Higher Education success celebrated at Graduation Ceremony
On Saturday 23rd September the RNN Group Colleges celebrated the achievements of their higher education students at their first joint Graduation, with students graduating from Rotherham College, North Notts College and Dearne Valley College.
Two ceremonies took place in Rotherham’s iconic Rotherham Minster throughout the day, commemorating the success of 135 graduates from the Colleges’ university-level courses. Students of all three colleges were then invited to celebrate their success with their family and friends at a reception in Rotherham College’s training restaurant, The Wharncliffe.
In what has now become a Rotherham tradition, a procession of staff and VIPs marked the opening of the ceremony by making their way from Rotherham College’s Town Centre Campus through Rotherham Town Centre to the Minster.
The procession was led by Loxley Silver Band from Sheffield and the Mayor of Rotherham, Councillor Eve Rose Keenan, in the morning ceremony and Deputy Mayor of Rotherham, Councillor Alan Buckley, in the afternoon ceremony alongside the Chief Executive of the RNN Group, John Connolly. The dignitaries were followed by a sea of graduation gowns and caps including VIPs and staff from all three colleges.
To begin the ceremony, Chief Executive of RNN Group, John Connolly, provided a welcoming address and praised the hard work and commitment of the graduates. Each student received their commemorative certificate and were given motivational speeches by Guest Speaker Lisa Pogson, Joint MD of local business Airmaster, and Student Guest Speakers Josh Cardwell and Amy Rydelewski.
The congregation were entertained at intervals by the vocals of Rotherham College’s Level 3 Performing Arts student, Danny Newey.
Graduates, VIPs, staff, friends and family then processed from the Minster back to the Rotherham College Wharncliffe Restaurant for a glass of bucks fizz and a selection of delicious food cooked and served by Catering students.
The RNN Group Colleges’ are passionate about supporting the local economy and raising the skill levels in our community, as part of the Rotherham 2025 plan the RNN Group is investing in a £12m new building, the University Centre Rotherham (UCR).
The Group has been working closely with over 200 of the 1,000 employers we have links with to develop courses that meet a particular need for the local economy.
The UCR, which has just commenced building on Doncaster Gate, is due to open in autumn 2018 and will create fantastic new study facilities for our growing provision of Higher Education courses.
For updates on the University Centre Rotherham www.rnngroup.co.uk and for information about our Higher Education courses please visit: https://www.dearne-coll.ac.uk/higher-education/.