Friday, 12 March 2010 17:57 Education provider Charnwood Training Group has scooped a major national award for its innovative use of e-learning.

The company, a member of the Association of Learning Providers (ALP), was handed its award this week at Becta’s Next Generation Learning Awards in Birmingham. The glittering occasion, hosted by TV and radio presenter Sandi Toksvig, was a celebration of achievements and excellence in the use of technology across the FE and Skills sector.

Charnwood was the winner of the work-based learning category and it has previously won funding from the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) Learning Innovation Grant to boost its e-learning provision. The award judges were impressed by how Charnwood is integrating sophisticated technology applications into its business to support work-based learning activities - such as live streaming training sessions, use of webcams to observe and assess learners, and off-site provision. It was also commended for its strong partnership work.

All the winners of this year's Next Generation Learning Awards beat off fierce competition from across the UK to be recognised for their inspiring use of technology to excite and encourage learning in the sector.

The awards ceremony was followed by education technology agency Becta’s Time to Innovate conference. Keynote speaker John Landeryou, director of FE at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, used the platform to call for the effective utilisation of technology to help support Machinery of Government changes, including the 14-19 reforms, and to enable providers to work more collectively.

Chris Swingler, ALP director of business development, who joined the stakeholders’ panel at the conference, later told FE News: "The questions from the floor were very wide-ranging, including one from a provider who asked why, with the significant technology investment by government agencies, providers are still unable to use electronic signatures. ALP has been asking the same question for some time and it seems to us that government policy is simply not following progress in technology advances."

The LSC is currently working on a pilot paperless framework programme, which should enable providers to use electronic systems for learner records, including using electronic methods for the verification of learner identity.

Jane Williams, executive director of FE and Skills at Becta, added: "Clearly there is a need to continue moving forward on current developments and it’s a tribute to the progress made this year that we are able to focus on deeper issues."

Jason Rainbow