Football clubs help kick off the search for skills award winners

Mar 20 2008 By The Journal

THE North East’s football clubs have kicked off the search to find premier league learners and employers in the North East after launching the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) North East’s Celebration of Learning and Skills (CoLaS) Awards.

The CoLaS Awards 2008, which will be held at The Sage Gateshead on June 20, have been designed to highlight the often unrecognised achievements of individuals and employers who work ‘behind-the-scenes’ for their own personal development or to improve the skills of others.

Representatives from the North East’s major football clubs – Newcastle United, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool United and Darlington – met with Chris Roberts, regional director, LSC North East, and Tom Crompton, LSC North East’s area director – County Durham and Tees Valley, on a whistle-stop tour of the region to officially launch the 2008 event and appeal for nominations from learners and employers.

The manager of junior Northumberland team Corbridge FC, and a couple of his young players, also joined in the launch, which can now be seen in a short film on the Learning and Skills Channel of www.broadbandtvchannel.co.uk

Now in its third year, the CoLaS Awards are open to anyone over the age of 14 and any size or type of employer working in the North-East. This year’s ceremony will feature a host of new categories, designed to cover the full range of learning, skills and personal achievements. The closing date for nominations is March 31.

The categories this year are:

For Individuals:

:: Young Learner of the Year;

:: Apprentice of the Year;

:: Adult Learner of the Year;

:: Personal Achiever;

:: Lifetime Achiever; and

:: Outstanding Achiever of the Year.

For employers:

:: Small Employer of the Year (up to 49 employees);

:: Medium Employer of the Year (50-249 employees);

:: Large Employer of the Year (250+ employees);

:: Pioneering Recruitment;

:: Provider of the Year; and

:: Outstanding Employer of the Year.

Sponsoring the event this year are: Barclays, northern education, Tyne Metropolitan College, FE+, South Tyneside College, Assessment North East, Gateshead College, Newcastle College, Business Link North East, learndirect, City of Sunderland College, One NorthEast, North East Chamber of Commerce and unionlearn.

Chris Roberts, regional director, LSC North East, said: “Learning and skills development is exceptionally important in all sectors, from sport and leisure, to heavy industry and professional services, as well as at all levels of employment. Last year’s CoLaS winners were star examples of this, but our local football clubs are equally good illustrations, showing how everyone, from groundsmen to sales staff and from coaches to professional sports players, can benefit from some sort of skills development.

“The CoLaS Awards 2008 have been designed to honour all of these kinds of people, particularly those whose talents and dedication to training are not generally publicly recognised. In various ways, our local football teams have shown us what success can be achieved through continued learning and I am now looking forward to hearing from other local people and companies who have similar stories to share.”

As part of the awards, the LSC has launched one of the region’s biggest ever talent contests to give individuals and groups from around the region the chance to perform on the night.

Competitors are being asked to record a one-minute audition film clip of the act they would like to perform at the glittering event, to be submitted by April 12.

From the initial group of hopefuls, a shortlist of talent will be drawn up to go head-to-head in live auditions at Newcastle College Performance Academy, where an expert panel drawn from local musical circles will determine the winners.

For details on how to nominate an employer, organisation or individual or to upload performance films, visit www.lsc.gov.uk/colas08 Audition films can also be sent to The Audition, 87 Jesmond Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 1NH. Include your name, age, category entered, contact address and phone number. The closing date for entries for The Audition is April 12.