Westminster-Kingsway College

Westminster Kingsway College has been recognised by the 2009 Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) STAR Awards with a short-list nomination for Udish Dissanayake in the Innovation category - sponsored by Becta. Innovation Coordinator and Trainer, Udish was nominated for his pioneering work with the College’s Employer Training Solutions team and said "I felt honoured and privileged to have been nominated for this opportunity through the STAR Awards. It has shown me how much my employer really appreciates all of my efforts and is a very big motivation for me to enhance my skills to contribute to Employer Training Solutions by developing my skills further. I am continuing my research into the future of online materials in education and how this can be further developed to give a global experience to the world. My ambition is to become a leader in innovation in the education sector."

Udish has been working with Westminster Kingsway College for 4 years and he was nominated for the STAR award by Nicole Barber, Assistant Principal Employer Training Solutions at Westminster Kingsway College. Nicole said "We are delighted that Udish has been nominated in the LSIS STAR awards. The awards recognise those who bring something special to their work in Further Education and Udish has certainly done this through his innovative work with employers and learners. Further Education really does change people’s lives and Udish has been able to demonstrate this."

Both Udish and Nicole were invited to the regional celebration event for the short-listed nominees from the Southern region at The Gibson Hall in central London to celebrate their nominations for the 2009 STAR Awards. 44 nominees, from a total of over 100, are from the south of England, and all were invited to celebrate their achievements and share their experiences of working in FE at the event, which was hosted by Alice Bhandhukravi, presenter and reporter for BBC London News. Each nominee received a certificate to mark the achievement of making the short list; a triumph in itself as, yet again, an overwhelming number of impressive nominations was received for this year’s awards.

Westminster Kingsway College students also featured at the regional event as nominees were entertained by a performance by 2nd year students from Westminster Kingsway College’s BTEC National Diploma Music performing a number of songs from West End shows.

Held annually, the STAR Awards recognise and reward the unsung heroes of the further education system who have made a difference to the quality of learning that millions of people across England receive every day. The 2009 short list comprises over 100 nominees, including some teams, and is representative of the diversity of the further education sector. STAR award nominees come from a diverse range of jobs - from workplace trainers, evening class tutors and college teachers to receptionists, caretakers, cleaners, crèche workers, technicians and librarians. The overall category winners will be announced at a glittering national awards ceremony at Old Billingsgate in London on Thursday 26 November.