We have been recognised in prestigious national awards

Barnsley College has been recognised for its innovative approach to employer engagement at the Association of Colleges Beacon Awards 2025/26.

The AoC Beacon Awards are some of the nation’s highest accolades for further education institutions. Barnsley College was recognised as a finalist in the City and Guilds Award for College Engagement with Employers category for its Academy model, which embeds employers at the heart of curriculum design and delivery.

The Academy programme sees the College’s employer partners given opportunities to co-design curriculum, directly mentor students, and offer real projects and work experience, in fully-branded classrooms designed with each employers’ values in mind.

Academy rooms are striking, innovative spaces – such as the Little Explorers Community Nursery academy, collaboratively designed to resemble the nursery’s own space, or the Barnsley Hospital academy which features real medical equipment on a simulated ward.

With around 30 partnerships across industries, the model ensures the College is meeting its purpose of ‘transforming lives’ by ensuring a clear line-of-sight from education into employment, with facilities and opportunities tailored to the industry in question. For example, in automotive engineering, students are able to work on donated vehicles, while in esports, they have access to cutting-edge simulation racing rigs.

Barnsley College Principal and Chief Executive, David Akeroyd, said: “Being a finalist in the AoC Beacon Awards is a tremendous achievement and a powerful endorsement of Barnsley College’s Academy programme.

“This recognition belongs to colleagues across the whole College and to our employer partners who work alongside us every day to create exceptional opportunities for our students.

“Our Academy model is built on genuine collaboration – employers co-designing curriculum, mentoring students and setting real-world projects that develop the skills, behaviours and confidence industry demands.

“I am incredibly proud of the collective effort that has made this programme such a success. We should all be proud that our sector-leading approach has been recognised on a national stage.”

Barnsley College was also Commended in the Sustainable Energy First Award for Education for Sustainable Development, for its trailblazing Reloved Boutique vintage clothing shop and sustainable education hub for students from the College’s Learning for Living and Work department.