Cornwall successes at The Skills Show awards
Convergence ESF secured two national award successes at WorldSkills UK – The Skills Show, held at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre on 15-17 November 2012.
National ESF Mainstreaming Leader Award 2012
Inclusion Cornwall won this year's ESF Equal Opportunities Mainstreaming Leader Award (Policy and Plan) for their Cornwall Works 50+ and Cornwall Works 50+ Cares projects. Their award recognises the projects’ achievements in both promoting and implementing equal opportunities. The ESF national assessment panel were particularly impressed by the high level of commitment made to promoting equality within the projects.
Representatives from Cornwall Works Hub and ESF Convergence attended the event to receive the award, which was presented by Angus Gray, Head of ESF Division, DWP, and Dimtcho Tourdanov, from the European Commission. The winner also receives a tree sapling from the Woodland Trust.
Cornwall Works 50+ and Cornwall Works 50+ Cares have so far supported about 900 people. The initiatives, led by Inclusion Cornwall and largely funded through investment from ESF Convergence, explore new ideas to increase the participation of people aged 50+ in employment and skills programmes and to address the barriers faced by older workers in entering or re-entering the workforce.
Andrea Gilbert, Inclusion Cornwall, gave a presentation and Bev Wilson, Cornwall Works 50+ and 50+ cares Project Manager, accepted the award. She said, “It was a great honour to be recognised for the good work we are doing here in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly at such a prestigious event."
Angus Gray said, "Congratulations to all our winners – the good practice recognised in these awards provides us with many lessons our ESF programmes and our mainstream provision, both now and in to the future."
National EAL Apprentice of the Year 2012
Lizzie Hosken – Advanced Apprentice of the Year award winner.
The other award winner for Cornwall Convergence at The Skills Show was Cornwall College business star apprentice Lizzie Hosken who was named EAL Advanced Apprentice of the Year at the 2012 National Apprenticeship Awards.
The awards celebrate apprentices and employers involved in Apprenticeships across England and are an opportunity to highlight the many success stories and the benefits of Apprenticeships.
Lizzie, 22 from Helston, had previously won the regional award earlier this year for her work at Perranworthal-based accountants Clark Jenner Angove. She was chosen as the winner in recognition of the extensive contribution she has made to the business including introducing new measures to ensure high standards are maintained and playing a key role in training a new apprentice herself.
During her training Lizzie has been supported by two strands of ESF Convergence. She first received support through the Workforce Led Project to do her Level 3 Apprenticeship Diploma in Accounting and then went on to Work Placed Learning to complete a Payroll Administration AAT Level 3 Certificate. Both strands of ESF Convergence investments are co-financed by the Skills Funding Agency and managed by Cornwall College.
Mark Yeoman, Head of ESF Convergence Communication, said, “Many congratulations to Lizzie – this is a fantastic achievement and best of luck with your ambitions for the future! It is great to see national recognition both for Lizzie and the support that she has received using ESF Convergence backed courses at Cornwall College."