Dudley College celebrated the exceptional contributions of its employer partners at the first-ever Employer Recognition Awards, held at the Black Country Living Museum.

Taking place during T Levels Week, the event celebrated the outstanding contributions employers make to the education of learners at Dudley College and The Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology. Individuals and organisations who go above and beyond to support students through work placements, mentoring, Apprenticeships, internships, and more, were celebrated. The event also showcased the vital role employers play in developing technical skills and nurturing future talent.

The ceremony was hosted by Doug Gordon – an award-winning speaker, and Irish radio presenter,– who opened the evening with an inspiring talk on leadership and success.

Speakers included Susanne Davies, Director of Partnerships & Employer Engagement at Dudley College, who talked about the importance of developing technical skills, and Natalie Jones, Head of Talent at National Highways, who reflected on why investing in skills is crucial for business growth and praised the strong partnership the organisation has enjoyed with Dudley College over the years.

Reflecting on the evening, Diana Martin, Chief Executive and Principal of the Dudley College said:
“The awards showcased the investment West Midlands businesses are making in developing the skills of their current and future workforces and it was fantastic to see so many come together to recognise these achievements. It was a wonderful evening and an opportunity for the college to show its appreciation to all of the businesses who work with us and our students, to enrich their education and put them on the right career path.”

Susanne Davies, Director of Partnerships & Employer Engagement at Dudley College added:
“We are incredibly grateful to our exceptional employer partners for their long-term vision and ongoing support of learners across our region. Everyone is a worthy winner because they are proving that skilled hands and minds build our future.”

A selection of images from the celebration can be viewed here. 

Award Winners 

Congratulations to all award winners: 

Employer	Award
A & M EDM	Apprenticeship Employer Excellence Award
Ash & Lacy	T Level Employer Excellence Award
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust	Sector Champion – Health, Science & Animal Care
Capelli Hairdressing	People Award – Manager of the Year (Flora Bianco)
Carwood	Apprenticeship Employer Excellence Award
Castleview Residential Care Home	Work Experience / Exposure Employer Excellence Award
Cotwall End Primary School	T Level Employer Excellence Award
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council	Apprenticeship Employer Excellence Award
Dudley Zoo	People Award – Supporting Learners (Fran Lovell)
E.ON	T Level Employer Excellence Award
Ekho Collective	Sector Champion – Green Skills & Sustainability
Highview Home	Work Experience / Exposure Employer Excellence Award
Housing 21	Sector Champion – Digital & Creative
Kuka	Sector Champion – Business & Professional
Laing O’Rourke	People Award – Manager of the Year (James McGowan)
Lakeland Tankers	Apprenticeship Employer Excellence Award
Lloyds Bank	T Level Employer Excellence Award
Midwest	Sector Champion – Building Services
National Highways	Sector Champion – Digital & Creative
Palmer Transport	People Award – Supporting Learners (Jason Palmer)
Parker Precision	Sector Champion – Engineering
Roseville Contracts	Sector Champion – Construction
Savills Merry Hill	Sector Champion – Aspire
Spotbuyer	People Award – Mentor of the Year
Step by Step Childcare	Sector Champion – Education & Early Years
Stourbridge FC	Sector Champion – Sport
Swisslog	Sector Champion – Business & Professional
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust	Overall Employer Excellence Award
THH Services	T Level Employer Excellence Award
Totalkare	People Award – Mentor of the Year (Jack Webb)
Warrens Hall Riding School	Sector Champion – Aspire
West Midlands Metro	Sector Champion – Skills Shop & Adult Skills
West Midlands Police	Sector Champion – Public Services

Dudley of Technology has today been named as one of only 10 Centres of Technical Excellence for the Construction (CTECs) sector in England. 

Following a national bidding process lead by the Department for Education, the college has been chosen to shape a region wide approach to boost skills in all areas of construction including traditional trades such as Brickwork, Plumbing and Electrical as well as emerging skills need such as Solar PV Installation. 

On the back of this success the college will share in £80m capital funding and £20m revenue funding pledge over the next 4 years to support CTECs to work collaboratively with employers, other training providers and professional bodies such as CITB, to meet the challenges they face in recruiting a workforce to deliver new build and infrastructure projects.

Building on the wide range of training programmes delivered from the college’s Construction Apprenticeship Training (CAT) Centre based in Brierley Hill and its Advance Centre in Dudley, the CTEC status will allow for further expansion of the college’s training offer including Apprenticeships, T levels and short upskilling courses for those already working in industry. The college will share its expertise with other Further Education, Higher Education and training providers in the region to increase capacity overall, in areas of skill shortage such as, building services engineering, retrofit and construction management.    

Commenting on the success Diana Martin Chief Executive and Principal of the college said:

“This superb news recognises the significant growth we have achieved over the last three years by responding to the huge training opportunities presented by the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Growth Plan, which will build 120,000 new homes, and their commitment to Homes for the Future, which will drive progress to net zero. In becoming a Centre for Excellence, we will be able to accelerate our mission to train hundreds of learners, who will have limitless employment opportunities as we see exponential demand for skills across this sector.”  

