Students at North Kent College dialled into one of the coldest parts of the world recently to hear from a former student working in Antarctica.
The Level 2 Catering students spoke live to Jacob Sarsam, who is Head Chef at the BAS Rothera Research Station on the Antarctica Peninsula. Jacob discussed the ins and outs of day-to-day life at the Station, his career journey to working there, his time at the College and more.
"It was a real pleasure getting to share my experiences of working in Antarctica with students at North Kent,” said Jacob. “Going to College has done a lot for me, and it helped me build a skillset that aided me in achieving my goal of working in the Antarctic. Most of all, I hope that the students saw something new and interesting, and that they saw just how far their skills can take them."
Duncan Weetman, Head of Curriculum – Culinary Academy at North Kent College, added: “What a great inspiration for our current students. Jacob showed them what a fantastic opportunity is available to them after they have completed their studies. We hope to see him, again next year!”
Top: Jacob Sarsam ventures outside in Antarctica.
Bottom: The dining area at the BAS Rothera Research Station
The talk took place using one of the College’s immersive classrooms. These high-tech classrooms allow external lecturers and guest speakers to beam in remotely, rather than attending the College, to give a talk, with students also able to ask Jacob questions
The immersive classrooms are fully interactive, and include digital whiteboards, so the students can ask questions and engage fully in the talk or a lesson as if they were in the room with a lecturer or speaker.
Each room also allows ultra-high-definition video presentations to be shared, and features motion tracking cameras with high-quality two-way audio that allows for natural conversations between rooms, no matter where the participant is standing.
Each of North Kent College’s four campuses at Dartford, Gravesend, Hadlow and Tonbridge, host an immersive classroom.
North Kent College offers several hospitality and catering courses at its Tonbridge and Gravesend campuses.
Students benefit from industry standard kitchens and service areas, The Gallery and The View restaurants which are open to the public, and highly equipped classrooms.
To find out more about studying hospitality and catering at North Kent College, visit the Hospitality and Catering section of the College website.