Trainer of the Year

Name: Helen Kinsella
Job title: Corporate Trainer
Company: National Express East Anglia
Location: Startford

Why they should be this years trainer of the year?
Helen is a key member of the National Express Training Academy Team and holds a position of Corporate Trainer. As her manager I am very proud to have her as part of the team. She is always positive, reliable and cheerfully pragmatic. One of Helen’s many strengths is that she is not shy in challenging decisions or the direction to ensure we are meeting the company objectives and values. This is very helpful as a manager because you want your team to sense check want we are doing and where we are going.

Below I have listed some of Helen’s achievements from the past twelve months.

 Helen has single handed delivered training to over 200 staff and management across the company in preparation for our new Workplace Time and Attendance Rostering system.
 Helen has delivered our Train Dispatch training course for the whole of National Express East Anglia. In a recent extensive and comprehensive audit Helen’s Train Dispatch course achieved a score of 94% compliance with just one recommendation.
 Helen has been responsible for writing the current Appraisal Skills course that we use to develop our managers and has delivered in excess of 15 courses over the last two years.
 Helen has instigated a new initiative which we have been trying to get off the ground for a while i.e. the Induction Follow Up. This involves Helen meeting with our inductees eight weeks after they start and reviewing their induction and introduction to the company. This resulted in a number of actions which Helen has implemented.
 As a company we are adopting GoSkill Skills Profile as a training record database and Helen has been fastidious at ensuring people are on the system and their details are correct. This has really helped the company achieve one of its business targets.

I have also tried to develop and grow Helen in her training role and she has been very open and keen to take up these initiatives. Over the last twelve months Helen has completed:

 City & Guilds 9297 Certificate in Learning Support - passed
 CIEH – Level 4 Award in Health and Safety in the Workplace – awaiting result
 Group Training Certificate - passed
 Belbin Team Role Accreditation – passed
 Train competencies e.g. PTS, etc – passed
 Responsible Persons (Fire) course - passed

Helen’s dedication to the Academy and her projects stands out and has earned her the respect of everyone in the company. It is a pleasure travelling around the company hearing staff, management and directors commenting on how much they appreciate the work Helen does. Below are comments from three of Helen’s colleagues who wanted to be included in this application.

Comment from colleague
Knowledgeable – “Helen is a very knowledgeable member of the team and brings much credibility to the department due to her understanding of font line functions, particularly around train dispatch.”

“Helen uses her competency as a Train Dispatch trainer to help out at times of disruption, dispatching trains, and getting involved in customer service duties”.

Team player – “Helen is a key member of the L&D team, and shows support to others within her department especially during busy periods. With a hectic work schedule of her own, Helen helped out with the Company Family Fun day, giving up a day to put together over 600 children's goodie bags, as well as issuing tickets to employees at the event. Helen always gets stuck in and involved at the academy. When there are rooms to prep and furniture to move in preparation for large corporate events, Helen is always involved”.

Comment from colleague
“Personally I think Helen has done an amazing job this year. Helen has demonstrated amazing stamina through a particularly challenging year - training most week days for months on end, on various rail topics such as workplace rostering, train dispatch and induction. Helen has amazing energy as she delivers training and coaching to delegates with little time for course preparation in-between. She just keeps going! I also commend Helen on her involvement at the Academy with the local school children (St Osyth School), organising and providing them with the opportunity to experience and learn more about rail travel”.

Comment from colleague
“On numerous occasions Helen supports station staff during service recovery situations following train service disruption, she has been known to assist at stations providing customer service until very late in the evening following a full days training in the Academy.

She has been responsible for training a new time and attendance computerised system, again she responds quickly to assist roster clerks in the workplace and talk them through issues over the phone.

All of this is conducted with a smile on her face and an attitude to succeed”.

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“Helen is a truly exceptional trainer. She puts her heart and soul into what ever subject she is delivering. Helen will go out of her way to gain an even greater depth of knowledge than needed. For example she arranged for herself cab rides with Driver Instructors to gain a greater understanding of signaling equipment such as TPWS and AWS for when delivering Train Dispatch courses. She puts in 110% when training, delivering over and above what is required such as spending time after courses with delegates that may be struggling, changing her delivery methods such as hand drawing signals and track layouts. She often designs her own training activities such as her First Aid quiz which always attracts attention from other delegates! Course feedback forms always include comments such as 'how good' Helen is, her depth of knowledge, a 'fun' way of learning, and how conscientious Helen is. I am proud to say that I was responsible (in my previous role of Corporate Development Manager) for selecting Helen for the position of Corporate Trainer”.

Date of event: 20-8-10

Name: Clive Elliott
Job title: Workforce Development Manager
Company: Network Rail
Location: Leeds Operations Training Centre

Why they should be this years trainer of the year?
Clive exhibits professionalism in every aspect of his role. He is pro-active in the development of courses paying particular attention to customer feedback. He is extremely capable of delivering complex courses in a logical, simple and efficient manner. Together with his vast practical experience he is also able to adapt his delivery to individual learning styles. He is helpful and encouraging with his fellow trainers making him an excellent team player and an extremely valuable member of our team.

The following is a message I received from a delegate who attended a course delivered by Clive. “Morning Mr Macgregor, I wanted to drop you this email to say that I was on a RIO course on Monday and Tuesday and it was the best presented course that I have been on in all my 19 years on the railway and I think this was down to the way that Clive Elliot presented his briefing. I just hope that if I ever have the pleasure of attending a course in Leeds again that it is Clive taking it”.

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“I am nominating Clive for this award for many different reasons. He is a great trainer in terms of dedication to his role in helping trainee's achieve the level of knowledge and understanding required to not only do their job but do it to the best of their ability.
Clive went the extra mile and beyond when I was undertaking my signalling course; he made himself available at all times and often made the time to ensure I was alright.
He has inspired me to endlessly to do the best that I can within my career and I know this is the case for many trainee's that have dealt with Clive.
I have never met such a person who is so willing and approachable, he doesn't sit back if he thinks someone requires help he is always there with his excellent training style and personality that makes him in my opinion the Trainer of the Year!
Good Luck Clive and thank you for all you did for me!”

