Accessibility & Translation

Students polish up their skills at Professional Beauty London 2023

Aspiring beauty therapists showcased their skills when they offered free nail treatments and airbrush tattoos to visitors at Professional Beauty London 2023.

Students from City and Islington College (CANDI) and the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) provided the beauty services at the expo at ExCeL London.

Professional Beauty London is the UK’s leading beauty, spa and wellness show. Each year it attracts thousands of beauty managers, business owners and professionals and people looking to work in the industry.

Rori Dean-Dodson, 31, from Hackney, is studying for a Nail Technology Level 2 Diploma at CONEL and was among the students providing nail treatments at the event on 5-6 March.

She said: “I enjoyed today. It’s been absolutely amazing. It was a good chance to try out many of the skills I have learnt at CONEL – filing, shaping, polishing and painting. It’s been fun meeting people and hopefully getting few to come to the college.

“They were interested to hear about the courses. On the nail technician course, we have learnt about manicures and pedicures and also health and safety, and are now learning about acrylics.”

Rori has run her own mobile hairdressing business Rori’s Braids and More since 2018 having been taught how to create various Afro-Caribbean hairstyles by her mum as a child.

She said: “I want to branch out and do nails and tap into the beauty sector. The course at CONEL has been amazing, I wish I could do it for longer. The teachers have been excellent. They have a lot of industry experience and go above and beyond to ensure that we learn and understand.”

Professional Beauty London 2023 featured hundreds of stands from big name beauty and cosmetic brands from across Europe along with conferences, seminars, competitions and demonstrations.

Visitors to the expo had the chance to learn about new trends shaping the industry and compare products and treatments, as well as make connections with industry experts, suppliers and other professionals.

Vlada Strochka, 24, from Welwyn Garden City, who is looking to start a new life in the UK after fleeing the war in Ukraine, was among those looking to training in beauty.

She said: “I want to move to London soon and I’m looking for somewhere to study. I have an accreditation as a nail technician but have no experience in beauty therapy.

“I have a problem with my skin and want to help other people with similar problems. I love cosmetics, massage and nails and think the college is somewhere I might like to study.”

The hair and beauty business employs more than 250,000 people in the UK. The industry offers many different career pathways including women’s hairstyling, barbering, body and facial treatments, massage and theatrical and media make-up.

Saloua El-Khadiri, Head of School for Hair and Beauty at CCCG, said: “We were thrilled to have hundreds of people come and visit our stand at Professional Beauty London 2023.

“This was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the courses we offer and for our students to practise many of the technical skills they have been learning and perfecting at college on visitors to the show, who were very impressed with their finished nails and tattoos.

“Both CANDI and CONEL offer a huge range of hair and beauty courses for school-leavers and those looking for a new career or wanting to gain more experience, including many short courses that are great for those with children and other commitments.

“Our courses are taught by industry experts and both colleges have their own fully-equipped salons and equipment, meaning we can provide the best possible training for those looking to work in this exciting industry.”

Find out more about Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy courses and apply here.

Students show flair for architecture in Design in Practice project

Students from City and Islington College (CANDI) showed off their talent for building design when they took part in a project with professional architects.

The Design in Practice career programme was run by the college in partnership with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and architectural and interior design firm Hollaway Studio.

Students across the curriculum took part in the 10-week project, which introduced them to architecture, what it is like working in the sector and what they need to do to become an architect.

This included looking at design-related subjects at university, careers linked to those subjects along with advice on what to include in portfolios and how to prepare for university and job interviews.

During the project, students were tasked with designing a six square metre room where they could relax and enjoy their hobbies such as cooking, reading, gardening, gaming and watching films.

Each week the students were set different design challenges including learning how to draw in plan, section and elevation, understanding and drawing to scale, learning about sustainable design, model making and presenting designs.

The project culminated with the students sharing their final designs with each other and professional architects at Hollaway Studio’s offices in Camden.

A Level student Mariana Boycheva, 17, said: “The project was really useful because I want to study architecture in the future.

