College wins gold and silver on global stage

Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC) recently scooped two prestigious awards at the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics’ (WFCP) World Congress in Donostia-San Sebastián, the Basque Country (Spain).

Dawn Ward CBE DL, Chief Executive and Principal of BSDC and Chair of the WFCP won gold in the Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion category, which seeks to recognize a WFCP leader who has exhibited an outstanding commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, and has demonstrated exemplary contributions to developing a diverse and welcoming culture where everyone can thrive.

Meanwhile, the College took silver in the Global Citizenship category, an award that recognises an institution or institutional association that has demonstrated its commitment to providing the best experiences and exemplary strategies and tools to prepare students for global citizenship.

The World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics Awards of Excellence recognise and celebrate outstanding contributions and accomplishments in the global colleges and polytechnics sector. They are an opportunity to shine a light on exceptional initiatives that strengthen applied learning and research outcomes.

The awards were part of the WFCP’s World Congress event where practitioners from colleges throughout the world gathered to share practice and learn from each other. This included sessions on cyber security and construction and sustainability, led by BSDC staff.

Staff attending the World Congress were also given the opportunity to visit TKNIKA, the Basque Country’s centre for vocational excellence and applied research, to see this facility in practice and to hear about how it informs and shapes teaching pedagogy across the region. They also attended two days of the congress, which covered a number of important areas via keynote speakers on themes such as sustainability, equality and diversity and the importance of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) globally.

In addition, two BSDC learners attended the week long ‘Youth Camp’, which brought together 25 learners from across the world to look at some of the key challenges and issues facing education and how these could be resolved. The learners then had to present to the delegates at the end of the conference, sharing their ideas on how to tackle some of these issues.

Dawn Ward CBE DL said: “We are delighted to have been presented with awards in recognition of our work to champion equity, diversity and inclusion at all levels, and to provide learners with international opportunities, ensuring they develop vital employability skills for success in the global workplace. The World Congress event provided an excellent opportunity for our employees to learn from their global peers and share best practice. Our students also did an excellent job representing the College and delivering an insightful presentation to delegates. It was wonderful to see them grow in confidence throughout the week, developing their global mind-sets further.”