A BASINGSTOKE college has ranked among the top colleges in the National Achievement Rates tables, issued by the government last week.

Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT) was ranked within the top 12 per cent of colleges nationally for timely achievement of apprenticeships and in the top 13 per cent of colleges for achievement at Level 3 for 16 to 18-year-olds.

It ranks the Worting Road college alongside the top colleges in the area for this measure. Principal Anthony Bravo called the results “exceptional”.

He said: “Not only does it validate our approach but also ranks us among the best colleges in the country, something I am proud we can offer the community in Basingstoke.”

Mr Bravo added: “We are one of the largest providers of apprenticeships in the region, working with large numbers of employers across all industry sectors.

“We are set to see a huge increase in the number of people taking an apprenticeship - from school leavers to those already in industry - and employers now have the tangible assurance they will be working with one of the best providers in the area.”

The Level 3 achievement results were particularly notable with BCoT securing 89 per cent achievement rate - a figure which is 4.2 per cent higher than the national average for Further Education College and Tertiary providers.

BCoT is a further education college which offers vocational qualifications to students, covering a wide range of subjects and qualifications.

Deputy principal Mark Hillman added: “Many parents assume the vocational option is of less value than A levels, but we can see the exponential growth in young people who immerse themselves in subjects they love.

“They get a head start at university from studying their subject in more depth and they have highly developed research and self-study skills.”