One of the UK's leading training and digital organisations is celebrating winning an award at the Coventry Community Cohesion Awards 2011.

Coventry-based Progressive Educational Tools (PET) is the only company in the UK to provide intensive GCSE courses for students who are mainly care leavers, looked after children and those referred by local authorities as well as pupils excluded from school and pupil referral units.

PET, which is situated at Mercia Business Village, Torwood Close, Westwood Business Park, overcame competition from the University of Warwick and E.ON UK to win the private sector category in the awards at St Mary's Guildhall.

Fleur Sexton, joint managing director at PET, said the success was formal recognition of the work they carried out on a daily basis to change the lives of young people.

"This is a fantastic and well deserved accolade for everyone at PET, especially all of our trainers since we won for the work we do using Wider Key Skills," she said.

"The ethos behind everything we do is to help young people be part of their community despite their situations and actions which have set them apart.

"Wider Key Skills uses a range of techniques, activities and multi-media to teach a variety of skills including interview techniques, presentation skills and a healthy lifestyle and it is the equivalent of two and a quarter GCSEs at grade B. 

"This course is at the heart of the work we do and despite being very rewarding, is often very difficult and demanding.

"The award is recognition for the patience, care and love which every trainer puts into every single child.

"We are really proud as a Coventry business to have been awarded this because our roots have always been firmly in the city." 

She added: "The support we have received from all our partners all over the city over many years has also been invaluable and we couldn't have achieved this success without their help."

PET provide training and qualifications in a variety of subjects to schools, colleges, businesses and other organisations across the UK as well as creating award-winning digital applications for a world-wide audience.

The Coventry Community Cohesion Awards 2011 is run by the Equalities and Community Cohesion Theme Group of the Coventry Partnership together with Coventry Ethnic Minorities Action Partnership (CEMAP).

They are held to highlight the work of the local community and voluntary, public and private sector organisations to build bridges between different cultures and communities.