Technical and Vocational students celebrate outstanding results at Hugh Baird College

STUDENTS studying technical and vocational qualifications within Hugh Baird College's industry based subject areas are celebrating their outstanding results.

The students, based at the College's Bootle campus, are now celebrating having completed their studies and are looking forward to their next steps, be that a career in their chosen industry, an apprenticeship or University.

The College's Level 3 and equivalent course pass rate was an impressive 94.7%, with students achieving 100% pass rates in Business, Childcare, Construction, Creative Arts, Engineering and Science.

The Construction and Science provisions saw 100% of students achieving high grades.

This summer marks the second cohort of T-level students finishing their course and achieving their results. T-levels are two-year courses that can be taken following the successful completion of GCSEs and are developed in collaboration with employers to ensure students are equipped with the skills they need. They offer a mix of classroom learning and 'on the job' experience, with at least 45 days spent on an industry placement with an employer.

Rachael Hennigan, Principal and Chief Executive of Hugh Baird College, said:- "I am immensely proud of our students' exceptional results. These outcomes are a testament to our unwavering commitment to providing the highest quality technical and vocational education that equips our students with the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to excel in their chosen fields. We celebrate their achievements and look forward to following their success as they embark on their professional journeys."

Minister of Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, Robert Halfon said:- "T-levels provide a unique ladder of opportunity for young people to gain the knowledge and on the job experience needed to progress into work, an apprenticeship or higher education."

Megan Hardacre, T-level: Supporting Healthcare student, who gained a Distinction, said:- "The hands-on learning approach and T-level industry placements allowed me to develop practical skills that I know will set me apart in my career. The College's Healthcare Campus facilities and tutor support made learning enjoyable, and I feel confident and well prepared for my next step, which is to study an Paediatric Nursing degree at Edge Hill University."

Bella Silvano, Professional Construction and the Built Environment Level 3 student from Maghull, who gained Distinction Distinction Distinction, said:- "I'm absolutely thrilled to have received my results. The support and guidance I received from my tutors throughout my time at Hugh Baird College was invaluable. I am excited to apply the knowledge and skills I've gained to my future career in the construction industry."

Levente Horvath, a Creative Digital Media Production Level 3 student from Bootle who gained Distinction Distinction Distinction, said:- "I am over the moon with my results, and I couldn't have done it without the help of my amazing tutors. This course has been a game-changer for me, providing me with the tools and knowledge to express my creativity in the digital media world. I am excited to start my degree at Liverpool John Moores University."

Other achievements include:-

• Rachel Foster, a T-level: Healthcare Science student, who achieved:- Distinction.
  

• Abbie Sanderson, a Beauty Therapy Level 3 student, who achieved:- Distinction*.
  

• Joshua Dowd, a Professional Construction and the Built Environment Level 3 student, who achieved:- 2 Distinction*s.
  

• Carly Corner, a Business Level 3 student, who achieved:- a Distinction*  and 2 Distinctions.

At Hugh Baird College, you choose the course, the subject area and the industry you're most interested in. You learn in a way that suits you, with your own unique study programme.

Applications are still open for September 2023 entry, and they are enrolling now. Visit:- HughBaird.AC.UK to find out more and apply.

Home Affairs Select Committee 'naive' to the risks of terror threats

ONE of the UK's leading crowd security and safety specialists and a former counter terrorism Police Officer and expert advisor to the National Police Chief's Council has publicly backed the proposed draft Terrorism (Protection Of Premises) Bill known as "Martyn's Law" and says that the Government Home Affairs Select Committee is:- "naïve and out of touch" to the risks of terrorist threats as it is proposes to scale back some parts of the legislation.

Martyn's Law is named in tribute to Martyn Hett, who was killed at the age of 29 alongside 21 other people in the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017. His mother, Figen Murray, has since dedicated her life to helping stop terrorist attacks in the future; work for which she received an OBE in 2022.

The Home Affairs Select Committee has called on the Government to reduce the proposed safety measures and base these on risk, as opposed to the size of a venue. It believes that such measures in the current draft of the bill would:- "place a significant and disproportionate burden on smaller venues, while failing to ensure adequate safety measures at all public events at risk of terror attacks."

Lloyd Major, CEO of Halo Solutions; whose crowd management security and safety technology, Halo (v5), is used at some of the biggest music, entertainment and sporting events in the world; said:- "Figen Murray is absolutely correct in her assessment of the Martyn's Law legislation and that the Government must proceed with strong and robust legislation. Any weakening or reduction of the proposed measures in the draft Terrorism (Protection Of Premises) Bill, also known as "Martyn's Law,' would potentially put the public at even greater risk of another terror attack, as terrorists would merely switch their tactics to focus on softer targets without such counter terrorism measures in place. Protecting the public from terror attacks has to be more of a priority. It is vital that all public venues and premises have counter terrorism measures and training in place to protect staff and members of the public against the threat of an attack. Any weakening of the proposed measures in the draft bill would be counterproductive to the very foundation of Martyn's Law. Time and time again we hear the words 'lessons will be learned' and the reality is that lessons are rarely ever learned, and the same tragic mistakes are repeated."

