Member News
Gateshead College’s PlanBEE programme has been awarded one of the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Higher and Further Education, the highest national honour a Further Education College can receive.
The announcement was made at St James’s Palace and coincides with the college’s 80th birthday celebrations. The prize will be formally presented at an investiture ceremony next February.
Part of the UK’s national honours system, the Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Education are granted every two years by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister, following a rigorous and independent review process. They recognise outstanding work by UK colleges and universities that demonstrate excellence, innovation and real benefit to the wider world.
Developed in partnership with Ryder Architecture, PlanBEE was launched in 2016 to help attract and retain talent in the built environment and construction sector and solve the skills shortage the industry is facing.
Backed by a consortium of over 70 leading businesses across the UK, the programme combines academic study at the college with hands-on experience at leading industry employers.
As the first programme of its kind, apprentices undertake six distinct four-month placements across roles such as architecture, engineering, project management, quantity surveying and digital design.
PlanBEE has achieved remarkable success, delivering over 850 industry placements and boasting a 98% progression rate of apprentices into permanent roles or further study. Building on its success in the North East, PlanBEE expanded to Manchester in 2020 and London in 2023.
In 2024, the college developed PlanBEE Rail in partnership with Network Rail and its supply chain partners, and it also expanded into the digital sector in the North East with the first cohort of PlanBEE Cyber apprentices starting at the end of 2024.
This national honour shines a spotlight on the North East as a place where innovation in skills development is not only happening but leading the country. PlanBEE reflects the ambitions of the region’s skills agenda demonstrating how employer-led, flexible and collaborative models can strengthen the talent pipeline in priority sectors, boost productivity and support long-term economic growth.
David Alexander, Principal of Gateshead College said: “This is a tremendous honour for our college. It recognises the innovative partnership approach we’ve taken with industry to tackle skills shortages, and it’s a powerful endorsement of the impact the PlanBEE programme has made. This honour wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of our team, our incredible sponsors, and the talented apprentices who’ve helped make it the success it is today. It’s especially fitting to receive this recognition as we mark the college’s 80th birthday giving us even more reason to celebrate.”
Mark Thompson, Managing Director, Ryder Architecture, said: “When we first set out to create PlanBEE, I spoke to universities and professional institutes across the country, but many simply couldn’t move at the pace our fast-changing industry demands. We needed a partner who understood the urgency and the bigger picture.
Gateshead College’s commitment, ambition and ‘can-do’ approach never faltered. Together we’ve created a collaborative programme that brings the sector together in a completely new way.
“To see PlanBEE recognised with this national honour is a testament to that partnership. It shows what can be achieved when industry and education work side by side with shared purpose and real determination and I’m grateful to all those who invested in the vision from the outset, it wouldn’t have happened without them.”
Sir Damon Buffini, Chair of the Royal Anniversary Trust, said: “The Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Higher and Further Education celebrate the power of education to change the world for the better. This much-loved national honour recognises, at the highest level of state, outstanding work in UK universities and colleges, and the remarkable benefit they bring to our economy, society and the wider world.
This year we are delighted to honour 19 institutions whose work offers an inspiring snapshot of the excellent and innovative work going on in universities and colleges across the UK. Congratulations all!”
