Accessibility championed at AAT's Training Provider Awards 2025

AAT celebrated exceptional achievements across the accountancy education sector at a special event held on Thursday night (13 March 2025) in Solihull. 

The AAT Training Provider Awards, now in their ninth year, recognise the life-changing excellence of AAT's training provider partners who teach more than 65,000 AAT learners studying towards AAT qualifications every year. 

Ten category awards were presented including best small, medium and large training provider of the year, best international provider, best distance learning provider, and best training provider of AAT's highly regarded apprenticeship programme. Individual excellence was also recognised through student, tutor, and apprentice awards, alongside a special eleventh award announced on the night. 

“These awards showcase the transformative power of vocational accountancy education,” said Claire Bennison, AAT's Executive Director of Customer, Partnerships and Innovation. “The winners demonstrate how dedicated training providers are innovating and supporting student success in remarkable ways with AAT's qualifications – opening doors to rewarding careers for more people from more backgrounds.” 

Apprentice of the Year - Liam Wild (Employer: Savills) 

• Rapid progression from 17 year old apprentice to lead client accountant
• Organised daily mental health check-ins for colleagues during lockdown
• Successfully led a project to reformat financial reporting for direct system upload
• Liam has completed his AAT studies and is now advancing through ACCA
• He mentors new apprentices joining the business and has advocated to property industry bodies on the benefits of hiring AAT apprentices 

Tutor of the Year - Faye Hill (Chesterfield College) 

• Faye’s students consistently achieve excellent results
• Developed workplace readiness initiatives including vacancy page and employer workshops
• Successfully supported over 20 Ukrainian students in developing employability skills
• Pioneered development sessions with local accountancy firms on career pathways and workplace skills 

Distance Learning Training Provider of the Year; Special Recognition Award 

Premier Training in Lincolnshire received double recognition, winning Distance Learning Training Provider of the Year while their long-serving tutor Alan Dawson was surprised with the Special Recognition Award. 

The provider was celebrated for achieving consecutive 100% pass rates for Level 2 assessments and expanding social mobility through free AAT courses for school pupils and partnerships with homelessness charities. 

In a moving moment during the ceremony, Alan Dawson received a standing ovation for his 19-year contribution to AAT education. Having mentored thousands of students and authored over 50 study manuals, including his widely used 'Maths for Accounting' resource, Alan continues to embrace new technologies while planning innovative outreach work with local schools.

International Training Provider of the Year - System & Skills Training Concepts, Malaysia 

• Trained nearly 300 ethnic Bumiputera students with 80% pass rate despite language barriers
• Developed dual qualification programme enabling government loan access even with significant operational challenges
• Friday workshops dedicated to improving English language skills and digital capabilities
• Provides comprehensive support including subsidised accommodation, meal programmes and interest-free payment plans 

Conference explores skills agenda 

The awards ceremony preceded AAT's Training Provider Conference, which began on Friday with delegates from more than 120 Further Education colleges, private training establishments, and distance learning providers gathered to discuss emerging challenges, including the new government's skills agenda. 

“Today we're exploring how to navigate the evolving educational landscape, together,” AAT's Claire Bennison told delegates at the conference opening Friday.  

“Recent announcements from the Department for Education are filled with ambiguity, but they’re also heavy with government expectation on delivery.” 

“We are working alongside you to understand exactly what these changes might mean, to listen to what you think the challenges and the opportunities might be.” 

Conference sessions addressed how providers can adapt to the Department for Education's changing apprenticeship requirements while maintaining teaching quality. Breakout workshops focused on creating inclusive learning environments, digital innovation, and the evolving role of accountants in the era of AI, blockchain and bitcoin. 

Full list of winners:

• Apprentice of the Year - Liam Wild (The Growth Company/Savills)
• Apprenticeship Training Provider of the Year - Starting Off
• Distance Learning Training Provider of the Year - Premier Training
• International Training Provider of the Year - System & Skills Training Concepts
• Large Training Provider of the Year - Kaplan
• Medium Training Provider of the Year - New College Durham 
• Small Training Provider of the Year - Bexhill College
• Student of the Year - Katy Hickey (e-Careers Ltd)
• Tutor of the Year - Faye Hill (Chesterfield College)
• Special Recognition Award - Alan Dawson (Premier Training)

AAT extends our thanks to Kaplan Publishing, sponsor of this year's AAT Training Provider Awards, and to Accountext and Mindful Education - premium sponsors for the AAT Training Provider Conference 2025