DUDLEY College staff and students have been celebrating achievements to show they are on the ball at home and away.

The latest crop of graduates paraded through the town centre campus in traditional robes and mortar board hats to mark their success on higher level courses in subjects including sport, business, accounting, management, engineering, construction, fashion and public services.

Five sport students reached their goal and became the first graduates from the newly introduced sport and exercise HNC which paves the way for degree level qualifications.

Dudley College principal, Lowell Williams, said: “We introduced the procession across Coronation Gardens so local people could enjoy this colourful and customary event, as it is quite a spectacle to see.

“Many people don’t realise that the level of the qualifications we offer are equivalent to university courses, and as such, warrant a full graduation ceremony to celebrate and recognise our student’s achievements.”

Dudley College sports student Liam Jones, 22, from Gornal, said: “At the start of the course the work was a bit of a struggle as it was a bigger jump up than I expected, but I’ve had lots of help and support and graduating is a great way to celebrate all my hard work.”

Meanwhile the college is also celebrating after winning the British Council’s International Partnership of the Year award. The award recognises the college’s partnership with the Technical Industrial Institute (TII) in Yemen to expand training and support for their students.

The partnership began in 2010 and the Yemeni college overcame a number of difficulties during its development including the fallout from the Arab Spring.

A team from Dudley College mentored staff at TII, with many of Dudley’s systems being replicated in Yemen, both in TII and at other colleges in the Middle Eastern country.