2023 Winners

Grow with Vodafone

An ambitious project which successfully brought together multiple platforms and suppliers to create a significantly improved user experience to re-skill and up-skill people across the business.  

FrieslandCampina ACE & AAFS

A strong project informed by good analysis of needs and localisation through a leader-led approach. Great to see A/B testing among the methods used to demonstrate business results.

The Reckitt Marketing Excellence Academy

An academy well aligned to the company's overall marketing mission, translating skills into practical actions. Clearer business impact would have helped move this up the medals.

Hult EF: Upskilling Rwanda's Tourism & Hospitality Industry

The judges were blown away by this ground-breaking project which supports thousands of learners in Rwanda in becoming proficient in the English language, and in presenting the best of their country via the tourism and hospitality industry. This project demonstrates excellence in learning design (with a varied blend of self-study resources and live support) and in learning technology, by demonstrating how they have adapted the existing platform to the needs of Rwandan learners. Whilst the data spoke realms, the stories shared showed the life-changing impact on individual lives and careers

CRA Unlimited Learning - ODILO

The judges are thrilled to commend this programme for the Silver award for the way it has fostered better reading habits and created opportunities for all. This submission demonstrated the power of technology to support learning on a large scale when combined with a solid implementation plan. The judges were impressed by the thought that has gone into the project as a whole, not just the technology. 

Educational Technology in
Pharmaceutical Care of
Chronic Pain

We loved the holistic approach to the learning journey, the blends of technology, the virtual patience and the role of community, reflection and feedback. We also applaud the evidence-informed approach used to inform decisions around design, evaluation and needs analysis. Moving forward we would love to see even more evidence to help baseline the original understanding of patient experience in individual pharmacies to fully recognise and understand the impact of this programme on lives of patients and communities.

Kaplan Apprentice Skills &
Behaviours Development

This was a very strong entry, with excellent integration of learning content, practice, coaching and live sessions. It used a broad range of techniques to make the learning more digestible, memorable, and engaging. There was a strong focus on accessibility and DE&I, and good examples of branching scenarios and other design-led elements. The team were not afraid to innovate based on feedback and learner data, and there was good evidence of the positive impact of the programme. Overall, a great solution that the judges found very impressive.

Idea Developers: From ideas to
investment

This programme combined excellent information architecture with clear signposting and compelling project-based elements. It was clear that a lot of thought went into the overall design, including online elements, coaching, synchronous elements, and the focus on learners' producing a tangible output. There was excellent use of tools and templates to support learning, and the application of that learning. The panel appreciated the clarity, thought, and focus on application in this project. 

HL Accessibility 2023 eLearning

This programme included UX principles in the design phase to create a learner-centric experience. The team were very committed and the learning and content were well thought-through, with the designers paying very close attention to accessibility. The programme was integrated into the larger picture to ensure individuals take their learning forward, and resources and tools were provided to enable them to easily implement their learning in the workplace. The panel was impressed with the quality of the content, and how the team managed to create a compelling piece of elearning while going above and beyond the normal expectations around accessibility.

Kashida: Purpose, Passion and Mission in life

This is an exceptionally well-designed course borne of an ambitious vision to meet a very clear need. The submission demonstrated a very clear positive impact on learners, and the project's success is a testament to the passion and creativity of everyone involved.

Dell Technologies - Human Edge:
Build a Learning Mindset

This submission demonstrated an innovative and resourceful approach to creating impactful learning content. The judges were impressed with the robust design process and commitment to continuous monitoring and improvement, as well as the creativity and diligence of the small team involved.

FrieslandCampina ACE & AAFS

This is a creative solution that was designed to meet the needs of a diverse audience. Locally relevant, accessible and purposeful learning has resulted in a clear positive impact for learners and for the organisation. A thoughtful solution considering the many challenges presented.

