Sharing good practice, showcasing talent

: Created: 04 May 2017

Tutors Katrin Olhoff and Sandra Spenner from Käthe-Kollwitz-Berufskolleg in the city of Hagan, flew in to meet staff and students from a range of vocational courses and apprenticeships at three of our campuses. They were met by Career College Curriculum Manager Tania Summers (left) and taken on a tour of our BR6 Restaurant and Bakehouse at Orpington, ‘enhance’ Hair and Beauty Salon at Bromley and Salon 95 at Greenwich. They saw first-hand how these student-led ventures operate, and learnt about the responsibilities and expectations of students in providing professional services to real clients.

Katrin said: “I’m very impressed by the facilities the College has and the investment it has made in modern technology. The tutors here take a very ‘real world’ approach to teaching and developing their students, giving them not just the knowledge and techniques to perform as professionals, but also good customer service skills and entrepreneurial flare.”

Sandra said: “It’s evident to me that the students here are taught to very high standards. In turn, they are enthusiastic, ambitious and confident of finding good jobs and careers when they complete their courses. I was particularly impressed with the service they give in the salons and restaurants we visited. I’m very keen to learn more about the College and hope we can forge student exchange opportunities in the future. I believe our two colleges could work very well together.”

Tania was very pleased with the positive response from our guests and delighted to play host and tour guide for their two-day visit. She said: “It was an honour to meet and welcome Katrin and Sandra to the College. Germany is well known throughout the world for its innovation and ingenuity and has a brilliant track record for technical and vocational education and training. I was proud to show them some of the great things we do here and learn more about how they do things in Hagan. To receive such a seal of approval from two expert practitioners is something we can all be proud of. For the future, despite the UK leaving the EU, I hope our relationships with other education establishments throughout Europe will prevail. We all have so much to share.”