The college was announced as one of four finalists for the Careers and Enterprise Company Award for Innovation in Careers and Enterprise at a glittering AoC ceremony this week.
The Beacon Awards celebrate the best and most innovative practice among UK colleges each year. This award, supported by The Careers and Enterprise Company, celebrates outstanding examples of careers education and guidance.
Sunderland College needed to demonstrate highly effective engagement with schools, employers and other agencies, to provide students with excellent impartial careers education, advice and guidance.
Vikkie Morton, Vice Principal for Student Services and Registry for Education Partnership North East, which includes Sunderland College, said:
“We have high expectations for all of our students and we motivate and inspire them through outstanding careers education to be the best they can be and to ensure they reach their full potential.
“I’m delighted that Sunderland College has reached the final stage of this year’s Careers Education and Guidance Beacon Award. We have been key in piloting the Gatsby Good Career Benchmarks, a framework of guidelines that define the best careers provision in schools and colleges, and are an advocate for embedding them across the North East region and nationally. We value the opportunity to transform the future of careers education and guidance and inspire innovative practice.”
Vikkie added:
“We are looking forward to welcoming the Beacon Award assessors to the college, in the near future, so that we can demonstrate our careers work in action.”
Last year, an impressive 94.7% of students from Sunderland College progressed to a positive destination such as employment or further study.
Ellen Thinnesen, Chief Executive of Education Partnership North East, said:
“I’m thrilled that Sunderland College has gained the recognition it deserves for the vital role our staff play in ensuring careers education is woven as the golden thread throughout the student journey.”
“Students are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves in equipping them with the skills, knowledge and attributes that employers need, so they can progress to a successful and rewarding career.”
The AoC is the national voice for further education, sixth form, tertiary and specialist colleges in England. Now in its 25th year, the AoC Beacon Awards showcase best practice and innovation in colleges.
David Hughes, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, said:
“These colleges have shown great innovation in highly effective engagement with schools, employers and other agencies, to provide learners with excellent impartial careers education, advice and guidance. Enabling learners to make informed choices about their progression to further study and training, including apprenticeships will have a lasting effect on the rest of their lives.”
Beacon Awards winners will be revealed at the Tes FE awards ceremony on 20th March 2020 at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.
Sunderland College, as part of college group EPNE, receives an Outstanding rating across the board in its latest Ofsted inspection.
November 26, 2024
The Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson MP, officially opened HICSA – a pioneering regional gateway for skills training.
November 12, 2025
EPNE has announced the appointment of Toni Rhodes as its new Chief Executive, following a national governor-led recruitment process.
November 11, 2025
98% of our students progress to a positive destination
(*Destination data for Sunderland College students aged 16-18, academic year 2017/18).
Our achievement rates are well above the national average.
We are the College of the Year.
(*Top college nationally for BTECs, Pearson 2019)
100% of our HND and HNC students progressed to employment or further study.
(*Destination data, academic year 2016/17, HNC 19+)
We have recently invested £50 million in our facilities.
