The National Conference Centre, in Birmingham, was full of excitement and celebration as the annual Land-Based and Environment Learner of the Year Awards took place.
The ceremony recognised outstanding talent and achievements across multiple areas of the land-based and environment sector, including agriculture, animal care and management, landscaping and horticulture, forestry and arboriculture, veterinary nursing, and many more.
The evening celebrated excellence from Learners in further education, and higher education, as well as those undertaking apprenticeships within the sector. The full list of winners can be found here.
The event was hosted by Kate Humble, TV Presenter and farmer, who has a small-holding and has presented programmes including Lambing Live, Animal Park, Springwatch, and Countryfile.
Kate told her inspiring story of how she had grown up in a rural setting, being involved in farming communities since a young age, and how her TV career has focused on animals and wildlife. Kate also shared how she came to own a small-holding and how she enjoys the lifestyle of tending to the farm animals every morning.
The LBEL Awards are organised by Lantra, a specialist in training and qualification development for the land-based and environment sector, and Landex, a membership organisation representing land-based colleges and universities. The Ceremony was attended by finalists, their families, tutors from land-based colleges, and industry professionals.
With the land-based and environment sector facing challenges in recruiting new people into the industries, the LBEL awards shines a spotlight on the future leaders of the sector, inspiring more people to embark on a career in one of the industries.
Prof John Moverley OBE, Chair of Judges for the LBEL Awards, said: “It’s been another fantastic year where we have been able to celebrate the success of learners and apprentices within our sector.
“We had over 170 nominations this year, which was brilliant! There are so many inspiring stories from nominations and it’s an honour to be able to celebrate their achievements and passion this evening. Congratulations to all winners and finalists!”
