Innovative Partnerships Celebrated at @DerbyCollege ’s First Academy Awards

More than 300 people attended Derby College’s first Academy Awards which were held at the Roundhouse.

The event celebrated the success, achievements and commitment of employers, staff and students who are involved in the College’s innovative Employer Academies and Employment and Skills Boards.

Derby College works with around 3,000 businesses and organisations with a large proportion involved in helping to shape the curriculum for students and providing work placements, speakers and special projects for students across the College sites in Derby, Morley and Ilkeston.

Derby College Group Chief Executive Mandie Stravino opened the proceedings and said: “Employers are embedded into the work of the College – whether that is working with our curriculum areas to ensure they provide the required skills now and in the future or providing valuable work experience to better prepare young people for the world of work.

“We are extremely grateful for this support and the first Academy Awards celebrate and recognise the valuable role that employers have in this organisation.”

The evening was compered by Derby College Deputy Principal April Hayhurst and presented by Dean Jackson from HUUB and Ryan Duckett from Derbyshire County Cricket Club.  Awards were presented by Derby College Group CEO Mandie Stravino and Derby City Council Leader Cllr Ranjit Banwait.

The awards were followed by live music by Madison Avenue UK and the event raised more than £2,200 For the Derby Breakfast Club initiative which is Derby College’s designated charity partner in 2018.  This brings the total so far raised by students and staff for the cause to more than £6,200.

April Hayhurst concluded: “We now have Employment and Skills Boards working across all curriculum areas and a total of 28 different Employer Academies which have won been recognised as innovative best practice nationally.

”Our first Academy Awards were a huge success and a fitting tribute to all the employers, staff and students who have all worked hard to make these partnerships so effective in bridging the gap between education and employment.”

Awards winners were:

Placement Award: Winner – Capital Travel and Events Academy; runners up – The Finesse Academy and Hannells Business Academy.

Project of the Year: winner – Déda Creative Arts Academy; runners up – Bell Painting and Decorating Academy and the Cricket Derbyshire Academies for sport, catering and hospitality and facilities management.

Visit of the Year: winner – East Midlands Airport Partnership; runners up – Sasie Lindhurst Renewable Energy Academy and Seven Restaurant and Café Bar Academy. 

Speaker of the Year: Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Academy; runners up – Tom Mahwood from Turning Point and Richard Rochester from Young Enterprise.

Charity and Community Investment: winner – Derby College Transitions team; runners up – Flint Street Church and the Poppies Weeping Window fund raising event.

Student of the Year: former Catering and Hospitality student Jack Bowler who has secured a job at Bespoke Inns; runners up – Aaron Curd who now works at Hannells estate agents and Victoria Workman who has a degree apprenticeship with Nottingham-based motor finance company First Response – all following work experience through the companies’ Employer Academy programmes.

Curriculum Employee of the Year: Business lecturer Lorna Edwards; runners up – Ruth Benn, Travel and Tourism and Bill Bentley, Construction.

Work Experience Officer of the Year: winner – Emma Holden; runners up – Sophie Ballard and Lacey Collins.

Employment and Skills Board of the Year: Winner – Rail Industry Employment and Skills Board; runners up – Professional Construction and Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Skills.

Employer Academy of the Year: winner – Atlas Building and Groundworks Academy; runners up – Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Bespoke Inns.

Employer Academy of the Year: Cricket Derbyshire Academies; runners up – HUUB Marketing and Product Development Academy and First Response Business and Finance Academy.