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"Clive is a self motivated and adaptable individual. The most amazing high impact Trainer with many years of on track and classroom experience. He is energetic and enthusiastic Trainer who enjoys challenging tasks and work that improves safety and performance for the company and his delegates. He strives for quality in everything he does.

He delivers training with pride, passion and energy with an excellent awareness of the various needs of his delegates and other team members. This allows him to be an excellent team player with strong personal skills in Rail Incident Officer, COSS, Bridge Strike, Broken Rail, IWA, PTS, Hand Signalling, Look Out, GSMR telecoms system, Initial Signallers training in Track circuit block, Absolute block.

With my hand on my heart, I truly believe no one deserves this award more than Clive Elliott".

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“I would like to nominate Clive for this award for many reasons; he is an inspiration to both delegates and other Workforce Development Specialists. His approach to all he does is always professional and will do anything he can to help. Clive interacts with our railway partners in a friendly and enthusiastic manner and always has a positive outlook at any challenge.
Clive is always helpful with any of our delegates and is extremely knowledgeable in all subjects that he delivers. When Clive is working on new projects he works under his own initiative to a high and professional level and is always conscience of safety implications and matters.
Clive is 100% team player, i am fairly new to the training environment and Clive has been an inspiration to me and any problems that i have come across he has always been there to help. In short, nothing is too much trouble for Clive”.

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“Clive Elliott is an outstanding trainer, he is approachable, easy to talk to, enthusiastic about the subject matter he is teaching, he shows great compassion and empathy towards the students, and helps them, not only over come the intense course they are trying to pass, by instilling in them a sense of confidence and self worth in the knowledge they have gained, but also the courage to be the first to step up and answer a question using their new found knowledge, but also to take into account the outside pressure of being away from your loved ones while you are attending the course. The fact that Clive can call upon an incredible amount of experience from his railway career, helps him deliver the course material, and explain the same topic in a variety of ways depending on what ever way the student(s) absorb the information. For Clive, I know, the greatest reward for him is when you see the light of recognition behind the eyes of the student and you know he's got it, that student will never ever forget him, I know I won't. Good luck Clive”.

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“Whilst at Signalling School in Leeds I only had Clive for a number of lessons, However he would always stop and ask you, how you where getting on and would always take his time to explain anything in his own way, which with just a slightly different slant would mean you all of a sudden understood what you'd been struggling to get your head around. More often than not this would be during Clive’s own time such as when he was on a break or having dinner. I found Clive very approachable and friendly".

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“WOW what an inspiration Clive is! His dedication to every thing he does is truly amazing. He goes above and beyond what is expected of him, he can quickly identify any delegate that needs a little extra guidance or support, often staying behind after work or giving up his dinner hours. Clive is always helpful to both his colleagues and delegates and willingly shares his knowledge. Clive is an inspiration to us all and I am proud to work with him and strive to reach his level of dedication and professionalism.
Thank you Clive, you’re my inspiration".

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“Clive is a very dedicated, enthusiastic and flexible deliverer of training. He always goes that extra mile for his students and is always on hand to support his colleagues. I have witnessed this both first hand (as a colleague) and from feedback from his students during breaks. He is highly commendable & professional individual and I am proud to call him one of my colleagues”.

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“Whilst I was training in Leeds Clive was always cheerful and enthusiastic. If there was anything I was unsure of I was able to approach Clive easily knowing that that he would be knowledgeable and helpful. Clive's dedication to his students is second to none. Thank you Clive”.

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“I would like to nominate Clive for the Trainer of the Year award as he is a massive asset both to those that come to the training centre and to his colleagues. I have witnessed first hand Clive’s energetic and engaging style which coupled with his many years of railway experience make him a superb trainer. Clive always goes that extra mile to help those struggling with a complex subject; he is patient, approachable and able to explain things in a multitude of ways to help clarify them. He always finds time to give some extra advice to those who need it and it is a pleasure to see the really satisfied look on his face when a struggling delegate finally “gets it”.

As a colleague Clive is fantastic to work with; on a number of occasions he has invested his time to help me develop my presentation skills, suggesting ways that I might get a complicated topic across and sharing his experience of what may or may not engage the candidates.

Clive truly deserves this, he a dedicated professional who illustrates the high standard of training that is now available not only in Network Rail but in the rail industry as a whole”.

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“Clive is the friendliest and helpful person you could meet. He is always willing to give up his own free time to assist others to meet their job requirements, giving freely of his time to ensure trainees get the most up to date information to successfully complete their courses”.

Date of event: 27-7-10

Name: Simon Lee
Job title: Project Trainer
Company: Transport for London
Location: London, St James Park

Why they should be this years trainer of the year?
"Simon has been working as the Training Coordinator for the Contact Centre Transformation Programme since 2009 which is delivering major changes and improvements to the Contact Centres across TfL’s Group Customer Services. Due to the scale of changes that directly affected staff across the Contact Centres, Simon went above and beyond his role of just delivering training, but worked closely with staff to win hearts and minds which has enabled challenging projects to be delivered to the end users. Simon is naturally energetic and a flamboyant trainer who has shown he is empathic to the people he is delivering training to, which has enabled him to break down barriers of people’s negative perceptions and build relationships".

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“I am nominating Simon Lee as he is brilliant. Not only does he make training interesting but his enthusiasm is contagious. He is very knowledgeable and passionate as well as approachable (work related or not).

He is extremely dedicated and has worked well with all departments on his current project and previous ones. Building positive working relationships is something that comes naturally with Simon. He is certainly an inspirational member of TfL and Oyster.

He should win this category as I have worked in many different organisations with different trainers but he stands out as he loves what he does. He is simply brilliant. Simon you deserve it!”

