We’re celebrating after our Hey Hull project was named a finalist at the GESS Education Awards 2026, recognising our innovative approach to engaging adults in learning and skills development.
Delivered by Hull College in partnership with HEY! Volunteering and funded by Ufi VocTech Trust, Hey Hull was created to reach adults who may have felt that learning was no longer for them, opening up accessible pathways into skills development, volunteering and personal growth.
The project exceeded every major target, demonstrating what can be achieved when learning is designed around people’s lives, ambitions, and circumstances.
As part of Hey Hull, we developed 40 digital micro-credentials, established a dedicated learning platform for adults across Hull and created innovative volunteering pathways to help people take their next steps.
One of the project’s most distinctive features is its Employability Escape Room, a first-of-its-kind experience inspired by some of Hull’s most recognisable landmarks. By bringing learning to life through gamification, the escape room offered an engaging and interactive way for adults to explore employability skills.
This latest recognition builds on our success at the GESS Education Awards in 2024, when we won Best Use of Digital Learning in the Classroom for our pioneering use of Microsoft Translator and digital tools to support our English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students.
The GESS Education Awards celebrate the quality and diversity of educational products, resources, services and people, recognising innovation and achievement across the education sector.
The 2026 awards ceremony will take place in Dubai on Wednesday 11th November, where the winners will be announced.
We’re incredibly proud to see Hey Hull recognised on an international stage and would like to thank our partners, funders, and everyone involved in helping make the project a success.
