Skills West Midlands + Warwickshire, the body formed by further education colleges and independent training providers across the region as a one-stop shop for business, has marked its first successful year by presenting Skills Partnership Awards to thirteen employers which have invested in education and training.  

The celebration event, staged at PwC’s offices in Paradise, Birmingham on 7 March 2025, also featured remarks from the Skills Minister, Baroness Smith of Malvern, and the Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker.

Speaking at the event, Suzie Branch-Haddow, chair of the Skills WM+W Steering Group and Vice Principal at BMet, said:

“Skills West Midlands + Warwickshire is bringing two worlds closer together, demystifying the world of further and technical education. Our task is to inspire, to engage with business and to remove barriers – visible or invisible. We’re in the business of offering skills solutions.

“We’re changing the culture around how we work and how we engage with employers. More fundamentally, we’re in the business of changing lives. Not just equipping people with skills and qualifications but giving them the confidence to succeed.”

“I’m so pleased that we’ve recognised some great businesses. What we learn from them is that businesses which are engaged with the FE system experience improved recruitment and retention of staff. In short, business engagement pays dividends and makes our products better.”

Excellence in Skills Partnership Awards winners were:

Winner	Nominated by
Brown and Holmes	South Staffordshire College
Consilium	South and City College
CPW	University College Birmingham
Currys	BMet
Freeflow Pipesystems	Dudley College
hydraPower dynamics	The Sandwell Colleges Group
Marcegaglia	Performance Through People
Midwest Mechanical & Electrical Services	City of Wolverhampton College
Millboard	Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber Training
STS Aviation	Solihull College and University Centre
Thorlux Lighting	Heart of Worcestershire College
Trade Centre	Walsall College
TruTrade	Warwickshire College Group

Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said:

“Skills West Midlands + Warwickshire is showing exactly how the system should work, bringing education providers and businesses together to address skills gaps and create real opportunities for young people and adults alike. Whether students have a clear career path in mind, or are still figuring it out, they need access to high-quality training, work experience and careers advice to help them succeed.

“Through local skills improvement plans and direct collaboration between employers and further education providers, we’re seeing a shift from competition to genuine partnership.

“This joined-up approach doesn’t just fill vacancies, it gives students the confidence, direction and opportunities they need to build successful careers, while strengthening the workforce in the region’s key industries.”

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands added:

“Only by working together can we tackle the unemployment challenge in the West Midlands. By strengthening relationships with employers and improving how we design and deliver training, we can unleash the potential of people and help businesses grow. It’s why it is important to celebrate how Skills West Midlands + Warwickshire is supporting businesses to build the workforce in growth industries of the future.”

Three Innovation Hubs launched across the region, backed by WMCA and Innovate UK, are driving regional business innovation through technology adoption and training for small businesses. Skills WM+W is now part of the West Midlands Digital Skills Consortium addressing the urgent need for a skilled digital workforce in the region. A suite of free, online, modular courses was launched earlier this year to help tackle region’s fundamental leadership and management challenge. Over the next year, Skills West Midlands + Warwickshire aims to increase the number of partnerships with SMEs; increase employer satisfaction in skills and training provision and inspire employers to co-create a suite of training solutions with trusted providers.

Students from Dudley College of Technology’s Aspire Learning programme have been recognised for their biodiversity-boosting action; as part of a nationwide “Let’s Go Zero” campaign, designed to help all UK schools, colleges and nurseries to be zero carbon by 2030.  Funded by the OVO Foundation, Dudley College students have been awarded £200 to kickstart their great green project, which will allow them to plant Wych Elm and Privet Trees across all college campuses, creating an inviting habitat for the white-letter hairstreak butterfly which is an endangered species. This will extend the species recovery work students have contributed to cross Dudley Nature Reserves with the help of the Reserves wardens.

The white-letter hairstreak butterfly gets its name from the white lines that form a “W” shape on its underside. It is an elusive butterfly that became endangered due to the loss of native Elm trees from Dutch Elm Disease. Butterfly monitoring has shown an 87% decline in the UK population of white-letter hairstreak since 1976. It is now only seen from June – July across the Midlands and Oxfordshire, making it one of the rarest butterfly species in the country with a protected status under the 1981 Countryside Act and priority species status under the 2010 Biodiversity Framework.

