The Vice Chancellor of the University of Wales Lampeter, Professor Robert Pearce inaugurated the UWL MBA programme at CTL campus in London today.

The ceremony was attended by Mrs. Conny Matera-Rogers, Mr. Steve Emmens, key CTL staff and MBA students. Professor Pearce spoke of the strength of the partnership between UWL and CTL stating that the education received by students at CTL was exactly the same as at UWL.

"If you want the bright lights of London come to CTL, if you want the Welsh rural experience come to Lampeter..." said Prof. Pearce. Students of the new MBA cohort mixed with the VC and UWL staff over a buffet lunch.

For further information about the new UWL MBA programme refer to the CTL MBA web pages or the University of Wales Lampeter Department of Management and Information Technology website.

The second and final award ceremony for the Ecotec O3 Pan-London programme was held today and attended by CTL ECDL trainers, John Buttle of Social Care Works and Skills for Care, Sajida Kiyani of Ecotec plc and presented by Anne-Marie Bond CTL Contract Manager for the programme. In total 153 care home managers and employees from homes across London completed their BCS ECDL qualifications. A total of 46 successful beneficiaries received their certificates today.

"The Care Sector has traditionally been left behind other sectors in ICT training. The significance of these beneficiaries having achieved their awards today is that they now have a worldwide recognised ICT qualification. They are more efficient at work, multi-skilled, more employable and more valuable to their employers. We hope that they will all continue to progress onto further education in ICT, Care or Management", stated John Buttle of Social Care Works.

A special thanks goes to Anne-Marie Bond for her efforts in managing the programme and ensuring that all learners received the highest quality training. The project was funded by the European Social Fund and the Learning and Skills Council. Congratulations to all who participated on the day.

The College of Technology London hosted a visit by the Head of MIT at the University of Wales Lampeter, Mrs. Conny Matera-Rogers and Mr. Steve Emmens on the 20th and 21st November. Both UWL visitors sat in on lessons and chatted to students at length, with Mrs. Matera-Rogers delivering a dissertation workshop for Term 4 BA (Hons) Business Management students. UWL staff also spoke with Masters Entry Programme (MEP) students in preparation for their MBA degree starting in February 2007.

As part of the Care for the Wild adoption programme, the College is proud to announce its sponsorship of Burra. Burra is an orphaned baby elephant currently under the care of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust nursery in Nairobi National Park.

Burra is just one of a number of elephants and rhinos that become orphaned every year as a result of illegal poaching and snaring activities in parks and reserves across Kenya and other parts of Africa.

In late 2001, at just eight months old, Burra was caught in a steel cable snare while traveling with his family through an area that joins Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks in southern Kenya. The snare had almost severed three quarters of his ear and had cut the back of his neck and his throat. By the time he was found by rescuers he was emaciated, starving and desperately weak.

With the support of Care for the Wild and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Burra has made an excellent recovery and is now a boisterous young bull elephant. Not all orphaned elephants are as fortunate as Burra - with many too weak, injured or traumatised without their family to continue. The College will continue to support Burra and his carers in his successful re-introduction into the wild.

For more information on Burra please visit the websites of Care for the Wild and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Students can also read about Burra on the student notice board and watch a documentary featuring Burra and the other orphans on the College Intranet.

The College has enlisted the services of Google to provide students with comprehensive email, calendar and chat services. New and existing students will be given a unique CTL email address that they can use for life. Director of Studies, Nigel Hall, says

"These tools will provide an effective way for the College to communicate with its growing student base and keep alumni up-to-date with issues and events of interest to them."

Google's platform is extensible, so new tools will be rolled out to students if the students and the College staff feel they will be beneficial to the overall learning process.