Fareham College shortlisted at the Tes FE Awards 2019

Tes FE editor Stephen Exley said: 

“Excellent practice exists right across the further education sector, and those shortlisted for the Tes FE Awards are the cream of the crop. Our judges were extremely impressed with the calibre of entries.

“We had more entries for this year’s categories than ever before, and the standard was higher than ever. To be shortlisted is an extraordinary achievement.”

Nigel Duncan, Principal of Fareham College, added:

“At Fareham College we recognise the important role apprenticeships play in supporting industry and equipping young people with the confidence and technical skills to succeed in the workplace. In recent years, we have invested significantly in apprenticeships provision, which has resulted in nearly 1000 apprentices now studying annually at the College.

“I’m extremely proud of the success of our apprenticeship programme and its strong reputation among businesses, and am delighted this has led to it being shortlisted for this prestigious award.”

The innovative Civil Engineering and Groundworks Apprenticeship (CEGA) was created in response to a regional skills shortage resulting from an aging workforce, a boom in new-build projects and current insufficient levels of training, all believed to be hindering civil engineering growth and expansion in the south of England.

To tackle the problem head-on, a group of 11 local civil engineering employers set up the Solent Civil Engineering Employers Group (SCEEG) in conjunction with Fareham College to create a training programme that would address these issues, support the construction industry across the region and beyond, and have a positive economic impact through creating more job opportunities.

The result of this collaboration has been the design of a purpose-built civil engineering training centre comprising a two-acre simulated construction-site, tailored to the delivery of a specialist employer-led Civil Engineering and Groundworks Apprenticeship programme.

The curriculum enables participants to develop the skills needed to work on a variety of construction sites, and get paid a competitive wage while gaining a recognised qualification.

Surrounded by the resources, machinery and materials found in fully operational building sites, apprentices are based at the Civil Engineering Training Centre (CETC) for a 20-week initial training period to ensure they are ‘site ready’ and armed with the relevant skills, certifications and licences to hit the ground running when they fulfil the rest of their apprenticeship with one of the consortium’s member employers.

It also incorporates ride on roller and forward tipping dumper training. The Centre will be delivering a wider range of training programmes for the civil engineering industry when phase two opens in 2019.

The winners will be revealed at a gala awards evening at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London on Friday 22 March 2019.

Fareham College is judged ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, the highest ranking available and has recently been named FE College of the Year by the Times Educational Supplement.

The College offers an exceptional learning environment and is a centre of excellence for teaching and learning. With a wide choice of subjects, £29 million of campus developments and excellent success rates, Fareham College is the first choice for ambitious students looking for the very best professional and technical training to set them on the path to a rewarding career or higher education.