Date of event: 19-8-10

Name: Colin Indge
Job title: Driver Training Manager
Company: National Express East Anglia
Location: Stratford Academy

Why they should be this years trainer of the year?
"Colin is a role model for trainers and has been a trainer for over 20 years in which time he has built up a range of experiences and skills. He is always approachable and positive with everyone he comes into contact with. In all the time Colin has been training there has never been a negative comment from people he has trained. He has always had positive feedback from trainees and remains in contact with drivers he has trained years ago, and still acts as a point of contact for any questions and, on occasions has provided real time coaching for drivers who have fault and failures to deal with. He is very flexible, and meets every challenge with 'not a problem'.
He is always analysing what he is doing to see if there is a better way of training has exceeded in many areas, including developing interactive GSM-R training media to address skill fade, self producing and editing traction film clips for drivers briefings on traction issues, such as how to deal with an ADD operation, most of which Colin has developed in his own time.
He is a real credit to the railway and the world of operational training and takes great pride in getting the quality of what is produced right".

Date of event: 17-8-10

Name: Derek Smitheman
Job title: Signal Engineer
Company: Amey
Location: Bristol

Why they should be this years trainer of the year?
“After a long career in S&T, Derek has worked for a number of years to train and educate signal engineering staff at all levels. His determination to develop people to the point where they uphold the highest standards in their work is second to none.

He believes in teaching understanding of the underlying principles of a task or process and works hard to ensure that candidates apply the principles rather than following a checklist.

Derek provides both planned events and training in response to incidents (whether they be local or industry wide issues). Whatever the need, he is always careful to understand the fundamental requirements to make the training wholly worthwhile.

He is respected by all levels in the organisation and is recognised as a reliable source of information either in the training school or on the end of the phone when the job is in progress and problems arise”.

Date of event: 17-8-10

Name: Paul Onslow
Job title: Trainer
Company: Bridgen Training
Location: West Horndon

Why they should be this years trainer of the year?
"Paul Onslow is our nomination this year for Trainer of the Year. Having started work with British Rail in 1967 and working within the railway for some 43 years he is a worthy contender for Trainer of the Year. Paul is everything a good trainer should be, widely known throughout the industry everybody knows Paul and everybody likes him.
Candidates are continually delighted upon attending Bridgen Training to find Paul working there as they love to participate in his training sessions. We have constant feedback from Candidates that Paul Onslow is the best trainer they have ever had. His London style humour and the amount of knowledge he has gained with so many years experience makes him a pleasure to listen to.

Even though he has a long journey every day into work, some 180 mile round trip, he never fails to turn up to carry out the training. During last years bad weather it took him some four hours to get in, but he will set off at 5 in the morning rather than disappoint anybody that may have arrived for training. He is the genuine article, he is kind, funny and extraordinarily patient.

Paul's career has included working for many of the major players in the industry starting with British Rail, Balfour Beatty, Mowlems and Carillion. We considered it a major accomplishment when Paul joined Bridgen Training to complement our existing staff. He has indepth knowledge of track maintenance renewals and worked as a Project Manager for the Channel Tunnel for over three years. He has been a Trainer for over 12 years and passes on his extensive knowledge to all his candidates. He is one of the few trainers in the country that hold Crane and Machine training competencies. He has recently covered Network Rail DC Planner training and NVQ courses.

We are confident that Paul is a very worthy contender for Trainer of the Year".

Date of event: 13-8-10

Name: Sara Staker
Job title: Vocational Skills Trainer
Company: Southern
Location: Croydon

Why they should be this years trainer of the year?
“Sara has recently received a gold service excellence award within Southern for her dedication and enthusiasm to deliver L12 training and assessment of candidates.

Sara has trained many frontline roles throughout the nine years with the training team, ranging from Gateline to specialist Revenue Protection. Her course development skills were highlighted when she created an easy to use Avantix User Guide, this guide was the spring board for an overhaul of training material in general and the creation of a Trainee Record of Development (T-ROD)

Sara's professional approach along with her flexibility and willingness to help trainees and co-workers deserves to be recognised, hence this nomination”.

Date of event: 12-8-10

Name: Rae Robinson
Job title: Trainer
Company: Bridgeway Consulting Ltd
Location: Nottingham

Why they should be this years trainer of the year?
"I have worked with a number railway trainer’s over the last 20 years and I come across very few that are as committed as Rae to the delivery high quality training on EVERY course.

Rae’s rapport with course delegates is second to none and he goes that extra mile to make them want to learn and get the most out the training experience. His training is dynamic and informative with a no nonsense approach that always achieves results. His efforts have been the key to our positive safety culture, operational success and outstanding safety record at Bridgeway Consulting. He draws from his own personal experiences and trains in a highly interactive way. Rae’s training also provides extra information and advice on how to do the job as well as following the rules. He gives guidance on where to obtain further information and he always takes time to ensure full understanding. More importantly he also makes training fun!

Rae is always keen to expand his training skills and has recently added a number of training course to his training portfolio.

As well as delivering training and assessments Rae often performs all roles from Controller of Site Safety up to and including Person in Charge of Possession (PICOP) on a regular basis – standing shoulder to shoulder with the people that he has trained. Our nickname for him is ‘The Real Deal Robinson!’

Rae is a pleasure to work with and we here at Bridgeway feel very privileged and honoured to be working with him on a day to day basis.

He really is the ‘Real Deal’ thoroughly deserves of the title Trainer of the Year 2010".

Date of event: 9-8-10

Name: John Sayles
Job title: Lead Trainer
Company: Bridgeway Consulting Ltd
Location: Nottingham

Why they should be this years trainer of the year?
"John is a passionate, dedicated and railway training professional. He draws from his own personal experiences and trains in a highly participative, dynamic and innovative way using role play, case studies, syndicate exercises, quizzes and group discussion. He is always on hand to offer on-going support, advice and guidance to course delegates (even after the training course). He is enthusiastic and committed about his work and he also regularly undertakes mentoring of newly trained individuals.

He is proactive in maintaining his own competences and regularly performs on site safety critical roles including PICOP, Controller of Site Safety and Hand signaler on a regular basis. This has allowed John to further enhance his professional training credibility and also enabled him to provide factual and up to date information during his training courses in relation to rules and procedures.