The college beat hundreds of others to win the prize, which will bring to life their goal to promote biodiversity across the Dudley borough.  

Neil Thomas Chief Executive and Principal of Dudley College of Technology, said:  

“We are delighted to win this Let’s Go Zero and Ovo Foundation Nature Prize. It means we can help show our students and community the importance of cutting our carbon emission and creating spaces for nature. These small actions across the UK add up to making a big difference to climate change.” 

Rosemary Golding the lecturer that supports the prize-winning learners said:  

“Many of these learners have Special Educational Needs, so it is especially rewarding to see their passion for preserving nature being encouraged. The prize money will allow us to plant new saplings which we will nurture over successive years, with new groups of learners.”    

Su Moore, Head of OVO Foundation said: “OVO Foundation are proud to continue supporting the Nature Prize. Through the inventiveness and diversity of the funded projects, we’re truly able to see our mission of a greener, brighter future for the next generation come to life.”  

Alex Green, Head of Let’s Go Zero Campaign, which is led by climate solutions charity, Ashden said: “These 25 schools and colleges have put forward incredible plans to boost the biodiversity in their areas and make sure students have beautiful places to learn, connect with nature and share with their communities. We were so impressed by their plans and enthusiasm and hope they inspire other schools to do the same.”  

Let’s Go Zero and OVO Foundation bring more than 37,000 children closer to nature.  

The OVO Foundation Nature Prize is part of OVO Foundation’s Climate Changers programme launched in 2022.   

Over the last three years, 75 schools taking climate action through the competition have brought more than 37,000 children closer to nature.  This year saw record number of entries.  

The University of Worcester (UW) and Dudley College of Technology (DcoT) are pleased to announce the extension of their existing partnership with the college officially becoming a University Centre. The new agreement will see the two organisations working more closely to provide a growing number of higher education opportunities for learners from Dudley.

Building on the University’s provision already available locally, which includes Nursing, Sports Therapy, Criminology and Assistant Practitioner Health, the Dudley University Centre, will serve as a hub for higher education and training, in a range of additional subject areas.

Welcoming the new agreement; Neil Thomas Chief Executive and Principal of Dudley College of Technology said:

“The collaboration is the natural development of the close working already taking place between the two organisations, as the University of Worcester has been opening up career pathways by delivering a number of programmes locally, including: BSc Adult Nursing and BSc Sports Therapy, enabling students to have access to high quality university provision without the need to travel further afield.”

As part of the agreement, the University of Worcester will fund two annual scholarships worth a £1,000 for Home/EU students who progress from the college’s Level 3 programmes to three-year degree courses at the University of Worcester. These scholarships are designed to act as an incentive for learners of any age to advance in their academic careers, securing a degree and professional qualifications in their chosen discipline. 

Professor David Green CBE DL, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Worcester said:

“The agreement reflects both institutions’ commitment to delivering high-quality education and supporting students through accessible opportunities for progression to higher education. We see the college as a valuable partner and look forward to exploring even greater collaboration with the intended opening of Health Innovation Dudley in 2026.”

The success of the joint working will be reviewed every two years by a Steering Group who will assess the Centre’s effectiveness and ensure the ongoing relevance of the partnership.

The College’s new training hub; specifically for SEND young people to gain valuable work skills, in a supported environment opened in time for Christmas with a grand launch event.  Known as the Aspire Shop, the facility will provide a retail environment in which learners will contribute to the daily running of the shop, taking part in a range of tasks including preparing merchandise, marketing, and working front-of-house. The work experience will be the ideal environment for them to develop their employability skills and prepare them for life after college.

The shop will sell items of clothing, books, games, bags, toys and small items of furniture donated by the college and wider community. With a strong sustainable ethos, it will provide a place for the public wishing to dispose of unwanted items that have life left in them to recycle and re-use.

It will also stock Aspire Works print and craft products, designed and produced by students. These will change seasonally and currently feature Christmas wreaths, gift tags and crafted tree decorations.  To support Dudley residents, the shop aims to tackle food poverty by selling fresh produce grown in our Aspire Gardens at a heavily subsidised rate.

The shop will trade as a Community Interest Company and any profits will be re-invested in resources for Aspire learners, with a part of this being shared between the college’s nominated charities.  

The opening is the culmination of the significant investment (circa £500K) the college has made in the new facility, which has been converted from a conventional house to a purpose-built training hub. 

