South Eastern Regional College (SERC) has won the WorldSkills hero award at the 2021 Tes FE Awards, announced this evening in a virtual ceremony.
The Tes FE Awards, now in their 11th year, celebrate the outstanding aspects of the UK’s FE sector, applauding excellence and rewarding innovation.
The Tes Magazine and website is the most trusted source of education news and views in the UK. Tes runs these awards, alongside the Tes Schools Awards and the Tes Independent School Awards.
When looking at how the hospitality and catering team at South Eastern Regional College (SERC) has harnessed the power of WorldSkills to inspire students, the numbers speak for themselves.
Almost 400 students have competed in college, regional and international competitions in the past three academic years – and six of them were announced as finalists for 2019 WorldSkills UK Live. It was the first time SERC had entered the patisserie and confectionery competition, and one student, Katie Graham, won a bronze medal. In culinary skills, second year student Danny Bunphaung was highly commended. Both students were asked to train for the UK Squad.
These results haven’t come easily, and the team at SERC has gone above and beyond in supporting students. Staff invited local and top chefs to give masterclasses and held intercampus competitions on college open days to help students gain confidence by competing in front of large crowds.
Tes head of FE Julia Belgutay said: “Further education providers have excelled in what has been a truly challenging year, and each one of the amazing individuals, teams and institutions who have won a Tes FE Award tonight are testament to that. Our judges were so impressed with what teachers, support staff and leaders have managed to achieve this year. The whole FE sector should be proud of these winners and I want to congratulate all of them on a brilliant achievement.”
Gillian Keegan, the Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills, congratulated the award winners. She said: “To win an award is always an honour, but to win one in a year like the one we’ve just had is truly remarkable. FE will play a key role as we try to recover from the pandemic.”
The Tes FE Awards were held virtually this year to comply with the ongoing coronavirus restrictions. In previous years the awards ceremony has been held at the Grosvenor Hotel, on London’s Park Lane.
For full details on all the winners of the Tes FE Awards visit: https://www.tes.com/news/tes-fe-awards-2021-winners-revealed