John has a dual responsibility within the training team, in that he is also the Training & Competence Manager – again, he fulfills this role very competently. A recent Network Rail / Achilles audit of Bridgeway resulted in no corrective actions being raised– this is a testimony to John’s hard work, dedication and attention to detail ensuring that Bridgeway’s procedures are fit for purpose and meet the Sentinel licensing requirements.

Overall John is a very competent, efficient and reliable trainer. He is a great ambassador for all rail industry trainers and also for Bridgeway Consulting. He is a highly respected and valued member of the Bridgeway Training Team and he contributes greatly our Company as a whole. In my view, John would be a very worthy winner of the ‘Rail Trainer of the Year Award 2010".

Date of event: 9-8-10

Name: Barry (Basil) Hill
Job title: Training Consultant
Company: Interfleet Technology
Location: UK Wide Rail Depots

Why they should be this years trainer of the year?
Basil began his railway career in the 1960's. In the early 1980's he began a training career on the London Midland Region. He is passionate about training when either delivering Rail Safety Courses or on his beloved Traction and Rolling stock. In the 1980's he was a member of the InterCity Fleet Training group, based at Wembley he specialised in AC Locos and Mk2/3 Coaches - something he is still asked for to this day. In 2001 he was part of a team delivering training on the Class 390 Pendolino's during their introduction to the WCML. Now in his 60's Basil is part of Interfleets Training & Competence Team he delivers specialised training on T&RS. He is an inspiration to anyone wishing to pursue a Training career in the rail industry and I have been privileged to be one of thousands that have must have been instructed by him during his 30 years in a classroom. I am also lucky to have been mentored by him when starting out 'on the boards' in 1991. Basil is a model professional and an example to anyone with a desire to help and train others. He is a training icon.

Date of event: 8-4-10

Name: Andy Limb
Job title: Team Leader
Company: Benchmark Training
Location: Moreton in Marsh

Why they should be this years trainer of the year?
“Very helpful, always keen to answer any questions at all and very approachable. Always works with a professional outlook and great attitude towards the trainees. He was a great help in explaining the RAPDR approach. Was without doubt, the best course I have attended in the 25 years on the railway”.
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“I can honestly say that the 8 days I spent on the PLP course, for which Andy was team leader back in February, were the 8 most important and rewarding days I have spent on the railway in my 8 years with Network Rail. The attitude and techniques used by Andy to communicate ideas were inclusive of all in the room and from a personal level highlighted issues which I now see have been holding me back both at work and in my personal life for years. In a one to one conversation with Andy he exposed to me areas of my character I had previously suspected existed but which I had failed to accurately identify, by constructively and sensitively explaining these issues to me Andy has allowed me to make real strides forward in my role and, I hope, also as a person. I could not thank Andy enough for the help he gave me in my time on the PLP”course, but hope that this small recognition goes some way to expressing my gratitude”.
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Dedicated to the advancement of rail staff and very professional PLP training
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“I attended Network Rail's Practical Leadership Programme (PLP) in May 2010, which was delivered by Benchmark Training at the Fire Service Training College in Moreton in Marsh. PLP is an excellent training course, and the training facility was perfect. But what really made the difference were the trainers: Andy & Paul. They delivered the varied and highly practical course with a great mix of patience, understanding and humour. They built fantastic rapport with all the delegates, sharing their own personal experiences of leadership and taking real interest in the current challenges faced by delegates. The feedback they gave both during and after the course was insightful and totally individual. Having attended many training courses where you feel like "just another delegate", it was so refreshing to spend time with trainers who genuinely wanted to get to know us and gave their feedback freely to help us learn more about ourselves. In a short space of time, both Paul & Andy helped me to learn things about myself that I hadn't recognised in 30+ years! A huge thank you must go to them both for a very enjoyable, interesting and thought-provoking course. I can honestly say that I put into practice what I learnt on PLP every day!”

Date of event: 29-6-10

Name: Andrew Meagher
Job title: Qualifications Manager
Company: Southern Railway
Location: Selhurst Training Centre

Why they should be this years trainer of the year?
"Andy Meagher is an inspiration. As the Qualifications Manager at Southern he is responsible for the promotion and delivery of vocational qualifications to continuously improve the capability of staff within Southern. His commitment to learning within Southern has meant that he has been responsible for helping 39 learners achieve A1, V1, L12 and NVQ’s in Customer Service & Passenger Service since our new franchise commenced in September 2009, as well as having a much larger number currently enrolled and progressing towards their learning goals.

Andy has built strong working relationships across the network, and utilizes limited resources to best effect to achieve goals. An example of these competencies can be seen in the roll out of Driver NVQ’s at selected depots this year. His cheerful disposition and ability to work well with others has meant that he can rely on a network of volunteer assessors to support him in delivery of courses".

Andy has been heavily involved with development at Barnham Depot over the past few years and has been instrumental in supporting and guiding one of our Driver Instructors driver's NVQ programme.
It has been an unrivalled success to date and Andy's support has been pivotal to the success of this scheme but also with driver development, L12 qualifications and coaching, particularly over the spring period. Andy is now rolling the Driver NVQ scheme out across other designated depots.

His professionalism and commitment to continuous improvement is highly valued, and he is heavily involved with various partners in helping to shape the qualifications framework and involves himself fully in the implementation of new initiatives within the workplace.

His expertise is second to none, and learners are particularly positive about his input in this respect, stating that he always gives a lot of help in decoding information to make processes easier, provides valuable assistance at Panel Meetings and is excellent at guiding them through the various policies and working methods associated with A1, V1 and NVQ learner outcomes.

He is a valued member of the team at Southern and his talents have not only helped him exceed his own objectives, but also helped learners, managers and colleagues meet and exceed theirs".

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Very inspirational and leads projects. excellent coach. Very supportive. Very supportive during my time on secondement from the line to training dept.

