KIDDERMINSTER College is celebrating a year of success for child care learners.

The success rate for Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education (CACHE) level three child care and education was 86.7 per cent, exceeding the national average by over 13.7 per cent (2010-2011).

More than 76 per cent of the learners secured full-time employment soon after they completed their course and 28 per cent progressed to university.

The value added score for learners who have completed the course is 45.3 per cent, the highest in the West Midlands by more than 20 points.

The college is now ranked 37th out of 228 colleges nationally and has the highest rating in the West Mid-lands for the course.

Jessica Arnold completed the childcare and education course course, and now works full-time at Holy Trinity Nursery in Kidderminster.

She said: “I’m very much enjoying working at Holy Trinity. Studying the Child Care course at College equipped me with the relevant knowledge, skills and experience for a role like this.

No doubt it strengthened my application for it.”

Gaynor Carter, nursery manager, added: “Jessica and other ex-Kidderminster College students working here are fantastic additions to the team. They are knowledgeable, personable and have a great ability to interact and connect with our children.

I’m sure this is, in part,due to the time they spent at Kidderminster College.”

Over recent years, the college has made investments in learning and social spaces and facilities to benefit learners, including FlyKC, a reconstructed aircraft cabin environment for travel, tourism and aviation learners.

The college has also invested in facilities for its university level courses, enabling more people to access HNCs and HNDs in subjects including games design and development, public services and music production.