Chief Executive David Hughes wins UK Business Award 'Hero' Medal

We are delighted to announce that AoC's Chief Executive, David Hughes has won a national UK Business Award. The awards recognise people that have gone above and beyond in these extraordinary times. Nominations were sought from across a range of sectors and we would like to thank Paul Phillips CBE, Principal at Weston College for the nomination. On the announcement of the award, AoC's President, Steve Frampton said: "I am so proud that David has won this award, he has been the rock the sector needed during the most unprecedented time any of us have ever experienced. Leading with confidence and compassion is exactly what was required to respond to the crisis and David has supported colleagues and members in every way possible. Every challenge that the pandemic has thrown up, David has dealt with and reassured the sector, supporting on matters from the very beginning as colleges were figuring out how to support their students and staff remotely, right through to advocating for the whole sector to ministers and politicians to ensure colleges got the support they needed. I couldn't think of anyone more deserving of a UK Business Awards ‘Hero’ Medal." Weston College Principal, Dr Paul Phillips CBE said: "At the recent UK Business Awards, I was delighted that Weston College won two GOLDS including the Wellbeing at Work Award, and as part of the awards process, all the award entrants were asked to nominate someone who they felt had gone above and above during the pandemic. I chose to nominate David as he has been a role model in every sense of the word, galvanising the FE sector from Day 1 even doing the first FE webinar from Heathrow nervously waiting for his daughter to return who was overseas at the time. His work in those early days and throughout -whether this has been lobbying, communicating and supporting Colleges with a positive approach, has really helped to show ministers the dynamism that FE is capable of. So I was highly delighted that he was chosen as one of only five nominations selected to win a UK Business Awards ‘Hero’ Medal." You can read more about the award winners here.