Social Media content creator Jen Graham, better known as Charity Shop Girl, joined staff and students to open the new venture and get the tills ringing. Jen champions the charity shop sector as an ethical way of shopping and because she loves getting a bargain.   She will be sharing her “haul” online at Instagram charityshopgirlcsg , as part of the ongoing promotion of the shop. 

Recent statistics for adults with a learning disability or autism in paid employment are at 4.8% in England.  Demonstrating there are many individuals who can contribute greatly in the workplace, currently denied that opportunity.

Commenting on the opening of the shop, Dudley College’s Vice Principal Diana Martin said:  “ As a college committed to ensuring all learners have equality of opportunity, we are excited to be able to open this facility that will provide a training environment for over 200 learners per year. It is also a demonstration of our commitment to promoting sustainability , which we are very proud of as an institution.”

The shop will be open daily during term time at the following times

• Monday 13:00pm-15:00pm
• Tuesday 10.00am-15:00pm
• Wednesday 10.00am -12:00am
• Thursday 10.00am -15:00pm
• Friday 10.00am -15:00pm

This week the 2-6^th of December 2024 was national #T Levels Week and there was plenty of activity across college; to celebrate the journey we have been on with these programmes.

Monday kicked off with a visit from Skills Minister Jacqui Smith and Sonia Kumar MP, who came to meet some of the students who have been part of the T Level story here at college. Electrical student Prem Singh made a big impression on the politicians, as he sang his praises both of his experience at college at the way he was treated by colleagues on his work placement with E-ON.  T Level Healthcare student Lacey Shuker also praised her T Level Tutors and shared how much she valued the wider employability skills she had acquired whilst studying for her qualification.

Dudley College was an early adopter of the new T Level programmes when they were launched in September 2020 and we now offer T Levels in sixteen sectors.  

The Minister’s visit coincided with the announcement that more students will be able to access T Level industry placements as the government makes changes to the requirements surrounding the 45 day work placement element of the programme.

The number of students taking T Levels has increased every year since they were launched. Over 16,000 nationally students started a T Level in the 2023/24 academic year – almost as many students as in the first three cohorts combined. At Dudley College our T Level learner numbers have grown in each successive year from launch, with 477 learners currently studying  for a T Level qualification.

During the week we also ran an employer lunch to thank business leaders who have supported us by taking on work placement learners. Firms including R & S Gas Ltd, Mott MacDonald/SYSTRA DJV and Housing 21 , attended a “Thank you“ ceremony organised by the Employer Engagement Team and hosted by Susanne Davies.

To find out more about T levels why not visit our next open day Saturday 11^th January 2025.

Despite a stormy start to the weekend, Dudley College’s Higher Education Graduation Ceremony on Saturday 23rd November proved to be a heartwarming and inspirational celebration. Over 100 students marked the culmination of their academic journeys, receiving well-earned recognition for their hard work and dedication throughout the last academic year. 

Held in the presence of family, friends, and supporters, the event demonstrated the profound impact of education. Students from a variety of disciplines, including Leadership & Management, Animal Science, and Construction, were celebrated for earning their higher qualifications. 

Student representative Emily North eloquently captured the spirit of the day, expressing heartfelt gratitude to both college staff and fellow students for their unwavering support. With a tongue-in-cheek reference to recording off-the-job hours, she perfectly conveyed the sense of relief and delight shared by all graduates who had made it to the end of their programme. 

The ceremony was co-hosted by Chief Executive & Principal Neil Thomas and Chair of the College’s Corporation, Professor Paul Noon. Paul’s address emphasised the theme of the event: the power of partnerships. He spoke of the critical role that collaboration with universities, employers, and industry stakeholders plays in designing higher education programmes that address real-world skills gaps. 

Congratulations to all of our graduates – you inspire us with your determination and achievements, and we look forward to seeing the incredible things you’ll accomplish in the future.  

Relive the memories and download photos from the event by visiting: Higher Awards Ceremony 2024 | Flickr 

Companies across the West Midlands who have led efforts to create career opportunities for young people with disabilities have been praised by education leaders at a special awards ceremony.

The inaugural West Midlands Supported Internships Event, held on Monday at Shoosmiths in Birmingham, brought together colleges and some of the region’s biggest employers for a celebration of job creation for students with special education needs.

