Annual Review 2010-11

In the midst of these challenging times, I'm extremely proud to report that 2010-11 has been a great year for Dudley College.

We were delighted to receive a number of national awards, which highlight some of the excellent work of our learners and staff. Winning the British Colleges for Sport College of the Year 2011, Student of the Year 2011, National Growing the Game Award (football) 2011 alongside and the National Union of Students Awards 2011 for FE Students' Union of the Year and FE Student Unionist of the Year certainly gave us cause to celebrate. Across the college learner success rates rose again, along with levels of learner satisfaction, which are the highest they’ve ever been.

The quality of our work with employers was also recognised as we achieved the Training Quality Standard, a kite mark for excellence in employer partnerships and skills development. However, we are constantly looking for ways to improve the training we offer to local and regional businesses. We significantly grew the number of young people and adults following apprenticeships in the workplace. For unemployed adults, our employability programmes helped many individuals facing redundancy, or recently made redundant, back into work.

I am justifiably proud of all that the college has achieved over the last year and delighted to be able to share our successes with partners, stakeholders and the local community. 2012 is going to be a very exciting year for the college with more to celebrate as we open new buildings, welcome more learners to the college and move confidently into the future.

Lowell Williams. Principal

Browse the complete Annual Review 2010-11 by clicking on the cover image.

Annual Review 2009-10

It was, undoubtedly, another challenging year for the college and for the communities and businesses we support here in the Black Country. If anything, these difficult economic times heighten the importance of further education and the significant role colleges play in the social and economic regeneration of their local communities.

Last year, through our diverse curriculum, we supported record numbers of young people on full time programmes and apprenticeships. In doing so we were pleased to see our success rates maintained above the national average and improved considerably in some areas. In short, more young people attended the college than ever before and more left us with their target qualification achieved.

Like many other colleges we experienced significant cuts in funding for general adult education programmes. In many ways it is disappointing to see these programmes in decline. We are, however, immensely proud of the significant growth we achieved on our programmes to upskill employed adults and to get those out of work back into jobs. Our new employability centre at Brierley Hill operated close to capacity throughout the year.

Whilst we know there are further reductions in public funding in 2010-11 and beyond, we remain positive and up-beat about our future. In January 2011 building work starts on our new Dudley town centre campus and in 2012 we will be celebrating our 150th anniversary with the opening of our new campus. ...

Browse the complete Annual Review 2009-10 by clicking on the cover image.

Annual Review 2008-09

There's no point pretending that these are anything but trying times. 2008-09 has been a difficult year for many in the Black Country and the global recession has had a profound and damaging effect on our local economy.

Here at Dudley College we have been acutely aware of our heightened role as many local people and businesses have turned to us for help. Through 2008-09 we supported record numbers of both young people, on full and part time courses, and adults, following employer based learning programmes.

We also introduced a suite of courses especially designed to meet the needs of those made redundant or at risk of redundancy. To accommodate demand from adult learners, we made some radical changes to the delivery pattern of many of our learning programmes, including more flexible start dates, opening at weekends, work based assessment and training during unsocial hours. These changes have not compromised the quality of our work.

For the fourth consecutive year our success rates have improved, these are now above national benchmarks across all levels and across all age groups. This is a tremendous achievement. In addition, close management of our own finances, which has included a programme of efficiency savings across the college, has resulted in good financial performance, consolidating our underlying financial strength. As ever, it is the staff of the college who have delivered this performance and who deserve our thanks.

We are now firmly in a position to look forward, with confidence even in these uncertain times, to a successful future. ...

Browse the complete Annual Review 2008-09 by clicking on the cover image.