Gateway Qualifications has been named Awarding Organisation of the Year as part of a double triumph at the prestigious Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB) Awards.
In addition to scooping the top award, Awarding Organisation of The Year, Gateway Qualifications also received the Innovation of the Year award for its groundbreaking work with HM Prison and Probation Service.
The awards were handed out at a glittering award ceremony at the Marriott Hotel in Leicester as part of the Federation of Awarding Bodies annual conference.
Carol Snape, CEO at Gateway Qualifications said: “This is amazing for us, we are absolutely delighted to be named as Awarding Organisation of the Year, and to win in two categories is a remarkable achievement. This is down to the hard work our staff and wider workforce put in every day, to support our centres and make a difference to the lives of learners.”
“The important work that we have been doing with HMPPS and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has been recognised in the Innovation of The Year category. This is a ground-breaking pilot that we have spearheaded, an Essential Digital Skills Qualification (EDSQ) that can be delivered in the ‘secure estate’, but with the parity of a community qualification.”
Elaine Courtney, Senior Contract Manager, Education Contract Group HMPPS said: “HMPPS determined that these new qualifications would be introduced to prison education to ensure prisoners have access to the most up-to-date and relevant qualifications.
“Gateway Qualifications has made a significant contribution to the roll out of Essential Digital Skills across the prison estate by working collaboratively to develop the digital infrastructure to meet the requirements of the qualification. This has led to the modernisation of the ICT curriculum in alignment with the community provision within the prison estate.”
The FAB Awards, now in their seventh year, recognise the contributions made by awarding organisations and their employees to education and skills in the UK over the past year.
The awards’ judging criteria are strict, the judges are looking for excellence, how challenges have been overcome, impact, value, and currency.