The recent awards evening, which took place at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London and recognised the achievements of award winners (pictured right), within training and development. It was hosted by UK Skills, which champions vocational work-based skills and learning, on behalf of the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills.

This year there were 232 finalists. The winners included The Kier Group plc, a construction, development and service company that won the large employer of the year category for its executive leadership programme.

The FRC Group, Liverpool, won the medium employer section, for training the long-term unemployed to work within the logistics industry. The Queensmill School, Fulham, was the partnership and collaboration winner; it introduced a training programme for teachers and support staff to provide consistent classroom practice.

Kier Sheffield LLP with Sheffield Homes and CTS Training came first in the partnership and collaboration category, for its scheme to give disadvantaged teenagers a chance to learn new skills. In the providing education and training category, Gloucestershire Fire Brigade won with its development of a new search and rescue training programme, to ensure the UK is more proficient in responding to natural disasters and terrorist attacks.

Finally, Robert England, a concrete operative from Halifax, won the individual category for his development of a training strategy that led to improvements at his company.

Colin Jackson, British hurdles champion and sports commentator presented the trophies to the Winners of the Year at the ceremony. He said: “My congratulations to each of the six winners. In both work and sport focussed training is vital to success. If you are committed to developing new skills and putting them into practice then the rewards will follow. These organisations have put in that extra effort, worked hard and can feel proud of what they have achieved.”

The winners were selected from 50 UK National Training Award winners which were announced at regional ceremonies across the UK during September and October in 2008.

Simon Bartley, chief executive UK Skills said: “I am delighted and at both the broad range and high standard of the organisations and individuals who have entered this year. The new more streamlined entry and awards system has encouraged a very diverse range of entries and record number. The winners have demonstrated that training is an investment, not a cost, which can transform companies careers and communities. I congratulate them all on what they have achieved.”

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