A GROUP of apprentices have been named as winners of a national competition to come up with innovative ideas for digital work-based learning.

Supported by Blackburn-based training provider Training 2000, the team has received £20,000 of funding after winning the Apprentice Led Ideas Challenge, which gave them the chance to create training tools which invigorate and modernise how apprentices learn.

Named ‘Licence to Learn’, the project is a game-based app offering a more creative and entertaining way of studying, rewarding students with incentives such as free prizes and vouchers for successfully completing tasks.

The competition was run in partnership between education charity Jisc and the Association of Employment and Learning Providers.

For their entry the business administration apprentices created a video as part of their studies at Training 2000, which sold the benefits of their idea.

It was then judged by a panel of experts based on number of votes received and the criteria of usefulness, innovation and feasibility.

Laura Heaven, 20, level four business administration apprentice from Great Harwood said: “I thinks it’s safe to say we are all over the moon.

“Our app will benefit students in the same boat as us; students that are sick of boring revision apps that can be daunting when an exam is approaching. We are excited to work with developers and launch the app.”

The next step is for the group to work with a team provided by Jisc and make the app a reality before presenting the app at the AELP Technology Conference in November.

Chris Swingler, Association of Employment and Learning Providers associate said: “This is the first year apprentices have been invited to submit their ideas to the Jisc challenge.

“We’ve been delighted with the range of innovative ideas from all the teams, clearly demonstrating how effective technology-based tools and aids can support their learning experience and benefit the sector.”

The team was made up of Laura, Martin Heald, 23, Matthew Woodhouse, 20, Wendy Darbyshire, 45, and Henry Clare, 20.

Training 2000 has been running for almost 50 years and has grown to more than 250 staff and 11 North West centres.

Its programmes and apprenticeships include automotive, business, IT, finance, construction, plumbing, dental nursing, engineering, Scaffolding, work preparation courses and military preparation.