Federation of Awarding Bodies Shortlisted for Trade Association Forum Best Practice Awards 2022

The Federation of @AwardingBodies is delighted to have been shortlisted in the Digital Innovation of the Year category at the prestigious #TradeAssociation Forum Best Practice Awards.

Now in its nineteenth year, the prestigious Trade Association Forum (TAF) Best Practice Awards 2022 are supported by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and recognise excellence, innovation and best practice
amongst Trade Associations in the UK.

The Federation’s CEO, Tom Bewick said:

“We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the Digital Innovation of the Year Award. The Federation has gone through a major digital transformation over the past 18 months to optimise how we communicate, support, and engage with members.

“We had already planned to be a ‘best in class digital trade association’, but the challenge of the pandemic actually helped us put rocket boosters under our plans.

“Our member-led Board took the bold decision to set up a subdivision of the Federation, ‘Skills World Live Productions’, through which we have delivered successful virtual conferences and training events for members and the wider FE skills sector.

“We’ve also engaged more deeply with sector leaders, think-tank experts, ministers, MPs and other key decision-makers throughout the pandemic, via our popular, Skills World Live Radio Show and podcast, which from scratch, has now attracted over 75,000 listeners; helping to better connect the world of Further Education and qualifications that our small, agile industry association, represents.”

Emily Wallace, Interim Chief Executive, Trade Association Forum, said:

“Trade Associations including the Federation of Awarding Bodies have played an absolutely critical role in supporting the UK economy throughout the turbulence of the last two years. As we move forward, it is right to celebrate the achievements of the sector, recognise excellence and collaborate to improve the role that Associations can continue to play to support the Economy for the future.“

Gavin O’Meara, CEO and Founder of FE News said:

“I am absolutely over the moon for the FAB Family. The Federation of Awarding Bodies team have absolutely worked their socks off over the past couple of years to deliver innovative digital services to their members, but also to the wider FE, Skills and Employability sector, they are true digital pioneers.

“SkillsWorld LIVE radio show was launched during lockdown 1 and was a daily evening radio show, at a time when we needed solutions, we needed the sector to come together and we also needed hope of a better tomorrow. The dedication of the FAB family, and particularly Tom Bewick, the CEO of FAB of having the vision and foresight to bring this together was amazing to see and experience.

“SkillsWorld LIVE has blossomed into a radio show and Livestream that is truly loved and cherished not just by the FAB members, but the entire FE eco-system, the reach and impact of SkillsWorld LIVE has been awesome to see. I was particularly moved when I saw a hybrid version of the radio show at the FAB annual conference in November, seeing a totally engaged audience in person at the conference and online was absolutely epic to see.

Gavin continued:

“The FAB team have also been epic at breaking new ground and being true pioneers on their hybrid events, from a total digital event in 2020 and another ground breaking hybrid event in November 2021… which was probably the best event I have been to in 18 years of running FE News. I mean people called the event Rock and Roll when describing the event, which I have never heard anyone explain for an education and skills related event before.

“I have seen the effort, the attention to detail that the team brings, the burning the midnight oil and dedication to their members and to the wider audience to go above and beyond. It is excellent that this has been recognised.

“Being shortlisted alone is an absolutely excellent achievement, congrats to Tom, to Karen, to Ellie, to Rebecca, to Sarah and to Jenny an absolutely epic achievement and good luck at the awards final!”