“For the task we had to design a room and make sure it was to specific measurements and made of sustainable materials. I created a room for reading and an area to chill out. I couldn’t fit everything into the space, so I added a second floor.

“We also asked the architects questions about what we needed to do to study architecture at university, how to get into the industry and learnt about the different roles we might want to do in the future. It was really inspiring hearing about their personal journeys and experience.”

CANDI runs various projects with RIBA to introduce students to architectural design. In 2021, a group of A Level and Engineering diploma students took part in a town planning workshop

On the latest project, Sophie Draper, Learning Manager at RIBA, said: “We were all really impressed by the students’ standard of work and the designs and models they created.

“The research, drawings and models the students produced really were of an exceptional standard, especially considering that none of the students had previously studied architecture. They created some really exciting, beautiful, unique and workable designs.

“The project has been a fantastic collaboration and one which we are looking to participate in again. We hope the students enjoyed it as much as we did.”

Find out more and apply about courses and apprenticeships at our colleges and apply here.

Former CANDI student Naomi Ackie nominated for BAFTA for starring role in Whitney Houston biopic

Former City and Islington College (CANDI) student Naomi Ackie has been nominated for a BAFTA for her starring role in Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody.

Picture courtesy of BAFTA.

Naomi, 31, who studied for her A Levels at CANDI from 2007-09, has won rave reviews for her portrayal of the pop sensation who burst on to the music scene in the 1980s and tragically died in February 2012 aged 48.

She is in the running for the BAFTA Rising Star Award alongside Sheila Atim (The Woman King), Daryl McCormack (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande), Aimee Lou Wood (Living) and Emma Mackey (Emily).

On her nomination, Naomi said: “I’ve followed and been inspired by the BAFTA Film Awards for so many years, so to be recognised amongst this incredible group of artists is huge!

“This nod from the Rising Star jury, and to be recognised for my work in the country that I’ve grown up in, is also a nod of encouragement, to continue to create stories that speak to people. What a beautiful experience to be a part of.”

Naomi Ackie and friend celebrate their AS Level results at CANDI in 2008. Picture courtesy of Islington Tribune.

Before her lead role in the biopic directed by Kasi Lemmons, Naomi appeared as in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), the final film in the sequel trilogy of the epic saga.

Naomi does not sing all the songs in the film, but she does show off her vocal talents in scenes where Whitney is singing alongside her mother and when she is choosing a new single.

Critics have praised her portrayal of the music icon whose biggest hits include I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Greatest Love Of All, How Will I Know, One Moment in Time  and I Will Always Love You.

Empire magazine’s Kelechi Ehenulo wrote: “As the legendary star, Naomi Ackie delivers a commanding performance, channelling every iota of Houston’s mannerisms and magnetism … Ackie’s uncanny embodiment reminds you of Houston’s soul-stirring power.”

The Evening Standard’s Charlotte O’Sullivan referred to Naomi’s “blistering on-screen presence,” adding she is at her absolute best in scenes with Clarke Peters who plays Whitney’s father John.

She further described her performance alongside Danielle Singleton, who plays Bobbi Kristina, the daughter Houston the singer had with her husband Bobby Brown as “electrifyingly raw.”

Now in its 18th year, the BAFTA Rising Star Award recognises up-and-coming acting talent and is the only award at the BAFTAs voted for by the British public. Past winners include James McAvoy, Tom Holland, John Boyega, Shia LaBeouf, Kristen Stewart and Tom Hardy.

Nana Brew, Curriculum Leader for Performing and Visual Arts, said: “Naomi studied for her A Levels at CANDI before I joined the college, but her teachers who were here tell me she was a hard-working and incredibly talented student.

“Everyone at CANDI is hugely proud what she has achieved in her acting career and will be cheering her on to win the BAFTA.”

Naomi Ackie with broadcaster Edith Bowman and the other BAFTA Rising Star Award nominees. Picture courtesy of BAFTA.