Educational Technology in
Pharmaceutical Care of Chronic Pain

An impressive course comprising multiple learning activities centred around an innovative virtual patient simulation. Every aspect of the overall learning experience was considered and designed to support a set of clear learning outcomes, with the collection and analysis of impact data planned from the start. A worthy Gold award winner that will undoubtedly help improve the management and treatment of patients with chronic pain.  

The Dettol Hygiene Quest:
A hybrid learning programme

A highly stylised and professionally designed programme for young children that mixes fun digital elements with high-quality classroom materials. A truly mixed media approach with high production values that supported effective engagement and learning in the various challenging environments in which the programme is delivered. Via a relatively simple learning intervention this programme is already having a big impact on hygiene and health across the globe. A worthy winner of the Silver award.

RSPB Safeguarding Level 1 eLearning

A highly effective compliance module that delivered on its intended aim – to raise issues around safeguarding for employees at the conservation charity, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Designed and developed by an internal team using the action mapping approach this module shows how good learning design can overcome the constraints of a very tight budget and limited production tools and facilities. Hopefully, this well-deserved Bronze award will encourage the team to go from strength to strength.

Marston's Digital L&D Team -
Campus & Marston's Skills

Impressed with the leveraging of mobile technology to support staff returning from the pandemic and moving learning from the backroom to the 'shop floor'. Offering employees a complete solution for learning in the flow of work the team delivered an award-winning mobile solution.

FrieslandCampina ACE & AAFS

A perfect use case for mobile learning - solving the challenges of a sales force that spends most of its time on the move. The team adapted the content to the local needs of very different audiences ensuring this through a co-writing process which impressed the judges.

British Council and
eCom Learning Solutions

Leveraging tablets to support English teachers in potentially unsafe environments, this project was well structured and leveraged the devices (whether connected or not) to achieve real impact. 

Climate Action Day at Schaeffler

This was clearly a strong entry which illustrated outstanding use of social and collaborative learning at work. Schaeffler’s initiative brought the whole company around the world to a stop to work on a Climate Action Day in 2022. They used technology to raise awareness and educate people, connect them and encourage wide-ranging collaboration and social activity. The results were impressive, with thousands of improvement ideas generated, clear ties with the company strategic priorities and good impact data. It was great to see how employees collectively voted for ideas and acted on them.

Virgin Money and Hive Learning:
Leading in a Life More Virgin

The judges could see clearly how this submission on leadership development tied in with the organisational purpose, ambition and challenges. There was a good communications strategy and an agile approach that allowed them to make adjustments to drive more engagement during the programme. Engagement data and surveys measured the impact on leaders’ behaviour which cascaded down to their teams and was picked up via Pulse surveys. Leaders have also been able to widen their network across the organisation and take responsibility for their own development and application of learning.

An excellent welcome to Bakkavor

We were incredibly impressed with the dedication of the Bakkavor team to address multiple aspects of integrating employees into the company from day one, and their foresight to produce a well-thought-out, end-to-end onboarding programme with superb attention to detail that is delivering incredible results.

Learning & Enablement Team at
Orbus Software

The judges were impressed with the wide-ranging impact that this onboarding experience had provided across the organisation, the multi-faceted statistics demonstrated how well the programme had been implemented and the positive effect that it had. The programme’s success was evident from the level of thought and detail that went into the design by its team.

HSBC UK x Media Zoo Personalised Digital Onboarding Programme

This thoughtful initiative programme blends orientation and role shadowing seamlessly, creating an environment where new hires not only adapt quickly but thrive. The palpable increase in employee satisfaction, camaraderie, and productivity is a testament to the programme's success, transforming new joiners into integrated individuals.

Ms Rose© Adaptive
Media Maths Tutorial

A worthy Gold Winner which combines advanced emotion analysis with adaptive learning to help young children better learn maths. Ms Rose detects and responds to maths anxiety by adapting the learning experience in real-time and keeping children engaged. Ms Rose impressed the judges with both the humanity of the product and the mindful use of AI technology. 

