Additional Criteria for Each Award Category

For every award, we are asking for:

Contact details of person submitting the entry
Name of the organisation submitting the entry
Award category (see below for the 17 options)
Name of delivery partner, employer, colleague, team, manager, successful jobseeker or sector leader!
250 word summary (if shortlisted we’ll use this to promote the entry)
500 word entry (explaining why you feel that your organisation (or nominee) meets with, and excels against, the criteria of the award. Your entry should include examples, case studies or delivery statistics which highlight your entry as an exemplar.
Optional – testimonials from colleagues, partners and participants

 View our previous winners:

2023

2022

This award seeks to recognise an individual employee in a frontline role who has demonstrated exceptional commitment, either through directly helping jobseekers to overcome barriers to enter and maintain work or supporting employers to employ and support in employment jobseekers who have been long term unemployed.

Employment support providers are asked to nominate employees who:

  • Have gone above and beyond the reasonable expectations of their employer (and of the wider industry), in their commitment to customer service.
  • Have a sustained track record over a significant period of time of demonstrable high performances
  • Have supported colleagues to embrace a customer-centred ethos, leading by example and helping co-workers to apply best practice in the support they provide jobseekers.
  • Attract testimonials from current and previous customers (whether jobseekers or employers) who can vouch for the specific impact that their efforts have made to their personal lives or operations.

The award winner will be a truly inspiring industry exemplar of how effectively and compassionately to support the long term unemployed into successful and sustainable employment.

This award seeks to recognise an individual managing front-line staff, who has demonstrated exceptional commitment, enabling their team to help jobseekers to overcome barriers to enter and maintain work. This individual will be overachieving against expectations and offering their team a supportive and focussed culture in which to thrive.

Providers are asked to nominate managers who:

  • Have gone above and beyond the reasonable expectations of their employer (and of the wider industry), in their commitment to customer service.
  • Have a sustained track record over a significant period of demonstrable high performances
  • Have developed a customer-centred ethos, leading by example and enabling their team to apply best-practice in the support they provide jobseekers.
  • Attract testimonials from team members, colleagues and directors who can vouch for the specific impact that this person’s efforts have made to their team’s performance and standards.

The award winner will be a truly inspiring industry exemplar of how effectively and compassionately to support front-line staff who are working in a challenging environment, supporting long-term unemployed people into successful and sustainable employment.

This award seeks to recognise exceptional collaboration between an employment support provider and an employer. This award celebrates partnerships that have demonstrated a strong commitment to working together to improve employment opportunities for long-term unemployed individuals.

Employment support providers should nominate a specific employer who:

  • Have shown outstanding collaboration, with both parties sharing resources, expertise, and best practices to overcome barriers to employment.
  • Has made a measurable and positive impact on jobseekers’ lives, such as successful job placements into ‘good work’.
  • Has developed long-term solutions that meet the needs of jobseekers, focusing on lasting success in the workplace.
  • Attract testimonials from jobseekers, employees, and stakeholders highlighting its specific impact on individuals’ lives and operations.

The winner will be an employer who has created a successful partnership with an employment support organisation which has resulted in creating good, sustainable jobs for participants.

Recognising a specific jobseeker who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to overcoming barriers to enter and maintain work.

This award seeks to recognise a successful former jobseeker who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to overcome significant personal and/or social barriers to enter and maintain employment. Employment related services providers are asked to nominate jobseekers who:

  • Have surpassed expectations in overcoming barriers to work.
  • Have demonstrated personal dedication above and beyond expectations to improve their employability.
  • Have successfully moved into sustained employment and grown in their job to acquire new skills and responsibilities.
  • Have acted as a positive role model in inspiring other jobseekers to follow their example.
  • Attract testimonials from advisers and their employer, who can vouch for the journey that has been undertaken and the success achieved.

The award winner will be a truly inspiring individual who will have overcome adversity and demonstrated immeasurable dedication to overcome barriers to work and achieve sustained employment.

This award acknowledges an individual who has demonstrated exceptional skills and dedication in engaging employers to create employment opportunities for jobseekers. This award recognises the crucial role played by these practitioners in fostering strong relationships between employment support providers and employers, ultimately leading to successful employment outcomes.

Employment support providers should nominate an employer engagement practitioner who:

  • Has shown exceptional abilities in engaging employers, going above and beyond to build productive relationships and secure employment opportunities for jobseekers.
  • Has understood the needs of local employers and this has led to sustainable partnerships between employers and an employment support provider.
  • Has demonstrated creativity and innovation in developing strategies and initiatives to effectively engage employers, adapting to changing market needs and demands.
  • Attract testimonials from employers, jobseekers, and colleagues to highlight the practitioner’s specific impact on securing employment opportunities and improving jobseeker outcomes.

The winner will be an individual who excels in forging connections with employers, ensuring mutual benefits and long-term success.

