Now in their 16th year, the National Apprenticeship Awards showcase the diverse and growing range of sectors engaged with apprenticeships, whilst celebrating the achievements of outstanding apprentices, apprentice employers and individuals to inspire others to follow in their footsteps and champion apprenticeships across England.
The awards were open to apprentices, individuals who promote apprenticeships and employers of all sizes from all sectors. Categories were refreshed in 2018,creating additional opportunities for entrants to demonstrate the impact apprenticeships have made to individual's lives and their workplaces. Those recognised as regional winners are apprenticeship exemplars, highlighting best practice across recruitment excellence, high quality training practices, diversity and career progression.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said:
Huge congratulations to all of the regional winners. The National Apprenticeships Awards are a great opportunity to showcase the fantastic apprenticeship programmes available across the country and the amazing apprentices working in a range of exciting professions like hospitality, aviation and banking.
Apprenticeships change lives, improve businesses and support local communities, so it's great to see such a diverse range of employers and apprentices being recognised for their great work.
I wish them all the best of luck for the final award ceremony in November.
The awards form a key part of the Department for Education's wider 'Fire it Up' campaign which aims to raise awareness of the greater variety of apprenticeships on offer for people of all ages and backgrounds and ignite positive conversations around apprenticeships across England.
There were 17 apprentice employers and individuals recognised at the East of England regional ceremony on Wednesday 11 September at Newmarket Racecourse.
Apprentice employer winners include:
- The BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT Award for SME Employer of the Year 2019 winner is Maycast-Nokes Precision Engineering Ltd;
- The British Army Award for Large Employer of the Year 2019 winner is VolkerWessels UK Limited with Flagship Housing Group highly commended;
- The QA Award for Macro Employer of the Year 2019 winner is Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with Hertfordshire County Council highly commended;
- The PeoplePlus Award for Recruitment Excellence 2019 winner is Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with Maycast-Nokes Precision Engineering Ltd highly commended.
Individual category winners are:
- The NOCN Group Award for Intermediate Apprentice of the Year 2019 winner is Joshua Reed from Milan Barbershop and Rhian Prince from Atalian Servest is highly commended;
- The Royal Navy Award for Advanced Apprentice of the Year 2019 winner is Tatiana Peters from MBDA and Samuel Blinkhorne from Leonardo is highly commended;
- The Nuclear Decommissioning Site Licence Companies Award for Higher or Degree Apprentice of the Year 2019 winner is Jasmine Jayne Studholme from Greene King PLC and Jessie Stowe from Astex Pharmaceuticals is highly commended;
- The Lloyds Banking Group Award for Rising Star of the Year 2019 winner is Jessie Stowe from Astex Pharmaceuticals and Sally Harvey from Spire Healthcare is highly commended;
- The Royal Air Force Award for Apprenticeship Champion of the Year 2019 is Joanna Moles from The John Henry Newman School and Ben Gaskins from Poultec Training is highly commended.
Jessie Stowe from Astex will go into the public to vote, which will open after all regional Rising Star winners have been announced, to recognise the overall, national winner of the Lloyds Banking Group Award for the Rising Star category.
Keith Smith, Director, Apprenticeships Group, ESFA said:
The National Apprenticeship Awards are important to the whole sector because they truly demonstrate how apprenticeships fire up careers, whilst recognising how apprenticeships enable employers to grow their own talent, reduce staff turnover and enhance the skills their company needs to succeed.
The regional stages of the competition is an exciting time for employers, apprentices, individuals and stakeholders who all recognise the importance of skills to help our economy to thrive and grow locally, regionally and nationally.
Congratulations to everyone involved in the regional ceremonies - the winners, those that were highly commended, sponsors and hosts. I know judges had a difficult time selecting winners - the depth and breadth of applications was astonishing and I look forward to seeing who wins across the English regions.
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