Truro and Penwith College apprentices are officially among the highest achieving in England according to new Government data.
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Apprentices at Truro and Penwith College are officially among the highest achieving learners at General Further Education Colleges (GFECs) in England, according to new Government data.
The latest national Apprenticeship Achievement Rate figures published by the Department for Education (DfE) on Thursday place learners at Truro and Penwith College third in England, reaching an incredible Achievement Rate of 74.2% in the 2023/24 academic year.
Only bettered by two GFECs across the country, the Achievement Rate met by the College’s apprentices is almost 15% above the national average of 60.5%.
Quality and success in apprenticeship training is improving nationally with the average Achievement Rate up 6% from 54% in 2022/23, leading to an open letter from Jacqui Smith, Minister for Skills, to thank the Education sector for its efforts.
With a highly regarded Achievement Rate of 62.7% in 2022/23, Truro and Penwith College’s increase in apprenticeship achievement to 74.2%, far exceeds national success.
Earlier this month Truro and Penwith College was crowned the UK’s top provider of apprenticeship training, scooping the Apprenticeship Provider of the Year award at the National Apprenticeship and Training Awards (ATAs) in Liverpool.
Competition was fierce with over 600 nominations received from employers and training providers across the country and the College coming out on top in a group of four category finalists including, Cardiff and Vale College, Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service and Salford City College Group.
The recognition comes after the College was one of only five Further Education Colleges to be awarded ‘Apprenticeship Expert’ status by the DfE in 2024, allowing the College to inform and influence apprenticeship policy to best serve the needs of learners and employers across Cornwall’s key industries.
A team of Ofsted inspectors recently rated the College’s apprenticeship provision the top possible grade of ‘Outstanding’ at its latest inspection stating: “Apprentices thrive in an outstanding training environment, growing in ambition and pride through training closely aligned with industry needs, supported by strong collaboration between staff and employers”.
Hayley McKinstry, Director of Partnerships and Apprenticeships at Truro and Penwith College commented: “We are absolutely thrilled and incredibly proud of our learners for achieving these nationally leading Achievement Rates, that culminate an unprecedented period of recognition for our Outstanding apprenticeship offer here at Truro and Penwith College.
“The College constantly strives to deliver the highest quality, career-driven qualifications and opportunities that encourage our students to Look, Reach and Go Further. These Achievement Rates are a testament to all the hard work of our students, staff and the top employers across Cornwall that support our curriculum and ongoing development of our state-of-the-art, industry-standard facilities that will benefit local learners for many years to come”.
The College has seen significant development of its facilities in recent years with the construction of its multi-million-pound Valency Building in Truro and STEM and Health Skills Centre in Bodmin providing first-class facilities for Engineering, Digital and Health along with new Electric Vehicle Labs at its Penzance and Truro campus where work is soon to be complete on a £1.7 million-pound upgrade to Construction teaching spaces.
Applications are open for learners seeking to start their quality apprenticeship career at truro-penwith.ac.uk/apprenticeships.