Naomi was born in Camden and raised in Walthamstow. She took A Levels in Drama, English Literature and Textiles at CANDI, initially studying these subjects at AS Level, and later went on to study at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

She made her TV debut in Doctor Who and later appeared in Netflix comedy-drama The End of the F***ing World, for which she received a British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Her breakthrough film role was in Lady Macbeth (2016) for which she won the British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer. She subsequently appeared in Idris Elba’s directorial debut Yardie (2018).

TV and radio broadcaster Edith Bowman announced the BAFTA Rising Star Award nominees at The Savoy Hotel on 17 January. Voting is now open at ee.co.uk/BAFTA

The winner will be announced at the BAFTA Film Awards ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall, which will be aired on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, on 19 February.

Find out more about studying A Levels at CANDI and apply here.

Want to be a doctor? Here’s our top 10 tips for medical work experience

Many of our students taking A Levels in Biology and Chemistry at City and Islington College and Westminster Kingsway College have ambitions to work as doctors or in medicine.

According to the British Medical Association (BMA), work placements are an essential step to securing a place at any UK medical school with institutions looking for students with a range of healthcare experience.

Here’s our top 10 tips on how to gain work placements and make the most of the experience:

  1. You can get placements in a range of healthcare settings from GP practices to hospitals and even internationally. Bear in mind a lot of people will be looking to gain similar experience, so apply early for as many opportunities as possible to make sure you get a good placement.
  2. Get in touch with GP practice managers and explain who you are and ask them about placements and how they can help you gain experience. If you can’t shadow a doctor, look to other healthcare professionals, such as pharmacists and physiotherapists.
  3. Make the most of your contacts, such as relatives, friends and neighbours, who work in hospitals or other parts of the healthcare sector.
  4. Speak to your teachers and careers advisers who can help you find placements. At CCCG, we work with dozens of employers in healthcare to provide opportunities for our students to gain experience and learn from those working in the sector, as well as support with UCAS applications.
  5. Look at opportunities for experience at medical schools like Brighton and Sussex Medical School, which offers a six-week virtual work experience programme. While not designed to completely replace in-person placements in the real world, this course gives an insight into medicine and being a doctor. The course introduces students to the NHS and different medical roles including the key skills needed to work in those areas and challenges they face.
  6. The BMA does not encourage healthcare professionals to charge students for placements, although there may be instances where you could be asked to cover costs such as administration. Don’t be afraid to ask if there are any costs you need to pay.
  7. Dress smartly when on your placement, explain what you would like to gain from the experience and what you would like to learn while you are there. Ask questions with enthusiasm to a diverse mix of staff to give you a great insight into healthcare.
  8. Talk politely to patients and remember that confidentiality is important and under no circumstances discuss their issues outside the organisation where you are on placement. Don’t take it personally if a patient wishes to be seen without a student present.
  9. Keep a diary of what you did and saw each day, which can help solidify what you learn and be an important reference tool when you come to writing your UCAS personal statement and preparing for medical school interviews.
  10. Finally, here’s a list of other organisations that can help with finding work placements:

Apply now for A Levels at City and Islington College here and Westminster Kingsway College here.

Tech savvy students volunteer at PC Pals community project

IT students from City and Islington College (CANDI) have been volunteering at a community project helping people learn and develop their digital skills.

A group of nine students have been sharing their tech knowledge at PC Pals sessions held at St Luke’s Community Centre in Central Street in south Islington.

The project started in 2009 and provides free weekly access to PCs and wi-fi and offers support and advice on using computers, tablets and mobile phones.

Students have been helping people to use Windows, Microsoft applications, social media, email, online shopping, mobile phone apps and other technical support.

Their voluntary work will form part of the work experience they are required to complete on their IT Level 2 Certificate and IT Level 3 Diploma courses.

John Garces, Business Engagement Manager at St Luke’s Community Centre, said: “The involvement and support from City and Islington College’s students has been amazing and so valuable.

“We have seen tangible changes in people who have come to us. After a few classes with the students, they feel more confident and are not afraid of using a computer. It’s learning basic things many of us take for granted that can make a huge difference to someone’s life.”

PC Pals runs every Wednesday from noon to 1pm.

