes Cultural Educational Partnership through MAKE (Milton Keynes Arts Education). We have also worked in collaboration with organisations such as Future Fossil on new and exciting projects such as their current competition, Future Producers.

Despite the challenges over the past year, the Creative Arts department have been overwhelmed with support received from local creative professionals and Industry specialists. As we’ve adapted to online learning throughout lockdown periods, this has also enabled students to learn from contributors beyond Milton Keynes which has been fantastic.

During the first term of this academic year, Level 3 Fashion & Textiles had the opportunity to work on a live client brief, as they were tasked to put their skills to the test by collaborating with an innovative acoustic panel company, Agile Acoustics. CEO of Agile Acoustics Stuart Jones, tasked the students to create Biophilic patterns that could be used on the ceilings of offices, schools and workspaces around the world to bring the natural environment into urban workspaces, promoting better wellbeing for all. The students met with Stuart Jones and their head designer Antony online and were briefed to create botanical designs that were “simple and sophisticated” with a white background.

Acting Students had a brilliant time working with Rosemary Hill, an inspirational local Theatre practitioner with a wealth of knowledge and experience to share. Rosemary is Artistic Director of The Plays the Thing Theatre Company who have been granted Arts Council funding to realise the Project ‘Invisible / Visible’, which our students were lucky enough to work on.

In the Performing Arts department at MK College, we had been keen to work with Rosemary Hill again since a successful collaboration with Grid Arts on Home Sweet Home kick-started the academic year in 2016 and made a huge impact on that year’s cohort of students. Many of the students from that year group continue to work with Rosemary, gaining invaluable industry experience.

Students on our Games, Animation and VFX course were able to work with established Games Company, MuHa Games. As a company, they continue to invest in the Games developers of tomorrow through a number of fantastic opportunities. Peter Leask, one of the Course Team Leaders for the Games, Animation and VFX Course, explains more:

“Its quite uncommon in the industry for Games companies to give the amount that MuHa Games are giving; they are doing a dedicated talk where they talk about story, programming and quality assurance. They have set a brief that is really open ended with some fantastic industry advice for the students, and in addition to that they have released multiple steam codes for the students and challenged them to modify their pre-existing game – Thea 2 The Shattering which is really exciting as it effectively gives the students the opportunity to work for a Games Company”

In July 2018 Graphic Design students were set a live project from Thames Valley Police. In response to a national and local crime initiative, students produced a campaign to highlight Hate Crime under the banner “101 conversations”.

Students were briefed by Thames Valley Police and upon pitching their finished designs, several were chosen to be produced, printed and featured in a regional campaign.

The project set really inspired our Graphic Design students and was a rewarding experience for all involved. Following the success of 101 conversations, in 2019, Thames Valley Police returned to us with their new initiative for the design of an Anti-Knife Crime campaign. 

There are simply too many fantastic collaborations and creative professionals to showcase and thank. For a full list of artist and companies that our Creative Arts students have worked with recently.

Want to join the next cohort of Creative Arts students and work on live briefs yourself? Take a look at our range of Creative and Digital Arts courses to find your pathway.