Education and Training
WCG receives prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in Engineering
WCG has been awarded The Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in recognition of its work in the engineering sector. The prestigious award recognises WCG for how it has developed future engineers through innovation and partnership over the last quarter of a century.
Angela Joyce, CEO of WCG, represented the College at a Prize Winners Reception held at St James Palace where the 2020-2022 Winners were announced. WCG delivers engineering courses at three of its colleges, Warwick Trident College, Rugby College and Evesham College.
The college has established itself as a leading provider of engineering apprenticeships in the Midlands and across the UK. It was a pioneer of employer-centric educational provision, which is now being widely adopted by other institutions under the Government’s new skills strategy.
The Queen’s Anniversary Prize also recognised that 95 per cent of full-time students at the college successfully made it to their first-choice destination after leaving and in 2020, the college broke national records for end-point assessment pass rates for its landbased engineering apprentices.
It has grown its engineering apprentice numbers from 40 in 1996 to 1,195 in 2021 and has placed a focus on working directly with major employers to ensure its provision matches the ever-changing needs of industry.
If you and your business would like to work with WCG to recruit and train up apprentices, please get in touch with WCG’s Business Development Team:
This has included creating bespoke training programmes for major companies including Jaguar Land Rover, AGCO, Royal Mail, Babcock, Alstom, Siemens and Telent.
T: 0330 135 6940 E: employerenquiries@wcg.ac.uk
It is now in a position to build on the success of its engineering full-time courses and apprenticeships and further its position in the Higher Education sector after becoming the first college group in the UK to gain Bachelor Degree Awarding Powers.
Supported interns benefitting from partnership with National Grid A partnership between WCG and National Grid is helping students get ahead by gaining invaluable workplace experience and transferable skills as it enters its fifth year. Three students at WCG have all started supported internships at the electricity and gas utility company’s Warwick office. Olly, Dan and Ethan have already completed their first research project to develop their understanding of the business and wider industry. The trio presented their findings to National Grid management and to WCG’s Director of Schools, Re-engagement and SEND, Louise Ball. The supported internships scheme at WCG is aimed at young people aged 16-25 who have learning difficulties and disabilities. The partnership between the college’s supported learning team and National Grid grew out of the company’s EmployAbility programme – which aims
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at helping people with learning difficulties develop skills to gain paid employment. National Grid and WCG’s partnership is now in its fifth year and Louise Ball says it has already helped many young people to reach their full potential: “This partnership has already secured paid employment for a number of previous interns and no doubt it will result in more successes in the future.” WCG provides a dedicated job coach to support interns during their time with a company, which is government funded and free to the employer. WCG is looking to partner with more businesses to help deliver supported internships and work experience.
Employers interested in finding out more about supported internships and how they can support students into employment should email Dave Evans, Work Experience and Supported Internships Coordinator at WCG, on devans@wcg.ac.uk For more information, visit www.wcg.ac.uk/supportedinternships To find out about the EmployAbility programme, visit www.employabilityletsworktogether.com
Partnerships are being sought with businesses of all sizes and across a range of sectors, including catering, hospitality, customer services, office administration, warehousing, manufacturing, animal care, horticulture and more.
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