Find out more about Computing and IT courses at CANDI and apply here.

Former CANDI student ‘super happy’ after netting apprenticeship with global tech giant IBM

A computer savvy former City and Islington College (CANDI) student is excited about his future after gaining a place on a degree apprenticeship with global tech giant IBM.

Imtiyaz Rahman, 18, secured his place on the BSc (Hons) Digital and Technology Solutions apprenticeship after achieving D*D*D on an IT Level 3 Diploma last summer.

He spends four days working at IBM’s offices in Southwark and the one day studying at Northeastern University London, a hub of the university in Boston, Massachusetts.

Imtiyaz, from Westminster, revealed that his uncle and cousins had been a big influence on his decision to pursue an IT career at an early age.

“My interest stemmed from an initial desire to play computer games with them when I was about seven. My uncle knew how to build PCs and told me about the hardware and the key things I needed to know, and I began to get into it in more depth,” he said

Imtiyaz’s interest grew as he began to find out more about how computers work and the different components needed to build them, which enabled him to upgrade his own PC.

“I’m interested in many different aspects of IT. On the one hand I’m interested in the hardware side, but since I’ve been at IBM I’ve been shown some new aspects of software and cloud-based technology that I never knew about, which has also piqued my interest,” he said

“I’ve also learnt about AI and quantum computers, which are faster, more powerful and beyond any computers that most of us know today.”

Imtiyaz heard about the apprenticeship through his friends at CANDI. He also applied for another at Lloyds Bank, which although unsuccessful helped him better prepare for his application to IBM.

“I had my focus dead set on going to university and that was the way to my future career, but then my classmates started to tell me about degree apprenticeships,” he said.

“I didn’t expect to make it. With UCAS application you send off your application and personal statement, but with the degree apprenticeship I had to answer a lot more questions on why I want this role and why I am good at it as well as face-to-face interviews and a presentation.

“When I got the call to say I had got on the apprenticeship I was in the middle of class. I walked out of my lesson to take the call and they asked me about my results. There was this daunting silence and then they said I’d got the role, and I was super happy.”

Imtiyaz explained that the diploma at CANDI gave him a realistic expectation of what it would be like to work in IT and how it is applied in business, while also preparing him for degree level study.

“When I’m doing assignments for university, I’m using the same approach and research skills I learnt at college. The practical side on my course also meant I am now able to look at someone’s coding and have a general idea what it means,” he said.

“The teaching was rigorous and intense. It was great to have teachers who had passion for their subject and wanted to see their students grow as people and improve their skills.”

Imtiyaz explained that the degree apprenticeship was a great option because IBM cover his tuition fees and he is not just getting an education but a career.

“What I’ve learnt is that no one really knows what they want to do for the future and not to plan or have too many expectations because situations are always changing, so keep your options open,” he said.

“I am happy for the future because this is a potential career opportunity at a great company that’s well known within the industry, which will give me the skills and experience over the next three years that I might not get just at university.”

Find out more about Computing and IT courses and apply here.

Capital City College Group set to launch T Levels from September 2023

Capital City College Group (CCCG) will be offering T Levels across its three colleges from September 2023.

Five T Levels will be available at City and Islington College (CANDI), The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) and Westminster Kingsway College (WestKing)

What are T Levels?

T Levels are two-year technical courses taken as an alternative to A Levels, apprenticeships and other 16-19 courses.

A T Level is equivalent to three A levels and comprises a core component and an occupational specialism to give students skills for employment, higher education or apprenticeships.

Students spend 80 per cent of the course at college gaining the skills that employers need. The remaining 20 per cent is on industry placement where they put these skills into action.

They will spend at least 45 days in industry placements to enable them to gain valuable experience in the workplace and give employers an early sight of new talent in their industry.

Why choose a T Level

T Levels have been designed with leading employers and awarding bodies to give students the skills, knowledge and experience they need. More than 250 employers have been involved in their development to give students confidence they will take them to the next level.

What T Levels will be available?

The first T Level courses available at CCCG colleges are listed below with more expected to be added over coming months.