Shiken AI

There are many platforms coming to market now that include AI. There are others that use gamified engagement techniques and others still that focus on personal wellbeing. Shiken uses all three and whilst there could be a tension between some game mechanics and promoting wellbeing and mindfulness, the control the users have over which functionality to enable mitigates this. A very compelling end-to-end platform already well-proven.

Canute Console, by Bristol Braille
and Ufi VocTech Trust

The Judges were impressed by the sustained effort that was necessary in bringing Canute to market - both in terms of the engineering innovation to technically get the product to work and also the innovation in being able to reach a price point that is manageable for most if not all. Highly tailored for each user, this extreme customer focus also provides an invaluable feedback loop for ongoing product development. 

SkillGym AI Digital Role Play platform

We felt this was a potential game-changing tool for embedding of behavioural learning. Digital learning as always struggled to come up with effective learning solutions that enable learners to apply behavioural learning and this has done it and with AI, this will only get better and we look forward to see how it progresses

Neuroscience, Immersive game &
Data for Accelerated Learning

We were extremely impressed by this, both by its thoroughness in determining the right approach for the learner and also the methods used to embed the learning. Omind is a unique learning tool that takes a holistic approach using neuroscience and gamification to improve learners' emotional, cognitive, and relationship skills, and overall well-being. It uses a variety of comprehensive analytical and delivery methods to help learners analyse and embed these skills, and enabling learners to understand and manage their own behaviours.

OrCam Learn

A fantastic presentation where they demonstrated all its key features such as reading a full page, translating, testing and the management information. It's had a huge impact on people with visuals helping them approach their learning with more comfort and confidence. The management information that it provided was a game-changer for students, enabling teachers to confidently pinpoint individual learning needs.

CityZen | Make Real Ltd &
Institution of Civil Engineers
Best learning game

A beautifully integrated and coherent game that truly inspired its young target audience to become interested in civil engineering.

Invesco QQQ’s mobile-first financial
education learning game

Informative, bright, relevant, easy to follow, and very successful with its target audience. Great use of game mechanics, this was an extremely well-thought-through piece of work and fully deserving of an award.

SiyonaTech AG/Swiss Re -
Ownership Mindset Game
(OMG)

Very good use of game mechanics and is a great fit between the metaphor and the required performance. An impressive piece of work that could have been done even better with more impact data.

Educational Technology in
Pharmaceutical Care of Chronic Pain

The judges particularly liked the community feel to this clever simulation. The patient satisfaction scores that resulted from this training were very impressive and the work you’d done to isolate the impact of the simulation compared to the rest of the training made for a very compelling and persuasive story. Congratulations on a well-thought-through simulation with great use of technology.

Preparing Health Care Assistants for
emotional challenges with VR

This was a beautiful and emotionally impactful piece on an important topic. The judges particularly liked the exploration of the emotional demands on healthcare workers, such as fear and grief, to help them understand the intensity of the role, instead of just the skills required. The amount of end user-testing to ensure the aims and outcomes of the app were met, was admirable. This, along with the great reduction in costs and good use of technology made this a worthy runner-up.

Edinburgh College & Cadpeople:
Dementia VR Experience

In a very close competition in this category, the judges found this VR experience an eye-opening view into the daily life of someone with dementia. The entrants demonstrated solid usage stats and made a strong case for the app’s ability to attract students onto the course and reduce attrition once they were in healthcare roles. More data around these areas could see it medal even higher next time.

Holland & Barrett - Healthy Expert: Solgar

A very strong design and implementation against clear business and learning needs. Commercial impact is clear and high engagement has been demonstrated too. A simple and clear Learning design, never to be underestimated, but very well managed and brought to life in the context of the organisation and the audience. A worthy winner in a strong field.

CALP Online: Core CVA Skills for Programme Staff course

A great example of learning impact in a crisis situation. Comprehensive content yet easy to digest on the go, which signals a learner-centric approach. Potential to create a wider community of learners to take advantage of combined experience post-programme. A very strong example of learning design and of implementation in the business and learner context.