The event was arranged by Skills West Midlands & Warwickshire (SkillsWMW), a collaboration of further education (FE) training providers and colleges across the region working together to forge links between the regional business community and FE sector.

Delegates heard about innovative partnerships which were delivering both invaluable work experience placements and paid employment opportunities for young people who had successfully completed a supported internship programme.

Colleges nominated employer partners for recognition awards and Ricardo Mantovani, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of BNP Paribas Personal Finance, delivered an inspirational keynote speech where he talked about his own struggle with profound dyslexia.

The award-winners were:

• GMI – nominated by South and City Birmingham College
• Savills – nominated by Dudley College
• Webbs – nominated by Heart of Worcestershire College
• HSBC – nominated by Queen Alexandra College
• Compton Verny – nominated by Solihull College
• Eastside Rooms – nominated by Halesowen College
• Black Country Living Museum – nominated by Halesowen College
• Low Hill Nursery – nominated by City of Wolverhampton College
• Whitbread – nominated by Hereward College

Suzie Branch-Haddow, Chair of SkillsWMW and Vice-Principal at BMet College and Paul Cook MBE, CEO and Principal of Hereward College in Coventry, hosted the event. Paul said: “Recent research by Mencap showed that little over a quarter of the 800,000-plus working age adults with a learning disability in the UK are in paid work, when 86 per cent of survey respondents who did not have a paid job said they would like one.

“The employers receiving awards at the West Midlands Supported Internships Event are bucking this trend, working closely with colleges with SEND learners to create the work experience placements and job opportunities they crave.

“And they are reaping the rewards for doing so; the feedback we receive from our employer partners is superb. At Hereward College, one of our key employers is Whitbread, whose Premier Inn chain has enjoyed a retention rate of more than 90 per cent from the recruitment of former supported interns.”

During the event, representatives of the award-winning firms talked about their pioneering projects.

They include Savills Merry Hill Centre who have been instrumental in helping young people with SEND access the world of work. Retail Liaison Manager Christina Martin has offered a variety of work-based events ranging from tours of departments, work experience activities and mock-interview sessions. The joint initiative with Dudley College has led to interns being offered full-time employment, which they remain in with Savills today.

The awards were made by the team at Birmingham mental health charity Better Pathways, which supports people with learning disabilities into employment within a social enterprise structure.

The new £7m study centre opened on Saturday 12th October at 11am

Dudley College of Technology was thrilled to welcome TV wildlife expert Meg McCubbin, best known as presenter of Springwatch and Animal Park, to openits new Animal Study Centre on Saturday 12^th October, welcoming, students, visitors and wildlife enthusiasts alike.

Located as part of the College’s Broadway site the Animal Study Centre is designed to foster collaboration between students, employers and charities working to put animal welfare at the heart of what they do. It will also provide an expanded curriculum offer to allow local people to study new subjects such as dog hydrotherapy and grooming.

At the centre of what’s on offer in the new facility will be an expansion in full-time study programmes that prepare learners for carers in zoology, animal management and wildlife conservation. New T level routes in animal science will allow the college to offer pathways for learners wanting to become veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons.

The new purpose-built Animal Studies Centre at the college is the result of a £7m investment that has allowed a huge expansion in the range of animals on site. There is an increased numbers of small mammas such as rabbits and hamsters, more reptiles including chameleons and bearded dragons as well as exotics such as chinchillas and sugar gliders, all allowing learners to get hands on handling experience.   

Learners will also now be able to expand their skills in creating and maintaining animal habitats within the new enclosures and temperature-controlled environments. These in turn will allow them to use industry standard equipment similar to those found in pet shops, zoos animal sanctuaries.

Future plans for the Centre starting in 2026 include opening a canine set up, combining dog grooming, dog hydrotherapy and physiotherapy facilities where handlers will use treadmills and “dry handling” techniques to rehabilitate animals with sprains, breaks and joint injuries. And the new resources will allow more adults to gain knowledge and qualifications in animal behaviour, pet sitting, and animal first aid, through short courses awarded by iPet and delivered by the college.

For younger animal lovers there will summer programmes allowing them to learn about and love animals even more. 

