Specialist college named ‘Apprenticeship Provider of the Year’
2nd March 2024
Plumpton College says it is delighted to have been announced as the ‘Agriculture, Environmental & Animal Care Apprenticeship Provider of the Year’ at the FE Week & AELP Apprenticeship Awards 2024.
Open to employers and providers across the UK, the awards celebrate excellence in apprenticeship delivery. The awards took place at the Annual Apprenticeship Conference Gala Dinner in Birmingham on 28th February, and is the result of a highly competitive selection process; a record 380 nominations across 20 categories and 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.
Plumpton College says it is the leading land and environment college for the South East, working with employers from across the country providing their apprentices with a dynamic and immersive learning experience. Apprenticeships are delivered by trainers with extensive and up to date industry experience utilising outstanding teaching and learning 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 far exceeds the requirements of their apprenticeship with additional enrichment and skills training available to further enhance their learning experience and personal development. 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.
Growing number of 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. Head of business services, Dan Karlsson comments: “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.”
Facilitating greater links
The college was proud to open its new hub for knowledge exchange and transfer ‘The Agri-Food Centre’ last year to facilitate greater links with the sector it serves. The college now hosts key events for organisations such as WineGB and NFU, as well as organising regional roundtable events for businesses in industries like Butchery, Bakery, Agriculture and Horticulture. Larger conferences include the Future of Farming Conference which is being held for the second time this spring.
There has never been a better time to consider a career in the land and environment sector. The college has its next Open Event on 16th March 2024, 9am–12pm – if you’re considering a future career in this area, why not take the time to visit.
