Getting external recognition for your training with The Princess Royal Training Awards 2024

Investment in learning and development is crucial to every successful business and The Princess Royal Training Awards not only recognise this but seek to celebrate employers committed to providing outstanding training and skills development programmes. Commendably, as a standard of excellence, organisations don’t have to compete against one another, they simply need to show that they are meeting the Awards’ standards through their training, learning and development programmes. Even more remarkable is that the Awards are open to all employers in the UK and Ireland, whether small, medium or large, and from any sector! Better still, The Princess Royal Training Awards are one of the most high-profile learning Awards in the calendar, the standard is valid for three years and it is free to enter!

So, if your organisation is dedicated to training its staff and you have a programme you’d like to be recognised, then this Award could be for you. Maybe you have developed an apprenticeship programme which has become central to your business? Or you have developed an innovative training programme that you’re proud of and want to share with others? Perhaps you’ve established mental health support or coaching across your business which has enhanced staff retention? You may have harnessed training to address a skills gap in an important sector or to provide learning opportunities for people who are usually hard to reach? If so, these are the perfect Awards to showcase your achievements and gain royal recognition. Read on to find out more.

“Receiving the Award immediately attracted interest from overseas. We work with a lot of American clients and we export a lot of what we do around the world and people noticed it. It is a mark of excellence and I think people recognise that both in the UK and internationally.”
Cox London, 2022 recipient. 

The entry process

With a robust and transparent entry process, The Princess Royal Training Awards also provide support and assistance at every step of the journey. From one-to-one advice and guidance over the phone, asking questions via webchat through to the very popular virtual workshops and tea and chat sessions, the team provides support throughout the application process. Plus applicants have the opportunity to receive feedback from an Assessor on a draft application – ideal for helping to shape your final application and make sure that you’re on the right track. You can find out more about these support options here.

The application itself focuses on three ‘Hallmarks of Excellence’, ensuring each application is assessed against the same standards. A successful application will demonstrate how your learning and development initiative has resulted in a positive impact on your organisation. Winning applications will demonstrate:

Next steps 

So it is probably clear by now that we love these Awards. Not only are they prestigious and a great way of achieving royal recognition, but incredibly they are completely free to enter. The scheme is transparent and robust with its entry process and judging, and the fact they provide telephone support and virtual and in-person workshops, as well as submitting draft applications where you can receive feedback prior to your final entry which is exceptional within the awards industry.

It’s sometimes difficult to know where to start when it comes to writing any awards submission, but don’t panic! As well as the extensive range of support options available from the organisers, my advice is to be sure to tell your story and back up your claims with evidence. Don’t forget to talk to lots of people at all levels in your organisation to find out what impact your learning programme had on them. A great story will grab the attention of the judges, but a well-evidenced one will be sure to keep it!

Ready to enter? What are you waiting for? There are no fees to enter and applications open on 4 December 2023 and close on 28 March 2024.

I wish you the best of luck with your entry. 

Becki

Useful links:
The Princess Royal Training Awards website https://www.princessroyaltrainingawards.com/
Details for the support workshops https://www.princessroyaltrainingawards.com/help-and-support/
Find out if you are eligible: https://www.princessroyaltrainingawards.com/how-to-apply/eligibility-flowchart/
Alumni network https://www.princessroyaltrainingawards.com/alumni/
Recipients 2023 https://www.princessroyaltrainingawards.com/2023-recipients/
Boost’s award writing services https://boost-awards.co.uk/ 

Getting external recognition for your training with The Princess Royal Training Awards 2024

Investment in learning and development is crucial to every successful business and The Princess Royal Training Awards not only recognise this but seek to celebrate employers committed to providing outstanding training and skills development programmes. Commendably, as a standard of excellence, organisations don’t have to compete against one another, they simply need to show that they are meeting the Awards’ standards through their training, learning and development programmes. Even more remarkable is that the Awards are open to all employers in the UK and Ireland, whether small, medium or large, and from any sector! Better still, The Princess Royal Training Awards are one of the most high-profile learning Awards in the calendar, the standard is valid for three years and it is free to enter!

So, if your organisation is dedicated to training its staff and you have a programme you’d like to be recognised, then this Award could be for you. Maybe you have developed an apprenticeship programme which has become central to your business? Or you have developed an innovative training programme that you’re proud of and want to share with others? Perhaps you’ve established mental health support or coaching across your business which has enhanced staff retention? You may have harnessed training to address a skills gap in an important sector or to provide learning opportunities for people who are usually hard to reach? If so, these are the perfect Awards to showcase your achievements and gain royal recognition. Read on to find out more.

