National education awards for the Land-Based and Environment sector now open for nominations!
The national Land-Based & Environment Learner (LBEL) Awards, an annual celebration of exceptional achievements in the lands-based and environment sector, opens for nominations today.
The awards, which are a partnership between Lantra and Landex, spotlight the talent and efforts of those in the sector. Established in 2023, and now in its third year, the annual awards program recognises outstanding learners from further education (FE), higher education (HE), and apprentices, from across England and Northern Ireland.
This exciting Awards programme will announce the winners at a ceremony to be held on 27th November 2025, at the National Conference Centre in Solihull. The event will spotlight talent from a variety of categories including agriculture, horticulture, sports turf and greenkeeping, animal care, floristry, environmental conservation, and many more.
This year’s awards are sponsored by Land-based Assessment Ltd., Interflora, and the Co-op, with more sponsors to be announced soon.
The LBEL Awards not only recognises individual success and achievements but also aims to attract new talent to the land-based and environment industries, addressing the ongoing skills shortages being experienced.
The Awards organisers, Lantra and Landex, are actively encouraging land-based employers, colleges, private training providers and universities to recognise and promote their top candidates by nominating them for a prestigious award. The deadline for entries is 30th May 2024.
Marcus Potter, CEO of Lantra’s commented:
“The LBEL Awards celebrate hard work and success of people who represent the future of our industries. In this, the third year of the awards, we strongly encourage colleges, universities, training providers and employers to nominate their outstanding performers, be they students or apprentices, across all industry categories. In this way, we can recognise and reward the very best of our developing workforce.”
Alex Payne, CEO of Landex commented:
“Following the success of the last two awards we are delighted to invite colleges, universities, training providers and employers to nominate their exceptional learners. This is an opportunity to recognise the talent and dedication in our sector, the skilled and passionate individuals who will drive the sector forward”
The annual awards are open to individuals on a full-time or part-time Land-Based and Environment course or Apprenticeship in England between September 2024 and September 2025. The award categories include Agriculture; Aquaculture and Fisheries, Arboriculture; Forestry and Woodland Management; Equine and Farriery; Floristry; Landscape and Horticulture; Land-Based Engineering; Animal Care and Management; Veterinary Nursing; Environmental Conservation, Game and Wildlife; and Sports Turf and Greenkeeping.
Awards for the above categories apply across Private Training providers, Further Education (FE), Apprenticeships Awards (Level 2-3), Higher Education (HE) and Higher Apprenticeship Awards (Level 4-7). We will also have the Research Student of the Year category, where supervisors are encouraged to nominate a student studying a post-graduate level either for a Master’s Degree or a Doctoral Degree.
There are overall awards for: Research Student of the Year; Apprentice of the Year; Overall Winner; and Runners Up.
Online entries are being encouraged, as the quicker and more sustainable option. However, paper copies of the nomination form are available on request, by emailing lbels@lantra.co.uk.