Dumfries and Galloway College has won two prizes at the annual SQA Star Awards.
In the category awards, the college won the partnership award for its ongoing collaboration with The Usual Place, a café in Dumfries that provides opportunities for people with additional support needs.
The partnership between the South of Scotland college and The Usual Place also took home the Pride o’ Worth award which recognises the best performing centre in the competition.
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, John Swinney, presented the overall award to the college at the award ceremony in Glasgow on November 15.
The SQA Star Awards recognise the contributions made by individuals, organisations, and others towards helping students achieve the qualifications they need to move on to employment, training, or continued education.
Both awards represent the commitments of Dumfries and Galloway College to working in partnership across the South of Scotland region and to ensuring that the area has and retains the skills and talents it needs to thrive.
SQA’s formal crest incorporates the evocative words of “pride o’ worth” from Robert Burns’ A Man’s a Man for A That and the Star Awards are presented with that spirit at their core.
Dumfries and Galloway College Principal, Joanna Campbell, said:
“We are delighted to not only have been recognised for our partnership with The Usual Place.
“The SQA Star Awards are all about recognising excellence in our sector and so we’re thrilled to have won two such prestigious awards.
“All of us as Dumfries and Galloway College remain committed to achieving and maintaining this standard and, where possible, going beyond it.” The Usual Place CEO, Heather Hall, said:
“Our partnership with Dumfries and Galloway College has been great from the start and it’s wonderful to see it recognised at these prestigious awards.
“This working relationship has very much been led by our young people and it has been built upon their skills, ambitions, and talents.
“Both partners in this successful team have learned from each other, grown together, and gained the benefit from each other’s strengths to improve.” Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, John Swinney said:
“All those receiving awards and commendation have shown an outstanding drive and devotion to learning in their chosen field.
“My congratulations to the winners and finalists for their achievements.
“The variety of routes taken by the learners across the categories demonstrates the immense diversity of their ambitions, and I am grateful to the SQA for its work in creating and expanding the options available.”