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During my last 4 years at Southern before my retirement and since, as an outsider looking in, Andy has continually put the learning and development of staff first. He has led teams of trainee Assessors and Coaches from cradle to grave and has received many congratulations from External Verifiers of different awarding bodies for the high standards he is achiving with his candidates.

He is also fully committed to helping the City & Guilds and GoSkills develop industry vocational standards for the future.

Other areas of involvement is with Customer Service, Passenger Service, Train Driver and Shunting NVQ's, which is enabling Southern to develop a professional workforce.

The attributes he has to enbale these achievements are that he has a friendly disposition, maintains a high degree of professionalism in both training delivery and coaching individuals.

To enable these groups to move forward, Andy has developed surgeries, where he regularly visits his candidates and progresses them to their individual achievement.

He is a reliable, hard-working and encouraging person. I found him to be of great assistance when working with me prior to my retirement. He is an asset to both Southern and the Rail Industry".

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“Andy has been an inspiration to me and always has time to help me when I need it. I have been working with Andy for a couple of years and he has shown me the ropes and how to get the best out of myself and the people I train. He has helped me with opportunities to advance and further develop my own career. Andy has never asked for anything in return and has always treated me as an equal”.

Date of event: 28-4-10

Name: Tom Kelly
Job title: Team Leader
Company: Benchmark
Location: Moreton In Marsh

Why they should be this years trainer of the year?
"Dedication, Determination, Efficient, Enthusiasm, Flexibility, Friendly to co-workers and the public, Going above and beyond their role, Hard working, Helpful, Initiative, Knowledgeable, Proactive, Professionalism, Responsible, Safety, Team player.
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I cannot give a single example as the whole event was a shining example of all Tom’s characteristics. Infectious enthusiasm, humour, friendliness, helpful all wrapped up in a ball of professionalism. The whole event was a joy to attend and not only did I take back what I was taught but I have also tried to imitate Tom’s style of delivery”.
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“His enthusiasm and drive to engage and deliver an informative, interesting and above all useful, practical leadership development course is second to none. The PLP course that Tom delivered was engaging, thought provoking and interesting, which is considerably different to so many other courses that I have attended”.
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“Tom is a funny helpful nice guy. The course I was on lasted for 8 days! With Tom as one of the trainers it felt like a lot less. Tom made the course fun and interesting. No easy task I can tell you. Tom’s enthusiasm ensured I was not bored and completed the course to an good standard. Tom would take the time to get to know you. He put me at ease making a long difficult course fly by. Tom was always cracking jokes and even being the butt of some jokes helping the group gel, in fact Tom’s actions have helped me make some friends for life”.
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“A real positive person, informative and helpful trainer who is full of enthusiasm. I learnt so much from Tom. If anyone deserves an award it's the Benchmark Trainers!”
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“Tom was a genuine nice person who kept the team engaged at all times, which at times was very difficult. As the team were getting tired he managed to get the team motivated”.
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“Approachable, dedicated, determined, enthusiastic, hard working, helpful, professional, team player and proactive. Being the only female on a course of 15 people Tom Kelly made it a fun 9 days learning experience. I wouldn't have wanted any other trainer for the course. Tom simply deserves this award as an amazing trainer”.
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“Top class, friendly, dedicated, helpful, caring, committed and knowledgeable. Professional but fun at the same time. Tom showed me round the facilities on my arrival at the course he was friendly from the outset. I was made to feel valued and respected. I came away feeling more enthusiastic, and good about myself and my future at Network Rail. This was down to Tom. This was the best course I have been on made even better for meeting such a professional & genuine man.”
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"Though I did not have any one to ones with Tom he is still someone who puts you at ease either in the class room or when we went out & about. He is a team player in that he paid a fine for being 2 minutes late into the class room, the same as we get fined. (A packet of biscuits, which helps the course keep to the timetable). He is also very knowledgeable the course & what is expected of us to achieve our goals.

Though the course is very intense he always has a smile on his face & a joke to tell".
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"Excellent speaker, friendly, dedicated, enthusiastic, passionate about what he does re PLP56 Course"
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"Very helpful and with Josh Giddins made the perfect team for the PLP course.
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“A real positive person, informative and helpful trainer who is full of enthusiasm. I learnt so much from Tom.

If anyone deserves an award it's the Benchmark Trainers!”
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"Tom gave invaluable insight in what it takes to be a good leader and examples of leadership, he was both very professional and very open of their experience. His teaching was delivered in such a manner that was easy to understand and then given practical scenario's to practice what was learnt in the classroom. The most enjoyable course I have been on in my 20 years at Network Rail”.
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Tom was very open and easy to get on with from the outset. He put everyone at ease and delivered the course in a very confident manner. His positive attitude and enthusiasm made the course a joy to be on. Tom could relate well to all of us in one way or another and his people skills shone through at all times. He was knowledgeable and really seemed to believe in what he was putting across. This helped immensely as the course is long and intensive and having someone like Tom leading it really helped to make the course enjoyable and intersesting. Courses like this need people like Tom to get the message over, deliver the course effectively and keep everyone on it focused and interested throughout".
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"Tom gave invaluable insight in what it takes to be a good leader and examples of leadership, he was both very professional and very open of their experience. His teaching was delivered in such a manner that was easy to understand and then given practical scenario's to practice what was learnt in the classroom. The most enjoyable course I have been on in my 20 years at Network Rail”.

Date of event: 29-3-10

Name: Paul Gardner
Job title: Deputy Team Leader
Company: Benchmark Training
Location: Moreton in Marsh

Why they should be this years trainer of the year?
“Approachable, cheerful, dedicated, efficient, enthusiastic, helpful and knowledgeable. I spent eight days on the PLP course with Paul instructing and he showed all the attributes described above”.
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“A friendly and outgoing trainer. Kept the whole class interested, entertained and learning throughout a very long course”.
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“Paul is an outstanding instructor who always manages to get the best out of his courses and participants. He is able to tailor the structure to meet everyone’s requirements and skill levels while still maintaining the impetus and interest of all those present. Paul uses his own personal experience and also makes full use of all of the experience within the course members to bring the course content to life for all involved”.

