Construction National

Construction students win awards at New City College presentation evening

New City College Principal Alison Arnaud with Remi NewmanConstruction and Engineering students were honoured at the annual New City College Student Achievement Awards presentation evening held during Love our Colleges Week at the Leonardo Royal London Hotel.

The celebratory evening paid tribute to excellence, hard work and determination – recognising those students who had achieved beyond expectation and often despite adversity.

Sincere testimonials told of resilience and dedication – and students themselves were shown on video explaining why college is so important to them.

The Love Our Colleges campaign is a chance to celebrate and shout about all the brilliant things that colleges do, day in and day out to build communities, boost businesses, and support individuals. The winning students were all examples of how their college journeys have had a profound effect on their lives.

Soloman MacauleyThe construction and engineering winners were:

Remi Newman – Building Services Student of the Year
Soloman Macauley – Construction Trades Student of the Year
Georgina Eaton – Automotive and Engineering Student of the Year
Afraz Hussain – Work Experience Student of the Year

The 250 guests – and those who watched online – were treated to an evening of entertainment from college band Toxic Tears, inspiring stories, and a motivational speech from New City College former student Victor Okunowo, now head chef at a London collective, who reached the semi-finals of Masterchef: The Professionals in 2020.

Georgina EatonThe evening was a testament to the part colleges play in serving the community, driving socio-economic growth and improving economic prosperity.

In an era of further education cuts and funding crises, it's important to highlight and celebrate all the great things colleges do for their respective communities and come together to support this work.

The awards have shown that colleges have a reach across diverse communities and beyond neighbourhood boundaries, engaging extensively with local businesses, employers and industries.

Afraz HussainCEO and Group Principal Gerry McDonald said: “We are immensely proud of all of these students and I have been impressed and inspired by their stories tonight. We wish them every success in the next chapter of their lives – be that with us at college or at university or in employment. I want to pay tribute to my teaching and support staff colleagues who have helped our students to reach such high standards of progress and achievement.”

New City College provides students with the tools to make their dreams come true and support their ambitions by creating a huge range of opportunities and experiences to enrich their lives, gain employment and access elite universities – as was shown by the success stories heard during the ceremony.

Many guests commented on the fantastic event saying it was wonderful to be a part of such an inspiring evening.

Mary Vine-Morris, the Association of Colleges Area Director (London) and National Lead Employment, said: “It was a wonderful celebration of students’ achievements and a brilliant showcase of their talents. I was delighted to be there to see the New City College students receive their awards and to enjoy the student entertainment – for me, a real highlight of Colleges Week 2022.”

Another guest said: “It was an absolute joy to see these students receiving their awards tonight. They are our future and have shown that despite where you start in life, you can achieve great things with perseverance, hard work and determination. The whole event was so professional - a credit to New City College – and shows the excellent curriculum and opportunities available to students at NCC.”

Sponsors of the event included: Ashe Construction, Canary Wharf Group PLC, CTC Building Services, Higgins Proviso Ltd, Ryebridge, Pelican Developments and ECA.