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The Winners 2021

What a Year!Not only did everyone have the coronavirus to deal with over the last 12 months, but the Learning Excellence Awards team took it upon themselves to get these new categories of recognition off the ground and make them a success. I hope, as you read through the following pages, that you agree they have succeeded - attracting entries from around the world and setting the judges the challenges of deciding which of the great entries in a category should be declared the winner.

There are some great winners among those great Finalists and these pages endeavour to give them the recognition they deserve. Without the brilliant work done by the judges some of the finely polished lustre would have been overlooked. As a result our first level of thanks goes to all the entrants. Our second level goes to the diligent judges. The third level of thanks goes to training zone who have acted as media partner to the Awards. And our final level of thanks goes to all the companies who have supported the online presentation of the Awards by making sure they booked a viewing.

As Alistair Campbell once remarked at a live ceremony: “Business awards are an antidote to mediocrity.” We wholeheartedly endorse that thought and congratulate all those who have trounced mediocrity by being a Finalist, High Commendation or Winner of the Learning Excellence Awards 2021.

Very best wishes

Helen Warrilowcommercial directorLearning Excellence Awards

2 Welcome

3 Judges

6 Outstanding Course or Initiative

8 Outstanding External Provider

9 Outstanding In-house Team

9 Outstanding Innovation

10 Education

11 Healthcare

12 IT/Technology

12 Transport

13 Accounting, Bookkeeping, Financial Management

13 Customer Service

14 Management & Leadership

14 Team Development

15 Mobile Learning

16 Digital Learning or E-learning

17 Design, Content Creation & Video

18 Learning Process

20 Learning Tools & Technology

21 Response to Covid-19

Welcome

2

Contents

The Judges

3

Dominic Ashley-TimmsManaging DirectorNotion Business Coaching

Mark DaweCEOThe Skills Network

Rachel GreenwayDirector of Learning, Leadership and TalentBT

Steve HelmsleyManaging DirectorHendrix Training

Harry KellyDirector – UK Chemistry Recruitment and Talent DevelopmentGSK

Shirley GastonDirectorAzesta

4

Amy PrendergastDirector of Change, People and LearningretailTRUST

Peter RydingCEO VIC – your Virtual Interactive Coach

Matthew SmithDirectorGriffin and Bell

Donna VerdiDevelopment Governance DirectorBarclays

Sam WattsImmersive Partnerships Director Make Real

Claire SmithHead of Learning & DevelopmentNando’s UK

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Outstanding Course or Initiative

6

Winner

The Business of AutismThe Business of Autism is run by three sisters who are determined to change the world of autism at work, one step at a time. Using many years of personal – one sister was diagnosed with autism 20 years ago – and professional experience of working with autistic children and adults, The Business of Autism designs and delivers bespoke training courses to help organisations reap the huge benefits of supporting existing autistic employees and adapting their processes and environments to openly encourage applications from autistic candidates for new roles. 84% of autistic adults are unemployed or under-employed; passion and dedication of these three sisters will change this!

High Commendation

NotionNotion’s STAR® Manager is s fun, interactive, virtual, blended and it is delivering measurable results across many sectors including academia, retail, and banking, generating significant benefits, including 60% improvement in productivity, close to 50% improvement in team engagement and increased innovation, problem solving and retention.

Finalists

Mindful EducationScottish SPCAVIC – your Virtual Interactive Coach

*Network charges may apply

retailTRUST is a registered charity in England and Wales (1090136) and in Scotland (SC039684). Company No 4254201 (Company limited by Guarantee) Registered England & Wales. Registered office: Marshall Estate, Hammers Lane, London, NW7 4DQ.

Outstanding External Provider

8

Winner

The Resilience Development CompanyThe Resilience Development Company set out to elevate culture, raise engagement, increase productivity and enhance mental wellbeing at an international bank. During a sustained period of significant change, an international bank identified that its personnel were exhibiting signs of low resilience; resistance to change, fractured relationships and low levels of confidence and pride in the organisation. The company deployed their Resilient Advantage Programme that delivered:• 5% increase in engagement (against a long-term

objective of 1%)• 33% reduction in voluntary attrition• 8% drop in absence with a 23% reduction in absence

for managers and leaders• 5 awards, including Gold’ status in the Workplace

Wellbeing Index awards• 7.3% increase in productivity

High Commendation

The Skills NetworkThe Skills Network (TSN) is a leading provider of distance learning qualifications and education technology. Across the last 12 months, TSN and their external provision of online learning has had an exceptional impact: Over 30,000 students in the UK studied an online qualification with TSN and over 300 learning providers used TSN’s EQUAL learning platform and technology to deliver online learning to a further 70,000 students in the UK.

