Stars shine brightly at 2024 North East HR&D Awards

They’re the bee’s knees!

The stars of the region’s HR and learning and development world have been crowned at a fun-filled Roaring Twenties-themed event.

An audience of more than 400 packed into The Fed, in Gateshead, for the 2024 North East HR&D Awards, which featured frivolity, flapper dancing and finalists across 12 hotly-contested categories.

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies Ltd picked up the excellence in people and technology title, with Byggfakta Group awarded the excellence in talent attraction and employer brand accolade.

 

 

Chevron Traffic Management won the excellence in inclusivity and diversity award, Universal Wolf was named excellence and positive impact award winner and ConocoPhillips walked away with the excellence in organisational and people development prize.

Elsewhere, ZIGUP secured the excellence in apprenticeships title, Marelli Automotive Systems UK was named excellence in health and wellness winner, and Gentoo received the excellence in leadership award.

Bloom Procurement Services picked up the excellence in supporting armed forces talent accolade, Mediaworks was handed the excellence in reward and benefits title and O Agency received the excellence in SME people practice award.

Komatsu UK picked up the HR&D team of the year title.

The annual spectacle – which this year attracted a near 40 per cent increase in awards submissions – was delivered through a new partnership with North East Times.

 

 

Pete Mallon, the multi-platform publisher’s creative and managing director, said: “What a fantastic evening of fun, laughter and enjoyment.

“HR&D is a crucial component to any organisation’s success, and the innovative work taking place across our region meant judges, from the North East Work and Talent advisory board, were faced with some extremely tough decisions.

“We can’t wait for next year’s event!”

Elouise Leonard-Cross and Sarah Carnegie, North East Work and Talent advisory board joint chairs, said they were delighted with the ceremony.

Elouise said: “The HR&D Awards play an important role in recognising the people and activities that make our regional organisations great places to work.

“The huge response and increase in entries this year shows the profession has a lot to share and celebrate, and the North East Work and Talent advisory board is proud to have collaborated with North East Times to secure the future delivery of these awards.”

Sarah added: “The 2024 HR&D Awards were an amazing event; the photos don’t do justice to how much fun everyone had with the Roaring Twenties theme.

“As co-chairs of the North East Work and Talent advisory board, Elouise and I are so pleased to be working with North East Times and are looking forward to 2025.”

 

 

Alongside the awards, the evening – which also included music from Beth Ellis and a fun Beamish quiz – raised £2887.25 for Forward Assist, the military charity that helps veterans adjust to civilian life through support that boosts skills and improves physical and mental health.

The ceremony was supported by associate partner TDR Training, which delivers apprenticeship and higher education courses to hundreds of learners every year from its North Tyneside headquarters.

Award category partners included Esh Group, Jackson Hogg, MI-Say, Newcastle University Business School and Northumbrian Water.

Further partners were NPH Group, People Science Consulting, Sullivan Brown HR Recruitment, Tailored Thinking and Womble Bond Dickinson.

Beamish was an event partner, with North East Apprenticeship Ambassador Network the night’s programme partner and Talentheads the evening’s photobooth partner.

 

Full list of category award winners and finalists:

Excellence in people and technology

Winner – Freudenberg Sealing Technologies Ltd

Finalists – Mediaworks, Newcastle Building Society

 

Excellence in talent attraction and employer brand

Winner – Byggfakta Group

Finalists – Connect Health, Northumberland County Council

 

Excellence in inclusivity and diversity

Winner – Chevron Traffic Management

Finalists – LSL Property Services plc, Silverbean

 

Excellence and positive impact

Winner – Universal Wolf

Finalists – Bloom Procurement Services, ScS

                                   

Excellence in organisational and people development

Winner – ConocoPhillips

Finalists – Komatsu (UK) Ltd, Opencast & People Science Consulting

 

Excellence in apprenticeships

Winner – ZIGUP

Finalists – British Engines, Essity (UK) Ltd

 

Excellence in health and wellness

Winner – Marelli Automotive Systems UK Ltd

Finalists – Advanced Northumberland, Nexus

 

Excellence in leadership

Winner – Gentoo

Finalists – Byggfakta Group, HTG

 

Excellence in supporting armed forces talent

Winner – Bloom Procurement Services

Finalists – Cleveland Police, North East BIC

 

Excellence in reward and benefits

Winner – Mediaworks

Finalists – LSL Property Services plc, Tharsus Group

 

Excellence in SME people practice

Winner – O Agency

Finalists – The Alnwick Garden Trust, The Rudd Group

 

HR&D Team of the Year

Winner – Komatsu (UK) Ltd

Finalists – Caterpillar, NCFE