Marking over 75 years of education

Across two celebratory events, alumni -  some of whom first walked through the college's doors as far back as the 1960s - returned to reminisce, reconnect and see how the institution has evolved. They had the opportunity to meet current students and staff, and to tour facilities that have transformed significantly since their time there.

Roger and Peter Baulch left school in 1962 at the age of 15 and joined BCoT, which was then called Basingstoke Technical Institute, to undertake an electrical mechanical course after their mother had seen an advert in the paper. The course covered a range of topics including welding, electronics and brickwork.

“It opened so many doors for us,” Peter said. “The course was really hands-on, giving us lots of experience but combined with theory. It really did support our 40-year experience in the industry.”

Both Peter and Roger returned to BCoT in the 1980s to complete a 1-year course in management studies and Peter also completed a course in microelectronics.

“It all started at BCoT,” Roger added. “We had great teachers with so many skills. The head teacher of the time, Mr Bradbury, was really present across the college. We had a great time.”

Karen Hodgson attended the event after BCoT had supported her through many stages of her professional life. In 1983, she joined the college to take A-Levels in French, German and English Literature and Language. In 1989, she took an evening course in computer micrographics, which allowed her to obtain a national certificate in computing. This supported her 22 years of working in IT before she decided to pivot and take a level 2 food hygiene course so she could develop a baking business.

“BCoT has helped me so much. It’s helped me be adaptable and understand that life isn’t just one path,” she said.

Former students who studied at the college more recently also enjoyed returning to campus.

Lauren Newman completed a BTEC in Creative Media and Game Development at BCoT between 2011 and 2013. Her love of video games, alongside her course, has led to a successful career working for household names such as Game and Xbox. She currently works as a strategic partner associate at Xbox, working with video game developers and publishers. “Being able to get valuable insight into game development put me on a great path. I loved video games and wanted to be able to do something in that industry as a job. BCoT allowed me to do that.”

Lauren met her partner, David on the course at BCoT. They now have a one-year-old son. David said: “I wanted to start again after my GCSEs. BCoT gave me an environment where I could be myself and succeed. It was a relaxed space whether people really wanted to be.” He now works as a freelance consultant in 3D modelling and script creation for video games around taking care of their son. He recently worked on GTA5.