Truro and Penwith College has received national recognition for its role in helping to regenerate communities in Cornwall through the redevelopment of its education and skills offer.
The college won the Association of Colleges (AoC) Beacon Award for Leadership and Governance at a glittering ceremony in Birmingham this week.
The successful submission for the award focused on the college’s successful merger with Penwith College in Penzance, the rebuilding of the campus, and the crucial role subsequent leadership and governance played in helping a wide community of learners and employers access better quality post-16 education and training.
In the eight years since the merger, student numbers have trebled at Penwith College and it has become a nucleus at the heart of the local community in Penzance and west Cornwall.
Truro and Penwith College principal, David Walrond, collected the award on behalf of the college and said: “It’s a fantastic achievement.
“There are over 300 colleges in the FE sector and some incredible competition in terms of great leadership, so this really is an excellent outcome for the college and all our stakeholders across the county.
“Under an enabling model of leadership, Cornish learners, families, employers, community groups and staff all helped to transform the once ‘inadequate’ rated College into one of the very best in the UK.”