“Receiving the Award immediately attracted interest from overseas. We work with a lot of American clients and we export a lot of what we do around the world and people noticed it. It is a mark of excellence and I think people recognise that both in the UK and internationally.” Cox London, 2022 recipient. 

An award with royal recognition

With a royal seal of approval, the Princess Royal Training Awards are supported by their President, HRH The Princess Royal, who is a keen advocate of skills development. With employers up and down the country investing in up-skilling and empowering their teams, these awards give them a high-profile platform to showcase their achievements.

As well as providing you with an excellent opportunity to reflect on what you have achieved through your investment in training, Award recipients usually receive their Award at a high-profile award ceremony. In previous years this has been presented by HRH The Princess Royal.

Join the ranks of previous winners in the Princess Royal Training Awards Alumni, providing access to a network of Award holders. This community of more than 600 learning and development professionals has led to recipients supporting each other and working together to create more commercial impact on future projects. You can also promote your win to customers and colleagues alike with the use of the awards logo in your communications.

The entry process

With a robust and transparent entry process, The Princess Royal Training Awards also provide support and assistance at every step of the journey. From one-to-one advice and guidance over the phone, asking questions via webchat through to the very popular virtual workshops and tea and chat sessions, the team provides support throughout the application process. Plus applicants have the opportunity to receive feedback from an Assessor on a draft application – ideal for helping to shape your final application and make sure that you’re on the right track. You can find out more about these support options here.

The application itself focuses on three ‘Hallmarks of Excellence’, ensuring each application is assessed against the same standards. A successful application will demonstrate how your learning and development initiative has resulted in a positive impact on your organisation. Winning applications will demonstrate:

• • Why training or learning and development is integral to your organisation.
  • How your programme is designed and delivered effectively and efficiently.
  • What impact the programme has had on the success of your organisation and your people.

After the initial application stage, if your entry meets the criteria you will host a virtual visit with an assessor to allow them to hear more about your achievements. Assessors will then present their recommendations to HRH The Princess Royal for her approval.

Hall of fame

Previous winners include organisations of all shapes and sizes, from global multinationals to small family businesses, much-loved UK retailers to charities offering volunteering and peer mentoring support. Will 2024 be your year? Join the likes of 50 Shades Greener, Ascot, Caring Homes, the DVLA, Green Core, Greene King, IBM, Labcorp, OVO energy, Pret, Royal Mail, Light Foundations and Cox London – simply prove that your outstanding training and skills development programmes have resulted in exceptional benefits for your organisation and you could be picking up an award later this year.

Previous winners have reported benefits including increased financial investment and reduction in employee turnover. Perhaps you’ve witnessed an increase in morale and productivity following an investment in your people? Or retention and profits rocketed after a new development programme was introduced? This may be the year to get the recognition you deserve!

Inclusion and diversity

Should your organisation achieve he Princess Royal Training Awards standard, further special recognition can be given to organisations demonstrating their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. This will be assessed through your application and submission of supporting evidence. To be considered for a special commendation, you must provide evidence to show how your training is as accessible to all your people as possible and how you are making your people feel valued and included. All of the details for this can be found in the application section Hallmark Two, part one.  

Next steps

So it is probably clear by now that we love these Awards. Not only are they prestigious and a great way of achieving royal recognition, but incredibly they are completely free to enter. The scheme is transparent and robust with its entry process and judging, and the fact they provide telephone support and virtual and in-person workshops, as well as submitting draft applications where you can receive feedback prior to your final entry which is exceptional within the awards industry.

It’s sometimes difficult to know where to start when it comes to writing any awards submission, but don’t panic! As well as the extensive range of support options available from the organisers, my advice is to be sure to tell your story and back up your claims with evidence. Don’t forget to talk to lots of people at all levels in your organisation to find out what impact your learning programme had on them. A great story will grab the attention of the judges, but a well-evidenced one will be sure to keep it!

Ready to enter? What are you waiting for? There are no fees to enter and applications open on 4 December 2023 and close on 28 March 2024.

I wish you the best of luck with your entry. 

Becki

Useful links:
The Princess Royal Training Awards website https://www.princessroyaltrainingawards.com/
Details for the support workshops https://www.princessroyaltrainingawards.com/help-and-support/
Find out if you are eligible: https://www.princessroyaltrainingawards.com/how-to-apply/eligibility-flowchart/
Alumni network https://www.princessroyaltrainingawards.com/alumni/
Recipients 2023 https://www.princessroyaltrainingawards.com/2023-recipients/
Boost’s award writing services https://boost-awards.co.uk/