Earlier this month, SMB College Group were proud to attend the Leicestershire Business Awards at DMU’s ‘The Venue’, celebrating the hard work, determination and success of a wide range of Leicestershire-based businesses.
The college was one of the award recipients on the night, having been successful in securing the ‘Excellence in Collaboration’ Award alongside fellow Leicestershire colleges (NWSLC, Loughborough College and Leicester College). This award was presented to the colleges for their highly successful HYVE partnership – a pioneering project which aims to upskill Vehicle Engineering professionals via short courses in hydrogen, electric and hybrid vehicles, and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assisted Systems).
Dawn Whitemore, Chief Executive and Principal of SMB College Group, said ‘We were thrilled to support this year’s fantastic Leicestershire Business Awards, hosted by the East Midlands Chamber. The evening was a wonderful occasion, allowing businesses to come together to celebrate the world-class business community that we are so lucky to have here in the East Midlands.’
Dawn added ‘Here at SMB College Group, we believe in people, and in empowering all of our learners and employer partners to achieve their full potential. We are proud to contribute to the thriving local economic communities across the region by working with some fantastic employers to provide award-winning apprenticeships, work experience programmes, and employer skills forums, and by producing high-quality alumni - many of whom go on to start successful businesses of their own.
‘It was a truly inspiring evening and I would once again like to extend my congratulations to all of the incredible winners and nominees.’
SMB College Group were also one of the sponsors on the night, supporting and judging the Small Business of the Year award, in recognition of the vast majority of business who operate as SMEs.
The winning nominee selected by the college was Menphys – a charity who provide a range of specialist services which support children and young adults with disabilities and additional needs. Since 1975, its vision has been to give children and young people in Leicestershire the equal choices and equal opportunities they need to live ordinary lives.
The judges from SMB College Group said ‘We were incredibly impressed by all of the finalists within this category, with Menphys securing the win because of the ingenuity and business acumen they’ve displayed in order to diversify their funding streams, allowing them to not only continue their great work, but to grow their hugely beneficial and meaningful service - positively impacting the lives of even more service users.’
The celebratory evening included the presentation of a range of highly sought-after awards, from ‘Business Improvement through Technology’ to ‘Apprentice of the Year’ and many in between, and provided an opportunity for the region’s most impressive businesses to forge and strengthen connections.
SMB College Group is a leading education provider situated in the heart of Leicestershire, specialising in land-based, sport, construction, engineering, performing arts and more. The college values are Resilience, Ambition, Innovation, Sustainability, Ethics and Excellence, with students placed firmly at the heart of everything they do.
This exciting award win for the college comes on the back of winning Apprenticeship Provider of the Year at the 2022 AAC Apprenticeship Awards, and a 2023 Nachural Entrepreneurship Award for Promoting Apprenticeships.
The college’s current employer and industry links include Leicester Tigers, Redrow Homes, Barratt Developments, Resideo, Ragdale Hall Spa, Worcester Bosch and many more. If you’re interested in partnering or collaborating with SMB College Group, get in touch with the helpful team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01530 836 136.