Uxbridge College has become one of the first in the country to be awarded a kite mark for excellence in providing training for employers.
The College has achieved what is called the New Standard, and is in the first 12 colleges and private training companies nationally to win the award, one of only two in London, and the first in west London.
Uxbridge College joined others to pick up their award at the standard's first ever accreditation event, held last month.
Organisations which win the award, which is backed by the Learning and Skills Council, have to prove they offer high-quality training and respond well to the needs of employers.
As part of the process of assessing a college for the award, employers who get training are asked their opinion on whether they think a kite mark should be awarded.
Laraine Smith, Principal of Uxbridge College, which has campuses in Uxbridge and Hayes in west London, said: "Part of the reason we have achieved the New Standard is because 150 of the employers we provide training for were asked whether they would recommend Uxbridge College - and they did. Achieving the New Standard, which is a kite mark for colleges in running training courses, is a real endorsement of the work we have been doing to support employers. It shows we have listened to what employers want and responded to provide the kind of training they need."
One of the companies which Uxbridge College has worked with for a number of years -providing training in areas including warehousing, distribution and storage, customer service and administration - is Future Electronics in Hayes.
Gary Bowers, Training Manager at the firm, which distributes electronic components, said: "I would recommend Uxbridge College for employer training. It offers a wide range of subjects, and you get as much contact time as you need with the College.
"Trained people are a lot more use to us as a company and they feel a lot more comfortable in themselves. I have the confidence of knowing they've got it all covered and it makes my job easier."
Uxbridge College, which is the number one college in London for success rates for young people, runs courses for around 500 employers in and around west London. Training is given in a wide range of areas including IT, management, health and social care, engineering, catering and hospitality, and English as a second language.
David Lammy MP, Skills Minister, said: "Training is essential to any successful enterprise and we are determined to make high quality skills training accessible for all. The new standard highlights excellence in provider responsiveness and will be a mark that employers can trust."