T LEVELOCCUPATIONAL SPECIALISMCOLLEGECENTRE
Digital Production, Design and DevelopmentDigital Production, Design and DevelopmentCANDICentre for Business, Arts and Technology (including Health, Social and Childcare)
Digital Production, Design and DevelopmentDigital Production, Design and DevelopmentWestKingKing’s Cross Centre
Digital Support ServicesDigital SupportCANDICentre for Business, Arts and Technology (including Health, Social and Childcare)
Digital Support ServicesDigital SupportWestKingKing’s Cross Centre
Education and ChildcareEarly Years EducatorCANDICentre for Business, Arts and Technology (including Health, Social and Childcare)
Education and ChildcareEarly Years EducatorCONELTottenham Centre
HealthSupporting the Adult Nursing TeamWestKingKing’s Cross Centre
HealthSupporting the Adult Nursing TeamCONELTottenham Centre
HealthSupporting the Mental Health TeamWestKingKing’s Cross Centre
HealthSupporting the Mental Health TeamCONELTottenham Centre
ScienceLaboratory SciencesCANDICentre for Applied Science

Entry requirements

Entry requirements are the same as for A Levels and many other Level 3 courses, which require five GCSEs at grades 9-4 including English and maths. At least a grade 4 in GCSE Science is also required for science and health related T Levels. 

Grading and certification

Students completing their T Level will receive a certificate which will show their overall grade shown as Pass, Merit, Distinction or Distinction*. 

The certificate will show A*-E grades for the core component, and Pass, Merit, Distinction or Distinction* for the occupational specialism. It will also confirm they have completed the industry placement and met any other mandatory requirements

Students who do not pass all elements of their T Level will get a T Level statement of achievement that will only show the elements they have completed.

Find our more information about T Levels at CCCG and apply here.

Former CANDI student stars and co-produces film with acclaimed director Wim Wenders

A former City and Islington College (CANDI) Performing Arts student is starring in a short film she co-produced with acclaimed German director Wim Wenders.

Lena Góra also co-wrote the script for Roving Woman with director Michal Chmielewski, which was also produced by her co-star John Hawkes and Orian Williams.

Wenders is best known for his film Paris, Texas, which won the Palme D’or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1984 and saw him win a BAFTA for Best Direction the following year. He has been nominated for a Oscar for Best Documentary Feature on three occasions

Roving Woman is a quirky road movie about a woman called Sara who is kicked out of her home after a break-up and steals a car, falls in love with the owner and sets out to find him.

Lena, who studied for a Performing Arts Level 3 Diploma at CANDI, explained that the film was inspired by the disappearance of US singer-songwriter Connie Converse and her own life.

She said: “There’s been a really wonderful reaction to the film. I’ve worked with many acclaimed producers and it feels different with each person. Wim is a really special human being and his movies are a work of art. He inspired us all in every possible way.”

Lena was born in Poland where she performed in theatre before taking the stage in London and New York before her TV debut in the CANAL+ series The King of Warsaw. Last year she appeared in the film Traveling Light, filmed in Los Angeles Light and the Polish crime-romance Saint.

She also co-wrote and received a Special Mention for the film Stillborn at the presentation of the Krzysztof Kieslowski Award, which was presented at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019, and is set to star in a Netflix dark comedy feature called Night at the Kindergarten.

Giving her advice to future performers or anyone wanting to get into film, Lena said: “Don’t be lazy. Don’t wait to get discovered. Networking doesn’t work unless you have a really solid project that you are pitching.”

Another former CANDI Performing Arts student, Blanka Douglas, was the Production Manager for Roving Woman, which had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in June.

Blanka is also from Poland and came to the UK in 2013 and after studying at CANDI she went on to graduate with a BA (Hons) Drama from Queen Mary University of London.

The daughter of a Polish film director, she co-produced and appeared in her first short film An Ode to The Order of Things, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017. She has also appeared, produced and directed other shorts through her own production company Doorbell Films.

Blanka said: “I will never forget my time at CANDI and the support I got. I came to the UK by myself and was renting a room with people I don’t know, and my English wasn’t great.

