Wednesday 8th February 2012 10.53am
Post your Events City of Sunderland College receives honour from Her Majesty the Queen
City of Sunderland College staff have received the prestigious Queens Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education at a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace from Her Majesty the Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh.
The college’s pioneering ‘Test the City’ initiative has already improved the Maths and English Skills of over 7,000 people on Wearside since the project began in 2004.
Members of the Test the City team including past and present learners, alongside City of Sunderland College Principal, Angela O’Donoghue officially received the special prize medal and certificate at a special celebration.
Julie Raine, Director of Basic Education, said: “We are thrilled to have won this prestigious award which really showcases the hard work carried out by the Test the City team here at City of Sunderland College.
“It’s such an honour to be invited to the Palace and meet Her Majesty, to receive this award which recognises the hard work of both our students and staff.
“The importance of having good English and Maths skills cannot be undervalued as they are the essential skills needed to help people progress in life and work. They also provide a tremendous confidence boost to learners which is why I believe the programme has been so successful across the North East.”
These national honours are awarded every two years to institutions of higher and further education across the UK for work of outstanding excellence.
The awards celebrate world-class achievement and capture the remarkable diversity and quality of the work going on in universities and colleges of further education.
The Test the City initiative boasts an exceptional pass rate of over 90 percent and helps people across the city achieve a qualification in Maths and English, which can often be a life changing experience leading onto further study or career progression.
The certificates in Adult Literacy and Numeracy at level 1 and 2 can help to improve long-term job prospects and make people feel comfortable with their Maths and English abilities.
Jane Thompson, Test the City’s project manager, said: “The courses are led by friendly and approachable staff and equip people with useful qualifications which will help them in everyday life.
“Nobody is too old to learn English and Maths or brush up on their skills – our learners often finish the courses with a real enthusiasm and a drive to keep on studying which is fantastic.”
The Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education which is awarded by the Royal Anniversary Trust, is a mark of excellence and recognises the special contribution a College or University makes to the intellectual, economic, cultural and social life of the nation.
As well as working with individual learners, Test the City also works with businesses across the North East to develop workforce skills.
The Test the City initiative was also recognised for excellence in 2005 by the Association of Colleges (AoC) as the winner of the Beacon Award for Innovation in Basic Skills. The initiative forms part of the Government’s Skills for Life Strategy which launched in 2001 and has now been extended to run until 2020.
Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, said: “I warmly congratulate the twenty one universities and colleges which have been awarded The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education in this the 8th biennial Round of the scheme. Together the winners represent a distinguished and sustained contribution to human progress and to the UK’s high international standing in education.”
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