Institute IT Training awards winners announced
A sell-out audience of 400 people from all sections of the IT training industry attended the Institute of IT Training's IT Training Awards 2002 at the Dorchester on 7 February 2002.
Hosted and presented by television broadcaster Fiona Armstrong, the awards night itself was a night of celebration of the rise in standards which was evident in the quality of the training projects carried out by the finalists. According to Professional Services Director Tony Moss, the standard of this year’s entries was again at an all time high. "Since the Institute started the Awards six years ago, we have witnessed a continual rise in the standard of entries. Any one of the finalists this year probably would have won the award six years ago," he said.
The Institute also took the opportunity of its annual Awards Dinner to unveil its new annual Charity Auction, proceeds in aid of ChildLine. Following a brief presentation by ChildLine's Corporate Partnerships Executive Madeleine Bonicel, the Institute raised over £11,000 for the charity. A hospitality package for four people at the last Manchester United home game of the season was most keenly contested. "This prize, donated by The Executive Studio, shows how generous the IT training industry is, especially in current financial climate," said Moss. "The other Charity Auction sponsors, NETg, Happy Computers and IT Training should be congratulated in sponsoring events in such difficult times," he said.
Attendees had flown in from around the world, including the United States, Singapore, South Africa, Ireland, and throughout the UK to attend the awards.
The winner of the blue riband award – Training Company of the Year – went to SmartForce.
"We are delighted to present the Gold Award this year to the training team at SmartForce," said Colin Steed, chief executive of the Institute. "The company has had a fantastic year and has carried out a whole reengineering of the company. But what really impressed the judges was their excellent staff development programme, which runs throughout the company, from new recruit to chief executive."
"The judges were particularly impressed in how this company has made such creditable progress over the past year with significant staff development and financial results."
Yvonne Mitchell, from News International Newspapers, was presented with the coveted Trainer of the Year Award by Danika Bakalich, from the award sponsors CompTIA. "We had a record number of 34 entries for this award," said Steed, "and this category again was the most difficult to judge for the panel. Any one of the finalists could have won - and deserved to be recognised by their employers." Steed explained that the judges had great difficulty finally coming up with a winner. "The chair of the judging panel for this category told me that Yvonne is an outstanding example to all trainers. Having said that, any of the six finalists would be very worthy winners."
DA Consulting Group & Unilever won the External Training Project of the Year. "We are delighted to present them with this award - it was an outstanding training project which provides a benchmark for training companies in how to work in partnership with a client to produce effective, efficient and measurable results. The judges were particularly impressed with the level of service provided to DA Consulting which is a lesson to all training providers."
This year’s IT Training Awards were selected by an independent panel of judges under the chairmanship of the Chief Executive Colin Steed.
The award winners on the night are listed below.
Training Company of the Year
Sponsored by Centra
Gold: SmartForce
Silver: PC Coaching
Bronze: Happy Computers
Trainer of the Year
Sponsored by CompTIA
Gold: Yvonne Mitchell, News International Newspapers
Silver: Steve Noxon, Eurostar UK
Bronze: Gina Bees - DHL Systems.
Training Department of the Year
Sponsored by VEGA
Gold: Centrica IT Education & Training
Silver: Corporation of London
Bronze: AON
Internal Training Project of the Year
Sponsored by Parity Solutions
Gold: Herbert Smith
Silver: Scottish Prison Service College
Bronze: AON.
External Training Project of the Year
Sponsored by Computing
Gold: DA Consulting Group & Unilever
Silver: QA & AstraZeneca;
Bronze: PC Coaching & The Miller Group
International Project of the Year
Sponsored by Tata Interactive Systems
Gold: Electric Paper
Silver: SmartForce
Bronze: Global Learning Alliance
Training Manager of the Year
Sponsored by Spring
Gold: Niall Gavin, Sussex Police
e-Learning Course of the Year
Sponsored by Learndirect
Gold: Manchester NHS Agency & LearnECDL
Silver: Transco Learning & Development
Bronze: SmartForce
Education Contribution of the Year
Sponsored by Department for Education & Skills
Winner: Ballyclare High School & Learning Schools Programme
Silver: Bacons College
Colin Corder Award
(for career services to IT training)
Clive Shepherd
[Colour pictures are available from Nicki Kettle at Institute House.]
Notes for Editors
The Institute of IT Training mission statement is "To create an environment in which the effectiveness of investment in IT is maximised through continuous improvement in training and skills transfer practices."
The Institute’s aims and objectives are specifically to:
- Continuously raise standards of professionalism within the IT training industry and to establish benchmarks of excellence against which practitioners may be measured.
- Promote and maintain the prestige and integrity of the IT training profession by enabling, encouraging and stimulating the widest use of best practice.
- Heighten the professionalism of all who work in an IT training role by providing members with opportunities for the development of their knowledge and skills.
- Act as an accreditation body for organisations and departments involved in IT training - both commercial and educational.
- Act as a certification body for individuals desiring to enhance their professional skills.
- Provide a code of practice for members.
- Provide a range of exclusive services to members - such as research, library, conferences, journals, networking opportunities and interactive support through the Institute's on-line information services; all designed to improve professional standards and effectiveness for members.
- Establish and maintain strong working links with all sectors involved with the development of IT skills in order to formulate coherent and consensual approaches to the profession's development.
- Work with all appropriate academic and commercial bodies in promoting and enhancing IT skills competences.