Complementary Therapies students receive Gold in UK college first.

Students on the Level 3 Complementary Therapies course at Riverside College’s Centre of Excellence were celebrating last week after receiving gold, silver and bronze awards in the UK Skills competition. This level of results has never before been achieved by any other Further Education college.

On Wednesday 18^th April a team of students travelled to St Helens College to take part in the North West regional heats of the UK Skills competition.  The UK skills competitions are equivalent to the Olympic Games, for each sector area.

At the competition each student had to perform a treatment and produce a case study on a client whilst they were all observed by independent judges.  The students from Level 3 Complementary and Alternative Therapies were awarded two gold’s, a silver and two bronze medals.

Two of the gold winning students, Natalie Millard and Chloe Williams started at Riverside College on the Step Up programme, over two years ago and as well as winning gold in this aromatherapy heat Natalie has just secured employment with Clarins at John Lewis, Liverpool.  Chloe is currently considering a degree in physiotherapy.  Both students are due to complete their course in June.

Sarah Fillaudeau, Head of Complementary Therapies, who was recently invited by City and Guilds to write the new Complementary Therapies standards in education for 2012 and the next five years said, “The competition was highly competitive, there was a talented field of students from many other colleges and training providers.  I was extremely proud of the student’s and their achievements. The results were really high and Riverside College had one of the highest results on the day.  We are now waiting for all of the regional heats to be completed to find out if their marks are amongst the top ten in the UK, which would see them through to the final at The NEC Birmingham in November.”