“I am so grateful for my teachers who really made sure I had a good experience. They always had a lot of energy and time to pass their expertise. They were wonderful teachers but also exceptional human beings. I made sure I put extra effort to get good grades and they saw it. I truly couldn’t choose a better place to start in London.”

Lena and Blanka are among the many successful CANDI Performing Arts alumni, which includes Charlie Heaton, best known for his role as Jonathan Byers in Netflix hit series Stranger Things.

Other former students include Armin Karima, who has appeared in Netflix series Sex Education and Black Mirror as well as BBC drama Waterloo Road, and Kandaka Moore whose theatre credits include Bernarda Alba, The Bacchae and Yard Girl. She has also sung and featured in music videos for Clean Bandit.

Tim Chaundy, Curriculum Leader for Performing Arts, said: “It’s so inspiring to see our students Lena and Blanka making such fantastic progress in the film industry. Both were students on our Performing Arts courses and were committed students who also liked to question and push the boundaries, which shows in the work that they have gone on to create.

“We’re very proud of the diversity of students that have trained at CANDI, many of whom go on to high-level industry work in theatre and on screen, or further training at some of the world’s top universities and drama schools.”

Find out more about Performing Arts courses and apply here.

A Level Media Studies student shares her experience on placement at Channel 4 News

A Level Media Studies student Kubra Arslan, 17, recently secured a work placement at Channel 4 News with the support of City and Islington College’s Careers Service. Here she shares how the experience gave her a fascinating insight into working in a fast-paced national TV newsroom.

As students we are at a stage of our lives where we are making decisions about our future careers and life. Wanting to aim high or do what we love in our lives is the main goal for many of us. I’ve always been interested in working in the media, so I booked an appointment with one of CANDI’s career advisers, Elizabeth Frimpong, who had previously helped to find out more information about future careers, universities and apprenticeships.

After finding a few media-related work experiences, she was able to guide me in writing a covering letter that I would later send to the various places to show my interest in them. A few days later I received exciting news from Jordan Jarett-Bryan, a journalist for Channel 4 News at ITN Productions, asking me to call him to arrange an insight of the post-production of journalism and live news. I was quite nervous as I had never before made a call like this, but Elizabeth was on hand to give me tips. The call was a success and I secured an amazing one-day placement at Channel 4 News.

On the day I arrived I received a visitors slip so I could enter the building, which was very tall with many floors hosting different news companies including ITV News, Channel 4 News and 5 News. Jordan briefly pointed out which companies were on what floor and showed me where the actual production of live news takes place. The studio and the production control room are shared by all the news companies, which have their own scheduled time to use the rooms.

As we entered the Channel 4 News office, Jordan introduced me to some of the people that work there. I was thrilled to be able to talk to some of the team including the programme editor, news editor and graphics editor. Jordan also has his own production company and website called Blakademik, which celebrates and elevates black culture through its shows and online content.

Meeting the team had allowed me to understand the importance of each role and how without one role the news would not be able to function properly. One of the most important roles in the newsroom is the programme editor. Programme editors organise the news and create an in-depth schedule that shows the timings of each programme that are to run that day. It is crucial that programmes abide by the time given for them to run. They cannot run over their given time.

Other roles such as a news editor and digital content creator are equally as important. Without the news editor it is much more difficult to gather news and make sure that the programme editors have not missed any important content. A digital content creator can appeal to a younger audience, so they focus on targeting certain demographics. Due to technology developments, the younger audience are less interested in watching TV. In order to relay news to a younger audience, the digital content creator creates content on social media platforms that are widely used by the younger generation, such as TikTok. Creating and sharing content on an app which is used by certain demographics is a clever way to grasp the targeted audience’s attention.

Another role at the news editorial department that I discovered was the graphics editor. Before my placement, I never thought that they would work quite so close to the news editing team. Graphics editors create visual images to anchor with the text or message that is being relayed to the audience. These are as important as visual images as they help audiences to understand the news being shown to them and keeps them interested in the news.