The select committee of MPs said the draft anti-terror legislation could be:- "punitive and could place small businesses and voluntary organisations at risk of closure if they don't comply and would fail to make a difference to public safety."

Chair of the Home Affairs Committee, Dame Diana Johnson MP, said:- "The Government must ensure that the steps they need to take are based on an accurate assessment of risk and not arbitrary capacity figures."

Lloyd Major added:- "Terrorism does not discriminate against a small pub or a large stadium venue. We have witnessed a dynamic range of attacks from the Soho pub bombings to the London Borough Market, Manchester Arena attacks and many more. It is our collective responsibility to all be more vigilant, prepared and aware of terrorism after the tragic impact of all these attacks. All business owners, live music venues, bars, pubs and restaurants need to work together collectively to protect the public and their staff against terrorism. We do it for Health and Safety, this is no different and certainly no more onerous or costly."

Martyn's Law will require both public and private-sector businesses to ensure they have sufficient and robust security measures in place to uphold the:- "protect duty" and elevate public safety. This means that thousands of pubs, restaurants, live music venues, arenas, stadiums, shopping centres and entertainment complexes will be required to take much greater responsibility to protect and safeguard the public against a possible terrorist attack.

Following the conclusion of the £32m Manchester Arena bombing inquiry, many of the 22 families whose loved ones were either killed or over 800 seriously injured (many hundreds more with mental injuries) slammed the report's findings and "excuses," and called upon the Police and the Government to act to ensure lessons would be learned.

In response to the inquiry findings, Halo Solutions; which is already protecting the public across multiple sectors, including:- major sporting and entertainment events, transport, Universities and other settings with its Halo (v5) software; decided to make its technology available for free to small businesses, pubs, live music venues and entertainment spaces where public capacity does not exceed 800 people, as per the legislation, in an effort to help them address the anticipated measures that are expected to come into force.

The company, whose motto is:- "Let's protect everyone," has also added further enhancements and features to its award winning crowd and event safety software with the addition of live stream drone and video technology to help monitor crowd safety and security, and protect against criminal and activist protestor activity.

The latest enhancement to Halo (v5) includes an upgraded public reporting feature, which allows the public at a venue to upload pictures, video or text about suspicious individuals' behaviour, items left unattended or a range of concerns. It also includes a function to report individuals for racist or homophobic chants.

Lloyd Major continued:- "Having strong counter terrorism measures in place at stadiums because of a 'perceived' higher risk and greater threat will only shift the emphasis of a terrorist attack to focus on smaller 'softer' targets such as pubs, restaurants small live music venues, which would fly under the legislation radar of any counter terrorism initiatives, which is precisely what the select committee is asking the Government to do. Have MPs not understood the severity of incidents such as Hillsborough, the Manchester Arena bombing and the countless other foiled terror attacks? It is naïve to think that the proposed measures in the new pre-legislation of Martyn's Law would fail to make a difference to public safety. You simply cannot compromise on public safety when you see the devastation caused by a terrorist incident. All businesses, no matter how small or large, have a moral duty of care and safety to their staff and the public to protect them against danger and the threat of terrorism."

The Halo (v5) system acts as a central command and control function that operates from a standard laptop and can bring together more than 10 different systems integrated into one, with more than 75 client led features. It integrates monitoring and recording of multiple feeds of information across a venue, from:- security, health and safety, cleaning, public reporting, video streaming, ticket scanning, accreditation and soon will include:- crowd management, crowd density, flow, sentiment, mood and capacity.

It means that when an incident occurs, all the actions, protocols and decisions taken by staff are recorded in one location for transparency and auditing purposes. It also provides a valuable reporting mechanism on crowd safety, health and safety and incident logging. This allows operations directors, event managers and venue owners to make informed decisions that impact public safety. Critically, in the event of a major incident or terrorist attack, it can provide vital evidential data to support the decisions taken.

Halo (v5) is already being deployed and protecting the public at some of the world's largest, most prestigious, and high profile events, including:- the FIFA World Cup fan zones in Qatar (2022), Cricket World Cup (2019), British Grand Prix, Notting Hill Carnival / Glastonbury Festival and Miami F1 Grand Prix. It is also being used at a number of arena and conference venues across the UK, including The NEC Group, Motorpoint Arena, M&S Bank Arena and ExCeL London. The Halo System is also being used extensively at football and rugby stadiums, including:- Chelsea FC, West Bromwich Albion FC, Mansfield Town FC, Watford FC and Premiership Rugby clubs Harlequins and Leicester Tigers.