Finalists

VIC – your Virtual Interactive Coach

Outstanding In-house Team

9

Winner

NotionNotion’s STAR® Manager, a groundbreaking leadership and management development programme, supports managers at all levels, increasing productivity, performance and engagement by adopting operational coaching-related management behaviours. It’s fun, interactive, virtual, and blended and includes: • A series of workplace missions • Short online training modules • Critical guided reflection • Live tutor support via ‘learning stations’

and ‘practitioner’ sessions It can run as a standalone programme or be integrated into in-house management development programmes.

Finalists

VIC – your Virtual Interactive Coach

Winner

GSKA two-part, modular yet complementary training approach with external validation, robust assessment and recognised qualifications (Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Development and an MPhil or PhD) was initiated by GSK. The aim was to provide graduate chemists with the skills and experience to compete for senior positions and thereby provide return on investment regarding training and development provided. Through this programme, GSK is the first and only pharmaceutical company recognised as a provider of higher education.

Finalist

Independent Garage Association

Outstanding Innovation

Education

10

Winner

The Skills NetworkThe Skills Network (TSN) is a leading provider of online learning qualifications and education technology. Across the 2019/20 academic year, TSN has had an exceptional impact on online education and supporting people to gain new skills, retrain and further their career. In the last 12 months TSN has:• Supported 30,000 adult learners achieve a funded

online qualification in the UK• Provided their EQUAL learning technology to 300

colleges and learning providers to support a further 70,000 students access online learning (30,000 during lockdown)

High Commendation

Idea FoundationThe Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award (iDEA) is an international programme that helps people of all ages and backgrounds develop digital, enterprise and employability skills. The iDEA platform provides free digital skills education in the form of bite-size modules called “badges”. Learners who complete badges on iDEA earn points towards industry-recognised awards that enhance their CV and help them stand out from the crowd.

Finalists

Fiction ExpressLearning By HeartLight FoundationsLearnieScottish SPCA

Healthcare

11

Winner

Nice MediaA video learning drama, produced by Nice Media, is core to a learning resource developed to serve half a million NHS safeguarding professionals. Embedded in a MOOC, this drama was designed to stimulate discussion and social learning. Safeguarding is a complex topic and affects a range of health professionals. This project was built on workshops with health professionals and service users to develop relevant and relatable character descriptions and a script that would engage the diverse audience base. So far, the course has had over 17,000 active learners and a positive evaluation rate of over 85%.

High Commendation

GSKA two-part, modular yet complementary training approach with external validation, robust assessment, and recognised qualifications was initiated to provide graduate chemists with the skills and experience to compete for senior positions and thereby provide return on investment regarding training and development provided. GSK is the first and only pharmaceutical company recognised as a provider of higher education.

IT/Technology

12

Winner

Spectrum CoursesSpectrum Courses has made a unique contribution to learning excellence by identifying a specialist area of need in Safeguarding Training within the UK Transport Sector and providing a top-quality, innovative learning experience with successful outcomes for a demographic of the population who are less comfortable or confident learners. Its success is based not only on the excellence of the product but via a relentless determination to help shape political policy. Spectrum Courses has raised standards and reduced incidents in Home to School Transport with a wider invaluable impact for families whose vulnerable children are able to access education.

Winner

VIC – your Virtual Interactive CoachVIC is so technically advanced that even technology companies find it cool. It’s the best combination of learning technologies they have ever seen and rate it 10/10 for ease of use and 10/10 for business impact. “Psych-Tech®” A.I. and ‘1-Clickology’ were developed with government funding and underpin the company’s ground-breaking ‘Emulated-Coaching’ and ‘Integrated Agile Talent Development’ offerings. It’s transformed E-Learning from upskilling into a practical, and proven productivity tool delivering 5-8% performance improvement and over 1,000% ROI. “VIC is revolutionising learning, coaching and the role of L&D.”

