Central Sussex College Honours Students at Annual Construction and Engineering Awards

Central Sussex College held its 57^th Annual Awards last week to recognise top students and apprentices in Construction and Engineering

The event was attended by student winners and their guests, faculty, and representatives from sponsors Kier Construction and the Burgess Hill District Lions Club. Local dignitaries included HIS WORSHIPFUL THE MAYOR of Crawley, Councillor Brian Quinn, Chair of Mid-Sussex District Council, Councillor Bruce Forbes and Sir Norman Longley.

The students and guests were welcomed with drinks and a finger buffet provided by the College’s hospitality and catering students.

The College’s Vice Principal, Dean Wynter, opened the event, thanking sponsors and guests for their valued support and highlighting the college’s expertise in the fields of construction and engineering, and its long history of working in partnership with local businesses. Head of Studies at the College, Jeremy Ridley, presented the awards.

Amongst the winners, 18-year-old Bethany Ward was presented with a new award, the Shahid Moghal Memorial Award for Best Student in Light Vehicle Maintenance and Repair. Her lecturer commented, ‘Beth has produced outstanding work, and gained excellent results in all her examinations’. The John Cox Cup for Best Craft Student went to Mahum Bhatti, aged 20, whose lecturer said, ‘Mahum has shown a huge growth in confidence, and won overall Gold at the Young Craftsman of the Year competition’. Picking up the D. W. Nye Builders Merchant Cup was 19-year-old Connor Lindsay, whose lecturer said simply, ‘Connor is the best bricklayer we have had at the college in living memory’.

The award for Student of the Year, 2016-2017, went to Taylor Woods, 23. Taylor also received the faculty of Construction and Engineering Award for Welding and Fabrication, and has been selected to represent the college at the SkillWeld Regional Finals.

 

Generous sponsorship contributed towards the prizes for the winners, which included valuable trade tools, cash, gift vouchers and a bursary. The College is extremely grateful to Sir Norman Longley, The Fixings and Power Tools Centre, Graham Plumbers Merchants, Kier Construction, The Manly Trust, SKS Tools Supplies, Sunninghill Construction Co Ltd, Screwfix Crawley, Lawsons Crawley with OX UK, and the Burgess Hill District Lions Club `for their generous donations.

Dean Wynter wrapped up the event with a message of thanks, saying, ‘We are delighted to once again honour the achievements of the College’s construction and engineering students, of whom we are extremely proud. I would like to thank our dedicated and supportive lecturers who do all they can to support and inspire our students, and also to thank our sponsors and the local construction industry for supporting our talented students.’