STAFF, students and apprentices at Warwick Trident College held a celebration event to welcome the arrival of a prestigious prize which recognises its engineering training.
WCG, formerly Warwickshire College Group, was presented with The Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education last month – and for the first-time staff and students at the college were given a chance to see the award.
The prize was awarded to the college group for its pioneering work in the engineering sector at its three centres of engineering excellence in Warwick, Rugby College and Evesham College.
Angela Joyce, CEO of WCG, showed staff and students the prize which had been presented to her by Prince Charles in a ceremony at St James’s Palace.
It is the first stop in the college group’s plans to take the prize around all of its colleges in Warwickshire and Worcestershire, allowing staff to see the reward for their work in developing engineering sector training over the last 25 years.
Warwick Trident College was at the centre of the college group’s training programme with Jaguar Land Rover and now works with a range companies to train their apprentices.
Angela Joyce said: “Warwick Trident College has been right at the heart of our continued success in engineering, so it was a pleasure to be able to bring the Queen’s Anniversary Prize to the college and share it with our staff and students.
“The work we have done at Warwick Trident College over the last 25 years with our pioneering approach to employer-led engineering training was a vital aspect in winning the prize.
“We will be taking the prize around all of our colleges to allow people who have contributed to the award to celebrate their success.”
Warwick Trident College student Dillon Hagan, a rail engineering technician apprentice with Alstom, accompanied WCG to St James’ Palace on the day the college received the prize.
Dillon said: “I was nervous, of course, but getting to talk to the people from WCG about my story settled the nerves. Before I knew it, I was deep in conversation with Prince Charles!
“I would like to thank the college for the opportunity to represent them at the ceremony. It’s something I will never forget.”
