Grantham College hosts Chinese visitor

Grantham College were highly honoured to host Mr Zhang, Senior Teacher of High School from The Advanced Vocational Technology School of Huangdao District, Qingdqao, for nine days as part of a recent Principal Shadowing Programme organised by the Cultural and Education Section, British Embassy.

Mr Zhang was welcomed to Grantham College on Monday 24 November by Public Service students with a guard of honor as he was introduced to senior members of staff at Grantham College.

After a tour of the college he was welcomed as guest of honour at a special dinner in the colleges Apple Tree Restaurant accompanied by corporation members, senior members of staff, curriculum staff and staff from the Apprenticeship team.

During his visit, organised and funded through the British Embassy and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Mr Zhang was given a tour of the college automotive site at Belton Lane, discussed the Young Enterprise scheme with a group of Business students and enjoyed several cultural visits.

On Tuesday Mr Zhang and staff from the automotive department visited Triumph Motorcycles in Leicester as one of the majors at Mr Zhang’s college is motor vehicle engineering.

On Wednesday Mr Zhang accompanied Principal of Grantham College Linda Houtby, chairman of governors Mos Kalbasi, and Wade Rowlett, deputy chairman of governors to London, he undertook a cultural visit as well as attending a speech Ms Houtby gave in the Strangers’ Dining Room in the House of Commons, attended by MPs, Governors and Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) representatives.

Thursday saw Mr Zhang attend Great Wood Nursery in Boothby Pagnell where he was given an extensive tour of the forest school which has a waiting list for some rooms until 2016.  One of the other majors at Mr Zhang’s college is pre-school education.

This was then followed by a visit to Burghley House where he very much enjoyed the deer park and the Christmas market.

Friday saw Alison Withers, company training manager from Anglian Water, visit Grantham College to discuss with Mr Zhang the partnership Grantham College have with Anglian Water to deliver training to their electrical engineering apprentices before heading out to local engineering company BGB in the afternoon who also have several apprentices who attend Grantham College.

Mr Zhang was also given a private tour of BGB by employee Bill Hemmingway. BGB make a wide range of products for wind turbines and for the marine division as well as commission work for the likes of Pinewood Studios.

Mr Zhang got the opportunity to speak to employees as well as one of Grantham College’s apprentices.

The weekend saw cultural visits to both Lincoln and York with Newark being on the agenda for Monday. Before heading out to Newark Mr Zhang spoke to students on the Business course who have set up their own company, Vintage Apparel, as part of Young Enterprise scheme and even gave such a good presentation Mr Zhang bought some of their stock as gifts to take back to China.

Tuesday was Mr Zhang’s final day in Grantham but before he caught his train back to London he met representatives from an IMI accredited automotive training centre who have provision in China before a final presentation by the senior leadership team at Grantham College.

Linda Wale, assistant principal services for students, went out to China earlier this year as part of the exchange where she was shown around the college Mr Zhang heads up which consists of 3,500 15-17 year old students, as well as being shown some of the Chinese culture.

Another representative is due to go out to China in 2015 to complete the exchange.