Based in the heart of the UK’s second biggest city, with over 10,000 students from around 90 countries, University College Birmingham is highly respected by employers and industry for providing career-focused education and training. We specialise in vocational courses in both the higher education and further education sectors and continue to grow our portfolio of apprenticeships. A wide range of our undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses, as well as some higher-level apprenticeships, are accredited and awarded by the University of Warwick, a prestigious Russell Group university ranked 9th in the UK by The Guardian 2024 league table. Our reputation for excellence means the University is popular with international students and this year we were delighted to win the International category at the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023. We are committed to providing the best facilities for all our students and have invested £160 million in our campuses to enhance the student experience and ensure students have the very best, practical environments for their training. By now, there were five major departments – hotel and catering; bakery; domestic arts; residential child care; and nursery nursing. Regulations stipulated that “stiletto heels must NOT be worn in any part of the College.” Radios, record players and tape recorders were also banned. In the late 1980s, the institution’s name was changed yet again, to the Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies, to better represent the course provision. A watershed moment arrived on April 1, 1993, when the College left local authority control and joined the newly formed further education sector under then Principal Eddie McIntyre. Dr McIntyre and his senior management team took full advantage of the new independence to increase recruitment, develop the curriculum and invest in the facilities and College estate. Major developments included the construction of the £25 million new halls of residence The Maltings, built at the former Davenports Brewery site in Bath Row. The complex provided more than 800 study bedrooms and was completed in three phases, in 1996, 1998 and 2003. Richmond House in Newhall Street was acquired as part of the institution’s expansion and opened as a dedicated centre for further education in 2001.