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Approachable, cheerful, going above and beyond their role.

Heavy snow made the roads impossible to drive, Paul stayed the night at Moreton in Marsh. He was one of the few who could train us the next day as others were unable to get to the course.
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“I attended Network Rail's Practical Leadership Programme (PLP) in May 2010, which was delivered by Benchmark Training at the Fire Service Training College in Moreton in Marsh. PLP is an excellent training course, and the training facility was perfect. But what really made the difference were the trainers: Andy & Paul. They delivered the varied and highly practical course with a great mix of patience, understanding and humour. They built fantastic rapport with all the delegates, sharing their own personal experiences of leadership and taking real interest in the current challenges faced by delegates. The feedback they gave both during and after the course was insightful and totally individual. Having attended many training courses where you feel like "just another delegate", it was so refreshing to spend time with trainers who genuinely wanted to get to know us and gave their feedback freely to help us learn more about ourselves. In a short space of time, both Paul & Andy helped me to learn things about myself that I hadn't recognised in 30+ years! A huge thank you must go to them both for a very enjoyable, interesting and thought-provoking course. I can honestly say that I put into practice what I learnt on PLP every day!”

Date of event: 25-6-10

Name: Josh Giddins
Job title: Deputy Team Leader
Company: Benchmark Training
Location: Moreton in Marsh

Why they should be this years trainer of the year?
“Josh is a very approachable, cheerful trainer who helped a long course with long hours fly by. Josh kept me motivated through the course with his great training with a sense of humor. Without Josh I may have not done as well as I did on the PLP course”. Josh would start the day with a quick story of his army days, this cheered us all up and helped start the day with us all happy even though we had a very long day ahead of us. Josh took me to one side most days to give me helpful feedback and the door was always open for me to chat and air any problems I may have come across”.
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“Dedication, determination, efficient, enthusiasm, flexibility, friendly to co-workers and the public, going above and beyond their role, hard working, helpful, initiative, knowledgeable, proactive, professionalism, responsible, safety, team player. I was a member of PLP 38 and I have reaped many benefits. The main reason behind this I feel was the way the course content was presented. In particular the infectious enthusiasm with which it was presented. Josh always had time for my questions and observations as well as presenting the course in a brilliant manner”
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“Approachable, dedicated, determined, enthusiastic, hard working, helpful, knowledgeable, professional, Team player, Proactive. Being the only female on a course of 15 people Josh Giddins made it a fun 9 days learning experience. I wouldn't have wanted any other trainers for the course. Josh simply deserves this award as an amazing trainer”.
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“Top class, friendly, dedicated, helpful, caring, committed and knowledgeable. Lots of fun but always professional. Josh was friendly from the outset of the course. I was made to feel valued and respected. His positive and professional attitude made the long tiring days fun and easier to get through. I came away feeling more confident and enthusiastic. This was down to Josh. This was the best course I have been on, made even better for meeting such a professional & genuine man".
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“Absolutely brilliant course, got so much from it, Josh Giddins was excellent throughout the entire course always available for advice, very approachable and proactive to go with it. I think Josh showed examples of all of the above. This changed a good course to an excellent course and it was down to his professionalism and enthusiasm which he showed throughout from day 1.’
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"Josh is a person that puts you at ease right from the start; he listens to what you have to say with out interruption. He the sort of person you can approach at any time if you have any problems with the course or anything else for that matter. He is very knowledgeable about the course, he encourages you to elaborate on any railway terminology that we use so he gets to know more about our business & how we work to help him in further courses. To get any important points across he is very diligent so we understand the importance of it & the reason why it’s important. (Sometime it’s in with military anecdotes or football). He was always cheerful & understanding even if we got things wrong & then explain where we went wrong".
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"Friendly trainer ,dedicated, good sense of humour, made the whole course interesting and enjoyable
PLP56".
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"Josh is very professional in his approach and gives willingly of his experience and knowledge into Leadership, Josh was able to keep the attention of the class at all times whilst making the learning material very entertaining and relevant at the same time. Josh in my view is the best trainer I have known in 20 years on the railway and has a huge impact on how i want to approach leadership in the future".
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"Helpful, Friendly, Approachable, Authoritative, Guiding".
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"During a 1-1 Josh advised me on ways to improve my management techniques and helpful advice for the future".
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"Having spent all my life on the railway didn’t think there was much I could learn, however, not only has it made me a better manager it also improved my personal life. Josh enthusiasm, dedication and willingness to go the extra mile is a credit to his hard work".
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“Josh made everyone feel at ease from the start, He has ability to connect with all on the course whether they had lots of years of experience or relatively new. He showed professionalism, knowledge and was always available for help no matter what. Best trainer I have had and best training”.
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“Professional, approachable, hardworking, proactive, I could say a lot more. I thoroughly enjoyed my course and this was largely due to Josh. He made the course both fun and educational and left me realising I had a lot to learn”.
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"Josh was very welcoming on the first day putting us all at ease and setting the scene for the course nicely. His enthusiasm for the course was always present and he shows great passion for what he does. He was always on hand to offer advice and encouragement and he always took time for people individually as well as the whole team. Josh's good humour and positivity made listening to him easy and made the learning objectives of the course easy to understand and intersesting. He was also very knowledgeable about the subject matter of the course. Guys like Josh really make the difference on a long and intensive course like this and I think that he contributes greatly to the success and popularity of the PLP course".
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"Josh is very professional in his approach and gives willingly of his experience and knowledge into Leadership, Josh was able to keep the attention of the class at all times whilst making the learning material very entertaining and relevant at the same time. Josh in my view is the best trainer i have known in 20 years on the railway and has a huge impact on how i want to approach leadership in the futrure. Many Thanks".
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“It’s been 6 months since I completed the PLP and the training I received has been invaluable. Josh was a credit to his profession. He was highly motivated and driven to get the best out of all of us. He showed patience, empathy and was always available for 1 to 1 discussions. The course has long hours and he was able to motivate people with funny stories that were relevant to what we where doing. Best trainer I’ve had in all my years. Thanks”.
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“Josh made a long 9 days into a fun learning experience; He has given me the tools to much improve me and my team’s performance. During course he changed a lot of manager’s views of training with his ability to show them good practice by empowering them. He has an excellence manner that makes you want to make a difference. Best trainer I’ve ever met and this award belongs to him”.

