The second annual Nimble Awards Finalists have been announced
Nimble Elearning, the Gloucestershire-based company, will be rolling out the red (green!) carpet and polishing the speeches for the second annual Nimble Awards, presented at their Community Day on Thursday 13 September at Stonehouse Court Hotel, Gloucestershire. It may not be the Oscars – not yet – but for folk in the elearning business, it’s an important date in the calendar.
The Finalists have been announced and awards will be given for Positive Business Impact, Course of the Year, Best Newcomer and Elearning Professional of the Year.
The judging panel included guest judge Matt Gofton, Senior Employment Engagement Manager for CIPD, who will also lead a workshop at the Community Day. Nimble Managing Director Neil Hyde and Nimble Senior Instructional Designer Lisette Hoffmans, rounded off the judging panel. They all agreed the quantity and calibre of the entries was outstanding and they had a tough time choosing the Finalists.
First up is the Positive Business Impact award which recognises the significant impact elearning can have on an organisation. There are four excited Finalists:
Ann Summers, a British multinational retailer specialising in sex toys and lingerie, with over 140 high street stores, has been a Nimble customer since 2015. Their course “Moregasm+ The Learning One” aims to increase product knowledge by enabling easier employee access for the first time; previously this training involved sharing printed sheets within teams. Judges said of this course: “With some great uptake stats, this module is concise, engaging and is clearly set out with a good use of communication tools.”
Autonet Insurance is one of the UK’s largest insurance brokers and a Nimble customer since 2014. Their “GDPR – Meeting Customers’ Rights” course provides their workforce with training on this new legislation and uses a blended learning approach. The judges’ feedback identified it as: “Just-in-time-training at its best; the combination of curated and bespoke content has delivered an effective solution. Constant communication and internal marketing has delivered an exceptionally high completion rate.”
The National Security Inspectorate (NSI) provides product certification for the home security industry. Their ‘Data Protection and the GDPR’ course has been used by nearly 3,000 learners, having been unveiled at a trade show earlier this year. The judges described it as: “A concise course, incorporating an effective mix of interactions with an excellent value-added feature for customers. It’s used as an external opportunity, with the organisation planning for the short term and long term.”
The fourth Finalist is to a company which also address security – this time out at sea. A Nimble customer since 2016, Virtual Training Centre specialises in the delivery of regulatory, bespoke and accredited online courses to businesses, professionals and private individuals, with a specific niche of online maritime security courses validated by UK government level accreditation. It has been sold to an impressive total of 61 countries. Judges said, “The product found a gap in the market and used it to develop a highly successful commercial initiative. The course has a professional 'house style' and the level of work involved in the project is clearly apparent.”
The next Nimble Award up for grabs is the Course of the Year, which recognises excellence in the design and delivery of an elearning course. There are three contenders:
CarFinance247 is the UK’s premier car finance website. Their course “A Little Introduction to Cars” addresses product knowledge in its sales force, but trainers wanted to make the experience engaging too. It is this factor which attracted judges who said, “Key stakeholder engagement arises out of clever question interactions and well-produced video.”
Common Sense Business is dedicated to improving business efficiency, profitability and longevity. Their “Business Planning Programme” includes eight modules and results in a business plan. Judges liked, “the way modules created a larger programme that supported classroom delivery, whilst adopting a minimal and professional design. It also had a friendly and engaging style.”
Education for Health is a charity which aims to improve the lives of people living with long-term conditions. Their “Supporting Children’s Health – Asthma” course is free and supports stakeholder groups such as parents, teachers and nurses who work with children with asthma. Judges appreciated its success “based on the amount of traffic and feedback from learners as well as its high-quality images, video and interactions.”
The Elearning Professional of the Year Award is nominated by Nimble and is presented to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding success over the last year. Here are the Finalists:
Emi Baruni – Community Nurse who volunteers for the Association for Research in Child Development (ARICD), a charity funded by paediatricians and child psychologists. Emi has single-handedly created a course which trains people in the use of The Griffiths Mental Development Scales, a diagnostic tool for babies and young children. Judges applauded her “strong commitment to planning, project management and well-designed courses as well as recognising that her work has reached nurses in 9 countries.”
Alan Williams – Customer Relations Officer for ECG which creates online healthcare courses. In just 8 months, he’s become a passionate advocate for Nimble – he’s always finding innovative ways to support their trainers as well as increasing revenue potential with ‘taster’ courses. Judges said of Alan, “We like his commitment to taking ownership of Nimble at a very early stage, his innovative ideas for promoting and developing courses.”
Emma Green – Director of Education at GDPR Training Ltd which provides audits, advice and data protection services. Even though Emma is new to elearning, she’s used Nimble to create 30 different courses, delivered to over 2,000 learners in just 9 months. Judges’ commented on how “Emma has demonstrated such expert subject knowledge and drive in just a few short months across a number of sectors for international learners.”
Lenore Brown is Training and Audit Controller for Haven Claims, which handles claims against motor insurance and personal injuries. Lenore is another Nimble user with no previous experience, yet she’s built 35 courses and embedded them across the business. Judges praised her drive: “Lenore has been instrumental in implementing a shift in training culture and continually searches for innovative ways to streamline business processes.”
The final category of the Nimble Awards is for Best Newcomer. Nominated by Nimble, it’s presented to an organisation which has used Nimble to create a huge impact in their first twelve months. The companies eager to be granted this award are:
MA Lighting – providers of lighting equipment to sporting and entertainment events and venues including Strictly Come Dancing and the Olympic Games. With offices, distributors and end users in 51 countries, training was expensive. In just 9 months, they’ve produced 42 courses. Judges hailed their “flying start, which has seen a clear commitment to shift to an online learning culture, especially how the use of screen capture technology has supported a diverse audience.”
Walker and Walker Waterproofing (W3) – a structural waterproofing company specialising in tunnelling and mining. They support ex-services personnel to support their transition to civilian life. They use Nimble for courses and also to create resources for a staff “knowledge-bank” which employees can access at any time and on any device to prevent ‘knowledge fade’. Judges praised their “good use of the platform to deliver a range of well-designed learning and support resources in a variety of formats.”
Nimble has always placed its customers front and centre of its business and the Nimble Awards will recognise their fantastic achievements in this ceremony. It promises to be exciting and rewarding!