 Echoing this, Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands said:

“Dudley College has an excellent track record of working with employers to train the next generation of skilled construction workers. This new investment from the Government is vital to going even further: 

“The town is seeing huge investment and undergoing a major transformation, including the new Metro line and the new Portersfield development. The College is stepping up to ensure a supply of keen, well-trained workers who are ready to take advantage of the exciting opportunities on their doorstep. 

“This investment is also a huge vote of confidence from Government for our plans to equip our young people with the skills they need to secure great jobs and help us build a brighter future for Dudley and the wider West Midlands.”

Expressing her delight at this announcement Sonia Kumar. MP for Dudley said:

“This announcement marks a major step forward for skills development in Dudley. By choosing Dudley College to be the West Midlands Construction Technical Excellence College, we’re opening doors for local people to gain high-quality training and access rewarding careers in a vital industry.

“It’s about creating real opportunities — giving our young people and adult learners the tools they need to succeed, right here in their own community.

“I’m proud to see Dudley leading the way in building a skilled workforce for the future. This is a vote of confidence in our town’s potential and in the talent of our people.”

Cat Eccles MP for Stourbridge commented:

“I’m absolutely thrilled that this college has been selected as one of only ten across the whole country as a Technical excellence college! Following the Government announcement that Labour will be investing over £100 million in Technical Excellence colleges like Dudley College of Technology, it is such an exciting time to be here.

This investment brings an increase of opportunity to the entire Dudley borough, providing more skills and training to the area, boosting our economy for years to come and helping replenish the much-needed housing stock with our plan to build 1.5 million homes!”

Milena Davis – Head of Early Careers- VINCI Building said:

“It’s fantastic to see the Department of Education programme championing the construction sector and actively addressing the skills shortages we face. This is a great opportunity for Dudley College, a long-standing and valued partner of ours. I’m particularly interested in seeing how CTECs are rolled out nationally and how the college can support regional development. At VINCI Building, we’re committed to building strong, collaborative relationships with our clients and stakeholders – and this initiative is a positive step forward for the construction industry”

Commenting on behalf of the College’s Corporation Professor Paul Noon OBE, Chair, said:

“I’m delighted that the excellent work staff at the college already do in technical training for the multiple trade pathways and technical professions in this sector has been recognised. Most importantly it will give the people of Dudley and the wider region even greater access to the types of training that will deliver individual and collective economic growth. It will also allow us to deepen the collective work institutions already do by working together on a whole sector training plan.”

Dudley College of Technology recently hosted a Skills Shop Adult Learner Awards Evening. The event brought together learners, employers, staff, and partners to celebrate the outstanding achievements of adult learners enrolled on our Into Employment programmes.

These programmes support unemployed adults in gaining the skills and confidence needed to transition into meaningful employment. We’re so proud that all nominees and award winners are now in work – an outstanding testament to the impact of the programme and the dedication of the team behind it. 

The evening was filled with inspiring stories of perseverance, transformation, and success. Awards were presented across a range of categories, each reflecting personal growth, commitment, and professional progress:

From Learning to Earning Awards – Recognising learners who have successfully transitioned into employment.  

Miriam Fiamavle (Transport)  
Hannah Franklin (Education) 

Distance Travelled Award – Honouring resilience and progress in the face of challenges. 

Sandra Lartey 

Rising Star Award – Employer-nominated award for excellence in the workplace – Black Country Living Museum 

Jordan Worton 

Outstanding Employer Award – Celebrating a supportive employer who made a lasting impact. 

Midland Metro Limited 

Resilience Rewards Award – For overcoming significant barriers and showing determination. 

Becky Holmes 

Above and Beyond (Buzz Lightyear) Award – For exceptional commitment and peer support. 

Paula Pender 

Partnership Award – Recognising a stakeholder’s outstanding contribution to learner outcomes. 

Department for Work and Pensions 

The event was attended by several valued partners and employers, including McDonald’s, Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, Midland Metro Limited, Black Country Living Museum, and the Department for Work and Pensions. 

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.

Dudley College of Technology is excited to announce the launch of Scan Wednesdays, hosted at the Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology. This new initiative offers a unique opportunity for local businesses to explore cutting-edge laser and photo scanning technologies.

What to Expect During a Scan Wednesday

Each Scan Wednesday session is open to a maximum of three companies, with two attendees per company. Participants are invited to bring a component of their choice for scanning. Whether it’s a handmade prototype, a challenging-to-measure old part, or a broken component without existing drawings, our team will demonstrate how laser and photo scanning can create detailed 3D models.

Experience Our Advanced Technology

Our experts will showcase the entire process, from multiple scans to the creation of a final 3D model, including the necessary post-processing to convert scan data into a format ready for CAD. While your components are being scanned, enjoy a tour of our state-of-the-art facilities and learn about the extensive services we offer to businesses in the Black Country. Relax with a Starbucks coffee and breakfast in our ‘Stir’ café during your visit.

Reserve Your Spot

Interested in participating? Email us at innovation@dudleycol.ac.uk or call our Innovation Consultant Andrew Homer at 07436 950432 to discuss which Wednesday you would like to reserve your place for.