Later, I saw how a reporter works with an editor to bring together a report about the leadership contest for the next UK prime minster. I also had the chance to take a closer look at Channel 4’s filming studio. Seeing the studio where some of the biggest news programmes are broadcast. Something that seemed quite big was simplified to a room with only four cameras.

The final and most exciting part of the day was when I was able to watch an actual live news programme run from beginning to end in the production control room where there was the director, programme editor, production assistant, graphics editor and a sound technician. During rehearsals, and even on air, the director would frequently communicate with the news anchor to ensure everything was going to plan. It was amazing to observe and just be present in the control room.

I really enjoyed meeting with different people at Channel 4 News and getting to know more about their roles, which gave me a much better insight on a typical day working in television news.

Find out more about all our A Level courses at CANDI and apply here.

Aspiring aerospace engineer flying high at university after studying at CANDI

An aspiring aerospace engineer is proving a real high-flyer at university six years after he was predicted low grades in his GCSE results.

Rojhat Dere, 22, is studying a PhD Mechanical Engineering at UCL, where he is researching future hydrogen fuel technologies, having previously completed an Engineering Level 3 Diploma at City and Islington College (CANDI).

He grew up on a council estate in Hackney and was told in Year 10 that he could expect to mostly receive D and E grades after missing half the year due to ill-health.

It was quite demoralising, but it also motivated me to prove to myself and those around me that I was able to do better,” said Rojhat.

“I had a couple of teachers in my corner who helped me focus on my weaker subjects and I made a plan to get my grades up. That was the turning point.

“There was a lack of ambition where I lived. Not many people went to university or even thought about it. It seemed so out of reach.

“I was fearful of failure and regret if I didn’t do everything I could to get where I wanted to be.”

Rojhat pushed himself in his final year. He started school earlier and finished later, doing mock papers over and over. His hard work resulted in him achieving three As, four Bs and two Cs in his GCSEs.

His passion for engineering began at a young age and fixing his bike and building Lego models. He would regularly watch Top Gear and aviation documentaries on TV and his sister would take him to London City Airport to see the planes on her way to university lectures.

“I would spot planes using flight tracking apps and chart all the makes and models and see what engines they had. The technology intrigued me. I would look at the mechanics within the wing, and how all the components worked seamlessly together to get them up in the air,” he said.

Rojhat enrolled on an Engineering diploma at CANDI after meeting a lecturer with experience in aerospace engineering at his interview. He went on to pass with a triple-starred Distinction.

“The diploma a much different approach to learning. It was much more hands on, which helped me understand things better, rather than just taking A Level Maths and not understanding how it applies to the work you’re doing,” he said.

The practical side of the course involved using industry machinery and equipment in CANDI’s workshops and learning computer-aided design applications, which gave him a head start when he went on to study a MEng Aerospace Engineering at the University of Nottingham.

Rojhat was full of praise for his “inspirational” teachers at CANDI who gave students a realistic expectation of careers in engineering.

He said: “The teaching was great. Most of my lecturers were PhD engineers who knew what was required to study at a higher level and the system inside out, which was real plus in getting us into good Russell Group universities.”

During his course, CANDI arranged for Rojhat to undertake an engineering work placement with McLaren Construction Group at a new development in Hackney.

“I shadowed a civil engineer who let me use their CAD software. We also went onto the construction site to check the steel bars before the concrete was put in, and make sure everything matched the designs,” he said.

“Even though it was civil engineering, it gave me a real insight into what engineering is as whole.”

Rojhat was part of a CANDI engineering team that came first in a competition run by Transport for London (TfL) to make its services more eco-friendly and sustainable. The team was awarded two weeks work experience working in various departments within TFL.

“CANDI is where my dream became achievable. Until I went there, I didn’t think I would get into a specialist engineering university,” said Rojhat.

“I’m now on the way to a career I always hoped for. It means everything.”

Engineering employs 5.5 million people in the UK and offers a broad range of careers in mechanical, electrical, chemical, and civil engineering as well as new green technologies.

Find out more about our Engineering courses and apply here.