European Association for the Study of Diabetes

A very strong story and very well told, this is a clear and comprehensive programme addressing a key need in healthcare. Content is easily digestible, well laid out and engaging. Learning pathways or a suggested learner journey would make the content work harder and build on the excellent progress already demonstrated.

Illingworth Research Nurse
Academy Training Programme

The judges loved the thought that had gone into each element of the blended programme and were impressed by how the Academy balanced nurse engagement with strict medical regulation. The Academy had a real sense of community learning that brought nurses from across the globe together - this can be shown in the results displayed and the feedback. Technology such as AI and video were used in a well-thought-out way, right down to considering which tablets nurses could use with their gloves on! The judges were also impressed by the effective transfer of learning and how impactful it has proved to be. A worthy Gold Winner! 

Wren Kitchens: Blended Retail Induction Programme

The judges loved the mix of online learning and the hands-on approach in the academy - it helped to embed the learning for the new recruits. There was a great use of pre and post-academy activities alongside peer-to-peer learning. Impact data showed a massive decrease in attrition and an increase in sales success, demonstrating that the programme was executed exceptionally well to make a difference to Wren - a worthy Silver winner! 

AlixPartners SVP Development Program

The judges were impressed with the mix of content and mediums used in this blended programme - they all served an effective and engaging purpose. The learning content was clearly linked to performance metrics to make sure the learning was effective and the programme as a whole was very well thought out. The judges also really liked the link to managers working alongside the learners to make it a cohesive piece. 

Certificate of Skin Cancer Medicine

The solution here was an impressive blend of various digital learning resources, skills practice, assessment, reflection and real-life application. The success of the project is backed up by impressive impact data. A very worthy gold winner.

ACST Blended Learning -
FrontLine Communication

This is a well-thought-out use of various techniques, including video, role-play and assessment, to address a recognised performance need in the healthcare profession. The project's well-defined outcomes allowed for appropriate and effective resources to be selected to meet its intended impact. 

Guide Dogs Learning

An impressively ambitious solution, offering a range of digital and in-person resources to meet a variety of organisational needs and challenges. The rationale behind each part of the blend was well-articulated and their success was supported by robust data. 

Vodafone in partnership with Thrive

Too often Learning and Development teams are accused of a lack of commerciality and business thinking. This entry completely contradicts this accusation. The judging panel felt that a clear link back to key business metrics, including a very clear increase in product sales in a busy customer-facing organisation made this the standout in this year’s category. The very clever way in which the entrant has brought key technology and product partners on board to generate revenue from the implementation makes this a great example of how an L&D function can demonstrate real commerciality and have a positive impact on both the customer experience and the bottom line.

Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
and Kallidus

The judges felt that this project clearly demonstrated, how if you set out with a clear set of requirements and a vision of what success looks like, then finding the right solution for your organisation doesn’t always have to mean reaching for new innovations. This was a well-thought-out, well-structured project, completing an implementation of an LMS in a way that had a really positive impact on organisational performance, ultimately having a positive impact on patient care and services and it thoroughly deserving of this silver award in a hugely competitive category.

Implementation of Aptem for
Ensis Solutions

The judges felt that this solution provided a solid entry showing how a transformation from their current solution was needed. They demonstrated some good metrics to show the impact on the business, ease of use for both user and coach and a good use of saving time for the skills coaches. The solution showed flexibility for learners and coaches, personalisation, and evidence to show good conversations were happening and engagement increased in the use of the platform. 

Percipio implementation at
Apollo Tyres

This was a hugely impressive project which achieved all its objectives with very limited resources. There was a strong learning strategy, clearly articulated through an innovative campaign, that drove the implementation of the platform. Excellent quantitative and qualitative data supported clear ROI to evidence the success of the project. The judges were particularly impressed that all this had been achieved for a global audience by a such a small L&D team.

