News story: UK/ Egyptian workshop on Higher Education
On 11 February leaders of universities across Egypt were invited to a workshop at the British Embassy in Cairo to share best practice on improving higher education, by giving university teachers the recognition they deserve for their work, and ensuring that students leave university with the skills they need for the modern job market.
The workshop, delivered by the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and the British Government’s Department for International Trade, was attended by Prof Dr Mohamed Salheen, Adviser to the Minister of Higher Education & Scientific Research, as well the British Ambassador to Egypt, John Casson, and Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP, UK Trade Envoy to Egypt.
HEA is a UK-based organisation which works with ministries, universities and individual academics across the world to help them improve education standards. For teachers, this includes ensuring that systems are in place to recognise and reward good teaching. For students, it means ensuring that students stay in university, get thorough assessment and constructive feedback on their efforts during their studies, and leave university with the skills they need for the modern workplace.
British Ambassador John Casson said:
Giving young Egyptians the chance for world class education is at the heart of the UK’s partnership with Egypt. When you put together world class UK university expertise and Egypt’s best young talent and institutions there is no limit to what we can achieve together. Everywhere I go I am inspired by the talent and ambition of young Egyptians and this workshop is a fantastic opportunity to share ideas that will help teachers and students succeed in giving Egypt excellent universities and young peple with the skills to succeed in the modern world.
Ian Hall, HEA Partnership Development Manager, said:
We are delighted to have this opportunity to speak to senior university leaders in Egypt. While every country is different, we’ve seen that higher education providers across the globe face many of the same issues. We’ll be sharing lessons learned from the HEA’s work across the world, including from our projects in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman, and how these could be applied within an Egyptian context. Our aim is to promote teaching excellence and to enable student success. An important route to achieving student success is by motivating great teaching in higher education through the reward and recognition of those who deliver it. We’ve also decided to focus on student employability which is increasingly under scrutiny from governments and employers, quite apart from being critically important to students themselves. We want to highlight some of the work we have done to help institutions develop holistic strategies to supporting employability, particularly through curriculum design.
News story: Latest Carillion update from the Official Receiver
A spokesperson for the Official Receiver said:
“Arrangements have now been finalised to transfer prison facilities management and defence bases catering and cleaning contracts to new providers and as a result we have been able to safeguard employment for a further 4,418 employees.
“Ongoing employment has been confirmed for more than a third of Carillion’s workforce so far as part of the liquidation. There is a lot of interest from potential purchasers in the contracts the company delivered which will see the number of jobs safeguarded continue to increase.
“Employment could not be secured for a further 59 employees working on paused construction projects and regrettably they will leave the business later this week. Those who have lost their jobs will be able to find support through Jobcentre Plus’ Rapid Response Service and are also entitled to make a claim for statutory redundancy payments.
“Most employees who have transferred so far have done so on existing or similar terms and I will continue to facilitate this wherever possible as we work to find new providers for Carillion’s other contracts.
“The process to find new suppliers to deliver Carillion’s contracts continues. I am continuing to engage with staff, elected employee representatives and unions to keep them informed as these arrangements are confirmed.”
in total, to date 6,668 jobs have been saved and 989 jobs have been made redundant through the liquidation
further information about rights in redundancy is available on gov.uk
continued support by Carillion’s public and private sector customers is enabling as many employees as possible to be retained in the interim until all contracts have been worked through
Press release: Experience the UK at the Great British Festival
Experience the best of British culture and innovation at the #GreatBritishFestival launch event on 23 February as the British Embassy Manila brings together different UK brands to create a fun-filled day with great British music, fashion, food, and arts at Glorietta 2 Palm Drive Activity Center, Makati City.
Daniel Pruce, British Ambassador to the Philippines said:
In this year’s festival, our goal is to showcase the very best of what Great Britain as a whole nation has to offer. We are gathering a broad spectrum of British companies that represent not only world-class British culture and creativity but also the core values of the nation.
Among the participating companies are: M&S, Speedo, The Body Shop, Lush, Clarks, Shell, STI Limited, Digital Barriers, Diageo, Quorn, Costa Coffee, Union Jack Tavern, Shakeaway, Norton Motorcycles and HSBC.
Different fun activities await everyone in Glorietta Mall on February 23. There will be interactive exhibits, multiple raffles, a great trivia challenge, British film screenings, book reading for children, a whisky pavilion, and the much-anticipated Rockaoke Contest (with a first prize of two tickets to London on Etihad Airways).
Admission to this Great British Festival event is free.
This year’s Festival will be a celebration of UK culture and innovation and will reach out across the Philippines. It will run for two weeks, with activities in Metro Manila, Iloilo, Cebu, Dumaguete, and Baguio.
Organised by the British Embassy and its partners, the Great British Festival 2018 will be a great showcase of the creativity, innovation, culture, heritage and knowledge that spell Britain’s success in fashion, music, food, education and design.
Watch what we’re up to and join in the conversation on our social media channels.
For more information, like and follow the British Embassy Manila on Facebook and Twitter.
News story: Investigation updates: fv Nancy Glen
Updated: Further update on the Nancy Glen investigation following the underwater survey.
Update, 9 February 2018
We have now competed our underwater survey of the wreck of Nancy Glen, which despite the depth and poor underwater visibility has been largely successful. We are now in the process of assessing the extensive quantity of data collected, which is taking some time. We are very conscious of the need to come to a decision as soon as possible as to whether or not the MAIB intends to raise the wreck as part of its investigation. However, we do not expect to make an announcement on this until after the weekend.
News story, 7 February 2018
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) is investigating the capsize and loss of the fishing vessel Nancy Glen and why, tragically, two of the crew did not survive.
