“Outstanding” NULC assessor awarded medal of excellence

A Newcastle-under-Lyme College assessor who has passed his skills and knowledge on to prison workers throughout the country has been honoured with a special medal.

Ernie Machin, aged 63 from Stafford, has taught and mentored trainee workers in the Justice sector for more than 36 years, including 23 years a custodial care assessor and trainer. Now his dedication, commitment and drive have been rewarded with a City and Guilds Medal of Excellence, which aims to reward exceptional people whose work within the education sector makes them stand out. He will now go through to the national Lion awards, dubbed the 'education Oscars', where awards will be presented in ten different categories. 

Ernie Machin, back row third from left, with staff from NULC and SERCO

He currently manages a team of seven Newcastle-under-Lyme College assessors who are based full-time at SERCO-operated Her Majesty's Prison (HMP) Dovegate, near Uttoxeter. To date, the team has trained more than 270 prison workers across a range of functions, including Custodial Care, Customer Service, Team Leading and Business Administration.