College’s employer engagement initiative declared a winner

Employer in Every Classroom; Walsall College’s initiative where students engage with employers and industry has won a Ladder for the Black Country Award.

The awards run in association with City of Wolverhampton Council and the Express & Star are a celebration of the best and brightest young and mature learners and the organisations who are finding new ways to drive aspiration and education through their Apprenticeship programmes.

The college won the Employment and Engagement Award sponsored by Collins Aerospace.

Launched in summer 2021, Employer in Every Classroom is a talent development initiative designed to help local businesses address skills shortages and recruitment challenges.  Employers share their time, expertise and wider resources, demonstrating their ability to give back to their community.  Activities include work placements and industry/career-led talks, as well as company-set projects, mentoring and equipment sponsorship.

Organisations involved range from Balfour Beatty VINCI, Trade Centre UK, Walsall Council, The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust and HSBC.

Editor-in-Chief of the Express & Star, Martin Wright, said the awards came out of the Ladder for the Black Country apprenticeships campaign which the newspaper has been supporting since its launch in 2014.

“We all recognise the importance of supporting apprentices, employers and training providers in Wolverhampton and the Black Country and we want to acknowledge and celebrate the very best across our region,” he said.