On 29^th of January, six Skills Academy students from MK College took part in youth charity Action 4 Youth’s The Big Challenge at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium in Aylesbury. 

The Big Challenge is run by Action 4 Youth, a Buckinghamshire youth charity focused on providing educational and extracurricular activities to young people in the region. Skills Academy students at MK College regularly participate in Action 4 Youth’s Inspiration Programme, which creates opportunities for young people by providing meaningful experiences in key areas of the community. For MK College students, the programme includes both on-campus learning focused on team-building and personal development, as well as off-campus trips. One recent trip took students to a local theatre, where they gained insight into how theatre productions are created. 

Six of the College’s students who have benefitted from the Inspiration Programme were selected to take part in the Big Challenge to represent MK College by competing for the Ultimate Challenge Cup. They competed alongside teams of students across Buckinghamshire to win the Ultimate Challenge Cup for a prize of £1,000 for their school or college. 

Students competed in a number of activities testing their creativity, teamwork and resilience in a race against the clock. One of the activities involved teams rolling an alphabet dice to come up with profession names and build Scrabble-style words to score points. 

Sally Alexander, CEO and Principal of MK College Group, said: “I was proud to attend the Action 4 Youth’s Big Challenge at Stoke Mandeville Stadium to witness schools and colleges across Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire participating in a variety of skills challenges. The MK College students were brilliant, with great support from Megan Bowness and Simon Wendt from our Skills Academy. This event is an amazing opportunity for our young people to develop both their teamwork and communication skills, all while representing MK College. I’m incredibly proud of their efforts today!” 

The Skills Academy course at MK College develops essential skills in maths, English and employability, while offering vocational training in chosen industry pathways, preparing students for the next level of education or employment. 

Megan Bowness, Programme Manager in the Skills Academy, MK College, who accompanied the students, said: “This event was invaluable to our students who we work with throughout the year to improve confidence, teamwork, and resilience alongside their studies. The Big Challenge allowed them to put their skills into action, and they demonstrated outstanding teamwork throughout the event.” 

“Although we did not win, the students demonstrated the values we have as a college, and strived for excellence in each activity they took part in. We are extremely proud of our students!” 

One of the students who competed in the event, said: “It was an amazing opportunity. It was a unique experience where we got to meet people from other schools and colleges and even the Mayor of Milton Keynes! The event allowed me to develop my skills further and gave me the opportunity to put my communication and teamwork skills to good use.”

To find out more about the Skills Academy at MK College, visit Skills Academy