Hopwood Hall's royal award

Rochdale has been given the royal seal of approval after Hopwood Hall College and University Centre picked up the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize.

It was Queen Camilla who did the honours when she presented the award during a special ceremony held at Buckingham Palace.

Her Majesty was joined by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester as she welcomed college staff to the platform at the royal residence.

These team members then proudly accepted the accolade, which instantly became the jewel in the crown of Hopwood Hall College.

The Queen’s Anniversary Prize is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon a further education college and is awarded biennially to only a select number of institutions across the nation.

Hopwood – which has campuses in Middleton and Rochdale – earned the accolade in recognition of its amazing results in widening participation for 16-18 year olds from marginalised communities.

In particular, it was celebrated for its success in embedding a pioneering trauma-informed framework across its campuses.

Thankfully the public won’t have to wait long to experience this award-winning college for themselves. Hopwood will be throwing open its doors for an ‘Access All Areas’ Open Event from 4:30pm – 6.30pm on Thursday 18th April 2024.

Those in attendance can look forward to seeing state of the art facilities, as well as hearing from the expert tutors who are skilled at bringing out the best in every student.

Visitors will be able to explore the full range of courses on offer, which for school leavers includes the game-changing T-Levels and other vocational study options.

In addition, there is plenty in store for adult learners who are looking to gain new skills and boost their career prospects – including pathways at the college’s thriving University Centre.

Just a few months later, Hopwood will once again welcome visitors when it holds its popular Community Fun Day. Last year’s event was attended by almost 2,000 people and this year’s event promises to be just as exciting when it takes place on Saturday 8 June 2024.

BURNHAM’S BIG VISIT

With so much going on at Hopwood Hall College and University Centre, of course it was time for another visit from the Mayor of Greater Manchester.

Andy Burnham made a beeline for the college’s new Green Skills and Utilities Hub where students are gaining the most cutting edge skills around hydrogen, wind turbines, renewable energy and other emerging industries.

The mayor even had the opportunity to meet with pipeline inspector apprentices who work for IACS and are receiving their apprenticeship training at Hopwood Hall.

These individuals are on a training salary of £28,000 and are believed to be amongst the highest paid Level 3 apprentices in the country – so it was a very valuable experience for Andy to be able to hear how much they’re enjoying their time at the college.