Home > News > June 2005 > 16-Jun-2005

Thomson NETg announces Illuminati Award winners

Thomson NETg has announced the winners of its third annual Illuminati Awards.

The Awards were conceived by Thomson NETg to recognise the achievements of employee learning programmes within customer organisations.

Finalists were judged across four different categories on the merits of their organisation’s ability to identify business needs, deploy a training programme that supports organisational objectives, and demonstrate measurable outcomes.

The four categories and 2005 winners were:

• Most Effective Blended Learning Programme – NHS Lothian
• Best Internal Marketing Programme – Sesame
• Most Innovative Learning Programme – Cadbury Schweppes
• Learning Leader or The Year – Richard West, BAE Systems

"This year’s entries were very impressive with submissions from many leading companies who have implemented successful and innovative learning programmes," commented Andre Hogan, Vice President of Business Development for EMEA and Asia Pacific at Thomson NETg.

"The Illuminati winners should be very proud of their achievements and for providing excellent examples of best practice corporate learning."

David Lee, Associate Director of Workforce and Organisational Development at NHS Lothian, said: "It was an honour and a privilege to receive, on behalf of the Information Services and Human Resources Training teams, the Thomson NETg award for NHS Lothian for the ‘Most Effective Blended Learning Programme’."

"Our submission enabled the judges to recognise our work in integrating blended learning induction, internet enablement, IT/ECDL skills development and personal development opportunities through online learning, and the creation of the related Learning Resource Library. It validates the continuing importance of blended learning in our workforce and organisational development strategies."

Sesame, winners of the Best Internal Marketing Programme award, set out to raise awareness of its learning and development programme by launching an internal marketing campaign called ‘Love Learning’, on Valentines Day 2005

Sesame created Love Learning Valentines cards, leaflets, posters, and T-shirts and held launch parties at each location with e-Learning demos and prize draws.

"It is fantastic to be recognised for our achievements with this award," commented Craig Smith, Learning and Development Manager (South) at Sesame.

"The team has worked incredibly hard to market the concept of e-learning internally to ensure acceptance throughout the organisation. Employees are now actively researching courses on the intranet and have really bought into the learning. Our vision is to further build upon our learning culture and to provide an ever improving customer service."

Cadbury Schweppes, winner of the Most Innovative Learning Programme award, used diverse forms of training delivery to appeal to a broad range of learning styles and allow staff from varied locations to access training easily.

The company introduced Thomson NETg’s online learning in IT desktop and professional skills to its sites in the UK and Ireland to complement the company’s existing classroom-based training. Cadbury’s say that employees now use e-Learning courses to expand their knowledge of a topic for personal development and feel empowered to take courses to further their career progression.

"Our people are learning new skills in areas that are not directly linked to their current role. This has delivered a clear benefit to the business, as staff have evolved to become multi-skilled, and are better able to adapt to change as and when the business requires," said Sharon Burton, IT Training Manager at Cadbury Schweppes.

"As we encourage our people to adapt to change, so must the support and training that we offer them evolve over time. Our decision to work with Thomson NETg as our learning partner was largely influenced by the company’s ability to provide a flexible solution that can be developed and enhanced as the needs of our organisation change."

Richard West of BAE Systems won the Learning Leader or The Year award. His role is to deliver BAE System’s strategy of corporate integration and alignment of learning, knowledge transfer and research.

The judges were impressed with Richard’s passion for learning and his work in integrating e-Learning into the company via a Virtual University, which provides a wide range of Thomson NETg’s courses, and has generated significant cost savings.

"I am delighted to receive this award from Thomson NETg,” commented Richard West, Head of Organisational and e-Learning at BAE Systems. “BAE Systems has a state-of-the art learning programme in place and it has been extremely rewarding to be the driving force behind it. I strongly believe that with the right mix of culture, processes, infrastructure and passion, learning can become an everyday event."

Each of the Illuminati winners received an engraved blown glass trophy and a Red Letter Day.

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