A Shropshire college has been presented with a Career Development Institute’s award.

Derwen College, has been awarded the prestigious Career Development Institute's award for the 'Best Careers Programme in Post-16 Education'.

This recognition celebrates the creativity and commitment needed to inspire post-16 students about their future careers.

The awards recognise excellence in career development both nationally and internationally.

Derwen College uses a person-centred approach to supporting their students, which includes meaningful work placements in each student’s timetable.

With the goal being employment for most of their learners, work placements are weekly, ensuring students and employees gain the most from their partnerships.

Practice for these placements begins within the college’s on-site Marketplace.

Supported by skilled teaching and commercial staff, students learn work skills in environments such as a café, restaurant, charity shop, garden centre, and mini hotel.

The college clinched the award with the application showcasing its diligence to creating partnerships with local businesses.

It emphasised the focus on providing students with high-quality, regular work placements to gain valuable knowledge of work expectations and routines.

At Derwen College, vocational learning is also backed by a robust careers and employability programme.

Their tailored approach assists those learners who might be apprehensive about customer-facing roles, gradually nurturing them until they are ready.

Recent data from 2022/23 reveals that 63 per cent of Derwen graduates have gone on to, or are in the process, of starting paid or voluntary employment or further training.

This exceeds the national average of less than 5 per cent of adults with a learning disability in paid work.

The award was received by Derwen College's career leads, Samantha Brown and Jennifer Fawcett-Jones at the Museum of Making in Derby on June 18.

Ms Fawcett-Jones, also the college’s head of curriculum, said: "We are very proud to have been one of the short-listed companies represented at the awards.

"We are especially proud to have won, despite being short-listed against two strong mainstream career development provisions."

The Career Development Institute judges commented that, “The [college’s] approach was highly inclusive and underscored by strong ethical principles."

They also said: "The enduring impact was evidenced by students securing employment, highlighting the efficacy of a staged approach in supporting individuals before their immersion in real-life experiences."