This award is for a delivery team or an employment support organisation that can demonstrate success when reaching potential participants in local communities, bringing them on to provision and moving them in to good work.

Entrants should show:

  • Examples of reaching into communities and engaging people who have not been referred by Jobcentre Plus. This demonstrates their commitment to extending support beyond traditional channels and targeting individuals who may face additional barriers to employment.
  • A track record of successfully engaging and connecting with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including marginalised or ‘hardest-to-help’ groups. This could include outreach strategies, partnerships with community organisations, or innovative approaches that have proven effective in reaching and resonating with individuals.
  • Evidence of the positive outcomes achieved through their community outreach efforts. This may include the number of individuals who have been successfully brought into provision, their subsequent progression into sustainable employment, and any relevant success stories that highlight the impact of their engagement initiatives.

This award is for frontline teams who work together to support caseloads of those further from the labour markets, enabling people to achieve economic independence.

Applications for this award should showcase the following:

  • A strong spirit of collaboration and effective teamwork in delivering tailored employment support. This includes effective communication, shared goals, and a coordinated approach that maximises the team’s collective expertise and resources.
  • A proven track record of successfully supporting and managing caseloads of individuals who face greater challenges in accessing employment opportunities. This includes individuals who may have long-term unemployment, face barriers due to disabilities, lack essential skills, or belong to disadvantaged or marginalised groups.
  • A commitment to providing inclusive, innovative and inspiring employment support to those furthest from the labour market, which allows participants to achieve economic independence through sustainable employment.

This award recognises a team or individual who has shown exceptional dedication and innovation in supporting frontline services through enhancing compliance, quality, and performance. It celebrates those who play a crucial role in ensuring high standards and delivering impactful, cost-effective solutions.

Employment support providers should nominate a team or individual who:

  • Shows outstanding commitment to meeting or exceeding regulatory and industry standards, implementing robust measures, and fostering a culture of adherence to best practices.
  • Develops and implements strategies that significantly improve service quality, utilising technology, refining processes, and incorporating user feedback to enhance client satisfaction and outcomes.
  • Delivers cost-effective solutions that result in measurable performance improvements, optimising resource utilisation, streamlining operations, and boosting productivity.
  • Exhibits creativity and forward-thinking in designing and implementing IT solutions and service frameworks that support frontline operations, leading to greater efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Engages in research activities that provide valuable insights and data to inform service enhancements, driving evidence-based improvements in service delivery.

The winner will be a team or individual who exemplifies excellence in supporting frontline services, leading to substantial improvements in compliance, quality, and overall performance.

The award seeks to recognise an exemplar group of organisations delivering employment support directly to jobseekers on behalf of, or with, another provider (or providers) as part of a subcontracted or partnership agreement. Judges will be looking for evidence of how the partnership, however formal is having a demonstrable impact on the prospects of jobseekers entering and/or sustaining employment, whether through the provision of ‘end to end’, specialist or other services.

Entrants should address the following criteria:

  • Be clear about the geography of delivery and profile of jobseeker with which you are working, and how you have tailored your services to meet the needs of this cohort.
  • Provide quantitative evidence that performance is good (and preferably improving).
  • Provide qualitative evidence of the positive impact of services delivered. This may take the form of customer or partner feedback.
  • Explain how you support service provision outside your direct delivery, through best practice sharing with partners.
  • It is desirable that the entrant’s application is endorsed by an employer, Jobcentre Plus or local authority to verify their claim of being an exemplar partner in the community.

This prestigious award celebrates initiatives that have delivered over and above requirements and have provided exceptional value for money, both in terms of the public purse and value in communities.

Entrants to be able to:

  • Demonstrate clear examples of providing additional benefits to local communities, economies and people.
  • Provide clear evidence of the measurable social impact they have achieved. This could include improved reduced social inequalities, enhanced community well-being, savings to the taxpayer, or other positive changes that directly benefit society.

The winner will be an organisation who exemplify a dedication to creating positive social change while efficiently utilising resources and maximising the value delivered to taxpayers.

Recognising an organisation who has pioneered innovative digital approaches and solutions within the employment support market.

Entrants should be able to:

  • Describe clearly what their approach or tool is, and why it has been developed
  • Demonstrate the originality of the innovation to show that it might not otherwise be considered as standard sector practice.
  • Show how the innovation has had a specific and measurable beneficial impact to the sector. This impact might manifest itself through benefits to jobseekers, employers or other parties.
  • Ideally demonstrate that their innovation is transferable within different types of employment services provision and in different localities.
  • Represents a cost-effective investment of funding.

This award recognises programmes and initiatives that have shown outstanding success in engaging and supporting young people, effectively transitioning them into meaningful employment. It celebrates efforts that offer career opportunities and training, addressing the unique challenges faced by young jobseekers.