Date of event: 25-6-10

Name: Mustafa Kandemir
Job title: Maths tutor
Company: Group Human Resources,Transport For London
Location: 2nd floor East Wing, 55 Broadway,London SW1H 0BD

Why they should be this years trainer of the year?
“Approachable, cheerful, charitable, dedicated, efficient, enthusiastic, flexible, friendly to co-workers and to the public, hard-working, helpful. He takes the initiative is knowledgeable and pro-active.

Mustafa will send us an e-mail with the course-work and home-work attached when we cannot attend a class. He will offer extra tuition and have one-to-one meetings with the students during the holiday periods or between class-room times. He will tell us when a text-book has become available from the TFL library. He has a good relationship with the admin staff in his department. He provides stationary and equipment for the students if needed. He has a disarming manner and is a very knowledgeable and skilled teacher”.

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“Mustafa is above all a "Good Egg"!! He is an excellent tutor who always has time for his students and work colleagues. He always goes that extra 10 mile to enhance everyone’s learning and explains often difficult ideas in a clear, memorable way. I suspect his student’s grades speak volumes about his ability and approach to the job and he is a huge asset and credit to this company.

Mustafa does all the above with a great sense of humour and contagious smile and superb interaction with the entire group. This has allowed different ability levels to relax and learn in what could so easily be a stressful environment”.

Date of event: 21-4-10

Name: Steve Wells
Job title: Lead Trainer/Assessor
Company: ITS/Cleshar
Location: Lenham, Kent

Why they should be this years trainer of the year?
"Steve Wells joined Infrastructure Training Service (ITS/Cleshar) to support a project in the development of an accredited Network Rail Licensed Training and Assessment Centre at Lenham Kent. What can I say, anyone who been Trained or Assessed by Steve will see him as a gentle giant, Steve has such a gentle manner about him, a real gentleman. His manner is such, that candidates feel at ease with him and nothing is ever too much trouble. Steve is a very practical Trainer and always incorporates a practical aspect in his role as a trainer/assessor. He develops and adapts aspects of any course to introduce a ‘hands-on’ twist which ensures candidates are given the opportunity in a course or assessment to operate and use equipment. Steve’s career has as they say ‘ he came up threw the ranks’, from Trackman to supervisor, so this has given Steve the ability to understand the day to day issues that many track staff bring to the training environment. Steve of course, faced these issues himself, and this clearly supports him now as a Trainer. He always remembers the many issues on site with staff that could produce a certificate of competence in small tools, yet had never operated or used the equipment. This is not the case with Steve; it is a fundamental part of any training event he delivers. Steve became involved with training in 2004, and was one of the first trainers to be licensed in the delivery of TIC. Steve welcomed this with open arms and to this day Steve will be remembered by many candidates who have attended his TIC training courses. No matter what tool, what component, it is used and demonstrated! With each candidate leaving the course fully understanding the use, and operation of the equipment. Steve has the largest of the all the purpose built training rooms at the ITS Training Centre at Lenham Kent. His classroom is a room of antiquities a mixture of old and new, any renewals that he is aware of, a phone call is made, maybe a bolt or spike to add to his collection. A ‘magpie’ best describes Steve in his collection of Track components, but this only adds to the dynamics of his Training and the environment for his candidates. Steve joined ITS Training, to be part of a team to project manage a new Training Centre. Steve’s methodical and yet practical approach is displayed throughout the Training Centre in Lenham. He took the lead role in the construction of the ‘simulated test-track’, not content with it being used for TIC alone, with sheer hard manual work the test track is used for many other courses not just TIC, but also practical aspects of many training course’s, including DC-Lines, so hook switches, conductor rail etc were all installed at the ITS Training Centre test-track. Steve insisted that an area was purpose built for ‘small-tool’ training courses, ‘what small tools’? Was my response, ‘All of them’, was Steve’s reply. So I hope candidates and Managers alike are reading this and remembering the extreme climates that Steve has conducted his training in. But also the tea and biscuits that followed. Steve as many people know is an extremely knowledgeable individual, and when he gained ITS Training licenses in the delivery of MC/CC we prayed that he was not going to request a machine on our test- track! Candidates always give such positive feedback following a training or assessment event that Steve has delivered, many candidates have an ‘action plan’, Steve will do this to give additional support and advice to candidates, as this not only gives them an achievable target to work towards, but it also gives guidance and support in a new skill or role that is sometime over looked by managers. Steve is enthusiastic, and his drive and understanding of his subject is clear to all his candidates, he takes his experience and background knowledge within the rail industry and incorporates this with exceptional presentation skills, making a very interactive dynamic training environment. With this ability, no matter what level of candidate is nominated to attend his courses either Director, or a newly appointed Trackman, the learning environment is enjoyable and very informative. In all weathers his candidates are fully dressed in appropriate PPE and clearly they looked shocked that they are going out in the pouring rain, or in the early part of this year, snow! However after a while Steve makes the tea and the candidates clearly appreciate the real environment and conditions that they will face. Steve joined ITS at the start of this project, he has been a key team player; even the snow at the start of the year did not deter him in his simulated track-construction. How-ever Steve in recent weeks have been taking part in ‘DECT-COM’ train the trainer, this is a new communication system which will support the role of a Machine Controller, an area where Steve supports our staff in the delivery and assessing of our Machine/Crane Controllers. Again a course with many practical aspects re-enforcing key objectives. Steve continues to be a supportive figure to any candidate, as well as Managers in our company he is always on hand to answer any questions that they have. Since joining Infrastructure Training Services, (part of CCS group) Steve has brought a wealth of experience and skills to the company, he is always happy and welcoming. His standard and commitment to skills and safety training is first class. Steve always offers additional support to his candidates this will always involve an aspect on ‘practical’ training, in return candidates clearly gain a higher level of confidence from Steve’s Training courses. I am sure many people reading this nomination form will remember Steve as a supervisor on the Kent CTRL project, maybe in recent years you may have been assessed or trained by him on a MC/CC? Please take time to reflect on how approachable he was, and the time he gives to an individual which may have been you when learning a new skill. This competition is a fantastic opportunity for me as a line manager to reflect on the skills and knowledge that he has brought to our new Training Centre. This award would be well deserved to Steve as an individual Trainer for his commitment to the industry over the last 10 years and his continuous involvement to ‘New Systems’ being introduced to promote a safer work force. The Award would also reflect on the ITS Training team who have gained much support and advice from Steve in this project".
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"Very sound advice given throughout my course,and had a very nice manner. gave every person a chance to ask questions".
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"Very helpful and supportive throughout course, made learning very enjoyable".
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"Has a gift to relate to all candidates, must helpful. thanks".
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"Top trainer made learning a new skill enjoyable, a mix of humour and a serious side".
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"Excellent trainer really enjoyable".
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"Excellent trainer best I've had in my time on the rail, so thorough.
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"Has faith in all people and so helpful".
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"Very nice manner easy to follow and enjoyable".
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"Really helpful no matter what your experience, very easy to understand".
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"Very professional in all he does, with always safety at the forefront, its been a real pleasure this week after 25 years of being on courses up there with the best".
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“Great course Steve settles you with a very open approach”.
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“Made a weeks TIC course really interesting, a hands on approach thanks”.
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“So patient and always helpful made learning fun”.
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“Just a nice guy it’s so easy to understand uncomplicated style”.
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“Excellent covers subject in depth and patient”.
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“Really good and fun training, knew his subject”.
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“Expert in his field, thanks”.
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"Always available for a chat also sound advise given. a really professional guy".
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"Excellent trainer really helpful and takes time to explain everything so everyone understands".
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“Very thorough, and knows his subject”.
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“Makes training easy to understand and enjoyable”.
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“I really enjoyed Steve’s delivery of this first aid course so graphic and well explained”.
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"Steve is the top man how does he remember it all".
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“Very interesting and Steve knows so much big thanks”.
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“Brilliant trainer makes it enjoyable”.
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“Great training very easy to follow Steve’s a very pleasant guy always got time”.
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“Was a good course, T.I.C with an ace trainer”.
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“Can’t thank Steve enough top class, very thorough”.
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“Thanks Steve excellent training of a mc/cc course really helped me understand a difficult course”.
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“Firm but fair, with a great sense of humour thanks for a good course”.
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“Booked course with Cleshar because of the high standard of training. Steve is clear and down to earth but has high standards”
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“Steve is an expert in his field and made this E.L.W.I course easy to follow with a good mix of practical and theory, I really enjoyed Steve’s delivery style. Thanks again”.
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“Steve is very popular because he is able to adapt to all levels of the candidates ability to get over the course content, in this case ELWI. An excellent trainer”.

