A Blackwood man was among the winners at the annual Learner of the year awards held by the UHOVI (University Heads of the Valleys Institute) at the University of South Wales.
Phil Chater studied Leadership and Management on a work-based learning course with ACT Training in Tredegar.
He was one of 10 winners at the event which was hosted by Heart FM breakfast duo Jagger and Woody, with Welsh tenor Wynne Evans on hand to present the awards:
“Getting a management qualification was key to my own professional development and the course gave me the confidence to move forward into a new role,” said Phil.
“It was challenging but a great course, I didn’t expect to learn as much as I did. Having the tutor believe in me was a really good feeling.
“I feel privileged to be a Learner of the Year, and I’m delighted that the hard work paid off. You never know what you can achieve until you try. I’m looking to continue to develop.”
Phil was nominated by Chris Hughes, ILM Management Trainer at ACT Training: “I decided to nominate Phillip because of his tenacity throughout all of the workshops. He used the whole qualification to, perhaps, reflect on his own ability. He learned a lot and he moved on to better things in the middle of the course with a different employer.
“Phil is a very personable man, he’s got a very nice attitude to life in general and he’s very keen to help people out. But one of the things which shone through throughout this whole UHOVI experience is that he is able to help others and he is very open to learning and progressing himself.
Dr Robert Payne, Director of UHOVI Operations and Partner Curriculum said: “UHOVI is a vital part of the University’s commitment to make education accessible for people in every community in our region. What we heard and saw at our awards ceremony were the achievements of some truly inspirational students, and I’m so proud of both them and of our partners for the hard work and dedication they have shown throughout their studies. I look forward to seeing their continuing development and success.”
Andrew Cooksley, Managing Director of ACT Training said: “We help a great deal of businesses actively invest in the skills of their workforce and support a number of adult learners to develop professionally on an individual basis too.”
“Such skills development has become increasingly relevant of late as the UK economy looks set to strengthen further, and employers look towards their workforce to help them make the most of the economic upturn.”
