Place Academy wins Best Innovation in Smart Working category at LGC Workforce Awards 2023
Wednesday, 22 November 2023
We're proudly announcing our recent triumph at the LGC Workforce 2023 Awards.
We were awarded the title of "Best Innovation in Smart Working” for our Place Academy at this event, which celebrates exceptional achievements in the workforce for local government.
This is the second national award for the Place Academy in 2023 and again highlights our commitment to developing new and existing staff and finding innovative ways of working to overcome a national shortage of skilled professionals who contribute to the delivery of ‘place’.
The judges said:
Central Bedfordshire Council approached a national challenge in an innovative way, by developing their own pipeline of specialists to create a sustainable workforce. This is an accessible and creative model that can be rolled out by council nationwide.
Councillor Mary Walsh, our Executive Member for Planning and Development, said:
We are thrilled and immensely proud to receive further recognition for the Place Academy from the LGC Workforce Awards. It emphasises our dedication to fostering a culture of innovation and adaptability within our workforce. This award is a testament to the hard work and creativity of our Planning Team who continually strive to improve services for our residents.
LGC editor Sarah Calkin said:
It’s been a fantastic day with so many brilliant ideas shared and hopefully some great connections made. Whether you won or not, I hope all those on the shortlist have found it a valuable experience. While money may be in short supply in local government, ideas, enthusiasm and commitment clearly are not.
We will continue to invest in the professional development of our professional place teams, to ensure we deliver the highest quality services. We also remain committed to providing exceptional training opportunities and will continue to drive innovation in the planning and place sector.