A congregation of almost 500 people gathered at Wakefield Cathedral on Saturday 9 November to see students from the University Centre at Wakefield College receive higher level qualifications at the annual Graduation Ceremony.
Graduates paraded through the city centre towards the Cathedral in a long procession, accompanied by a brass band, with crowds of well-wishers lining the streets to congratulate them.
They were met by the Dean of Wakefield, the Very Reverend Simon Cowling, and the Mayor and Mayoress of Wakefield.
This year’s guest speaker, Harry Gration MBE, best known for presenting BBC news programme Look North, took the opportunity to praise the College for its hard work and congratulated the graduates on their achievements, as well as sharing some stories from his time on the screen.
Wakefield College Principal, Sam Wright, said, “The annual graduation ceremony is a significant event in our calendar where College staff, students, friends and families come together to celebrate the achievements of our HE learners. Saturday’s event was another proud moment for me as Principal and it was an honour to be there to celebrate our learners’ success”.
This year, over 120 students achieved a Higher Education qualification at the College’s University Centre including Higher National Diplomas, Higher National Certificates, Foundation Degrees and Degrees in a wide variety of areas including Education, Computing, HR, Childhood Studies, Care, Sports, Music, Engineering, Business and Management, Web Design, Theatre, Art & Design and Accounting.
The University Centre at Wakefield College has seen sustained growth in applications over the last few years and has ambitious plans to further develop its higher education curriculum.