National education awards open for applications

A celebration of learners and educators across the country has opened for nominations today (30 January).  

The Aspiration Awards, now in their sixth year, celebrate learners, apprentices, educators, support staff and organisations all over the UK. 

Created by the educational charity and leader in vocational and technical learning NCFE, the awards have grown in popularity each year and now provide more opportunities for recognition than ever before.

David Gallagher, NCFE Chief Executive, said:

“There isn’t just one definition of success – from going above and beyond to exceed expectations, overcoming obstacles to achieve the unexpected, or coming up with new and innovative ways of working to help others achieve.

“Whatever success looks like, we want your help to recognise those doing exceptional things in education. We were overwhelmed by the incredible response to last year’s awards which reminded us of the transformative power of our sector.

“As we go into our 175^th anniversary year, we’re looking forward to celebrating the incredible achievements and stories of the individuals and organisations that make education such an inspiring and impactful place to work.”  

In 2022, two new awards were introduced to recognise apprentices and centres delivering apprenticeships, as well as the support staff who work incredibly hard behind the scenes.

This year, NCFE is introducing another new category to commemorate its 175^th anniversary, the Alumni of the Year award, recognising an inspiring previous learner who has achieved great things since completing their qualification.

The full list of categories for this year’s awards are: 

• Against All Odds 
• Apprentice of the Year 
• Centre of the Year 
• Learner of the Year 
• Support Staff of the Year 
• Teacher/Tutor of the Year 
• The 175^th anniversary special – Alumni of the Year.

Juwairia Junaid, from Leeds City College, won Learner of the Year in 2022 for her commitment to learning and passion for raising awareness of the experiences of people with disabilities. She is fully blind and manages an array of different machinery and technology to help her studies.

In her spare time, Juwairia co-hosts a local radio show called The Disabled Table where she discusses the experiences of people with disabilities.  On winning the award she said:

“All I can really say is thanks to everyone that’s helped me throughout the years. All my teachers and all my friends who have been there since day one, and even those who have come into my life recently.”

Tracy Jardine, Programme Manager at Leeds City College, commented on Juwairia’s win:

“The award is a significant public acknowledgement of the hard work that Juwairia invests into her studies and I’m sure it’ll motivate her to go on to achieve greater successes in the future. She is such a worthy winner and we’re all so proud of her.”

The application window for NCFE’s 2023 Aspiration Awards is open from now until Friday, 31 March. More details on the categories, links to the online application form, and terms and conditions can be found at www.ncfe.org.uk/technical-education/aspiration-awards/