Forth Valley College have just missed out on a top prize at the prestigious Engineering Construction Industry Training and Development Awards 2021.
The College was nominated in the Approved Training Provider (ATP) of the Year category at the awards which this year was held on Thursday 21 October at the Montcalm Marble Arch Hotel in London and hosted by TV presenter Rob Bell (Engineering Giants, World’s Tallest Skyscrapers and Walking Britain’s lost Railways).
The submission for the ATP category focussed on FVC being an exceptional ECITB approved training provider and approved centre with a proven track record in delivering quality training and assessment, and creating a positive impact with learners, employers and clients throughout the period January 2019 to December 2020. FVC was also an early adopter of safe working standards to allow students to continue their education seamlessly during the Covid-19 Pandemic restrictions.
With the College closing on March 17, 2020, ECITB apprentices faced missing the last nine weeks of their courses. The College put plans in place to provide tutored online classes via Microsoft Teams, for all remaining class time elements of the curriculum. After the end of May, when apprentices were finished, the College volunteered to provide additional training support and resources for those unable to mobilise offshore or travel to site due to lockdown.
Not only that, but during the summer of 2020 the College also delivered online tutored learning courses: IOSH Working Safely; Hazardous Area Awareness; Electricity at Work Regulations and continued access to e-learning courses, to help students complete qualifications.
Forth Valley College are also the only Scottish providers for the ECITB scholarship programme, which is designed to help young people who were unable to secure an apprenticeship. The industry standard training they receive will make them ready for the next step into employment, when employers return to their normal recruitment levels.
Mhairi Hay, FVC’s Director of Curriculum for Engineering and Science, said: “It is obviously disappointing that we have not won, but we were absolutely delighted to have been nominated as finalists in the ECITB’s annual awards. The close working relationship of both the college’s academic departments and its Business Development department provide us with a great team for the delivery of the ECITB provision. Just to be nominated is great recognition of all the hard work my colleagues have put in to build a stronger and better relationship with ECITB each year.”