To find out more about how we’re driving innovation to support local SMEs, please read our recent news article.

FAQs

Is the event free? Yes, the Innovation Service is fully funded by Innovate U.K. until March 2025. Find out more here.

Is there free parking on site?

Yes, the full address of the Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology is Zoological Drive, Dudley, DY1 4AL, directions can be found here on our website.

How do I qualify for Scan Wednesday? Services are open to SMEs in the Black Country, defined as having less than £43 million turnover and fewer than 250 employees.

What if I don’t have time to wait for my scan to complete? No problem. We can scan your item and arrange for you to collect it at your convenience.

I have a prototype for a new product that I don’t want other companies to see. We can schedule a private session for you.

What else do you offer?

Our innovation team can assist with:

• Product and service innovation
• Business process innovation
• Additive manufacturing
• Modelling and design
• Automation and robotics
• Digital engineering, 3D scanning & printing
• Electronics manufacturing
• Measurement and testing

We look forward to meeting you and helping your business innovate and grow.

Dudley College, together with the Black Country & Marches Institute of Technology, of which it is a key stakeholder, is the most recent vocational college to sign an educational partnership with Next Gen Makers.  

Next Gen Makers supports engineering and manufacturing companies in the UK in attracting and retaining top-tier talent through benchmarking and sharing best practices as part of their Engineering Apprenticeships: Best Practice Programme. In addition, it acknowledges exceptional employers for engineering Apprenticeships via a national employer Kitemark accreditation, championed by leading manufacturing organisation Make UK. 

Dudley College and Next Gen Makers will work collaboratively to help companies to benefit from accessing the Engineering Apprenticeships: Best Practice Programme and employer Kitemark. This will allow them to improve their Apprenticeship schemes, deliver the best possible apprentice experience and become more appealing employers for aspiring engineers. 

The partnership will also see Next Gen Makers support Dudley College in reducing the cost of training for the next generation of engineers by providing exclusive discounts off industrial consumables via their business partner; MSC Industrial Supply Co.UK. Dudley College will be able to tap into the vast engineering expertise of the MSC engineering team and Technology Centre, ensuring that engineering tutors stay updated with current knowledge and adhere to industry standards. 

Neil Thomas Chief Executive and Principal of Dudley College of Technology said: “We are committed to offering employers access to the best apprentices and apprentices’ access to jobs with the best employers, who will support their learning both on and off the job, so this partnership makes sense. By working closely together we hope to bring some of the technical expertise of MSC staff into the classroom, so that apprentices are benefiting from the most current business practices, allowing them to add more value in their own workplaces. “ 

Adam Tipper, Managing Director at Next Gen Makers adds: “We are very pleased to announce Dudley College of Technology and the Black Country & Marches Institute of Technology as our latest educational partner and look forward to developing a close working relationship with the engineering and apprenticeship teams at the college. Our focus is firmly set on proactively collaborating to benefit to the engineering firms that choose these two organisations as their engineering training provider. 

“The UK engineering skills shortage is well known, and the sector is also being adversely affected by apprentice retention issues. This is a result of apprentices feeling unsatisfied with the quality of their experience within the apprenticeship scheme at their employer. 

“However, engineering firms within our Engineering Apprenticeships: Best Practice Programme are bucking this trend via benchmarking and best practice sharing, learning from the successes of other engineering apprenticeship schemes across the UK, and improving their own as a result. Through this partnership, we aim to help more manufacturers to benefit from this knowledge sharing”. 

We are proud to be running our sixth annual Engineering and Manufacturing Academy in August 2024.

The academy was set up with the backing of local employers, and is designed to help young, aspiring engineers build the skills they need to progress to an Apprenticeship or further full-time study in a range of Engineering disciplines.

As part of the two-week programme, students are able to take part in hands-on activities such as bench fitting, manual drafting, marking out and fabrication and welding as well as employability and CV writing skills. 

The academy culminates in our hugely successful employer event where recruiting employers are invited in to meet and interview our academy graduates, allowing them to grow in confidence and helping them to discover the world of networking, with the ultimate goal of securing apprenticeship positions with the visiting employers.

Emily North, Employer Engagement Manager for Engineering, Fabrication and Welding and Motor Vehicle, said: “The academy is a fantastic opportunity for school leavers to join us during the summer holiday and gain hands-on experience in our machine shop, as well as gain confidence and communication skills by joining their peers in class. By running our employer event we aim to introduce the engineers of the future to our recruiting employers, at a point when our apprenticeship recruitment is at its peak, securing fantastic career opportunities for our young academy graduates.” 

Tony Sartorius, Chairman at AluCast, said: “The students show real enthusiasm for the course and learned about some engineering principles, as well as gaining practical experience. Alucast were so impressed with the student intake, that we selected three youngsters to join our apprentice scheme at our foundry based in Wednesbury. This course is certainly an innovative way to introduce young people to engineering and promote manufacturing as a career choice, which is so important to the nation’s economy.” 

The academy will return in summer 2024 for its sixth year. If you are an employer keen to learn more and get involved – please contact Emily on 01384 363 106 or emily.north@dudleycol.ac.uk.