Coleg Cambria highlights vocational achievements as part of national campaign

max taylor - journalist

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Coleg Cambria has joined education providers and employers across the UK to mark the inaugural Vocational Celebration Day, highlighting the achievements of its learners, apprentices and employer partners.

The national awareness day, supported by Enginuity, took place on 6 August and aims to challenge perceptions of technical education while highlighting the contribution of apprenticeships, specialist qualifications and employer-led training to businesses and the wider economy.

The event comes after a strong year for Coleg Cambria, with learners securing a record 68 honours at Skills Competition Wales, including 19 medals. CNC Milling competitor Tomas Ankers is also preparing to represent the college at the WorldSkills Shanghai finals later this year.

The college’s Cambria for Business division has also received national recognition through professional institute awards, including honours for Village Bakery engineer Lauren Travis.

Across its campuses in Deeside, Yale, Bersham Road, Northop and Llysfasi, Coleg Cambria works with employers including Airbus, Tata Steel, Kronospan, Kingspan, Village Bakery, Kellanova, Toyota, JCB and Siemens Healthineers to deliver apprenticeships, professional qualifications and industry-focused training.

A new leadership and management programme with Siemens Healthineers in Llanberis is among the latest initiatives, while the college continues to deliver higher engineering apprenticeships with employers including Tata Steel.

The college also highlighted its Bersham Road campus in Wrexham, which delivers technical and vocational programmes including Wales’ first fully funded Construction Degree Apprenticeships. Delivered with Wrexham University, the programmes allow learners to earn while studying towards careers in civil engineering, construction management, building surveying and quantity surveying.

Nick Tyson, Vice Principal and Director of Business and Partnerships at Coleg Cambria, said: “Vocational Celebration Day recognises something we see every day at the college – that technical education provides opportunities, transforms lives, strengthens businesses and helps drive the economy.

“It is a chance to celebrate not only the achievements of our learners and apprentices, but also the employers who invest in developing future talent alongside us.

“Our partnerships with leading companies across advanced manufacturing, engineering, construction, healthcare, leadership and management and many other sectors ensure our learners develop the practical skills, confidence and professional behaviours employers are looking for.

“The success we’ve seen this year – from MAKE UK national award winners, to our record-breaking performance at Skills Competition Wales to learners preparing for the WorldSkills UK finals – demonstrates the outstanding talent we have across North Wales. We hope this new national celebration inspires even more people to see vocational education as a first-choice pathway into exciting, rewarding careers.”

Karl Jackson, Assistant Principal for the Institute of Technology and Site Lead at Bersham Road, said: “Every day we see learners develop the confidence, technical expertise and professionalism that employers are looking for, so it is fantastic to have a national celebration recognising those achievements.

“Vocational education is about much more than gaining a qualification. It is about developing real-world skills, solving practical challenges and preparing for rewarding careers in industries that are vital to our economy.”