EAL learning provider receives a Royal Visit as engineering learners shine on the regional stage

Last month, students at Bournemouth & Poole College were treated to a Royal Visit celebrating their progress in engineering.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales made the visit to the Sunseeker Skills Academy. Developed in conjunction with the college, the Academy is transforming local job prospects as employees develop skills in engineering, carpentry, and more.

HRH made the visit to highlight the work the Academy is doing as part of the Homewards initiative – a community programme designed to address and prevent homelessness, in this case by enabling people to learn valuable skills as part of the BPC/Sunseekers partnership, and join the workforce.

Bournemouth and Poole College is also celebrating the success of its engineering students, as a team representing the college advanced from the IMechE Design Challenge Wessex Regional Final and will be representing at the National competition.

The event took place at Dorset Innovation Park within the impressive walls of BattleLab, where students were set the challenge of producing an autonomous vehicle that can recharge on the spot without the driver needing to get out. Competitors had only a few hours to design and present their models. After a Q&A session with the judges, the final product testing took place, and BPC teams picked up the points they needed to advance to the national stages of the IMechE Design Challenge.

The team at BPC delivers six different standards through EAL as part of their end point assessment requirements, ranging from Levels 2 to 6.

EAL supports IMechE in the delivery and administration of end-point assessments, including the Engineering Technician Standard.

Craig Robinson, Apprenticeship Manager, Bournemouth & Poole College:

“We were honoured to welcome HRH Prince William to our Sunseeker Skills Academy to meet the individuals leading the success of a transformative back-to-work learning initiative. The programme provides essential training for individuals seeking skilled employment, bridging critical skills gaps in the region. The visit of His Royal Highness highlighted our ongoing mission to support the local economy by preparing students for sustainable, long-term careers in skilled trades. 

“We were hugely proud to witness so many enthusiastic engineering students at the start of their careers. The dedication and effort put into all designs and builds was evident throughout the day and we’re hugely excited to see our teams compete in the National Finals of the challenge.”