Preston College wins the prestigious Beacon Edge Award

27 February 2023

Preston College wins the prestigious Beacon Edge Award in The City & Guilds Award for College Engagement with Employers.

Preston College has been recognised for its exceptional work with employers under the ‘Central Lancashire Construction Skills Hub’ initiative.

The only Lancashire-based College to be announced as a finalist in this year’s AoC Beacon Awards, Preston College is now the proud winner of a 2023 Beacon Award.

Simon Nixon, Interim Principal and Chief Executive says: “We are absolutely thrilled that Preston College has been announced as a winner in this year’s prestigious AoC Beacon Awards. To be recognised for the work, dedication and commitment that our college team continues to demonstrate for the good of our community, our learners, and our partner employers, is extremely rewarding.”

Simon adds: “The College has seen major growth in Construction provision in recent years, and this award reflects excellent stakeholder collaboration, as well as the strong contribution that the college makes in meeting local skills need.”

The Association of Colleges’ Beacon Awards celebrate the best and most innovative practice among UK colleges each year. The award supported by City and Guilds seeks to recognise examples of practical teaching and learning that equips people with the skills that today’s global and digital economy demands, through a broad and balanced curriculum, high quality training, engaging real world learning and rich relationships between education and employers.

Mark White, Interim Chair of AoC’s Charitable Trust said: “The AoC Beacon Awards showcase exactly why colleges are so important to every community and why people value them. This award recognises examples of excellent practical teaching and learning. The work of the winning college shows how important colleges are in providing students with the necessary skills for the real world.”

Mark Taylor, Head of School for Construction concludes: “We are very proud of this award. A huge thank you to all of our learners, employer partners and staff members who have worked tremendously hard within the ‘Central Lancashire Construction Skills Hub’ initiative. I am now more excited than ever to see what the future holds for this provision and the impact it will have on our local economy.”