LearningHub implementation
Deutsche Bank

This was an impressive implementation on a large scale in a multi-national environment, with complexity from both a structural and regulatory point of view. It has led to a transformation within the talent and learning teams and a wide-reaching cultural shift in the organisation. This was only made possible through close collaboration with the wider business, including working alongside the Works Councils and building an excellent partnership between the L&D team and the IT team, who co-sponsored the work. 

Implementation of Degreed at bp

A highly commended project in an excellent group of top three awards. The implementation of the platform reflected a wider transformation to structuring learning teams around skills and reducing the complexity of their ecosystem. From a clear strategic change intent, to the depth of the RFP, the skills taxonomy and the models thinking before, and during, the platform implementation, the team set themselves up for success. The judges appreciated their focused integrated approach and the large amount of clear data they presented.

Ann Summers in partnership with
THRIVE

The judges were delighted to see how open to experimentation this small, but determined learning team were to have maximum impact.  Utilising real sales data to drive insights, they used this to generate true audience involvement in co-creating learning experiences from user-generated content by colleagues who really knew their products and were driving sales.  This meant that using data both as a way to identify what content to create or share as an input and then again as a demonstrable data point as the output, in sales figures across regions was a simple, yet highly impactful way to leverage data.  It put the front line of retail at the heart of the experience and demonstrated that a solution does not need to be complex or resource-heavy to move the needle on important business metrics.  The Thrive team and their focus on customer success has help Ann Summers, test, experiment and iterate to put effective learning in the hands of front line staff.

Data Literacy for enabling data culture
at Swiss Re | Area9 Lyceum

This was a superb example of using adaptive learning to its full potential.  The ability to draw comparisons across different levels of competency, the journey to proficiency and adapt the learning experience accordingly was impressive.  But even more importantly, the ability to highlight unconscious incompetence in a safe but credible, data-driven way enable SwissRe to quickly identify risk, talent, and opportunities for coaching, unsmiling or even resourcing.  As data is a key, commercially critical skill at SwissRe, the interim ROI data shows just how impactful uncovering competency at this level can be,

Global Compliance Data Analytics by
Intuition

Way beyond compliance tick boxes, Intuition has given Styker the ability to see at a more granular and impactful level the levels of performance against compliance as well as the accuracy of their training to deliver the most efficient and personalised experience.  The initial findings and insights Intuition has been able to surface, as a vendor-neutral layer to sit alongside Stryker’s existing learning ecosystem demonstrating that this level of data insight does not necessarily require huge shifts in platform or internal capability.  It has enabled Stryker not only to demonstrate compliance but also to analyse the journey to reach that compliance and find the most efficient routes to get there.  The panel are keen to see how this further evolves Stryker’s approach to learning.

NatWest & University of Edinburgh - Enabling sustainable transformation through learning 

This initiative is working so well that transformational thinking is now embedded in daily habits that add value for themselves, the organisation, their customers, communities and across the globe, which is exactly why this category exists to celebrate sustainable transformation. We were particularly impressed by the partnership and their joint tenacity to drive science-based and sustainable education (rather than just training that has an endpoint). This programme is driving transformation that is inclusive, diverse, and brings a sense of belonging to generate value way beyond the learning itself. 

Volvo Car Financial Services UK and
Elephants Don't Forget

This initiative has been so successful that it's proven that even in a highly regulated industry, great evidence-based learning, combined with the right impact data can move mountains in areas that others would not even dare to try to climb. We were particularly impressed by way these organisations set out to positively disrupt peoples lives for the better, but also how they passionately drive more value so that their industry can attract and retain professionals who often struggle to adapt at the pace and scale needed. We also liked the systemic approach to incorporate learner needs, in particular different learning abilities and personalisation for success, not just because it sounds good. 

