PRINCE Charles and Princess Anne have presented the group which runs Rugby College with a prestigious prize recognising its work in developing future engineers.
WCG, formerly Warwickshire College Group, was presented with The Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in a ceremony at St James’s Palace.
The prize, first announced in November 2021, is in recognition of the college’s work in the engineering sector over the last quarter of a century.
WCG is the only college from the Midlands to be recognised among the 2020-2022 winners, with only five other colleges receiving this accolade.
CEO Angela Joyce was joined by Chairman Peter Manford, Vice Chairman Chris White, Group Principal Peter Husband, Director of Apprenticeships Alan May, and three engineering apprentices at the ceremony.
The ceremony followed the prize winner’s dinner at London’s Guildhall the previous evening, which celebrated the achievements of all the winners of this year’s awards.
WCG has been running employer-centric engineering provision for more than 25 years, with engineering apprentice numbers growing from 40 in 1996 to just under 2,000 in 2021.
The group delivers engineering courses at Rugby College, as well as Warwick Trident College and Evesham College.
Angela Joyce said that it was an ‘incredibly proud day’ for the college.
She added: “We have been looking forward to this moment since we were told we had won the prize in November.
“The ceremony was a great opportunity to speak with leaders from across the education sector and we were proud to represent the Midlands and showcase WCG’s pioneering approach to engineering training.
“The Government’s latest skills strategy has sought to put employers at the forefront in the development of post-16 education, but this is something we have been doing at WCG for more than a quarter of a century.
“This award celebrates the dedication of the engineering staff team at Rugby, Warwick Trident and Evesham and colleges, but also reflects an approach to working with employers that we take right across our colleges in Warwickshire and Worcestershire.
“Despite winning this prestigious prize, we won’t rest on our laurels and will continue to innovate with our engineering training provision. It’s vital that our provision continues to react to the ever-changing needs of industry and we will continue to work with our network of employers to ensure that remains the case.”
