West Thames College- Logistics Skills Alliance recognised for:
Best Collaborative Apprenticeship Delivery Partnership 2026 - UK
Collaborative Workforce Training Innovation Award 2026 - UK
West Thames College, LSA, IOC, HBC same day win in 8th annual Education and Training Awards 2026. – A top national education recognition for same day logistics delivery employer in college collaboration for apprenticeship learning success in final mile collaboration. Melissa Bramall, reports the outcome of the 8th annual Education and Training Awards 2026 – ‘I hope this brings a little bit of joy to your day. Honouring the educators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of learning across industries and communities. This win shows a rapidly evolving world in logistics delivery to the door, education and professional development have never been more important, and you are not simply adapting to change, you are helping lead it.’ Following our merit-led research and evaluation process, Logistics Skills Alliance has been recognised as the deserving recipient of:
Best Collaborative Apprenticeship Delivery Partnership 2026 - UK
Collaborative Workforce Training Innovation Award 2026 - UK
Training collaboration nomination 2026
West Thames College, IOC, LSA and employer HBC
The national education collaboration win in Express Logistics apprenticeship delivery showcases trainer, employer collaboration, using a unique sector workbook delivery platform delivering for mobile team outside of conventional virtual internet learning. Highly work focused, on the job, hands on workplace training for delivery. a true innovative collaboration of college training provider and employer, then delivering a one hundred per cent outcome success for the candidates. All paid for by levy, making impact to individuals in express final mile logistics.
The Award nomination submission
The Partnership - The winning nomination described a truly collaborative solution adapting an old school learning style of pen and paper in a mobile work environment that has built exceptional gains for the employer.
It is a three-way collaboration between a professional body, the employer and an FE college training provider. Sector expertise from the Institute of Couriers was distilled into a unique apprenticeship workbook for mobile candidates, supported by a sector-focused FE college and an employer at the frontline of a critical infrastructure delivery program success for final mile, same day delivery.
HBC Logistics provide UK and European logistics services with a strong focus on same day deliveries. They are headquartered in Biggleswade, fifty miles north of London. HBC engaged with leading logistics training experts, West Thames College to use the Institute of Couriers workbook-based training delivery programme for their Express Delivery Operative Level 2 (ST0103) apprentices.
West Thames College, already recognised as OFSTED Excellence, grade one, focused on the express logistics sector, as their campus is in the heartland of the West London logistics hot-spot, with Heathrow Airport and the A4, M4 feeds to London down the Hounslow Golden Mile. Their Express Delivery Operative apprentice training programme is based on a unique workbook designed to support a group of candidates who often have no online access. While delivering customer promise of 'first time every time' delivery at door, express final mile delivery candidates often find themselves far beyond the office work station environment and without access to a computer or online connection. The Express Delivery Operative workbooks were developed by Department for Transport industry recognised stakeholder; the Institute of Couriers. The development work was guided by a series of IOC facilitated employer round tables which ensured that each of the knowledge, skills and behaviours in the apprenticeship is underpinned by up to date and relevant learning material which is grounded upon current on-job industry practices. The workbooks provide opportunities for interactive candidate and supervisor learning. Candidates are able to interact with fellow delivery team members to tackle topics such as road route knowledge and dynamic issues such as traffic, congestion or road work changes to route. All teaching is delivered in modular blocks by West Thames College.
How has the partnership led to improved apprenticeship outcomes?
The start to completion delivered at HBC has delivered seventy five per cent first time pass rates for the 2025 candidates. The workbook is structured against the Duties and KSBs of the apprenticeship, giving apprentices simple access to key knowledge about each topic, allied to guidance about the workplace activities, enabling them to develop and demonstrate skills and behaviours. Each topic is supported as appropriate by cases studies, quotes from industry leaders and questions which enable candidates to assess their growing grasp of the topic. A key feature are a series of 'top tips' (e.g. "shortest route may not be the quickest due to congestion and road work impacts") to boost workplace supervisor engagement by stimulating discussing real world examples of local work situations. This adds breadth to the collaboration between employer and training provider. Feedback from the HBC supervisors who are supporting the apprentices is that this has made them more confident to engage in workplace learning, as they have ‘user friendly’ access to apprenticeship content which they feel comfortable in discussing and elaborating with the apprentices they supervise. West Thames College underpin the employer engagement with individual module learning which is cross referenced in workbooks, enabling candidates to self-audit and sign off their progress with support from college tutors. Delivery of each module involves a combination of college training providers and expert input in the form of masterclass support from the Institute of Couriers. Reflecting the quality of the learning programme, 100 % of the apprentice candidates passed their professional membership platform exams for the membership grade of the Institute of Couriers.
What is the main challenge in creating and maintaining the partnership?
The initial challenge for the HBC Logistics (the employer) was to find a solution for the limited on-line connectivity in a job role that involves lone working without access to online learning resources.
With assistance from IOC (the professional body) they set out to identify and develop a paper-based programme, outside of the conventional internet training packages for apprentices. West Thames College, who received an “Outstanding” rating in its Ofsted inspection, carried out in December 2024, stepped forward. With the delivery model in place, the final challenge was for West Thames and HBC to devise an apprentice tracking and auditing process for this paper-based system of delivery
Provide examples of innovation or best practice that have emerged
Workbook extended to engage dynamic learning between delivery roles, road space congestion, road works or traffic accidents evolve on the job, driving learning to engage across collaborative on road communication packages. The step of learning evolved confidence to extend communications and help all members of the company.
What future goals or development for this partnership?
West Thames College principal, Marta Gajewska highlights the importance of building strong skills, collaborative education and career pathways for future logistics professionals: “The sector is a cornerstone of the UK economy… We are committed to working with employers and partners to inspire and train the next generation of logistics professionals. At West Thames College, we continue to expand our logistics courses and apprenticeships, and proudly lead the Logistics Skills Hub — driving skills, innovation and opportunity across the sector. The collaboration with the Institute of Couriers is a fantastic celebration of progress, inclusion and the power of education to shape the future of logistics.”
Dr Tracey Worth IOC CEO explained ‘We had identified the mobility of the candidates and the distance from internet access was a huge barrier to engagement for express delivery operatives. The workbooks were developed collaboratively by sector employers, round tables from SMEs to national delivery brands engaged in a common goal of content, An example of collaborative content, Brand and ambassador at door featured strong in the behaviour delivery discussions. Delivering customer promise, first time every time success to client all discussed cross sector with common goals. We then needed the collaboration of a training provider to deliver the unusual platform outside of the internet. I congratulate Ofsted Outstanding, West Thames College taking the challenge for our sector, delivering the non-internet route to support our sector, HBC is a splendid example of success for multi-collaboration delivery. It is a joy to see their candidates not only complete their apprenticeships, but win our professional status goals and step up in their own roles to give breadth to our next generation of express logistics.’
