Yorkshire and the Humber’s top apprentices and apprentice employers have been announced in the regional final of the National Apprenticeship Awards 2015.
The National Apprenticeship Awards, now in their 12th year, celebrate the success of the country’s most exceptional apprentices and apprenticeship employers. The awards challenge top apprenticeship employers and apprentices across England to come forward and show how apprenticeships have made a real difference to their organisation and careers.
Yorkshire and the Humber winners and highly commended entries were announced at a high profile awards ceremony on October 8th organised by the National Apprenticeship Service, which was held at the Northern Ballet, in Leeds.
Businesses and apprentices fought off tough competition to win this year’s coveted awards.
This year’s winners for Yorkshire and the Humber are:
- McDonald’s Award for Intermediate Apprentice of the Year: Karolina Polniaszek, Superdrug (A.S.Watson).
- EAL Award for Advanced Apprentice of the Year: April Bell, Monica F Hewitt. Highly Commended: Kathrine Rundell, Third Energy UK Gas Ltd, Ruby Magson, Hemingway Bailey.
- City & Guilds Apprenticeship Champion of the Year: Martin Kennedy, Portakabin Ltd.
- Highly Commended: Matthew Weeks, Bluefin Insurance Services.
- The E.ON in partnership with the National Skills Academy for Power Award for Medium Employer of the Year Genix Healthcare Ltd. Highly commended: Yorkshire Coast Homes; Margaret & Michael Naylor & Associates.
- BAE Systems Award for Large Employer of the Year: Portakabin Ltd. Highly commended: Wakefield Council; Yorkshire Water.
- BT Award for Macro Employer of the Year: Lloyds Banking Group. Highly commended: Hull City Council.
- EDF Energy Award for Newcomer SME of the Year: Sheffield Media and Exhibition Centre Limited.
Sue Husband, Director of the National Apprenticeship Service, said:
Apprenticeships deliver for businesses, individuals and the economy. They enable people to gain the skills and knowledge they need to succeed, in some cases up to degree level, while working and earning. And for businesses, hiring apprentices is a productive and effective way for them to grow their own talent by developing a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce.
The National Apprenticeship Awards enable talented apprentices and committed employers to receive the recognition they richly deserve. They not only help celebrate the achievements of apprentices and businesses, allowing them to gain the credit for investing in their own futures, but they drive up quality and encourage others to get involved.
Today’s winners are the best of the best in Yorkshire and the Humber and I would like to congratulate them on their achievements. They deserve to be rewarded for their efforts. There has never been a better time to become an apprentice or employ one.
This year’s sponsors for the Yorkshire and the Humber awards are: Appris Charity Limited, Barnsley College, CITB, Doncaster GTA, Engineering Construction Industry Training Board, Genix Healthcare Ltd, Hemingway Bailey, HIT Training Ltd, In Touch Care Limited, Intraining, Kaplan, Leeds City College, Leeds College of Building, Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, Nestlé UK & Ireland Ltd, Progress to Excellence Ltd, Skills Made Easy, The Source Skills Academy, Wakefield College, Wakefield District Housing, West Yorkshire Learning Providers, YH Training Services, York College, Yorkshire Housing, YPO, Yorkshire Water.
Following the regional ceremonies, the winners from each category in all 11 areas of England will have their entries sent for national judging, and three from each category will be selected as national finalists.
The apprenticeship employer entries that were judged to be the very best of the best will have the additional honour of featuring in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list.
The national award winners and Top 100 Employers will be revealed at a ceremony held in January 2016 at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.
Search for apprenticeships on GOV.UK or call 08000 150 600 to find out more about apprenticeships.