The UK’s top civil servant in charge of Further Education visited Fareham College to learn more about the high-quality teaching Fareham College offers to young people in Hampshire and beyond.

Philippa Lloyd, Director General of Higher and Further Education at the Department of Education (DfE), was invited down to meet with students and staff as she toured the College’s campus as well as the impressive Centre of Excellence in Engineering, Manufacturing and Advanced Skills Training (CEMAST).

The visit follows several prestigious milestones for the Hampshire-based general further education college, including its nomination as FE College of the Year and recent ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating.

Fareham College Principal, Nigel Duncan, commented:

“It is a pleasure to be a part of Philippa’s visit to the Solent. Fareham College has developed its provision to match the current and future skills needs of local, regional and national employers. Our partnership with employers is at the heart of all we do and ensures that the skills that our students gain through their study programmes and apprenticeships equip them for long-term careers in a wide range of professions. We’re very pleased that Philippa is so interested in our College, our students, and our apprentices”

Director General for Higher and Further Education, Philippa Lloyd, said:

“I have really enjoyed meeting the students studying here at Fareham as well as hearing how Nigel and his senior team have created such a wonderful learning environment. The College has world-class facilities and I will report back what I have discovered here.”

The Director General visited the College’s CEMAST campus, which partners with major companies such as BAE Systems, GE Aviation, as Airbus, Siemens, South Western Railways, Hendy Ford and Halfords to provide training and apprenticeships in engineering, manufactured and advanced skills. The recent Ofsted inspection stated that at CEMAST ‘apprentices benefit from excellent, high quality resources that exceed industry requirements’.

In addition to this, the Director General also visited the Civil Engineering Training Centre (CETC), which has been awarded funding for a new £4.6m expansion, and the main Fareham College campus at Bishopsfield Road.

Fareham College Deputy Principal, Andrew Kaye, added:

“It is great that Fareham is being recognised as the leader that it is. I passionately believe others can learn from our approach and benefit from what we have done to make sure our students succeed.”

The College currently teaches over 1,500 full-time learners, 1,000 part-time or adult learners and a further 1,000 apprentices.

Student employment prospects at Fareham College are exemplary, with 98% of students and apprentices, of all ages, progressing to positive destinations that include employment, apprenticeships or further study.