National skills celebration shines spotlight on vocational talent powering UK workforce

COLEG Cambria joined education providers, employers and training organisations across the UK in championing the achievements of learners as part of the inaugural Vocational Celebration Day.

The college marked the national awareness day – supported by Enginuity – on Thursday (August 6), highlighting the growing importance of technical education, apprenticeships and employer-led training to the future of the UK workforce.

Launched to challenge outdated perceptions of technical education, the campaign celebrates learners choosing vocational pathways and the contribution they make to businesses, communities and the wider economy.

For Coleg Cambria, it follows another landmark year in skills and training. Learners achieved a record-breaking 68 honours at Skills Competition Wales, including 19 medals, while Tomas Ankers is preparing to represent the college at this autumn’s WorldSkills Shanghai finals after qualifying in CNC Milling.

Cambria for Business also achieved national recognition through Professional Institute Awards including the IET (Institute of Engineering and Technology) and IMechE (Institution of Mechanical Engineers) Learner of the Year Awards, with Village Bakery engineer Lauren Travis among those celebrated.

Nick Tyson, Vice Principal and Director of Business and Partnerships at Coleg Cambria, said: “Vocational Celebration Day recognises something we see every day at the college – that technical education provides opportunities, transforms lives, strengthens businesses and helps drive the economy.

“It is a chance to celebrate not only the achievements of our learners and apprentices, but also the employers who invest in developing future talent alongside us.

“Our partnerships with leading companies across advanced manufacturing, engineering, construction, healthcare, leadership and management and many other sectors ensure our learners develop the practical skills, confidence and professional behaviours employers are looking for.

“The success we’ve seen this year – from MAKE UK national award winners, to our record-breaking performance at Skills Competition Wales to learners preparing for the WorldSkills UK finals – demonstrates the outstanding talent we have across North Wales. We hope this new national celebration inspires even more people to see vocational education as a first-choice pathway into exciting, rewarding careers.”

Across its campuses at Deeside, Yale, Bersham Road, Northop and Llysfasi, the college works with hundreds of businesses, from major international organisations to SMEs, delivering industry-focused education, apprenticeships and professional training.

Long-standing partnerships with Airbus, TATA Steel, Kronospan, Kingspan, Village Bakery, Kellanova, Shotton Mill, Toyota, JCB, Convatec, Atlas Copco, Boccard, S4S and Platts Agricultural continue to go from strength to strength.

A new leadership and management programme with Siemens Healthineers in Llanberis further reflects the college’s commitment to supporting employers and developing the skilled workforce needed by industry.

Training has continued throughout the summer, including a benchmark Higher Engineering Apprentice programme supporting apprentices to develop Medr-backed career skills with employers such as Tata Steel.

The celebrations also placed a spotlight on Coleg Cambria’s Bersham Road campus in Wrexham, home to many of its technical and vocational programmes and Wales’s first fully funded Construction Degree Apprenticeships.

Delivered in partnership with Wrexham University, the pioneering programmes allow apprentices to earn while they learn and progress towards careers in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Building Surveying and Quantity Surveying.

Karl Jackson, Assistant Principal for the Institute of Technology and Site Lead at Bersham Road, said: “Every day we see learners develop the confidence, technical expertise and professionalism that employers are looking for, so it is fantastic to have a national celebration recognising those achievements.

“Vocational education is about much more than gaining a qualification. It is about developing real-world skills, solving practical challenges and preparing for rewarding careers in industries that are vital to our economy.”

Through close collaboration with employers and industry partners, Coleg Cambria continues to develop programmes in response to regional and national skills priorities, helping ensure learners and apprentices are equipped to make an immediate contribution in the workplace.

Visit Vocational Celebration Day | Enginuity and EAL for more information.