Nominations Sought for STAR Awards as FE Looks to Celebrate Achievements
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The learning and skills sector is gearing up for the next STAR Awards already, and is seeking nominations from the sector for inspirational characters who encourage success and development.
The STAR Awards are crucial to building confidence in the sector and an ideal forum for sharing best practice. They celebrate the work undertaken by truly exceptional individuals who go beyond the call of duty and transform the lives of the learners and their own colleagues through their example and their actions. They are the ones who have what the sector describes as a “transformational effect” and aid both social inclusion and mobility as well as having a profound impact on the wider economy.
Recognising Excellence
The sector engaged in and committed to raising standards in education, narrowing the skills gap and developing the nation’s workforce to a level where it can compete in an economy at the top of the global marketplace. There are hundreds of individuals working in the learning and skills sector ““ ranging from workplace trainers, college managers and prison tutors, all the way through to administrators, learning and support workers and cleaners ““ whose contribution can now be applauded via a STAR Awards nomination.
Two such STARS of 2005 were Clive Weston, Head of Construction at Accrington and Rossendale College and Kosser Choudry, a Community Outreach Worker from Maidenhead. Clive was active in building closer links with businesses and organisations locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, whilst Kosser was recognised for his work in developing extensive links with the Muslim community within her local area, engaging a large number of traditionally disengaged learners, through programmes to improve their language skills, literacy and IT.
Frontline the Key!
The Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, Bill Rammell MP, said: “The contribution that frontline staff in the learning and skills sector make to our society and the economy is so great, that it is essential we acknowledge this and publicly thank inspirational individuals for their hard work and dedication.
“Recognition is important too as it enables others to share good practice,” he continued, “thereby improving the quality and delivery of education, motivating learners and helping the workforce to compete internationally.”
The STAR award nomination is open to anyone at all, and the nominees must work in the learning and skills sector, in an organisation, or an institution, which is at least funded partly by the LSC. There are seventeen prize categories in 2006, including a new Learner’s Choice Award and an award for Outstanding Work with an Employer. The nominations close at midnight on the 21st of April 2006; and all of us at FE News wish all of FE the best of luck!
Jethro Marsh>
What do you recall from the 2005 STARs? Share your memories in the FE Blog
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