Glasgow organisations nominated for National Training Award

Two Glasgow-based organisations have been nominated for recognition at a prestigious national awards ceremony.

Choose Life, the Scottish Government's national strategy and action plan to prevent suicide in Scotland, and Glasgow Science Centre have been shortlisted for the National Training Awards as a result of their commitment to skills development.

The National Training Awards, which are managed in Scotland by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, recognise people and organisations who have achieved excellence through training.

The awards acknowledge that effective training enables people to achieve their potential, organisations to achieve their objectives, and Scotland's workforce to compete in the global market. Winners are committed to exceptional training that has real benefits for the business, the community and the individual.

The Scottish awards ceremony, which is one of a number of regional National Training Award events being held across the UK, will take place on November 22 at the Glasgow Hilton Hotel. The awards will be hosted by broadcaster Fred MacAulay, and each of the winners will be congratulated by Minister for Schools and Skills Maureen Watt.

Choose Life has been nominated for its efforts to train volunteers to spot the risk of suicide and provide immediate help to people at risk. The Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), which has been delivered to over 11,000 people across the country, develops the skills necessary for suicide first aid in a similar way to physical first aid courses.

The ASIST training is a major part of Choose Life's commitment to reducing Scotland's suicide rate, incidences of which rose by a third between 1974 and 2004. Choose Life aims to reduce the rate of suicide by 20% by 2013.Since the strategy launched in 2002 Scotland's suicide rate has fallen by 13%.

Glasgow Science Centre has been nominated in recognition of the success of the training its customer service staff receive. Since 2005, over 70 staff have taken part in the training, which covers 50 topics including communication, customer interaction, emergency evacuation and knowledge of exhibits.

In 2005, the Science Centre was awarded a VisitScotland Thistle Award for customer service, and last year it became one of only two visitor attractions in Glasgow to gain the coveted five star VisitScotland status.

Scottish Training Awards will go to those finalists who have been judged to be outstanding in Scotland and National Training Awards will go to those finalists who have been judged to be exceptional in the UK. The winners of the National Training Awards 2007 will go on to participate in a UK-wide celebration in London later this year.

The Scottish finalists are:

• Choose Life
• Bausch & Lomb, Livingston
• Erskine Edinburgh Home, Edinburgh
• Newmilns Snow & Sports Complex, Ayrshire
• Westin Turnberry Resort, Ayrshire
• Standard Life Bank, Edinburgh
• Probationer Training Programme at Scottish Police College, Kincardine
• Motherwell College
• Mike Dodds, Rothesay
• Glasgow Science Centre
• Telford College, Edinburgh
• Daldorch House School and Continuing Education Centre, Ayrshire

Linda McDowall, Acting Senior Director of Skills and Learning at Scottish Enterprise, said: "I would like to congratulate all the finalists on their achievements, which show a real commitment to training in all its forms.

"From equipping people with the necessary skills to help others through difficult times to growing a business through staff development, training can make a real difference to individuals and the economy as a whole.

"Scottish Enterprise is committed to supporting training across the country."

Alex Paterson, Director of Developing Skills at Highlands and Islands Enterprise, said: "The continued growth of the economy is dependent on the availability of a strong, effective workforce who have the right skills for the job, and the efforts of this year's finalists are proof that Scotland's businesses are equal to the challenge of sourcing development opportunities for staff.

"I am pleased that Highlands and Islands Enterprise has again been able to support the awards and congratulate all the people, businesses and organisations that have been chosen as finalists."

The National Training Awards were introduced in 1986 to celebrate individuals, businesses, and organisations that have achieved outstanding success through training and development.