The TEC Partnership is delighted to announce our nominations as finalists in the Education North Awards (ENAs) 2026. Demonstrating the breadth of our students’ and staff’s achievements, we are finalists in five categories this year.
This year’s 12th ENAs will highlight excellence, world-class achievements and improvement across the university, higher education (HE), further education (FE), and sixth form sectors in the North of England.
We are proud of our position at the leading edge of teaching and innovation for all of our students at all levels. Our amazing teaching and support teams make this magic happen every day at our campuses across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
Learn more about our nominations below.
Business Engagement Award – HE/FE Sector
National Employer Training (NET), part of the TEC Partnership, formed a highly successful partnership with the Yorkshire and Humber Integrated Care Board (ICB) to deliver Sector Work Academy Programmes to the NHS in North Yorkshire.
NET have supported the ICB’s Widening Access Demonstrator (WAD) programme in supporting adults into the health and social care sector. At a time of NHS cuts and struggles in the health and social care sector to recruit job ready individuals, the Sector Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) delivered by NET on behalf of the ICB, aimed to directly address challenges faced by the NHS in recruitment. With NETs support, ICB are the most successful provider of WAD nationally, significantly exceeding outcome targets by achieving almost four times more progressions into employment.
NET have successfully delivered two programmes to York Hospital, supporting 80% of adult participants into employment within the NHS. The programme is testament to exceptional collaboration between the ICB, NET and partners in promoting opportunities in the care sector.
Digital and AI Innovation Award – HE/FE Sector
TEC Partnership aimed to address a cross-college challenge: traditional delivery models in Maths, English and Foundation Learning were not consistently engaging diverse learner groups, particularly those with SEND, exam anxiety, or low confidence. The objective was ambitious: create a digital ecosystem where immersive and AI-enabled learning improved engagement, strengthened inclusivity, and offered practical, real-world simulation to enhance outcomes.
In order to achieve this, TEC Partnership invested in immersive technology across four campuses in the Yorkshire & Humber region, utilising Local Skills Improvement Funding (LSIF) from Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, increasing equitable access to cutting edge technologies for learners in some of the most disadvantaged areas. Four immersive rooms, VR headsets. and Metaverse Learning content now supports experiential learning across 90 curriculum areas.
Foundation Learning and SEND learners have particularly benefited, staff confidence has grown through dedicated training, and 39 tutors have gained bespoke licences for independent technology use. The result is deeper engagement, improved inclusivity, and measurable gains for SEND, Maths and English learners, demonstrating a sector leading model of digital transformation with significant impact across campuses in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.
University Student Achievement of the Year
Zoe Eaton is an adult learner whose educational journey reflects exceptional growth, resilience, and leadership potential. Returning to education after early parenthood and experiences of stigma and interrupted confidence, she progressed through a non-linear pathway to successfully complete a Bachelor’s Degree in Health and Social Care.
During her degree studies at the University Centre Grimsby, part of the TEC Partnership, Zoe developed a strong interest in leadership, decision-making and the wider societal context of working with children and young people. The programme challenged her to think critically about policy, professional responsibility and ethical practice, while also building confidence through structured reflection and academic development.
Since graduating, Zoe has secured employment in a residential children’s home and has recently been promoted to Duty Manager. She continues to balance professional responsibility alongside raising a family and is widely recognised for her reflective, empathetic and values-led approach to practice. Zoe’s journey demonstrates not only academic success, but the wider impact of education in developing confident professionals who positively influence others.
Heart Creative Arts Award
Many young people in our region grow up with limited exposure to professional arts environments, creative role models or diverse cultural narratives. As a result, understanding of the creative industries is narrow, their confidence to participate is often restricted by perceived social or economic barriers. Scarborough TEC aimsto embed a rich tapestry of creative opportunities that celebrate diversity, encourage selfexpression and provide authentic experiences of the creative sector. This includes structured engagement with practicing artists, theatre companies, musicians and community organisations who contribute experience and professional insight that cannot be replicated through classroom teaching.
The Performing Arts, Music, and Art students across Scarborough and Bridlington have delivered a wide range of creative events throughout the year. Highlights include Christmas performances, open-mic fundraisers, multiple theatre productions, and visits such as a drama day at Leeds College of Drama and the Scarborough Jazz Festival. Students organised charity gigs, fundraising events, an art exhibition supported by bake sales and a popup shop. Major showcases included the Ravensong gig, the endofyear musical A Country Line, and a staged production of A Christmas Carol. Art students also partnered with Northern Rail to create station artwork.
Limited accessibility of creative enrichment beyond the formal curriculum, rural isolation, transport barriers and low household income often make it difficult for students to engage in extracurricular productions, attend performances or take part in regional competitions. In response, TEC Partnership intentionally reshaped our offer so that cultural engagement is not an optional extra but an embedded, inclusive, and fully supported part of everyday college life. Scarborough TEC brings experiences directly into the college, ensures participation remains free, and removes logistical barriers that may prevent learners from accessing opportunities elsewhere. This equitycentred approach ensures that all learners - particularly those who may never have stepped into a professional studio or theatre - are able to participate, create and thrive.
Campaign of the Year
TEC Partnership – Skills Bootcamp Marketing Campaign
A Skills Bootcamp is a short, intensive training programme of up to 16 weeks, funded by the Department for Education to support with the skills for life initiative. They’re designed to help learners quickly gain practical skills and knowledge in a specific industry or job role. These bootcamps focus on building job-ready abilities, often combining theoretical learning with hands-on practice.
Successfully and concisely communicating the key elements and benefits of Skills Bootcamp programmes has been a challenge for all providers nationally. As one of eight colleges entrusted to take part in a unique national pilot programme in 2024, TEC Partnership were determined to raise awareness of Skills Bootcamps, with a campaign guided by a strategy directly aligned with their mission to address regional skills gaps and the national agenda for upskilling and career transition.
The TEC Partnership Skills Bootcamps campaign was a five-month, multi-channel digital recruitment initiative. This activity led to over 100 confirmed enrolments, demonstrating an impressive 17.2% conversion rate from leads.
The messaging was anchored on the Free, Fast, and Flexible core value proposition, directly mitigating common adult learner anxieties and overcoming perceived barriers to enrolment. This strategic messaging helped fulfil the government’s Skills Bootcamps mandate, providing tangible career outcomes for adult learners.