Wayfair Global Supply Chain Training

This was an excellent submission by an organisation that has reformed it's approach to learning across the entire workforce. This submission had one of the strongest strategies for digital design due to diversity of regulatory and operational needs. We were particularly impressed by their holistic and high-impact transformation principles that have generated unprecedented engagement, career opportunities and performance impact, particularly from subject matter experts who have what they need to facilitate and guide learning in one place as they system continually updates and learns, something we very rarely see across the learning and development portfolio. 

Lisa McGeady, Learning Pool

This award recognises the skills and approach of an individual learning designer, as well as the content they produce. Lisa's submission demonstrates excellence across the board. She is trusted and respected by colleagues and clients, building long-lasting relationships and bringing together the different people, teams and resources needed to bring ideas to fruition. Lisa's portfolio demonstrates a breadth of experience and that she is a designer who can capably tackle the challenges and constraints of different organisations to deliver solutions that meet the needs of both employees and businesses. 

Alexei Hnatiw, Solvd Together

Alexei's refreshing and innovative approach to learning and performance gaps and solutions is worthy of recognition. As a disrupter who's willing to challenge convention, and bring clients along with him, he's clearly held in high regard by those who work with him. The judges are intrigued to see more of what Alexei can do in the future.

Joanna Ly, Learning Pool

Joanna’s submission demonstrated a high level of production value within the things she develops, but it also showed an outstanding level of panache and an impressive pragmatic approach in what she provides. She looks beyond the developer toolkit and brief and focuses on the needs of the learner to make sure that what she confidently provides is not just high quality but is also effective. 

Rosie McQueeny, Mint Interactive

Rosie demonstrated a sound competency in her craft and a determination to push creative boundaries and go the extra mile. Her submission clearly demonstrated a portfolio committed to excellence.

Stellantis UK - The Performance Academy powered by Calex UK

The scale of change faced in Stellantis and the team's ability to 'steady the ship' was great to hear. The complexity of approaching multiple product trainings and bringing people along on the journey was clear, and impact in certain areas was made evident. The judges were impressed with the level of detail provided during their presentation and felt this entry a worthy winner.  The judges would’ve liked to have heard more about how each of their team members contributed to the overall success.  Next year this project could potentially enter awards related to 'transformational project of the year' if more data around impact is gathered.

Holland & Barrett – The Hive Digital
Learning Team

The judges felt that this team are looking to make a positive impact on their learners and their customers.  The presentation demonstrated a unified team with what sounded like great cohesion through engagement and mentoring scores.  The judges also appreciated the business acumen to turn themselves into a profit centre.  

Royal Air Force - Central Training School - Design and Delivery Team 

Hugely heartened to hear of the progress being made on content management and seeking best practices across the industry.  The judges also loved the use of communities and identifying projects that went awry and hence could also be learned from.  The judges would love to have seen more quantifiable measurement of impact.  Whilst the mammoth task of content organisation was obvious, the benefits of this to the wider business could have been made clearer.  The judges would’ve liked to have seen a more structured way of prioritising tasks related to organisational objectives, which would have potentially pushed this into a higher placed position.

High Speed Training

A values-based organisation with a strong purpose, High Speed Training is delivering at scale for their (very happy) customers. The judges were impressed by their passion and vision to continually improve their offering, as well as their determination to also be a force-for-good, through their charity and community work. Their care and consideration towards their team, reflected in their B Corp scores and in becoming an EOT, has also resulted in high engagement from employees.

 Thrive

The judges loved that Thrive is so focussed on impact and clearly understand that it’s not enough to produce good-looking learning, it also must have measurable benefit. Their consultative approach to customer service and listening to learners is clearly reaping rewards in terms of satisfaction. The judges also appreciated the community work they have been doing in, for example in setting up a supportive network for women in L&D.

Learnerbly and Ufi VocTech Trust

The judges really liked the contribution that Learnably makes to creating a learning culture by encouraging curiosity and giving learners a level of autonomy over what and how they learn. It’s clear that Learnably’s customers love their platform, so much so that they were prepared to come along and talk to the judges about it. In future, it would be good to see more work being done to measure the impact of the learning.