We have won the Outstanding Apprenticeship Programme Award, at the prestigious national Apprenticeships and Training Awards 2025. Emtec Automotive Apprenticeships, which is part of Nottingham College, took home the honour, having beat off stiff competition from across the country.
Through our apprenticeship provision, we welcome more than 400 automotive apprentices through our doors every single year, and partner with over 180 leading employers nationally.
The accolade comes a year on from the achieving an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted inspection result for our residential apprenticeship provision at Ruddington, that sees students from across the UK come to the college for their training, with overnight and often weekly stays, in Nottingham.
The awards, ran jointly by FE Week and the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) and delivered in association with City & Guilds, drew in over 600 nominations across 20 categories.
The winners were announced at the annual apprenticeships and training conference (ATC) gala dinner on 11 March 2025 at Exhibition Centre Liverpool.
Finalists were selected by a 20-strong panel of judges, including AELP’s CEO Ben Rowland, apprenticeship influencer Holly Hobbs, former skills minister Anne Milton and UCAS head of apprenticeships Lindsay Conroy.
Lindsey Smith, Assistant Principal at Ruddington campus, said:
“I am extremely proud of this achievement.
To be recognised for the exceptional teaching delivered at Nottingham College is so deserved and is testament to the hard work and dedication showcased by our teams, day in day out.
At Nottingham College we are renowned nationally for our apprenticeships provision and now both our apprentices and partner employers can share our pride in this award win too.”
Shane Mann, chief executive of FE Week’s publisher EducationScape and chair of the ATA judging panel said:
“Our winners are proof of the dedicated professionals in the sector and the excellent work that puts apprentices front and centre of their provision.”
Maxine Blake, Head of Employer Engagement, said:
"I am incredibly proud of this achievement. It reflects the dedication and hard work of our teams, both in delivery and the supportive services that enhance our offerings.
Our commitment to collaborating strategically with our employer partners to provide high-quality, bespoke training tailored to their unique needs and skill gaps is evident in this award. We strive to deliver exceptional service to all our employers and learners.
A heartfelt thank you to our employer partners for their invaluable partnerships and insights, which help us maintain our outstanding standards!"
