Hugh Baird Student Beats Thousands of Competitors at Global Microsoft Championships

HUGH Baird College A-level student, Thomas Heaton, recently competed in the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) World Championship. The Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) World Championship is a global competition that tests students' skills on Microsoft Office applications, operated and sponsored in the UK and Ireland by Prodigy Learning. Over 30,000 student entrants across the UK and Ireland compete in the MOS UK and IE Championship by passing a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Exam each year. 3 Champions (Word, PowerPoint and Excel) will beat 30 top finalists at the MOS UK and Ireland Championship final and win the opportunity to compete at the MOS World Championship Final!

After achieving full marks on the Microsoft Office PowerPoint Associate exam, Thomas made it through to the Championship Final 2023 in the PowerPoint category. He beat over 15,000 other students from:- Colleges and Universities around the country to make it into the final ten. On 15 June 2023, he competed in the final finishing in an amazing 5th place overall.

Andrew Lenehan, from Prodigy Learning said:- "Thomas beat over 15,000 other entries in the PowerPoint category, many of which will be older University students. He has done amazingly well! Thomas should be really proud. Please pass on my congratulations!"

Thomas' tutor at Hugh Baird College, South Sefton Campus, Beth McCue, commented:- "I'm incredibly proud of Thomas. He studies both A-level Computer Science and BTEC IT and is looking towards a career in this subject area. Thomas chose to study MOS as his enhancement activity, achieving his MOS Associate certification for passing the Word, PowerPoint and Excel exams and has now finished in 5th in the PowerPoint final. This is an incredible achievement!"

Do you see yourself as a Microsoft expert of the future? You can still apply for an A-level place by visiting:- HughBaird.AC.UK.

If you would like more information on the MOS World Championship, you can visit:- CertMatters.Com.

Community arts festival still flourishing after almost 2 decades

ON the cusp of its 20th Annual event, the Prescot Festival is celebrating another roaringly successful showcase of musical and artistic talent. Founded in 2005, the 10 day cultural showcase shows no sign of waning, with audiences in its 19th year equalling 2019 and 2022's joint record of 1,700.

Brass favourites Leyland Band, swing orchestra the Phil Shotton Big Band and musical theatre sensations BOST were among the acts on this year's programme, with a festival debut from the internationally renowned Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Choir. Drawing the proceedings to a close on Sunday, the South Liverpool Orchestra made their 2nd festival appearance for a rousing, Proms-style finale.

The 2023 programme also saw a 1st time collaboration with the Shakespeare North Playhouse, another Prescot institution on the eve of a major milestone its 1st birthday. The theatre's CEO Melanie Lewis and Creative Director Laura Collier sat down for a public conversation looking back on the rewards and challenges of the past 12 months and ahead to the magic to come.

Artistic Director Dr Robert Howard said:- "Many of our guests this year were return visitors, and they excelled themselves in sheer quality of performance. It was a delight to welcome new faces, not only on stage, but among our formidable team of volunteers, too�it's impossible to overestimate their role in ensuring a community festival on this scale runs so smoothly."

Preparations are already underway for the 20th Annual Prescot Festival of Music and the Arts, set to take place from:- Friday, 21 June to Sunday, 30 June 2024. Eager audiences can keep up-to-date with Arts in Prescot's year round programme of events at:- PrescotFestival.Co.UK.

News reports located on this page = 2.

Hugh Baird Student Beats Thousands of Competitors at Global Microsoft Championships

Community arts festival still flourishing after almost 2 decades