Plymouth Delegation Visit Buckingham Palace to Receive Prestigious Award

A delegation representing City College Plymouth will attend Buckingham Palace this month to pick up a prestigious award.

The College is one of only a handful of educational establishments to be awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Further and Higher Education each year.

This accolade – considered the highest national honour in the sector – is testament to the College’s outstanding contributions to the training and advancement of the nation’s maritime skills.

On Thursday 22 February, the College’s Chief Executive, Jackie Grubb, Chair of Governors, Richard Stevens, along with student support staff, lecturers, and key employers will travel to London to be presented with the esteemed Queen’s Anniversary prize medal and certificate. It is hoped King Charles will make the presentation.

The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes are part of the UK’s national Honours system, recognising outstanding work by UK colleges and universities which demonstrate excellence, innovation and deliver real benefits to the wider world. 

In recent years, City College Plymouth has demonstrated a strong commitment by making significant investments in facilities and enhancing training opportunities for maritime skills, benefiting international employers based in the city. The selection committee, when awarding the Queen’s Anniversary Prize, specifically commended the positive impact of our Centre of Higher Technical Innovation and Maritime Skills in advancing fundamental marine skills within the sector.

Serving Plymouth’s marine enterprise zone, the Centre trains students on the latest marine technologies, including those used for sheet cutting, mould-making, 3D printing and surface carving. An innovative wave flume also facilitates education in autonomous vehicles and marine technology. 

The award also praised the College’s close collaborations with marine sector employers to ensure students receive the relevant skills, from design to prototyping, demanded of this rapidly evolving field.

First awarded in 1994, the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes are granted every two years by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister following a rigorous and independent process of review carried out by The Royal Anniversary Trust, an independent charity. 

“I am immensely proud and delighted that the College’s expertise and commitment to developing skills has been recognised as an example of excellence, and honoured with the Queen’s Anniversary Prize,” said Jackie Grubb, City College Plymouth’s Chief Executive. 

“The College’s strategic intent has underpinned our close relationship with employers locally, regionally and nationally and this award is a real testament to the ongoing hard work of our dedicated staff and our employer partners who provide so much opportunity in our great naval city. Plymouth Marine Laboratories, Babcock International, Princess Yachts, and MSubs play a pivotal role in enriching our maritime skills curriculum, offering students and apprentices unique training opportunities. The Queen’s Anniversary Prize recognises this collaborative effort and is, therefore, an accolade the College shares with Britain’s Ocean City.”