Sky's the limit for digital aerial installation course at Birmingham Met
Oct 6 2009 by Alun Thorne, Birmingham Post
With the launch of the country’s first apprentice scheme for Sky aerial installers and an NVQ in digital aerial installation which has grown from 50 learners to an estimated 1,500, the new Birmingham Metropolitan College is making a significant contribution to upskilling the regional workforce.
When Mustafa Shevket, director of digital and environmental technology at the college, launched the NVQ in digital aerial installation at Matthew Boulton College in 2004 it was the first such qualification in the country.
“When the Government brought out instructions about the switchover from analogue to digital in 2003 it said the process would need competent engineers,” said Mr Shevket, “but there was never a qualification in this discipline.
“It’s not as simple as pointing the aerial in the right direction like you do with analogue; it involves high-technology equipment to correctly align digital aerials.
“And it’s not just about the 2012 switchover by 2012. Digital is the future and will be required for technology that is becoming commonplace in the home, like wireless web browsers on TVs and mobile devices.”
The director is one of three staff at Birmingham Met – recently formed from the unification of Matthew Boulton College and Sutton Coldfield College – who have been short-listed for national STAR Awards, which are organised by the Coventry-based Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) to recognise excellence in further education.
In Mr Shevket’s case, he is in the running for the Engaging Employers award because of the work he has done with major businesses like Sky to ensure their skills needs are met by the college’s vocational digital training. The cooperation between the college and employers has established Birmingham Met as the preferred supplier of such training as Mr Shevket proudly stated.
“We are the leading provider in delivering NVQs for this sector,” he said. “No other UK college can compete with us.”
As well as training new learners, Sky is also sending its existing aerial installers to Birmingham Met to upskill its workforce with the NVQ.
What Mr Shevket and his colleagues are doing for the wider workforce, Birmingham Met’s Website Development Team – led by Chris Evans – are replicating for the college’s 1,300-strong staff, as well as students. Mr Evans and his team are short-listed for the Workforce Development STAR Award for their work in training staff in multimedia technology to enliven lessons and enable students and staff to work away from the classroom.
Mahesh Punn, a member of Mr Evans’ team, has been short-listed for the Innovation STAR Award for his multimedia work at the college, including plans for its own version of the popular online video sharing site YouTube.
There will be a regional STAR Awards event in Birmingham on October 8, before the national final in London on November 26, when the winners will be announced.
