Providing opportunities for staff to learn and develop is not only valuable for employees, it is also essential for organisational growth. Investment in the knowledge, skills and capabilities of the workforce can bring huge returns and ensure that organisations remain competitive and fit for the future.

Upskilling employees promotes skills development, motivation and efficiency, subsequently boosting confidence, well-being and employee satisfaction. This, in turn, leads to enhanced engagement, productivity, innovation and retention. What’s more, greater retention rates reduce the costs of recruiting new staff, which can be as much as £22k, according to recent research by City & Guilds*.

The benefits of investing in training, learning and development therefore far outweigh the costs. In a climate of uncertainty, with skills shortages in many sectors, demonstrating a commitment to training and development becomes even more important.

Celebrating excellence
The Princess Royal Training Awards not only appreciates the importance of skills development but actively promotes it through royally recognising and celebrating employers dedicated to providing outstanding training. These Awards offer something a little different from other award programmes and are a great way to showcase an organisation’s commitment to training, learning and development.

Free from start to finish, the Awards are valid for three years and successful recipients get royal recognition for their achievements, attendance at a high-profile award ceremony and membership of an active 600+ Alumni network. Better still, as the Awards are a standard of excellence, organisations don’t have to compete against one another, they simply need to show that they meet the Awards criteria.

An Award that makes a difference
Previous recipients of a Princess Royal Training Award have reported clear positive impacts on their businesses, with increased investment in training programmes, improved recruitment and retention, and incorporation of HR and Learning and Development into organisational strategy. 90% of Award recipients say that the Awards helped them to demonstrate the value of learning and development. And the benefits don’t end there. As one recipient explained:

“For us, it is recognition that we have met a high standard, a quality standard; it’s a prestigious Award and it’s an excellent benchmark for us and others as well. And going through the process has also been extremely valuable. It encouraged us to reflect upon what we do well, where we have been, where we are at now and where we can go moving forwards” – 2021 recipient.

An inclusive Award for inclusive organisations
The Awards are open to any private, public or not-for-profit organisation operating in the UK and Ireland regardless of size or sector. In 2022, the seventh year of the Awards, 47 awards were presented to 46 organisations. The range of recipients included large national employers such as the DVLA, Greene King, GSK, IBM, JCB Legal and General, OVO energy, the Royal Navy and Santander through to smaller organisations such as heritage craft designers Cox London, employment charity Light Foundations, youth-focused charity OnSide and health and well-being charity Sheppey Matters.

Not only are the Princess Royal Training Awards open to all, they also promote an inclusive culture within training. As part of the Awards standard, further commendation is given to organisations demonstrating a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Organisations are commended for learning and development that is as accessible as possible to all their people and makes employees feel valued and included. In 2022, Labcorp impressively received two DEI commendations for two separate, innovative training programmes.

Ongoing support for all applicants
A wealth of support options are provided to applicants throughout the application process. The Princess Royal Training Awards team offers virtual support workshops, ‘tea and chat’ sessions, 1-1 calls, web chat and email support. Applicants even get the opportunity to submit a draft application in February to get helpful feedback from Assessors.

If you want to showcase your training, get external recognition for your hard work and join an outstanding Alumni network of organisations committed to investing in learning and development, why not apply for a Princess Royal Training Award today?

 Register now and you’ll be sent a unique link for your application form, which you can fill in and submit online. The Awards are open until 31 March 2023.

If you have any questions, you can get in touch with the Princess Royal Training Awards team with any questions at: info@princessroyaltrainingawards.com.* City & Guilds (2022) Training Trends: Setting up for success.