Inspire! Adult Learning Awards 2023 - Finalists announcement

Congratulations to this year’s finalists…

The Inspire! Adult Learning Awards celebrate the achievements of exceptional individuals, groups, community projects and organisations in Wales, who have shown outstanding passion, commitment, and drive to improve themselves, their community or workplace through learning.

Learning and Work Institute received a wide range of wonderful stories for this year’s awards, so it was difficult to choose just a few winners.

We worked with an independent panel of judges across the adult learning sector for the final selection round. The stories of the individuals, community projects and organisations listed below were successful in getting to the finalist stage and were presented to panel. Whilst the nominees below didn’t win the overall category award, we at Learning and Work Institute and our expert panel of judges would like to acknowledge and congratulate them for their remarkable achievements in learning and skills and we hope they continue to take positive steps on their journey.

Joshua Miles, Director for Wales, Learning and Work Institute said:

“Many of the nominations we receive for the awards illustrate that in the face of adversity and conflict, education is key to overcoming barriers, building confidence, and moving forward to lead a more healthy and prosperous life. We live in a world that's changing rapidly, between the impact of the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis and emergence of new technologies, nothing stays still for long. Learning helps us to adapt to this change and ultimately to benefit from it. The Inspire! Awards serve as a reminder of how important it is to never stop learning… I’d like to thank those who nominated inspirational adult learners, community projects and organisations for an Inspire! Awards this year. It takes an advocate in a nominator to recognise the potential, talents, and achievements in others.”

There were ten categories for this year’s Inspire! Adult Learning Awards.

Congratulations to this year’s finalists:

Starting Out Welsh Beginner Award

Julie Hitchings – nominated by: University of South Wales

Carol Hoskins – nominated by: Dysgu Cymraeg Morgannwg

Magali Nougarede – nominated by: University of South Wales

Ageing Well Award

Kristen Francis – nominated by: Better Jobs Better Futures

Tony Watkins – nominated by: Groundwork North Wales

Young Adult Learner Award

Kornchanut Uttamamoon – nominated by: NPTC Group of Colleges

Niquita Mace – nominated by: Adult Learning Wales

Katie Pearce – nominated by: Itec Skills and Employment

Essential Skills for Life Award

Sabrina Fortune – nominated by: Coleg Cambria

Daniel Morgan – nominated by: South Wales Fire Service

Gema Borrego – nominated by: Parent learning Group: Cathays High School

Skills for Work Award

Iryna Yemets -nominated by: NPTC GROUP – Brecon Beacons College

Louise Wilford – nominated by: The Open University in Wales

Stacey Blackwell – nominated by: NPT Adult Learning in the Community

Thomas J Lodge – nominated by: Cardiff and Vale College

Life Change and Progression Award

Charlene Gronow – nominated by: Palmerston Community Learning Centre

Christy Williams – nominated by: Coleg Sir Gar

Gareth Morgan – nominated by: The Wallich

Rebecca Evans – nominated by: ACT Training / HC-One, Church View

Thomas Jones – nominated by: Cardiff and Vale College

Karrina and Demi Haywood – nominated by: CAVC

Different Past Shared Futures Award

Anwar Alrahal – nominated by: Working Denbighshire Team

Mona Hosseiny – nominated by: Vale Learning Centre

Jose Hernan Godoy Nunez – nominated by: Adult Learning Wales

Germaine Ngoy Kyabu – nominated by: Cardiff Metropolitan University (Widening Access)

Hywel Francis Award for Community Impact

Foundation of Community Engagement

Groundwork North Wales

Speak to Me Project

Workplace Change Makers Award

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board Nursing Students

Tracey Wells HC-One Church View

Venture Graduates

Learning for Better Health Award

Eleri Owen – nominated by: Coleg Menai

Eve Salter – nominated by: Cardiff and Vale College

John Johnson – nominated by: Adult Learning Wales

The stories of this year’s award winners will be revealed at the Inspire! Adult Learning Awards ceremony on 14^th September 2023, in Cardiff.

Follow the Inspire! Awards activity on our Twitter page and use the hashtag #InspireCymru23 to get involved.

All ten award winner stories will be made available to view on our award winner page.

Get in touch:

inspire@learningandwork.org.uk