Employability Awards 2025 - Finalists Revealed!

With over 250 amazing applications, we’re pleased to announce the finalists  2025 Employability Awards. Outstanding Contribution and Lifetime Achievement will be announced on the evening of the awards.

This prestigious event – sponsored by Elevate Employment Services – now in its 13th year is the chance for the sector to celebrate its work and to champion the great work don’t by individuals, teams, partnerships and providers.

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Working for Better work

Frontline Advisor

Kindly sponsored by AKG

  • Ashley Neerohoo, Maximus
  • Derwin Machado, Twin         
  • Frances Taylor, Sheffield City Council / Opportunity Sheffield
  • Jade Wheeler, Get Set UK 
  • Angela Shea, Positive Steps
  • Sav Williams, Serco
  • Darren Owens, Catch22
  • Lesley McNocher, Papworth Trust 
  • Helen Elliott, Mental Health Matters 
  • Vickie Haywood-Hunt, Acorn Training
  • Jade Moulton, Get Oldham Working
  • Simone Tot, Enable Works
  • Kasey Lee, Career Connect
  • Rhys Barker, Seetec
  • Tamsin Jones, PeoplePlus
  • Cameron Smith, Seetec

Working for Better work

Frontline Manager

Kindly sponsored by Reed in Partnership

  • Maryam Bello-Tukur, Imperial Health Charity 
  • Musharaf Malik, Get Set UK    
  • Peter Slack, Sheffield City Council / Opportunity Sheffield
  • Rachel Gray, Middlesbrough College Group
  • Lewis Mechan, Ingeus
  • Jennifer Atkinson, Bolton Council
  • Kate Liddle, The Growth Company
  • Debra Kurmis, Maximus UK

Working for Better work

Supporting Frontline Services

Kindly sponsored by Arcus Advisory

  • Sophie Brammer, Compliance Manager, edt
  • Gower College Swansea – External Funding Team
  • The Growth Company’s Employment Central Support Functions Team
  • Alyssa Ball, Compliance Officer, Standguide
  • Get Oldham Working Team, Oldham Council

Working for Better work

Tailored Employment Support

Kindly sponsored by

  • CIAG Delivery Team at HMP Thameside, Get Set UK
  • SCDA Employability Team
  • ESOL Team, AKG
  • Working Chance Employment Team
  • Get Oldham Working Team, Oldham Council
  • Autism Plus Specialist Employment Team

Working for Better work

Introducing AI

Kindly sponsored by

  • Serco
  • Body Swaps and Ingeus
  • Reed in Partnership
  • Beam
  • Seetec and Earlybird
  • Belina Grow CIC and AKG UK

Working for Better work

Adding Social Value

Kindly sponsored by Genius Within

  • Working Well: Roots to Dental, nominated by Ingeus
  • Reed in Partnership
  • AKG Social Value in Action
  • Working Chance
  • Maximus and Smart Works

Working for Better Work

Community Outreach

Kindly sponsored by The BUSY Group

  • Belina Grow CIC
  • Goldstar Creative and Ingeus
  • Telford College
  • Riverside Training
  • Successful Mums Career Academy

Working for Better Work

Employer Engagement Practitioner

Kindly sponsored by Coyne Recruitment

  • Amy McManus, Get Set UK
  • Aklak Ahmed, Royal Borough of Greenwich – Greenwich Local Labour and Business
  • Abby Mitchell, Forward Trust
  • Leonila Mencias, Ingeus
  • Beverley Cole, The Growth Company
  • Joanne Stace, Reed in Partnership 

Working for Better Work

Employer Partnership

Kindly sponsored by 4front Partners

  • Fife Sports & Leisure Trust, nominated by Fife Gingerbread
  • Salford into Care, nominated by Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust 
  • National Grid, nominated by Catch22
  • Placer in partnership with Amazon
  • OCS, nominated by Shaw Trust

Working for Better Work

Health Solutions for Work

Kindly sponsored by Populi Solutions

  • The Mental Health Matters (MHM) Oxford Employment Service, in partnership with Oxfordshire Talking Therapies (OTT)
  • WorkWell Manchester, nominated by The Growth Company
  • AKG Health
  • Get Oldham Working, Oldham Community Leisure team and Northern Roots
  • Health Coaching Programme, Maximus UK

Working for Better Work

Outstanding Participant

Kindly sponsored by Seetec

  • Ahmad Peyravieslam, nominated by Maximus UK
  • Emma, nominated by Enable Works
  • Jamie Walker, nominated by Shaw Trust
  • Julian Ward (Jules), nominated by Waythrough
  • Nathan McKeith-Scowcroft, nominated by Positive Steps

Working for BETTER WORK

Partnership and Collaboration

Kindly sponsored by entitledto

  • Live Well Kent and Medway, nominated by Shaw Trust
  • Only a Pavement Away and Ingeus
  • Better Connect
  • Action Together, nominated by Get Oldham Working
  • Salford Employment Hub, nominated by The Growth Company
  • Acorn Training and RIFT
  • Sefton Career Connect Team, Sefton@Work and the Caring Business Charter

Working FOR BETTER WORK

Skills for Work

Kindly sponsored by Serco

  • Clarion Housing Group
  • More Than A Job Programme, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust
  • Energise, Catch22
  • The Digital College, nominated by G4S
  • Telford College

Working for better work

Youth Employment

Kindly sponsored by Broadfield

  • Greater Manchester Combined Authority NEET Programme
  • Autism Plus SEND Youth Hub
  • Forging Futures Project, nominated by the Cumbria Youth Alliance
  • Training Ground, nominated by EFL in the Community
  • Sefton Career Connect Team, Sefton@Work and the Caring Business Charter
  • Hiyed CIC