While preparations are being finalised across the country to celebrate national Apprenticeship Week, Exeter College has scooped an early accolade in being crowned Apprenticeship Employer Gold Award winner in the Apprenticeships4England Training Provider finals held at the Grand Connaught Rooms Hotel, London last night.

The Awards give organisations the chance to be recognized and rewarded for their commitment, hard work, achievements and success in delivering Apprenticeship programmes in England and the college beat off Stafford, Walsall, North Herts and Burnley colleges to the top spot.

“We’re really proud that our committed approach to apprenticeships has been recognized in this way and this reflects all the hard work of our apprentices, supportive employers and teams of staff.” said Mike Blakeley head of business solutions and enterprise at the college “We have over 1,000 apprentices across 33 pathways in seven sectors having grown nearly 40% with success rates averaging over 83% in the last three years – 16% over the national average. ”

“It is critical to us that every apprentice receives outstanding support, encouragement and motivation at every stage and we focus our delivering an apprenticeship programme that exceeds their expectations, adapting the training and delivery to suit individual apprentices’ needs. We could not have achieved this award without our local and regional employers who help our apprentices gain successful, long term employment. ”

“Employers appreciate the quality that this award recognizes and a record number of Exeter-based businesses are recruiting apprentices with well over 100 current vacancies for apprentices with Exeter College.”

“Apprenticeships are a fantastic training model and hugely important to commercial success.” said Simon Charles, group human resources and health and safety director Flybe at the college’s skills awards event. “They give young people the chance to work for a real employer, earn a real salary, gain a real qualification through Exeter College and, importantly, to learn valuable life skills.

“This award has capped an amazing 12 months for Exeter College, said Ian Fitzpatrick, assistant principal. “This follows our Ofsted outstanding grade in January 2014 placing us in the top 10 16-18 providers with our national status further enhanced by being awarded BTEC School/College of the Year 2014/15. Our apprenticeship programmes are a crucial area of work for the college and using feedback from our employers, the forums and the apprentices themselves we are committed to continuously improving how they are delivered for the benefit of the apprentice and particularly the local employers. Our economy is dependent on up to date skills across so many business and service sectors and the role of apprenticeships are central to this.”

The celebrations will be continuing throughout the national Apprenticeship Week next week with an Apprenticeship Expo, sponsored by the local apprenticeship forum and hosted at the college’s Technology Centre on March 12th comprising of 50 local and regional employers keen to profile their work with apprentices and showcasing vacancies for the future. And it’s not just apprentices that are getting information and advice about their future. Students from across the college will also benefit from a range of careers and employment activities during the college’s dedicated progression and employability month of March delivering a number of activities throughout the Prepare for Work initiative.