The opening provided an opportunity for staff at the college to thank the many supporters who have backed the developments including Dudley Zoo, Lucky Bunny Rescue, Proteus Reptiles and Brookswood Animal Sanctuary who have not only donated their time and expertise but also a small number of animals they needed to re-home.

Dudley Sixth A Level awards ceremony took place on the evening of Thursday 5th September with The Evolve theatre  acting as the venue in which Curriculum Manager; Ben France and Dudley 6^th staff, warmly welcomed back a large number of our A Level students who left in the summer. Many parents and relatives also attended as proud guests of the award nominees.  

Our former students received special awards, in each of the A level subjects we offer, with award winners being chosen by their subject tutors. This led to some very heartfelt moments when staff spoke directly to their winners explaining how they had chosen them as deserving of the prize, often in a field of high achieving peers. The unwavering commitment and consistent effort of learners was often cited as the reason for their award but so too were a variety of other reasons, for instance Ravneet Kaur was the outstanding winner of the French prize because she secure 120/120 marks in her speaking examination, a feat unheard of for a non-native speaker of the language. Kimran Dudley (English Literature winner) was commended for the five practice essays she would submit each week for her tutor to mark and Tripat Sagoo (Law winner) for her whole round contribution to Dudley Sixth as a very active Ambassador, helping on open days with her easy ability to connect with visitors and talk passionately about her subject. Xiao Wang (Physics winner) was described as a “gifted student” whose quiet demeanour belied his exceptional ability.  

As Master of Ceremonies Ben brought the event to a conclusion alluding to his own discipline of Philosophy saying that whilst “You can never predict the future, he was willing to stick his neck out and predict each and every one of the students there would go on to achieve amazing things.”  

The ceremony was preceded by drinks and canapés, provided by Stir Catering team. 

 Pictures from the evening can be found in our Flickr album here.

In 2020 Dudley College of Technology was one of the first providers across the country to offer the brand-new T Levels after being part of a pilot group.

This summer T Level students have finished their courses with a 98% pass rate in all T levels and a 20% of all learners achieving distinctions.

And an amazing 50% of all grades in the T level in Education and Early Years achieved a Distinction grade and 43% of all grades for the T level in Health were achieved at Distinction grade.

Commenting on the performance of T level learners Principal and Chief Executive of Dudley College of Technology: Neil Thomas said:

“We were among the first providers in the country to offer these brilliant new qualifications, and it has been fantastic to see how they have been embraced by young people and the employers who helped to design them. It is great to see our students performing so strongly as it demonstrates that for learners who like the blend of classroom study and work experience, these really are the way to move their career aspirations forward.”

Describing the expansion of T level programmes at the College Neil said:

“This September, the College will be offering T level programmes in 20 sector areas including: Accountancy, Engineering, Construction, Cyber Security and Laboratory Science. Feedback from students who study on these programmes has been very positive, so we continue to expand our delivery.

There is much talk in the education sector about curriculum reform but it is clear that T levels have established themselves as valued qualifications and have the backing of the new government.”

A key element of T Levels is the compulsory 45 day industry placement that allows learners to gain valuable real-world insight into what a career in that sector would be like and allows employers to ensure there will be a skilled and committed future work force for their sector.

Commenting on the T level learners they provided work experience for Tina Farnell, Talent Partner at Dudley Council said:

“Offering a work experience place to a T level learner has allowed us to promote the authority as an employer of choice and to look at building the workforce of the future.   Looking to recruit staff who really want to work in our environment.  At Dudley MBC we have during the past year taken learners into our Digital and Administrative Teams. With feedback from managers being extremely positive, so much so, we are looking to expand on the T Level subjects and number of learners we will be taking next year.”

There was also success for learners on BTEC Vocational programmes with a 92% pass rate for all Level 3 vocational results.

And for Mechanical Engineering student Alex Round it was an especially memorable day as he secured a triple Distinction grade in his BTEC Level 3 Diploma. Celebrating his success he said:

“I have thoroughly enjoyed the last two years of my course, and the Engineering facilities are excellent. I’d advise other students not to put too much pressure on yourself but to enjoy studying, choose something you enjoy, and you will do well.”

Alex is now planning to move to Scotland to work as he has secured a Nuclear Science Engineering Apprenticeship with BAE.  Dudley College of Technology is now recruiting for T level and Vocational programmes starting this September.

Pictures from the day can be seen in our Flickr album.