THIS week marks the start of Colleges Week 2009 – a national campaign aimed at showcasing the work done by higher education institutions.

Local colleges including Brockenhurst College in the New Forest are taking part in the week-long event.

Bosses at the campus are holding a presentation event to mark the 1000th successful participant in a scheme aimed at developing the skills of employees through NVQs and apprenticeships, called Train to Gain.

Rebecca Cronin who works at Bournemouth International Airport will be presented with her award today.

The college is also launching a competition inspired by Colleges Week to encourage students to think like a boss and submit a short film or photo essay themed around “What would you do if you were running Brock for a day?”

The competition is being supported by the Daily Echo and will invite students to put together an imaginative piece based on what changes they would make if they were in charge of the campus.

Derek Mather, director of adult skills and higher education, said: “Our Business Services team are recognised for their high quality, flexible and responsive employer training provision, so it is great to see that our NVQ courses are having such an impact.

“As a College we strongly believe that learning has the power to unlock potential, transform lives and improve business performance, which is why we decided to take part in this year’s Colleges Week.”