OLDHAM College celebrated the achievements and dedication of its students at inspiring awards ceremonies last week.
The Student Awards for 2023/24 were held across two evenings in the Futsal Arena which was specially repurposed to host these glittering showcases on campus.
Award winners, families and friends, staff and employer guests all gathered to acclaim young people and adult learners for their exceptional progress and development during this academic year.
There was a total of 122 awards which included ‘Student of the Year’ and ‘Resilience’ categories across all study areas and industry sectors.
There were also ‘Outstanding Skills’ awards for apprentices and recognition for supported internships from their employers.
Simon Jordan, Oldham College Principal, said: “These Student Awards were a fantastic celebration of our purpose to empower learners of all ages and levels to unlock their potential and establish successful careers that will also help to grow our local economy.”
“In celebrating these successes together, it’s also important to recognise that the story behind each of these awards is relative and special because they all represent very diverse and inspiring individual stories of dedication, talent and hard work.
“It was equally exciting to hear from employers about the performances of our apprentices and supported interns in real workplaces, which is crucial as they take their initial steps into a first or a new career, and seek to make a real impact.
“These awards also celebrate the contributions that students make to our community during their time here – and are testament to the support network that is in place to help them unleash their ‘inner heroes’.”
Great examples of individual success include Harold Samuel, winner of the Outstanding Skills award in Digital (pictured right with Andy Powell, Inclusive Bytes Director, and Rikki Paylor, Oldham College).
Harold’s employer, Inclusive Bytes CIC, nominated him for his “first class work ethic” and for completing all tasks “to an excellent standard” – and added they “could have easily nominated all four” of their learner placements from Oldham College.
Alisha Carr (pictured, below right) also won an Outstanding Skills award in Sport from her employer The Unit, a high-performance gym. Alisha was praised for leaving her comfort zone and embracing their alternative health and lifestyle offering in a way that “brought value to both our business and her coaching skills.”
Attendees enjoyed mocktails, canapes, food and party games before each ceremony.
Oldham College awards were presented by Simon Jordan, Principal, and members of the senior leadership team while awards from University Campus Oldham (UCO) were presented by Helen Carey, a mother of two who completed a BA (Hons) in Business Management and a PGCE course at UCO. She is now an Oldham College Business Programme Tutor and is starting a Masters in Education this September.
If you would like to view more photographs from this event, please follow the links below:
Simon Jordan added: “I want to thank all the learners, staff and employers involved in these inspirational achievements and awards events.”
“This was an outstanding illustration of our borough’s talents and shows that the future is bright.”
