Today (28 January 2021) we celebrated those making a positive difference in the skills system as we revealed the winners of our Diversity and Inclusion Heroes Awards at a digital ceremony, hosted in partnership with Coca-Cola European Partners.
The Awards honour, celebrate, and shine a light on individuals and organisations who are going above and beyond, championing diversity and inclusion within their organisations and the wider skills system.
The winners are:
Programme or Campaign of the Year – Small to Medium Employer, sponsored by Toyota Manufacturing UK: Kids Planet Day Nurseries
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Programme or Campaign of the Year – Large Employer, sponsored by Toyota Manufacturing UK: Siemens
Shortlisted:
• Weston College
• RS Components and Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
Network of the Year – Small to Medium Employer, sponsored by Air Products: Acorn Training Ltd
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Shortlisted: Uptree
Network of the Year – Large Employer, sponsored by Air Products: South Eastern Regional College (SERC)
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Shortlisted:
• HS2
• Sodexo
Role Model Award, sponsored by Festo: Gareth Fallows, Managing Director, Acorn Training Ltd
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Highly Commended:
• Fiona McGarry, Engagement Manager, Make UK
• Dr Paul Phillips, Principal and Chief Executive, Weston College
Rising Star Award, sponsored by NCFE: Haider Ali, Management Accountancy Apprentice, Rolls-Royce
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Highly Commended:
• Anna Hart, Graduate Electronics Engineer, Leonardo
• Sam Bone, Learning and Development Advisor, Leonardo
Competition Diversity Champion Award, sponsored by Coca-Cola European Partners: Richard Hutchins, Skills Competitions Manager, The Institute of the Motor Industry
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Highly Commended:
• Colin Galley, College Lecturer, New College Durham
• Chantelle Deek, Inclusive Tutor, Cardiff and Vale College
The Awards were hosted by Kiimmy Kimani, Apprentice of the Year 2020 at the BAME Apprenticeship Awards.
Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE, Chief Executive, WorldSkills UK said:
“Congratulations to the winners, shortlisted organisations, highly commended individuals and all the nominees. We were completely blown away by the number and quality of the inspiring entries.
“We established these awards because we believe that all young people, regardless of their background, deserve the right to succeed through apprenticeships and high-quality technical education. These awards give us the opportunity to celebrate success with our partners who are making progress and achieving real impact and to showcase best practice so we can all learn from each other.
“We are very thankful to our award sponsors: Coca-Cola European Partners, Toyota Manufacturing UK, Air Products, Festo, and NCFE, for their support and for making this special event possible.”
The Awards, which are also supported by The 5% Club, are part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion and our mission to help as many young people as possible, from all backgrounds, get the best start in work and life.
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If you would like to partner with us on our next Diversity and Inclusion Awards, please get in touch.
