16 March 2012
Rising culinary star Will Torrent is lending his support to the
fifth annual VQ Day - a celebration of the millions of people who
gain a vocational qualification every year.
In his role as VQ Day ambassador, Will is hosting the national VQ
Day event for England, which will be held at the prestigious BAFTA
in London on Wednesday 20th June.
The 26 year old, who was the first British pastry chef to be
awarded a Medallion of Excellence after representing the UK at
WorldSkills Shizuoka, Japan 2007, is a long-standing supporter of
vocational qualifications and helped launch the first VQ Day in
2008.
Will says: "As a passionate supporter of vocational learning, it's
an honour to be invited to support VQ Day this year. Vocational
qualifications provide young people with first-hand experience and
a clear route to a successful career, whether in patisserie,
engineering, fashion design or robotics. Vocational learners
deserve to have their achievements recognised and celebrated - and
that is what VQ Day is all about."
Jan Hodges, CEO of independent education foundation Edge, which
leads the plans for VQ Day added: "We are delighted to have Will on
board for VQ Day 2012. He is a talented and inspiring ambassador
for vocational learning, and his experience demonstrates how
technical, practical and vocational skills can lead to successful
and fulfilling careers."
VQ Day 2012 will recognise the value high quality vocational
qualifications bring to communities around the UK and will be
marked by events at colleges, schools, businesses and learning
providers across the country, including award ceremonies and open
days. National events will also be held in London, Northern Ireland
and Wales.
For more information on VQ Day, please visit www.vqday.org.uk.
Ends
Notes to Editors
For more information on VQ Day please contact the VQ Day
team on 020 3451 9498 or email vqday@citizenrelations.com
About VQ
Day
VQ Day
recognises the value of vocational qualifications and celebrates
high quality vocational achievement.
High
quality VQs play a vital role in society; they provide young people
with the skills, experience and clear progression routes they need
to get ahead.
By
celebrating this achievement and presenting high quality practical
and vocational learning equally alongside academic study we will
ensure that young people are offered the many paths to success
leading to:
·
Further study, e.g. University or further VQs
·
Greater job prospects and relevant career options
·
Enhanced skills/knowledge
·
Higher pay
·
The motivation and inspiration to help drive forward the UK
economy.
The fifth annual VQ Day on Wednesday 20th June 2012 will recognise the value of
vocational qualifications and celebrate vocational
achievement.
VQ Day is led by Edge the independent education foundation in
conjunction with support from the vocational qualifications
community including: 157 Group, the Association of Accounting
Technicians (AAT), the Association of Colleges
(AoC), the Association of Learning Providers (AELP), Award Scheme
Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN), City & Guilds
CollegesWales, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
(DBIS) Department for Employment and Learning (DELNI), Ealing,
Hammersmith and West London College, Education Development
International plc (EDI), the Federation of Awarding Bodies
(FAB), the FE Reputation Strategy Group (FERSG), Hackney Community
College, Institute for Learning (IFL), National Apprenticeship
Service (NAS), National Training Federation for Wales, Oxford
Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR), Ofqual, Ofqual Northern
Ireland, Pearson, Scottish Government, Scottish Qualifications
Authority (SQA), Scottish Training Federation (STF), Skillsmart
Retail, UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS),
WorldSkills UK, the Welsh Assembly Government, Westminster Kingsway
College, among others.
About
Edge
Edge is an
independent education foundation. It is dedicated to raising the
status of technical, practical and vocational learning, so that all
young people have the opportunity to achieve their potential, and
the UK's future workforce is equipped with the skills to be
successful in the modern economy. Edge believes that 'learning by
doing' is as important as academic learning, and that there are
many paths to success. For more information visit www.edge.co.uk
.
About Will
Torrent
For Will
Torrent, chocolate and all things sweet is in the blood. Growing up
around baking, cooking and cake-making, as well as having a chef
for a grandfather, meant it was a natural choice for him to go into
the world of food and specialise in patisserie. Now, by the age of
just 26, Will has already been Young Chef of the Year, represented
his country, and awarded the Acorn Scholar, demonstrated his skills
on television, become a patisserie consultant for Waitrose and an
Ambassador for several high profile products, companies and
bodies.
Will competed as a
specialised patissier and chocolatier at WorldSkills Shizuoka 2007,
under the guidance of Yolande Stanley MCA. He won the coveted
Medallion of Excellence - a first for any British pastry chef and
now works as a UK ambassador to WorldSkills.
Will has also been the winner
of the Academy of Culinary Arts Awards of Excellence, gold at
Salon Culinaire, the Craft Guild of Chefs Young Chef
of the Year and the Acorn Scholar, another first for a pastry chef.
Will is a member of the WorldSkills UK Alumni Advisory Board, a
member of the Craft Guild of Chefs and has judged for the Academy
of Culinary Arts, WorldSkills UK, FutureChef, Springboard and
L'atelier des Chefs.
He is currently developing
his own television series and writing his first book.
For further information, please contact:
info@frdm.co.uk
020 8237 5520
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