Deeside College has been recognised as the best place in Wales to train as a Modern Apprentice.
The college picked up the ‘Modern Apprenticeship Provider ‘ award at this year’s prestigious Modern Apprenticeship Awards Wales 09. The award acknowledges a training provider’s commitment to offering quality training to clients and demonstrates how the services provided positively impact on the client’s success.
The Modern Apprenticeship Awards Wales 2009 is managed by the Welsh Assembly Governments Department of Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS), and showcases modern apprentices, businesses and learning providers that have made outstanding contributions to education and training in Wales.
Deeside College has trained more than 4,000 apprentices in the past five years and describes its approach to Modern Apprentice training as ‘Innovation in practice’. The college works with over 1,600 companies of which 90% are Small, Medium Enterprises (SMEs) operating in a broad range of sectors including Finance, Engineering and Manufacturing, Food Manufacture, Health Care, Hairdressing and Beauty, Retail, Construction and Catering. Through participation in EU projects, apprentices have acquired new skills: via engineering links with UPM Paper at Shotton and its sister company in Germany, Airbus in the UK and in Germany, and industrial partnerships with Global Lift in Spain and Knauf Insulation in Germany. Apprentices also take part in the college’s entrepreneurship programme which includes involvement with the Stock Market Challenge Business Game.
Local businesses such as OpTIC Glyndwr Ltd, Kent Periscopes and DSG Electronics have helped apprentices gain valuable specialist skills and knowledge in the areas of electronics and opto-electronics, improving their overall career prospects and giving them a wider perspective on future job opportunities in the region and worldwide.
Speaking after collecting the award, Deeside College Principal Mr David Jones said: “We are delighted to have won the prestigious accolade of Wales’ best provider of Modern Apprenticeships. We have excellent relationships and strong partnerships with employers of all sizes throughout North Wales and beyond. These links are helping to create exciting job and training opportunities for prospective apprentices. I’d like to congratulate all staff involved in the delivery of Modern Apprenticeships at Deeside College. This award is testament to their hard work and commitment to ensuring that we deliver high quality training to apprentices at Deeside College.