Date of event: 30-3-10

Name: Ian Regan
Job title: Lead Trainer
Company: ITS/Cleshar
Location: Lenham, Kent

Why they should be this years trainer of the year?
"Ian Regan has over the past 5 years gained a natural ability in creating a superb learning environment for delegates undertaking training courses. Ian has maintained a 100% audit record and receives excellent feedback from candidates. This relationship continues after the training event, as Ian always offers his support and knowledge to candidates who call him for support and advice when they are in their working environment facing new situations for the first time. Ian has a lively personality, with a wealth of knowledge of Railway procedures, rules and regulations. When this is all combined, candidates have a great interaction with him, giving a lively and knowledgeable training event. Ian introduces additional information to support the subjects he delivers, and also uses a ‘live’ working environment which is conveniently in arm’s reach of his classroom environment, this is Lenham Station, Ian always uses his surroundings to support any learning environment. Candidates can access the platform safely and see varying components, equipment and now the high speed bullet train, this incorporates sighting issuing which of course Ian used to supports learning on COSS and Look-out training events, which that are not always clear in a classroom using electronic visuals. Ian always delivers above the required standard and always supports any learning environment with both practical and theory base learning techniques. Ian joined Infrastructure Training Services (ITS) which is part of Cleshar, to lead and develop a Rail Training & Assessment Centre in Lenham. He has certainly given enthusiasm to our rail operatives in knowing they have a fully supportive Trainer and Assessor who gives guidance and direction on new skills and roles they undertake. This in return has ensured our operatives have, and will continue to be Trained and Assesses to the highest level giving support to our teams and clients. Ian’s enthusiasm and drive in gaining additional skills and licenses for the company’s new Training Centre has been a great achievement and since joining ITS he has certainly brought life and energy to our work force and the training team. It has given our staff the drive, and enthusiasm to want to learn more, and progress in their skills matrix and gain a higher level of knowledge to support them in their working environment.
I am sure in the short period of time Ian has been Training and Assessing the standard has be raised in staff who have had the enjoyment, and learning experience of participating in one of Ian’s training events. I wish Ian the best of luck in this fantastic competition and hope recognition is noted for a very talented individual. I am sure that any individual who has received training or support from Ian will be please to see him being nominated for this award. I hope when people read this nomination form, they take a few moments to reflect on the standard and enthusiasm they received when attending a course.
Take time to look at what you took from that learning environment and where it has taken you in your railway skills or maybe career. Of course Ian is part of a team and this award would be shared with his fellow work colleagues who have supported him in his enthusiasm and drive in his role in achieving additional skills and licenses for the newly opened ITS Network rail Licensed Training and Assessment in Lenham. Ian’s ability to work and adapt to people at all levels ensures a very effective means of communication which has supported us as a team and Ian as an individual".

Date of event: 30-3-10