College News

Beacon Award for QE and Future Engineers

QE’s highly successful Future Engineers’ Scheme was nominated for a prestigious Beacon Award for Innovation in Further Education. The national award was open to colleges which could demonstrate successful and original approaches to support learning develop high level skills and knowledge to meet the demands of employers and higher education.

The  Future Engineers’ Scheme was set up to address the national shortage of engineers and has provided QE students with a range of experiences to enhance their academic skills and gain greater knowledge and understanding of engineering as a career.  Students have benefited enormously from opportunities provided by employers and universities, including work placements and mentoring. As a result, the number of students progressing from QE to Engineering courses at university has more than doubled and higher level apprenticeships have also been secured.

The College was visited by three Beacon Award Assessors who met students benefitting from the opportunities and they also had discussions with a range of the College’s partners, including employers, schools and universities. The Assessors were impressed and congratulated QE for being shortlisted and commented on the strength of the competition.  At the award ceremony in Birmingham, it was announced that QE had come second in the category – a massive achievement.

Liz Bryan, QE’s Future Engineers’ Co-ordinator, says:

“We are very proud to have been shortlisted for this prestigious award and to have gained such positive feedback about the opportunities available to our students.  By working with a wide range of partners in engineering, students have the chance to gain a real insight into an exciting and innovative sector.”

Laurence Job, Assistant Principal, adds:

“Gaining national recognition for the Future Engineers’ Scheme is a testament to the engagement and enthusiasm of our students and staff. The Scheme is going from strength to strength and we look forward to our students becoming the engineers of tomorrow.”