Finalists

NetSupportUpside Learning Solutions

Transport

Accounting, Bookkeeping, Financial Management

13

Winner

Upside Learning Solutions eLearning moduleAs a leading global provider of facility services, it is vital for ISS to protect not just its own but its customers’ information, as well. This eLearning module is aimed at creating awareness about information security for all ISS office employees and frontline employees working with systems on customer sites, and highlights the importance of collective responsibility - in that every individual plays a key role in keeping themselves, their colleagues, the organisation, and their customers safe.The module includes guidelines, practical tips, and scenario-based questions, presented through rich 2D graphics and animations and different types of interactivities.

Finalists

Upside Learning Solutions The Living Service with a Human Touch eLearning Programme

High Commendation

National Audit OfficeAudit Pathways is a development programme for colleagues joining the NAO via graduate and apprenticeship schemes. The programme is designed to augment professional ICAEW training and prepare Assistant Auditors to deliver financial and value for money audits in the public sector. It supports development, improves performance and enhances their early experiences with the NAO. The main objectives of the programme are to:• Bridge the gap between the commercial focus

of the ACA and the public sector context relevant to our client base

• Place learning in the context of the NAO• Introduce colleagues to the NAO Value for Money

(VFM) work

Customer Service

Management & Leadership

14

Winner

The Resilience Development CompanyElevating Culture, Raising Engagement, Increasing Productivity And Enhancing Mental Wellbeing at an international bank. During a sustained period of significant change, an international bank identified that its personal were exhibiting signs of low resilience; resistance to change, fractured relationships and low levels of confidence and pride in the organisation.The company deployed their Resilient Advantage Programme that delivered:• 5% increase in engagement (against a long-term

objective of 1%)• 33% reduction in voluntary attrition• 8% drop in absence with a 23% reduction in absence

for managers and leaders• 5 awards including Gold’ status in the Workplace

Wellbeing Index Awards• 7.3% increase in productivity

Winner

AzestaFreemans Grattan Holdings’ (FGH) Leadership Apprenticeship Programme was designed and delivered with training company Azesta to tackle a gap in leadership skills at the retail group. The programme is a skilful blend of experiential learning, e-packages and individual goal-setting, all delivered in Azesta’s distinctive, hands-on style. It offers an Institute of Leadership and Management diploma for delegates and meets national apprenticeship standards, whilst addressing FGH’s varied organisational challenges. It is a programme that showcases excellence in learning, evidenced by brilliant feedback, more internal promotions, improvements in managers’ abilities and 100% commitment from learners, who all achieved a distinction or merit.

Finalists

Alternative Futures GroupThe Resilience Development CompanyVIC – your Virtual Interactive Coach

Team Development

Mobile Learning

15

Winner

VIC – your Virtual Interactive CoachVIC is taking the concept of mobile learning to the next level by giving ALL employees (and their families!) an automated A.I. “coach in their pocket” that’s also a subject-matter expert on 250+ topics and that’s integrated with organisational culture, best-practice, recruitment, induction, performance reviews and succession planning. VIC solves problems instantly and converts feedback into“1-clickology” links straight to content - closing skills gaps in moments not months. This drives better solutions faster, before problems grow, and allows more to be done in less time. It’s boosting productivity in brand new ways and is changing lives at a human level.

Finalist

Learnie

16

Winner

FlashAcademyOver 1.5 million pupils are classified as EAL (English as an Additional Language) and the educational attainment gap is widening for this cohort of learners. FlashAcademy is a digital English language platform, helping hundreds of schools to accelerate their pupils’ English proficiency three times faster than the UK national average. The only platform to teach English curriculum content from 45 different home languages, FlashAcademy works across all devices, which has proven crucial for remote learning. The platform helps to engage independent learning skills, unlocking the potential for pupils to achieve across all subjects, whilst also developing their social language skills.

High Commendation

Cypher LearningCypher Learning created NEO to support efficient teaching and learning online. Their platform is intuitive, easy to use, and visually appealing, making learning and teaching more engaging and enjoyable for all users. Cypher provides a complete and customizable solution for creating and managing all classroom activities, with indispensable features for any academic institution.

Finalists

CACHE Alumni (Part of NCFE)e-Learning WMBFiction ExpressLothian LearningMindful EducationNotionThe Skills NetworkVIC – your Virtual Interactive Coach

Digital Learning or E-learning

Design, Content Creation & Video

17

Winner

Mindful EducationMindful Education aims to to provide convenient access to learning, widen participation and promote greater social mobility through media-rich professional courses and apprenticeships to students in partnership with UK colleges. The company brings learning to life using film, motion graphics and animations, coupled with its market-leading technology platforms and analytics. A bespoke learning platform - designed for flipped-blended delivery with proprietary technology and analytics - is used to host the learning and teaching content, informing tutors of any intervention requirements during classes. All Mindful Education solutions are designed for busy part-time students and apprentices with life and work commitments who are looking to change or progress their careers.

