The winners of this year’s prestigious WorldSkills UK Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Heroes Awards have been announced.
The awards, sponsored by the University Vocational Awards Council (UVAC) and Skills and Education Group, recognise those championing diversity and inclusion in the education sector.
Among those honoured at the awards include a partnership that is supporting SEND leaners in securing work experience in the airline industry, a college lecturer empowering woman in construction and a university that is seeing a record number of degree apprentices, including a significant rise in women training in STEM.
The winners of the WorldSkills UK Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Heroes Awards 2025 are:
- Apprentice of the Year, sponsored by Gateway Qualifications: Andrew, United Colleges Group
- Inclusive Employer of the Year, sponsored by AIM Group: The Autism Wellbeing Project CIC
- Training Provider of the Year, sponsored by Education and Training Foundation: Birmingham Metropolitan College – James Watt
- Innovator of the Year, sponsored by Enginuity: Heathrow Inclusive Learning Partnership
- Educator of the Year, sponsored by FE Week: Wasim Collins, Coach Core Foundation
- Institution of the Year, sponsored by UVAC: Manchester Metropolitan University
- Social Mobility Champion, sponsored by Skills and Education Group: The Landscaping and Eco Construction Team at Gower College Swansea
- Women in STEM, sponsored by The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry: Hannah Pearce, Gower College Swansea
- Outstanding Winner of the Year, sponsored by Into Film: Jagdeep Soor, Multicultural Apprenticeship Alliance
Ben Blackledge, Chief Executive, WorldSkills UK said: “A huge congratulations to all the winners. We’ve been truly inspired by the incredible people and the powerful stories behind the nominations. Together with our partners, we’re committed to celebrating the individuals and organisations driving real change, and we’ll use their success to inspire even more opportunities for young people, from all backgrounds, to choose apprenticeships and technical education as a route to success in work and life.”
Dr Mandy Crawford-Lee, Chief Executive, University Vocational Awards Council (UVAC) said: “To all the winners of this year’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Heroes Awards—congratulations on your well-deserved recognition! Kudos to you for your incredible achievements. Your dedication and success inspire us all. “
Kaye Jackson, Director of Business Growth and Engagement, Skills and Education Group, said: “Congratulations to all the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Heroes Award winners. These inspiring individuals are truly making a difference in the further education and skills sector and championing EDI. Their passion and dedication are remarkable, and we are so proud to celebrate their achievements. Well done to all the nominees, and a special thanks to our partners at WorldSkills UK. We are excited to continue this important work together.”
About the Winners
Apprentice of the Year award: Andrew’s apprenticeship journey is a story of resilience. Growing up in foster care, he chose to become an electrician and secured an apprenticeship at the College of North West London (CNWL). However, this resulted in a reduction to Andrew’s housing benefits, Andrew sought affordable housing via homeless charity, Centrepoint, and with sensitive tuition from his tutors, Andrew successfully completed his Level 3 Electrotechnical Apprenticeship Standard. He now advocates for others. He presented the #PlanForThe136k petition at Downing Street to raise awareness of youth homelessness and received Centrepoint’s 2024 Independent Living Award for his achievements finding success after facing homelessness.
Inclusive Employer of the Year award: The Autism Wellbeing Project CIC (AWP), empowers underrepresented groups, specifically autistic individuals and those with learning disabilities. It provides meaningful opportunities for career development, including professional skills development in public speaking, teamwork and facilitation. It also provides access to weekly support sessions with qualified trainers or counsellors to discuss challenges, celebrate successes, and set goals.
Training Provider of the Year: Birmingham Metropolitan College’s Rail Engineering Department has implemented a delivery model that supports the local, wider regional and national economy by preparing a workforce fit for a working life. It’s learners come from the most deprived areas across the West Midlands and in the last four years it has supported over 500 individuals to achieve a L2 Diploma in Rail Track Maintenance and as a result many have gone on to secure employment with various companies including NETWORK RAIL.
Innovator of the Year award: The Heathrow Inclusive Learning Partnership in collaboration with Harrow, Richmond and Uxbridge Colleges was praised by judges for its innovative approach to empowering SEND learners. By offering work experiences, workshops and site visits, Heathrow and 20 of its strategic partners are helping enhance the learners’ employability, life skills and confidence.
Educator of the Year award: Wasim’s story of overcoming his own barriers, combined with his ability to lift others in similar situations, makes him an exceptional educator. His use of innovative techniques, personalised support, and commitment to underrepresented groups have transformed the lives of countless young people. The statistics around Wasim’s work
speak for themselves. To date, he has supported 75 apprentices, with 77% successfully completing their programmes—a rate 19.3% higher than the national average.
Institution of the Year award: Manchester Metropolitan University was celebrated by the judges for its work in challenging stereotypes and misconceptions about degree apprenticeships. This inclusive approach to promoting apprenticeships has seen 61% of Manchester Met’s apprentices be the first in their family to attend university.
Social Mobility Champion award: The Landscaping and Eco Construction Team at Gower College Swansea has revolutionised education for vulnerable and marginalised youth at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training). The pilot programme for 80 disaffected 14-16-year-olds from local schools was launched in 2019 and despite operating out of a former morgue with no funding for equipment or resources, all learners successfully completed their qualifications. The programme’s success sparked the creation of an innovative “outdoor learning school,” offering part- and full-time qualifications to over 150 learners annually, with over 87% of learners advancing to higher levels annually.
Women in STEM award: Hannah Pearce, a Learning Area Manager at Gower College Swansea impressed judges for her unwavering commitment to supporting more women to engage with the construction industry. Under her leadership the college has seen a 366% increase in female participation in Built Environment courses.
Outstanding winner of the year: Jagdeep joined the Multicultural Apprenticeship Alliance when it had a very limited number of patrons and ran only a few apprenticeship events to improve access to apprenticeships for multicultural learners. Since joining he extended the number of patrons to include British Airways, Lloyds Banking Group, Dentons and UCAS. He has also created links between Kaplan, the Careers Enterprise Council and Learning and Work Institute to offer a free assessment centre and interview training programme for schools in North Birmingham, who were underserved by other careers opportunities. The judges concluded that Jagdeep is the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Hero the apprenticeship sector needed.
