It has been revealed that the City of Bath College has the highest apprenticeship success rate in the west of England, topping the region’s success rate table.
The College has topped the region’s apprenticeship success rate table with more than 85 per cent of apprentices gaining qualifications in 2012/13.
It means that if you are an apprentice with City of Bath College then you are more likely to successfully complete your apprenticeship than elsewhere in the region.
The College’s success rate of 85.4 per cent has risen significantly from its success rate of 77.1 per cent in the last two years.
It is now 13 per cent above the national average of 72.3 per cent – that’s more than four of every five apprentices with City of Bath College passing their qualifications.
Overall 73.9 per cent of these apprenticeships are completed within the accepted time period – more than 15 per cent above the national average of 56.2 per cent.
City of Bath College is the largest apprenticeship provider in Bath and North East Somerset with more than 35 apprenticeship frameworks available across 13 different industry sectors.
Apprenticeships currently on offer include engineering, business administration, AAT, carpentry, IT, hospitality and catering, hairdressing, plumbing, stonemasonry and refrigeration and air conditioning.
Principal Matt Atkinson said the high rating from the Skills Funding Agency was great news for the whole community.
He said: “We continue to increase our apprenticeship provision year-on-year to provide employers with talented, industry-ready students to ensure the workforce of the future has the right skills.
“Apprenticeships play a crucial element in the success of businesses and make a significant contribution to the economy.
“For many young people an apprenticeship is a much better way of learning, they can earn while they learn and gain much-needed experience to kick-start their careers.
“For employers, apprenticeships are an ideal way of investing in their workforces and ensuring young people gain the specific skills needed to take the company forward.”
The apprenticeship league table shows an 85.4 per cent success rate for the 150 apprentices who completed their apprenticeships during 2012/13 at City of Bath College. This includes apprentices of all ages taking apprenticeships at all levels.
City of Bath College comes out on top compared to other FE colleges including City of Bristol College, Norton Radstock College, South Gloucestershire and Stroud College, and Weston College.
The College was awarded Training Provider of the Year at the 2013 Bath Apprenticeship Awards and its close relationship with employers was recently praised by Ofsted inspectors.
It also has a dedicated team of staff working with employers to develop new frameworks to fit their business needs and requirements.
