Furness College honours first Fellow

A well-respected educator will be recognised next month when Furness College launches its new Honorary Fellowship programme.

Mark Nicholson will be honoured for his major and lasting positive contribution to the college and the wider education community.

The former college Deputy Principal, who retired three years ago, will be conferred with the highest honour of the college at the graduation ceremony.

Chair of Governors Jan Fielding said it was fitting that his name has been put forward as the college’s inaugural Fellow given his 33-year service to the education sector.

“Mark is an exemplary educator. As a former apprentice, he recognises the individual needs of each learner and has overseen the creation of opportunities to suit their needs ranging from launching the first degree programmes in Barrow to a third campus for those who are not suited to mainstream education.

“Throughout his career, Mark has put people first and has improved the lives and social mobility of countless people of all ages through education and skills training.

“He was always keen to represent the college in collaborating with other educators across South Cumbria and the wider area to ensure the breadth and quality of education in the Furness area was the best.”

Among his achievements, Mark was instrumental in securing funding for and leading the £42million transformation of the Channelside campus to provide world-class facilities to the South Cumbria community in 2007.

This campus continues to provide workshops, salons, restaurant and a university centre to ensure the educational environment is related to the real world – reflecting his own values.

He was instrumental in delivering the Local Enterprise Partnership’s vision through a £4million Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Centre which opened in 2016.

He was a key figure in the merger with Barrow Sixth Form College and oversaw a process so smooth it was unprecedented in FE, gaining the trust of colleagues, the community and praise from Ofsted. Mark also led the college application for Chartered Status – only the fourth college in England to do so.

He also led a bid to develop the college’s sports facilities including an all-weather sports pitch and sports hall, the largest facility in South Cumbria and now used widely by grassroots sports organisations.

Mark, who has presided at many graduations during his time at college, will be joined by his family to receive the special award at the graduation ceremony at Barrow Sixth Form College on July 13th.

He said it was both an ‘honour and a delight’ to be recognised as the first honorary fellow of Furness College.

“In receiving this award I would like to pay tribute to the staff of the college for their commitment and dedication to the many thousands of students that have thrived and succeeded at the college,” he said. “Thanks also go to my family and colleagues for their support over so many years. I look forward to sharing this special occasion with the 2023 graduates.”

Some 120 students are graduating with degrees this year across programmes including business, computing, construction, education, engineering and health and social care. They studied at the Channelside campus, often balancing work and family life with study through the college’s flexible part-time programmes.

Guest speaker at the ceremony will be Millom-born Angela Jones, who is Director of Thriving Places at the newly formed Westmorland and Furness Council. After graduating from Manchester Metropolitan University, she has worked in number of councils across the North West and Wales. The student speaker will be Emma Lafferty, who is graduating with a BTEC HNC in Construction and the Built Environment.