Memphis Light, Gas and Water was recently announced as one of  30 organizations from Bahrain, Canada, India, and the United States to receive the American Society for Training & Development’s 2012 BEST Awards. All winners are recognized in a special section of the October 2012 issue of Training + Development (T+D), ASTD’s monthly magazine.

Members of MLGW University received the ASTD BEST Award during a ceremony held in Washington, D.C. on October 3.  Prior to the ceremony winning organizations were invited to share their best practices with other learning and development practitioners at the Learn from the BEST conference.

MLGW University offers a comprehensive curriculum that includes nine schools of learning and coordination of 12 trades and crafts apprenticeship programs. “This recognition confirms that the workforce development programs offered through the University can compete at both the national and international levels,” said Carolyn Turman, MLGW’s Chief Learning Officer.

The ASTD BEST Awards are the training industry’s most rigorous and coveted recognition. The BEST Awards recognize organizations that demonstrate enterprise-wide success through employee learning and development. “These 30 companies get it,” says Tony Bingham, ASTD President and CEO. “They excel in creating innovative, vibrant learning cultures that clearly align with strategic business goals. The leadership of these organizations values learning and knows that having a knowledgeable and skilled workforce drives success. ”

For the 2012 BEST Awards MLGW University competed against 84 organizations in 13 countries. These organizations submitted quantitative and qualitative information to ASTD about their learning and development practices and programs. Applications were assessed in a blind review by members of the BEST Awards advisory committee, a select group of experts in the learning and development field.

This is the 10th year of the ASTD BEST Awards. More information about the 2012 ASTD BEST Award winners may be found in the October 2012 issue of T+D magazine.

MLGW is the largest three-service public power utility in the nation, serving more than 420,000 customers in Memphis and Shelby County.