The UK India Business Council (UKIBC) and FICCI announced the winners of the 1st UK India Skills Forum awards winners at the FICCI Global Skills Summit on the 19th August 2010. The Awards symbolise excellence in the area of skills development and were given away to recognise Indian companies for their commitment and achievement in the vocational training space.

The winners were announced in the presence of the Sh. Mallikarjun Kharge, Hon Minister for Labour, Ms. Sudha Pillai, Member and Secretary Planning Commission, Mr. Rajan Mittal, President FICCI; Mr. Anurag Jain, Chairman FICCI Skills Forum and Sir Richard Stagg, High Commissioner of UK. The Awardees were felicitated by the Co-chairs of the UKISF Mr. R. C. M Reddy, Managing Director IL&FS clusters and Mr. Roy Newey, International Director, A4e Ltd and a UK India Business Council Director.

The awards this year were given in 5 categories; Best Vocational Training Provider, Best Train The Trainer, Best Skills Project In Rural Community, Best UK Skills Provider Project, Outstanding Commitment To Quality. The winners of the awards were Centum Learning Ltd; Rustomjee Academy for Global Careers; India Can; Crux Management Services Pvt Ltd; Gram Tarang Employability and Training Services; Career Launcher; Dundee College and Pipal Tree

The UKISF Awards are one of the first initiatives to strengthen the UK and India cooperation in the area of training and education. An initiative of the UKIBC, this is a first step towards realising Hon. Prime Minister David Cameron's vision for UK - India partnership.
Ends

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the UK India Skills Forum (UKISF)
The UKISF is led by the UK India Business Council in London and supported by UKTI in India. The forum is an eighteen month young forum that has seen significant collaboration between India and the UK in the area of vocational skills provision comprising of over 120 UK Skills provider organisations. In the last few months the UKISF has generated a number of bilateral contacts and has shown immense progress.

One of the key strengths of the UK India Skills Forum is its ability to mobilize expertise from the whole of the UK, across the entirety of the technical and vocational education and training sector. It incorporates skills providers as well as assessment bodies, equipment suppliers, infrastructure developers and experts in a wide range of delivery models. In this way it can act as a "one stop shop" for Indian organizations seeking to address their particular training requirements.