Big Win at Awards Night for our Apprenticeship Provision

We are delighted to have been declared winners of the Apprenticeship Award – HE/FE sector at the Educate North Awards.

The event, held at Old Trafford Cricket Ground crowned a great evening in which we received superb recognition for all the hard work, dedication, and excellence shown over the last year.

Assistant Principal – Employment & Skills, Kendra Heyes said: “Winning this award is a proud moment for our college. It reflects the exceptional leadership shown across our apprenticeship delivery that’s driven real growth, widening participation, increasing achievement, and creating genuine social mobility opportunities across the North.”

The college has faced a challenging apprenticeship landscape, with declining national trends, especially for 16-18 apprenticeships.

Despite this, our aim was to increase participation, particularly among young people and underrepresented groups, while addressing local and regional skills gaps in high-priority sectors such as engineering, construction, care and professional services.

“In a challenging national climate, seeing a 47% rise in 16–18 engagement demonstrates what is possible when innovation and purpose come together,” added Kendra.

“We share this success with our employer partners, 73% of whom are SMEs, whose collaboration allows us to deliver truly tailored solutions. Together, we’ve transformed our apprenticeship offer through innovative, employer-led programmes that respond directly to regional skills gaps and open doors for more people to succeed.”