A renowned national centre for horticulture has been named the leading training provider for apprenticeships in Worcestershire.
Pershore College, which is part of college group WCG, has won the award for Training Provider of the Year at the Worcestershire Apprenticeship Awards.
The ceremony was held at West Midlands Safari Park and celebrated the best apprentices, employers, training providers, schools and apprentice champions from across the county.
Comedian and television star Lucy Porter was the host of the evening and presented awards to the winners of the 11 categories.
Pershore College has trained more than 200 apprentices across 10 different standards over the last year and contributes towards WCG being one of the Midlands’ largest providers of apprenticeship training.
It delivers apprenticeships in areas ranging from horticulture and arboriculture, to veterinary nursing and land-based service engineering.
The college received the prize in recognition of its tailored and employer-driven approach to apprenticeship delivery, working with more than 150 employers and tailoring training programmes to support the needs of a business.
It has partnered with organisations including the Midland Regional Growers and Network Rail to deliver tailored training programmes.
The success of the college’s provision has seen apprenticeship numbers double in the last four years, with significant growth in the veterinary nursing standard.
Pershore College also continues to work closely with schools across the region to highlight the benefits of apprenticeships, visiting around 50 schools each year.
Staff from the college attended the awards ceremony to celebrate the successes of apprenticeships in Worcestershire.
Mark Eden, Director of Work-Based Learning, and Lorna Walters, Head of Land-based Work-based Learning, collected the award on behalf of Pershore College.
Mark Eden said: “This was an incredibly proud moment for our college and we were honoured to collect the award on behalf of the fantastic work-based learning team we have at Pershore College.
“The prestigious award is recognition of the team’s tireless work over the last year. We work with employers from their job description up to ensure that the delivery model supports present and future skill needs.
“Our tailored approach to apprenticeship delivery prioritises positive outcomes for both learner and employer. We will continue to innovate and lead the way in apprenticeship delivery across the county.
“It was a great occasion to celebrate apprenticeships from across Worcestershire and we would like to congratulate all of the other nominees and winners on the evening.”
To find out more about apprenticeships at WCG visit www.wcg.ac.uk/apprenticeships