The wreck of Nancy Glen is lying at a depth of over 140m. Following a multi-beam sonar survey of the wreck conducted by Northern Lighthouse Board vessel Pharos last weekend, the MAIB has contracted KML to carry out a more detailed survey of the wreck. KML’s vessel Severn Sea is on scene, and has carried out a side-scan sonar survey of the wreck. This has provided us with 3-dimensional information on how the wreck is lying on the seabed and potential obstacles such as wires or nets that could be hazardous to remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operations. The ROV is fitted with cameras, used to collect important evidence as part of our investigation. ROV surveys commenced on Wednesday 7 February, but progress has been slow due to low underwater visibility of around 3 metres and the risk of the ROV becoming snagged on wires and ropes around the wreck. Our inspectors are on board, and are keeping the families updated on progress.
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News story: Dstl opens apprenticeship recruitment campaign for 2018
At the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), we work to harness science and technology (S&T) to protect our nation – bringing together the best ideas in sometimes unexpected ways.
Because we provide the UK government with specialist S&T research, advice and analysis, our work is often sensitive or international in nature. Much is operationally critical and has the potential to save many lives. All of it is fascinating.
Crucially, we work with other brilliant people – collaborating with everyone from small companies and world-class universities to large defence companies and other nations. Together, we develop battle-winning technologies, based on deep and widespread research, to support UK military operations now and into the future.
We are on the lookout for apprentices to join us at Dstl. Alongside your training you will earn money and get the chance to work on mind-blowing projects in a truly unique environment. It’s an inspiring setting where you can develop wide-ranging skills and gain experience, while learning from some of the brightest minds in the UK.
Dstl employs some of the world’s brightest people. We are always on the lookout for talented, dedicated, creative and innovative individuals to join us.
As an electrical engineer apprentice you will be on a 3 year structured training programme with the chance to experience work across Dstl on different work placements. You will be part of a team of highly skilled and dedicated employees based at our Porton Down site in Salisbury.
Embedded Electronics System and Design Engineer Apprenticeship
Do you want to really make a difference? Be part of an internationally recognised team? Use your practical and theoretical electronics experience?
Join our Platform Systems Division as a degree apprentice. The division supports the Ministry of Defence and other government departments in a broad range of groundbreaking technical research areas. We respond to current and future demands ensuring that the UK retains a battle-winning advantage.
We strengthen and protect our armed forces through groundbreaking technical research. It means safeguarding armoured vehicles, warships and aircraft against the harshest combat environments and providing the most advanced weapon capabilities. Crucially, we ensure that all of this technology and equipment across the military operates together seamlessly.
Cyber and Information Systems Degree Apprenticeship
Do you have a passion for technology? At Dstl we’re looking for people that live and breathe technology. Maybe you have a flare for:
Creativity
Systems thinking
Innovation
Digital embracement
To ensure we stay ahead of the game, we are always on the lookout for talented, dedicated, creative and innovative individuals to contribute to our team. If you think this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you. Cyber and Information Systems Division is the digital hub of the lab with cutting edge facilities. You could be supporting our world-class cyber capability and countering attacks in cyber-space.
This is not a stereotypical ‘computer hacker’ role – it takes an incredible variety of people to achieve our goals. Here you’ll use your computer skills to advance the tools, techniques and tradecrafts required to ensure the UK is able to establish a world-class cyber capability, including the ability to counter-attack in cyberspace.
Our Defence and Security Analysis Division supports the Ministry of Defence and other government departments to ensure intelligent decision making is at the heart of the UK Defence and Security. We develop innovative analytical tools and techniques to take advantage of new advances in science and technology, and provide experienced human and social science advice to maximise the performance of whole systems across the Ministry of Defence and government.
We have a number of project areas in which could work spanning the breadth of UK’s Defence and Security including: the Air and Maritime environments; Modelling and Simulation, Wargaming and statistics; Policy analysis and support; and Human and Social Sciences.
This is an excellent apprenticeship opportunity in Dstl, a Ministry of Defence Agency, for a Data Analyst within the Defence and Security Analysis Division with excellent future career prospects in Data Science, Analysis and the Defence Enterprise.
You will be joining our team of highly skilled and dedicated employees based primarily at our Portsdown West site in Fareham.
Do you want a role where you can show off your organisational skills?
We have an exciting opportunity to join Dstl as an Associate Project Manager Apprentice. You will get to work with our Project Managers in delivering exciting projects giving science and technology support to Defence customers.
Opportunities are available in either our Platform Systems or Defence and Security Analysis Division, where you can support the management of some exciting projects.
Can you communicate effectively, work as part of a team, think on your feet, have the drive to deliver and get things done and able to take personal responsibility for your work and continuous development?
There are apprenticeship vacancies in our Commercial function, based at either of our Portsdown West, Fareham or Porton Down, Salisbury sites.
You will work alongside our Procurement professionals and have a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of Defence research procuring a variety of requirements from materials for our laboratories to delivering research requirements through a range of procurement routes including framework contracts.
Do you have a passion for science; are you enthusiastic, motivated and willing to learn?
We have an exciting opportunity to join Dstl as a laboratory technician apprentice within our Chemical Biological and Radiological Division (CBR), at Porton Down, Salisbury. Our CBR division is the UK’s centre of excellence for chemical, biological, radiological and medical science and technology within government.
We provide an integrated capability, delivering longer term research as well as short term advice and consultancy. You will get to work on exciting projects and work alongside internationally renowned scientists. We need people who can use their skills to innovate and develop technologies which give our country the winning edge.
As an apprentice at Dstl you will learn the technical elements of running a lab, maintaining stock and working on project work that truly makes a difference.
