The Learning at Work Week Impact Awards celebrate bold, creative, and impactful campaigns by employers from across the UK, which champion and drive lifelong learning at work and development opportunities for employees.
The four categories of awards in 2023 recognise different aspects of learning at work. Successful organisations had to demonstrate how their Learning at Work Week campaigns inspired a lifelong learning culture, supported business and organisational goals, created digital futures, and innovated in learning and development.
Find out more below and read our winners' stories.
The successful organisations in the 2023 Impact Awards are:
getAbstract Impact Award for Inspiring a Lifelong Learning Culture
Winner (Large Organisation): GSK
Winner (SME): Interflora
Highly Commended: Horizon Leisure Trust
Highly Commended: L&Q
Highly Commended: Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Highly Commended: Polygon Group
OpenLearn Impact Award for Supporting Business and Organisational Goals
Joint Winner (Large organisation): Royal College of Physicians
Joint Winner (Large organisation): Balfour Beatty
Winner (SME organisation): Interflora
Highly Commended: Catch 22
Highly Commended: The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
Commended: Transglobal Express
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Findcourses.co.uk Impact Award for Innovation in Learning and Development
Winner: Diamond Light Source
Highly Commended: Westminster City Council
Commended: HCR
NCFE and Campaign for Learning Impact Award for Creating Digital Futures
Winner: Verastar
Commended: Wilson James
Commenting on the 2023 Impact Awards, Julia Wright, National Director at the Campaign for Learning, said:
“Lifelong learning is a crucial ingredient for our individual and organisational success. Building knowledge, skills and understanding helps us navigate and benefit from ongoing economic, technological and work-life shifts. This year's impact award winners demonstrate how well-crafted and creative learning campaigns can overcome any barriers and connect colleagues to the learning and skills they need at work and in wider life.
“Their inspiring events promoted lifelong learning cultures at work and led to a wide range of employee and business benefits, including increased digital skills, accessible career advice for internal moves, and better understanding of new technology. Many congratulations to them on their success. A big thank you as well to everyone who entered the awards and took part in Learning at Work Week and to our sponsors getAbstract, OpenLearn, NCFE and Findcourses for their support."
The getAbstract team said:
"Participating as judges for the 'Inspiring Lifelong Learning' category at the 2023 Learning At Work Week was nothing short of a privilege for getAbstract. Much like in 2022, we found ourselves in awe of both the quantity and exceptional calibre of submissions. What truly stood out was the dedication, enthusiasm, professionalism, and boundless creativity that permeated the many innovative ideas presented in each submission. We extend our sincere congratulations to all the learning professionals and companies who submitted their entries. Congratulations to the outstanding winners in the large company and SME categories – GSK and Interflora. The judging panel also extends its commendations to the entries from Polygon Group, L&Q, Parliamentary & Health Services Ombudsman, and Horizon Leisure Trust. In this journey of learning, inspiration, and recognition, you have set the bar exceptionally high, and for that, everyone who submitted an entry deserves the highest praise."
Jane Roberts and Ben Wood, OpenLearn said:
"As a learning provider, covering a wide range of subjects itself, OpenLearn was delighted to see not only the diverse range of subjects being covered by the applicants to the 'Supporting Business and Organisational Goals’ awards during Learning at Work Week, but also the numbers taking part and the commitment made to lifelong learning. It was the combination of these three elements that saw Transglobal Express, Catch 22 (both commended) and The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (highly commended) receiving recognition. But the smart, engaging and successful delivery of organisation-wide learning events from Interflora, The Royal College of Physicians & Balfour Beatty was worthy of them being named winners across these categories. Congratulations to them all."
Andrew Kirk, Findcourses.co.uk said:
"Findcourses.co.uk was hugely impressed with this year's entries which set out their innovative solutions to learning and development. We were thoroughly impressed by winner Diamond Light Source and their proactive approach to understanding and addressing employee relations, which united a significant proportion of their workforce. Westminster City Council's approach to Learning at Work Week was highly commended with its forward-thinking focus on preparing for the future of work, especially in the context of technology and AI. We were also impressed by our commended entrant HCR and their innovative approach to reshaping the learning culture within the legal sector. Many congratulations to all three organisations!"
Marcus Ridley, NCFE said:
"It was a privilege to judge this year’s Learning at Work Week award for ‘Creating Digital Futures’. We were greatly impressed by the quality of the entries we received, all of which demonstrated the fantastic efforts made by organisations to promote the use of digital technologies and support colleagues in developing new digital skills. Huge congratulations to our winner Verastar and our commended organisation Wilson James. Their innovative and highly engaging Learning at Work Weeks were built around a clear vision for their organisation’s digital objectives and a commitment to enhancing digital skills."
To find out more about the 2023 Impact Award winners and what they did read their winning stories.