ANTA EDUCATION WINS "RISING PHOENIX AWARD" FOR ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION 2026.

ANTA Education Ltd has been named the winner of the Rising Phoenix Award for Alternative Education Provider 2026, recognising its resilience, determination and continued commitment to helping young people and adults build confidence, develop practical skills and move towards employment.

Founded and led by Managing Director Craig Howard, ANTA Education is an independent training provider and alternative education school based in Telford, Shropshire. Established in 2019, the company specialises in employability training, life skills courses and alternative provision pathways for young people who struggle within mainstream educational settings.

The team also supports school leavers and adults into work by developing their skills and confidence through one-to-one tuition, group learning, online programmes and in-person training. Its wider mission is to help tackle unemployment and make a positive difference in people’s lives, including through successfully funded training projects that have opened access to valuable opportunities.

Craig’s journey began with a longstanding desire to help others and create meaningful change. After spending several years working with older people and witnessing the barriers they faced when trying to secure long-term employment, he recognised that earlier intervention could help prevent younger generations from experiencing the same struggles later in life.

That understanding became the foundation for ANTA Education and its focus on equipping young people with the confidence, life skills, employability training and practical support they need before those barriers become firmly established.

The defining moment came on 27 July 2019. At a time when work and life were not progressing as he had hoped, the idea of starting independently came clearly into focus.

Having always wanted to work for himself, Craig decided to pursue that ambition and has never doubted that it was the right decision.

Despite facing significant challenges during the seven years that followed, that moment has remained the rock upon which the organisation has been built. Where many people may have chosen to walk away, Craig’s determination to continue has never disappeared.

Funding has remained the greatest challenge. Craig started ANTA Education independently without financial backing and has taken on serious personal debt to keep the organisation moving forward. Limited resources have also made it difficult to recruit and retain the right people needed to provide young learners with consistent, high-quality support.

However, dogged determination and a clear belief in the purpose of the work have kept him going. There remains a strong sense of hope that circumstances will improve and that ANTA Education will continue creating a genuine impact along the way.

"What keeps me going is that deep down knowledge that what we’re doing is right and that we can make a real impact on people’s lives. I also have this belief that we’re going to win. I think all businesses need that. You’ve got to believe you’re going to succeed, otherwise you’ll stop. That combination of purpose and quiet determination has carried me through the setbacks."

The Rising Phoenix Award holds particular significance following an especially difficult period for businesses. Over the last 12 to 18 months, many organisations known to Craig have faced considerable pressure, creating a widespread feeling that something needs to change.

The metaphor of the rising phoenix reflects what businesses aspire to achieve when recovering from adversity, and it strongly resonates with ANTA Education’s own experience. The organisation has had to reduce its staff, leave premises and wind back certain areas of its operation. Receiving the award therefore represents recognition of the difficult journey it has taken and its determination to rise again.

While Craig draws inspiration from several business owners and the ways in which they operate, he has not encountered one person following the exact path he wants to take. Instead, his journey has been shaped by collaboration, learning and the support of many exceptional people.

Craig recognises that he could never have built ANTA Education alone. His inspiration comes from observing different elements of other people’s work, combining those lessons with his own ideas and maintaining a strong sense of self-belief. Ultimately, this has also meant learning to become his own source of inspiration and motivation.

Of all the achievements reached so far, the greatest is simply that ANTA Education is still going. The business has endured serious setbacks and continues to carry considerable weight, but there is still life, purpose and potential within it.

Craig has poured everything into the organisation and refused to give up, even during the most difficult periods. The business has become the strongest relationship in his life, and it is that depth of commitment that remains his proudest achievement.

The journey has also shaped a deeply personal approach to leadership. Rather than viewing himself and the business as entirely separate, Craig sees them as one and the same. Although many experts advise business owners to create a firm separation between themselves and their organisations, this is not an approach he subscribes to.

For Craig, looking after the business and allowing the business to look after him in return can exist within the same universe. It does not have to be one or the other, and he remains comfortable with that relationship even if others may not understand or agree with it.

His experience has also created a clear perspective on overcoming adversity. Challenges inevitably have an impact, and people must understand what they are being asked to carry in both life and business. The key is recognising the true weight of each burden.

If a challenge becomes too heavy, there is strength in putting it down. However, if it remains light enough to manage while still being able to smile at the end of the day or week, it may be possible to continue carrying it. For Craig, understanding that balance is an essential part of rising above difficult circumstances.

Looking ahead, ANTA Education’s plan is straightforward: stabilise what it currently has and build carefully from that foundation. Craig wants to ensure its provision works for every stakeholder, including schools, referral partners, funders, young people and adult learners.

The next stage will focus on becoming more flexible and adaptable while avoiding the level of weight the organisation has carried in the past. This lighter and more sustainable approach will allow ANTA Education to support more people without placing excessive strain on the business itself.

There is a strong sense of hope that this renewed direction will enable the organisation to reach even more young people and deliver the meaningful, long-term impact Craig has been working towards since the beginning.

“The metaphor of the rising phoenix is something all businesses aspire to, and it massively resonates with me. We’ve had to remove staff, leave premises, and wind back certain things. This award feels like recognition of that journey of rising again.”

Winning the Rising Phoenix Award for Alternative Education Provider 2026 celebrates more than ANTA Education’s achievements. It recognises Craig Howard’s courage to continue through uncertainty, the self-belief required to rebuild and an unwavering commitment to helping young people and adults create stronger futures through education, skills and employment.

About ANTA Education Ltd

Founded in 2019 by Craig Howard, ANTA Education Ltd is an independent training provider and alternative education school based in Telford, Shropshire. The organisation delivers employability training, life skills courses and alternative provision pathways, helping young people, school leavers and adults build confidence, develop practical skills and move towards employment.