Plumpton College has been named as apprenticeship provider of the year

The awards celebrate excellence in apprenticeship delivery, and took place at the Annual Apprenticeship Conference Gala Dinner in Birmingham on Wednesday, February 28. The competitive awards received a record 380 nominations across 20 categories, resulting in just 21 winners.

This is the second year in a row that the college has been nationally recognised for its apprenticeship provision having been a winner at last year’s awards for the specific work in supporting the butchery industry.

Head of Business Services Dan Karlsson said: “For a college of our size to win in consecutive years across two different categories is a huge achievement and a real validation of our apprenticeship offer. The majority of our apprenticeships fall under this route, providing us with a fabulous opportunity to highlight our best in class practices across many different standards.

"Our success is driven by our whole college commitment to maintaining collaborative partnerships with employers and the industries we represent to ensure apprentices receive an outstanding and immersive learning experience. The land-based industries are critical to the future prosperity of our country and the college has a key role in supporting them in recruiting and training their existing and future workforce in the current and future skills that are so desperately in demand.”

Apprenticeships are delivered by trainers with extensive and up to date industry experience, with facilities which include a commercial farm and vineyard, horticulture visitor attraction and animal management centre.

Programmes are designed to provide apprentices with a level of practical and theoretical teaching that exceeds the requirements of their apprenticeship, with additional enrichment and skills training available.

This includes a dedicated maths and English functional skills and additional learning support departments and extra sessions on subjects such as sustainability, entrepreneurship and equality and diversity available to apprentices.

The number of apprentices trained by the college has grown consistently year on year, more than doubling in the last four years, with an exceptional achievement rate of 96% in the last year.

The college has its next open event on March 16, 9am to 12pm.