Finalists

Enact SolutionsNice Media

Learning Process

18

Winner

NotionNotion’s STAR Manager is a groundbreaking leadership and management development programme that supports managers at all levels, increasing productivity, performance and engagement by adopting operational coaching-related management behaviours. It’s fun, interactive, virtual, blended and includes:workplace missions, short online training modules , critical guided reflection and live tutor support via ‘learning stations’ and ‘practitioner’ sessions.It’s delivering measurable results across many sectors including academia, retail, and banking, generating significant benefits, including dramatic improvements in productivity and team engagement, with increased innovation, problem solving and retention. It can run as a standalone programme or be integrated into in-house management development programmes.

High Commendation

Fiction ExpressFiction Express (FE) is an award-winning literacy resource designed to improve all areas of literacy: reading; punctuation & grammar; speaking & listening; and writing. FE improves poor reading habits by getting children excited about reading, through the power of a deeply engaging experience of co-creation between pupils and authors. Fiction Express is to be applauded for its innovation in book publishing and unique approach to the teaching of reading and literacy.

The first year of the Learning Excellence Awards has been a great success, with a broad spread of entries from the UK and overseas. There have been some brilliant winners and high commendations voted to success by the judges. But we know we can do better. We are still learning about this vibrant business sector that has to face real challenges as we emerge from the restrictions of the pandemic.

The Call for Entries re-opens on June 1 and closes on October 31, 2021. As part of our learning process we want to know that the categories are right, rewarding entrants with plaudits that they really want to receive. If you can see gaps or improvements that need dealing with for the 2022 Awards, please let us know.

We are also learning what sponsors would like from the Awards and welcome conversations with companies wishing to espouse excellence in this sector.

For more information about the Awards and sponsorship opportunities please contact Becky Knight: becky@leawards.co.uk leawards.co.uk

Learning Tools & Technology

20

Winner

Fiction ExpressFiction Express (FE) is an award-winning literacy resource designed to improve all areas of literacy: reading; punctuation & grammar; speaking & listening; and writing. FE improves poor reading habits by getting children excited about reading, through the power of a deeply engaging experience of co-creation between pupils and authors. The judges have rewarded FE for its innovation in book publishing and for a unique approach to the teaching of reading and literacy.

High Commendation

The Skills NetworkTheSkillsNetwork (TSN) is a leading provider of education technology and online learning qualifications, providing life-transforming educationin over 30 countries. Across the last 12 months, TSN has had an exceptional impact across the UK with their learning technology:• Their EQUAL Learning Platform was used by over

300 colleges and learning providers during the 2019/20 academic year to support 70,000 students in the UK. 30,000 of these students were enrolled to access key online learning during the pandemic

• Using EQUAL, TSN also delivered 30,000 accredited online qualifications to adult learners via their own delivery as a learning provider.

Finalists

Doddle LearnLeap Like A SalmonLearnieVIC – your Virtual Interactive Coach

Response to Covid-19

21

Winner

Lifetime TrainingThe excellent ‘Learning in Lockdown’ Initiative created by Lifetime Training and Whitbread has helped ensure that 1,000 apprentices continued their apprenticeship training throughout the pandemic. This was achieved through Lifetime’s quick and flexible actions to maintain engaging virtual delivery, clear and concise communications to Whitbread employees and “a leap of faith” from Whitbread. Lifetime was able to continue training 97% of apprentices on programme, saw increased engagement rates, high motivation and improved manager support. Whitbread has maintained their investment in apprenticeships and Lifetime has effectively supported one of their largest clients navigate a period of crisis.

High Commendation

LandauLandau’s IN2 programme is working with young people aged 15 -24 years old in Shropshire and Herefordshire. The young people are NEET or ‘at risk’ of becoming NEET, and Landau supports them with meaningful interventions like resilience and confidence building that will help them build a better life. During the Covid lockdown Landau continued to support learners remotely and to date, the programme has worked with over 1000 young people and helped to support over 500, nearly 50%, back into education or into employment. The IN2 programme is successfully helping some of the most disadvantaged young people in these counties.

Finalists

Fiction ExpressFiction Express - RE.SCHOOLIndependent Garage AssociationLothian LearningMindful EducationRPFT

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