University College Isle of Man is boasting that it has had a ’fantastic’ year for vocational students.

Out of the 85 students who completed their Level 3 Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) qualifications this year, 93% passed, with 89% achieving a merit or distinction, the equivalent of an A-level A or B grade.

A total of 58% of students gained a distinction or distinction*, the equivalent to an A-level A or A*. Twelve students achieved distinction* in all their subjects, which is equivalent to achieving triple A* at A-level.

UCM offers 12 BTEC courses within a range of sectors: construction, health and social care, information technology, sports, business and hospitality.

Out of the 18 students who completed the Level 3 University of the Arts London (UAL) course, 83% of passed, with 72% achieving a merit or a distinction.

Jo Richardson, vice principal of UCM, said: ’We are very proud of our students and their remarkable achievements.

’Their success reflects their hard work and dedication, and also the high quality teaching and support that are provided by UCM staff, who are practitioners and experts in their fields.

’We wish all our students all the best in the next phases in their lives, whether it is higher education or their career of choice.’

In a press statement, the college says that vocational qualifications are highly regarded by employers today, mainly due to their focus on development of transferable, practical skills and because they offer students the opportunity to explore and develop critical employability skills such as creativity, communication, collaborative working and presentation skills.

’At UCM we aim to provide students on the Isle of Man with a wide range of learning opportunities, affording them maximum choice so that individual needs can be met. Vocational qualifications offer students a unique way of learning, by combining a hands-on approach together with theoretical study, which may, for some, be an attractive and effective way of learning,’ Mrs Richardson added.

More than one million learners in the UK take BTEC qualifications every year. It is the fastest growing route into university; almost one in four students who started university last year had a BTEC qualification.

UAL Level 3 qualifications are designed to provide the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to progress to degree-level study in art and design, or into employment.

UAL is the world’s top six university for art and design, according to the QS World University Rankings 2018,