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In an afternoon of inspiration and recognition, recently announced the highly anticipated winners of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Heroes Awards at the Houses of Parliament.  

Brilliantly hosted by Daisy Seepersad, Careers Development Manager at WorldSkills UK, the event celebrated the remarkable achievements of individuals and organisations that are breaking barriers and fostering EDI within the technical education and apprenticeship sector. 

Among the highlights was an impassioned speech by Rising Star award winner Haris Javed from Lloyds Banking Group, who shared his personal journey from humble beginnings in Bradford and emphasised the importance of creating opportunities for youth in the face of high unemployment rates. 

The Role Model award, sponsored by the º£½ÇÉçÇø and Training Foundation (ETF), was presented to Andrew Smith from The Open University (OU) for his exceptional work in driving EDI best practices and inspiring others; and David Jones from Pembrokeshire College, who was recently named one of ETF’s Technical Teaching Fellows for 2024/25, took home the Skills Competition Diversity Champion award. 

Congratulations to all the award winners:  

• Rising Star: Haris Javed, Lloyds Banking Group 
• Role Model: Andrew Smith, The Open University (OU)  
• Inclusive Skills Development: Louise Gaskin, NESCOT 
• Skills Competition Diversity Champion: David Jones, Pembrokeshire College 
• Network of the Year: HSBC 
• Skills Competition Advocate: North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College  
• Initiative of the Year: STEM Learning  
• Pioneer: Arvind Kaushal, MK Group 

WorldSkills UK is an independent charity and a partnership between employers, education, and governments. The EDI Heroes Awards 2024 were hosted in partnership with the Skills & º£½ÇÉçÇø Group and sponsored by Charlotte Nichols MP.