College Awards
Quality Standards Awards
The College has met the requirements of the following quality standards:
- IQA – Institute of Quality Assurance
- SQMS – Scottish Quality Management Systems
- Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) Quality Criteria
- CIMA – Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
- Positive about Disabled People
- Grampian Heart Campaign Gold Award
- The Scottish Council on Alcohol – A working concern Employers Award
EQFM
In July 2002, the College was recognised as a Centre for Excellence for the second year by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM). The College continued to meet the requirements of a wide range of awarding bodies. This was confirmed following audits and monitoring visits by the following:
- The City and Guild of London Institute
- The Construction Industry Training Board
- The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board
- The Engineering and Marine Training Board
- The Institute of Motor Industry
- The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
- The National Curriculum for Further Education Board
- National Examining Board for Supervisory Management
- The London College of Music
- The Trinity College of Music, London
The Charter Mark (1994,1997, 2000, 2003, 2006)
In 1994, the College was the first Scottish further education centre to be awarded the Charter Mark by the Prime Minister, in recognition of its provision of public services. The College was a Charter Mark re–winner in 1997, 2000 and 2004.
Beacon Award
In 2003, Aberdeen College was outright winner of the Allied Irish Bank (UK) Award for Links with Foyers – which was open to all further education, sixth form and tertiary colleges in the UK who have established successful and sustainable partnerships with Foyers, of which there are 100 throughout the UK. This is the third time Aberdeen College has won a Beacon Award – the only Scottish college to do so.
GREC
Aberdeen College received a special award from the Grampian Racial Equality Council (GREC) for its valuable contribution towards racial quality. The College works closely with GREC on a number of projects to promote racial equality, and to gain an awareness of the needs of people from different ethnic backgrounds within the College.
Top Health & Safety Awards
British Safety Council Sword of Honour
Aberdeen College, twice time recipient of the Five Star award, is the only Scottish college to achieve the Sword of Honour – recognised as the pinnacle of safety achievement. Only 38 organisations worldwide were granted this prestigious award in 2003. Applications for this award are restricted to those who have achieved the Five Star Health and Safety Award.
RoSPA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents)
Aberdeen College has been awarded the prestigious GOLD Award for Occupational Safety and Health for the third successive year in 2006. The RoSPA awards, sponsored by NEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health), are a demonstration of the application of good Safety and Health Management systems and the organizational commitment to the achievement of high levels of performance in Safety and Health at all levels.
Scotland’s Health at Work Gold Award
Aberdeen College passed all the criteria for the Scotland’s Health at Work Gold Award in 2006, demonstrating its continuing commitment to the health of all College staff.
First College in Europe to receive BSI award
In 2005, Aberdeen College passed a rigorous independent external assessment of its Clients Complaints Management System and was presented with a CMSAS 86 2000 certificate, making it the first College in Europe to achieve this standard from the British Standards Institute.
IIP People Development Award 2006
Investors in People (IIP) Scotland presented its People Development Award for 2006 to Aberdeen College. The College has held the Investors in People standard since 1996.
IIP Profile Award
This year the College asked to be reviewed against the more rigorous IIP profile so that a more detailed assessment of strengths and areas for development could be undertaken. The College’s audit took place in October 2005 and the resulting score was the highest in Scotland for organisations audited against the profile.
Scottish Further Education Unit (SFEU) 2005 Award for External Customer Service:
The College was outright winner for its project aimed at retaining Charter Mark – which has been held continuously by the College since 1994. The project was set up in 2003 to review the new criteria, gather appropriate evidence, introduce changes where necessary, and take account of other relevant external customer service awards which would support the December 2004 renewal application or future applications.
SFEU 2005 Award for Professional Learning & Enhancement.
The ‘Lunch and Learn Staff Development Programme’ was awarded ‘Runner-up’ for an initiative that enables key issues relating to learning and teaching to be disseminated to colleagues college–wide over lunchtimes, causing minimal disturbance to both staff and students.
SQA Scottish Enterprise Award for Vocational Training 2005:
Runner–up for links between Aberdeen College’s hairdressing department, local hair salons and schools. These links have led to student success in national hair competitions and have increased awareness of the industry in local schools through demonstrations and presentations.
SQA Partnership of the Year Award 2005:
Runner-up for the College’s support and involvement with Aberdeen Foyer since its development ten years ago. The College delivers training and education opportunities in Foyer and College premises and equally important to some clients is the opportunity to progress onto mainstream courses.
SQA International Centre of the Year Award 2005:
Runner–up for the work undertaken by Aberdeen Skills and Training Limited (ASET) – the wholly owned commercial company of Aberdeen College, to introduce SQA qualifications to a number of companies in overseas locations, notably Libya and Qatar.
SQA Candidate of the Year Award 2005:
Emma Brumpton (HND Television Operations and Production), was named runner–up for excelling in her academic studies, and for enriching the lives of her fellow students and the wider community through her desire to make films that would inform and educate the viewer about the harsh realities of the world in which we live. Her film – ‘Clouds of Hope’, tells of an Aids Orphanage in Africa, and the work of Sister Abigail.
National Business Awards for Scotland 2005:
The College was awarded ‘Runner–up’ in the Scottish Customer Focus Award category and was ‘Highly Commended’ in the ‘ntl Best Use of Technology’ category thanks to the introduction of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
2005 National Customer Service Awards:
‘Customer Service Team of the Year’ runner-up in the Public Services and Education category
Marketing Excellence
2005 SFEU Marketing Award for Full Time Prospectus:
Aberdeen College won a Gold award for its 2005 full time prospectus – arguably the most sought after and most competitive category at the Scottish Further Education Marketing Network annual awards. In addition to the Gold award, Aberdeen College also won a ‘Bronze’ in the New Media category for its induction CD for new students.
2005 Further Education (FE) First Campaigns Award:
The College received ‘runner-up’ for its innovative marketing and evaluation of Adult Learners’ Week. This submission covered a project led by Aberdeen College which brought together learning establishments in the North-east of Scotland in order to put a greater focus on Adult Learners’ Week – a Scottish Adult Learning Partnership (SALP ) annual campaign. In addition, and against stiff competition with over 150 entries, the 2005 course catalogue received a ‘Highly Commended’ for its design, style and ease of use.
2004 SFEU Marketing Award for Relationship Marketing:
The marketing campaign – ‘What’s Cooking?’ – aimed at redressing current trends by encouraging pupils to once again consider hospitality as a profession, was awarded ‘runner-up’. The College website also earned a ‘runner–up’ award for its excellent navigation and accessibility features.
2004 Further Education (FE) First PR Campaign Award:
The College was presented with a First in the PR Campaign category for its coverage of the annual awards ceremony and a Highly Recommended in the Website category. Only two colleges were recognised in more than one category, Aberdeen College being the only Scottish College.
The 2003 SFEU Marketing Awards, saw the College Publicity & Marketing pick up three out of the four gold winning categories.
- Relationship Marketing Gold Award – for the Schools Opportunities Scheme (SOS)
- Integrated Campaign Gold Award – for a campaign aimed at widening access to minority and disadvantaged groups.
- Market/Marketing Research Gold Award – for the evaluation of marketing activities and spend.