Portland College

March 25 2010

Open Day for Professionals held at Portland College

Portland College opened their doors on 25th March 2010 to hold their first ever Professional Open Day. Professionals from many sectors including the military, healthcare, education, employment, therapy and social work were invited to come and spend a day finding out about the facilities at the College and to discover the positive impact the College has on the lives of hundreds of disabled people every year.

Visitors were treated to tours of the new Arts Zone with a demonstration of students’ artwork, film making, music and design work, together with tours of the new Beeches Enterprise Centre and the Physiotherapy & Hydrotherapy department.

Portland’s expert members of staff also provided seminars throughout the day on issues affecting disabled people, including sessions of Better Outcomes for Disabled People, the Equality Bill, Successful Therapy, Assistive Technology and Autism Awareness.

One of the highlights of the day was a highly moving and inspirational student forum, consisting of students from all parts of the College. Every student talked very candidly about their disability and how Portland College is positively helping them achieve their goals in life, which range from being able to live independently to retraining in order to gain employment.

Mark Dale, Principal of Portland College said of the event, “We are delighted that so many professionals working with disabled people have come along to support our first Open Day. Disabled people rely very much on the support and guidance of these professionals to get access to significant opportunities in education and training. This was a chance to give something back to them, showing how we make a positive impact on people’s lives, and showcase Portland College as a centre of excellence for disabled education and support.”