Student excellence recognised at awards ceremony
Burton and South Derbyshire College held its Further Education and Apprenticeship Awards on Thursday 11th June at Pirelli Stadium.
Outstanding students, their families and guests celebrated the exceptional skills and qualifications achieved in the past academic year. Hard work and dedication to studies were recognised, along with talent, success and achievement across many vocational areas.
The wide-ranging award categories included a selection that were based around the College’s Skills Promise: a variety of skills and qualities that students gain in addition to their qualification that will give them a head start in their career and make them stand out when applying for jobs. The Skills Promise encompasses the range of skills that employers are looking for, from creative thinking, being a team player and showing resilience, to being a good communicator, being good at solving problems and showing initiative.
The ceremony was presented by compere, Mark O’Sullivan, and a range of local businesses sponsored the awards evening, including Hilton, Wabtec, Trent & Dove, Hardy Signs, Bac O’Connor, YMCA (Burton), Wilson Vale, Toyota Manufacturing UK, Autoclenz and Playtonic. The guest speaker on the evening was Katrina Cooke from Kids Village, a charity working to create the UK’s first purpose-built holiday village for children with critical illnesses.
The evening culminated in the presentation of three of the College’s highest honours, celebrating the exceptional achievements of this year’s learners.The Apprentice of the Year Award for 2026 was presented to Engineering Apprentice, Caitlin Hamill, whose technical skill, resilience and innovation have made a strong impact in the workplace. Adult Learner of the Year was awarded to Ruth Binks, who returned to education to retrain in plumbing and heating, showing dedication and professionalism in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Meanwhile, the overall Further Education Learner of the Year Award for 2026 was presented to App development student, William Banham, who achieved recent success at both SkillsFest and WorldSkills UK competitions.
Principal and Chief Executive of Burton and South Derbyshire College, John Beaty said: “It was fantastic to host a celebration of achievement and success for our students. At Burton and South Derbyshire College, we are passionate about encouraging people to reach their full potential. The event was an excellent way to celebrate outstanding achievements and recognise those learners who go above and beyond to reach their educational and career goals.”
Burton and South Derbyshire College offers Further Education courses in a wide variety of technical and vocational disciplines, along with academic courses and skills development. Anyone looking to start a course, whether full time, part time or work-based study, can contact the BSDC Learner Services Team on 01283 494400 to find out more about enrolment and funding.
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