John Savage Award: Recognising exceptional talent at the City of Bristol College
“College and my family saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself. I was pushed on, supported, believed in.”
This quote, from one of the winners at the recent John Savage award ceremony at City of Bristol College, where I am Chair, shows how education and support can truly transform lives.
Last week, The Business West John Savage Award for Improved Opportunity celebrated two exceptional students - Fareed Rahimi and Ray - whose determination and ambition truly embody the spirit of the award.
This award, which was established as a tribute to my former colleague John Savage upon his retirement as Board Director of Business West, is presented to the City of Bristol College student who has shown tenacity and ambition to better themselves through Further Education and training.
John Savage has been a driving force for change in Bristol over four decades. He was the Executive lead for the formation of the Bristol Initiative 40 years ago and played a pivotal role in tackling deprivation and championing regeneration across the city.
John and I presented the students with their award at a special ceremony attended by college staff, supporters, and partners.
Ray is a hardworking and determined student who has overcome bullying and many challenges while living with autism, a learning disability and ADHD and is now on a supported internship. Ray said
“When I was a kid, I was difficult at times, at school, I wasn’t understood and instead of giving up, my mum and dad believed in me, but school gave up. At college, I didn’t know why staff kept trying with me, I didn’t make it easy. College and my family saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself. I was pushed on, supported, believed in.”
Fareed Rahimi arrived in the UK as a young asylum seeker after fleeing Afghanistan and leaving his family behind. Despite many challenges and initially speaking very little English, he has shown remarkable resilience and determination. He has progressed well in his ESOL studies with excellent attendance, built strong relationships at college, volunteered to support other young people and passed both his driving theory and practical tests. Fareed hopes to become a policy officer in the future.
The award winners each receive £500 each, along with tailored support from Business West’s expert business advisors and employer network, helping them explore the sectors and career paths that most interest them.
Here are some words from John Savage:
Business West and its Chambers of Commerce has been involved with education for many decades, and particularly with the work of Further Education Colleges.
I was touched that Business West provided me with the facility to make an annual contribution to the efforts of determined and outstanding young people and I am particularly delighted that Phil Smith, in his retirement, will be continuing his active interest in these challenges as Chair of the City of Bristol College Board. I certainly wish all involved every success, but particularly at this time the first recipients of our new grant.
The demand for an educational system to prepare people for work as a key part of its purpose is inevitable and valid. For most people earning a living from paid employment is an unavoidable necessity, a simple reality. To be sure that such work contributes to the maintenance of a good society in which it is generally desirable to be included, and for that work to be satisfying, demands a more imaginative commitment.
Education must give knowledge, skill, training and understanding but perhaps above all else it should initiate a process of enlightenment that can continue throughout life for everyone, the outcome should enrich both the citizen and the state, a benefit to the shared community.
Colleges offer a very practical contribution to this for so many young people, but they have sadly been grossly underfunded by successive governments over many years. However, their output has great relevance for the commercial world.
Michael Bichard, when Permanent Secretary at Department for Education and Employment (DfE), wrote “We only have to look for a moment to see how the world is changing around us to see why creativity in education is such a burning issue. The pace of change, the pressure on all of us to adapt, to design new solutions and to foresee new opportunities on the horizon - they are all immense.1”
The event is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when education and business come together to support emerging talent.