Employment support providers should nominate programmes or initiatives that:

  • Demonstrate exceptional ability to connect with young jobseekers, understanding their specific needs and barriers to employment.
  • Offer substantial career pathways that lead to sustainable and fulfilling employment for young people.
  • Implement training programmes that equip young jobseekers with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the job market.
  • Tailor support to tackle the unique challenges faced by young people, such as lack of experience, educational gaps, or socio-economic barriers.
  • Show evidence of positive outcomes, such as high job placement rates, retention in employment, and career progression for young participants.

The winner will be a programme or initiative that excels in empowering young people to overcome employment barriers and achieve lasting, meaningful employment.

This award recognises innovative programmes and interventions that effectively join up health and work to enable individuals to secure and sustain employment. It celebrates solutions that address physical, mental, and emotional health barriers, promoting overall well-being and ensuring long-term job retention.

Employment support providers should nominate programmes or interventions that:

  • Demonstrate exceptional creativity in combining health and employment support to help individuals overcome barriers to work.
  • Provide holistic support that addresses physical, mental, and emotional health challenges, ensuring participants are fit for work.
  • Implement strategies that enhance participants’ overall well-being, contributing to their ability to secure and sustain employment.
  • Focus on long-term success by providing ongoing support that helps individuals maintain good work and career progression.
  • Provide measurable outcomes, such as improved health metrics, high job placement rates, and sustained employment among participants.

The winner will be a programme or intervention that excels in addressing health-related barriers to work, promoting well-being, and achieving lasting employment for participants.

This award recognises programmes and interventions that have demonstrated excellence in supporting participants to advance in their careers. It celebrates initiatives that provide pathways for career progression, offering upskilling, training, and support to help workers move into higher positions with better pay and greater responsibilities.

Employment support providers should nominate programmes or interventions that:

  • Demonstrate exceptional effectiveness in creating opportunities for participants to advance in their careers.
  • Offer comprehensive training programmes that equip participants with the skills needed for higher-level positions.
  • Implement support mechanisms that help participants navigate career advancement, including mentoring, coaching, and career planning.
  • Focus on moving participants into roles with improved compensation and increased responsibilities.
  • Show evidence of participants achieving career progression, such as promotions, salary increases, and enhanced job roles.

The winner will be a programme or intervention that excels in empowering workers to upskill, advance in their careers, and achieve better pay and greater responsibilities.

This award recognises skills interventions that effectively equip individuals with the skills needed for today’s and the future job market. It celebrates initiatives that address skills gaps, provide vocational training, and ensure participants are job-ready, meeting the needs of both employers and the evolving workforce landscape.

Employment support providers should nominate programmes or interventions that:

  • Demonstrate exceptional ability to identify and fill current and emerging skills gaps in the job market.
  • Offer comprehensive vocational training that equips participants with practical, job-specific skills.
  • Implement strategies that prepare participants for employment, ensuring they have the necessary skills and qualifications to meet employer demands.
  • Align training and skill development with the needs of local employers, ensuring participants are well-prepared for available job opportunities.
  • Demonstrate foresight and adaptability in preparing participants for future workforce trends and technological advancements.

Nominations should attract testimonials from participants, employers, and stakeholders that highlight the programme’s or intervention’s impact on skill development and job readiness.

The winner will be a programme or intervention that excels in bridging skills gaps, providing vocational training, and ensuring participants are equipped for success in the current and future job market.

This award recognises an exceptional individual who has dedicated a significant part of their career to the employment-related services sector and has made a notable impact on the wider sector. 

Employment support providers should nominate an individual who:

  • Has shown unwavering dedication to the employment-related services sector over a significant period.
  • Has provided exceptional leadership, guiding teams and colleagues to success and inspiring others in the sector.
  • Has a track record of success and recognition within the sector, evidenced by awards, honours, or widespread acclaim.

The winner will be an individual who exemplifies a lifetime of dedication, innovation, and leadership in the employment-related services sector, leaving a lasting legacy of positive change and improvement.

This award recognises an exceptional leader who has made significant contributions to the employment-related services sector as a whole. It celebrates an inspirational individual whose leadership has driven performance, innovation, and policy change, shaping a fairer labour market.

Employment support providers should nominate a leader who:

  • Demonstrates exceptional leadership qualities, inspiring teams and organisations to achieve high performance and impactful results.
  • Has spearheaded innovative practices and initiatives that have advanced the sector, setting new standards for service delivery and effectiveness.
  • Has played a key role in influencing commissioning processes and policy changes, contributing to a more equitable and effective jobs market.
  • Has actively worked towards creating a fairer and more inclusive employment landscape, advocating for policies and practices that promote equality and opportunity for all.
  • Has made contributions that have had a broad and lasting impact on the sector, recognised by peers, stakeholders, and beneficiaries.

The winner will be a leader who exemplifies outstanding contribution through performance, innovation, commissioning, and policy change, shaping a fairer and more effective jobs market for all.