South Devon College are champions!

SOUTH DEVON COLLEGE have been awarded a GOLD – CHAMPION Investors in People award for its staff development and training at a ceremony held at The Freemasons’ Hall in London.

The College, which has nearly 700 employees, were recently awarded a gold award from the UK’s leading people management standard, Investors in People (IIP), joining just 1% of all UK employers to have attained the Investors in People’s highest accolade. The purpose of the ‘Champions’ programme is to recognise and reward organisations, like South Devon College, which have been outstanding in promoting the values and principles of Investors in People. They lead by example in the way they manage and develop their people.

“I am delighted that South Devon College has been recognised with a Gold Investors in People Award” said Chair of Governing Body, Kevin Mowat. “This is a reflection of the dedication of our staff and a culture which thrives on high expectations at every level with a complete commitment to South Devon learners and their success. The College’s ambition is to ensure that it continues to provide the best possible learning experience for our learners and the businesses we work with, and this award again testifies to the high standards and excellent staff across the College.”

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, IIP has become the National Industry Benchmark through which employers can demonstrate their investment in their workforce. South Devon College has been recognised as an Investor in People since 1995. An IIP assessment typically covers areas such as leadership, reward and recognition, people management, learning and development, involvement and empowerment, performance measurement, organisational communication, staff training and development, and support for good performance. South Devon College’s assessment was reviewed via interviews with nearly 100 randomly selected members of staff by IIP assessor Joanna Gillingham.

“This is a significant achievement and one richly deserved,” said Joanna Gillingham, “Credit for this achievement goes not only to the Senior Management Team of the College and its Governors, but to all the staff who through their commitment to students and their enthusiasm for success at every level make South Devon College an inspiring place to work. Through their vision and leadership the Principalship and Senior Management Team create an environment where all staff are encouraged to maximise potential and provide an ‘outstanding’ environment for learners.”

The Investors in People Gold Award joins an already extensive list of accolades achieved by South Devon College in recent years: this year the National Student Survey 2010 statistics gave the College an 85% learner satisfaction rate compared to the national average of just 82%; last year they were awarded ‘MATRIX quality Standard’ for the 4th year running for their effective and impartial delivery of information, advice and guidance (IAG); and in 2009 they were graded as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted and awarded prestigious ‘Beacon Status’ by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service in the same year.