Some of Worcestershire’s best apprentices, employers, training providers and schools have been announced as finalists at the Worcestershire Apprentice Awards 2016 and tables are now on sale.
Finalists for each award, businesses and guests will attend The Worcestershire Apprenticeship Awards at 6:30pm, on Thursday 17 November at the Tree Tops Pavilion, West Midland Safari Park where the winners in each category will be announced.
The awards will be presented by business owner and winner of the first series of BBC’s The Apprentice, Tim Campbell MBE, and promise to be even bigger and better than last year’s awards which saw over 300 people in attendance.
Tables have now gone on sale and spaces at the high-profile event are limited. Seats cost £85 each and a table of 10 can be bought for £800 and those who wish to attend, are being urged to secure their places at the earliest opportunity.
A total of twelve awards will be given out to this year’s winners at the Worcestershire Apprenticeship Awards. As well as awards that recognise the apprentices and their employers, three of the categories to be awarded celebrate those who support apprentices. These are:
Finalists of ‘School of the Year Award’ sponsored by The Development Manager Ltd VLE Middleware – IT Hosting and Support Services
Hanley Castle – (Hanley Swan, Malvern)
Last year’s winners, Hanley Castle, have built on their success by creating new and stronger links with large local employers, such as Speller Metcalfe, in order to promote Apprenticeships to their students. The school has also embraced the new Careers and Enterprise Company initiative and have welcomed the links they have formed with QinetiQ who have been working directly with students to support their 2017 apprenticeship applications.
Droitwich Spa High School – (Droitwich Spa)
Droitwich Spa High School has a strong history of the promoting apprenticeships within their school. They have been involved in apprenticeship pilot schemes over the past 5 years which have helped to embed the promotion of apprenticeships within the delivery of careers advice within school. Droitwich Spa High School regularly host assemblies where local experts and employers provide students with information on the apprenticeship opportunities available to them across Worcestershire.
King Charles I School (Kidderminster)
King Charles I School has developed into a strong ambassador for apprenticeships. They create lots of opportunities to inform students about the options available to them and often invite local employers and professionals in to carry out mock interviews and talk about apprenticeships. As a school they proactively recruit apprentices to the school staff team, including their IT Manager who began his career at the school as an apprentice IT Support Technician.
Finalists of the ‘Training provider of the Year Award’ sponsored by Worcestershire Training Provider Association
Kidderminster College (Kidderminster)
Kidderminster College is proud to have been delivering apprenticeships in Worcestershire for more than 20 years. Over the past two years they have seen a 50% increase in the number of 16 to 18 years olds starting on their apprenticeship programmes. Statistically Kidderminster College’s success rates are well above the national average with an amazing 99% of apprentices remaining in employment having completed their apprenticeship programme.
The Development Manager (TDM) – (Bewdley)
TDM are an IT industry, Gold Standard licensed of ‘Trailblazer’. In order to achieve this TDM have been subject to a stringent audit, including by OFSTED, of each programme they deliver and had its syllabus audited and validated as Technology Industry Gold Standard. With over 100 new apprentices in 2015, TDM has achieved a successful completion rate of 93% which again is well above the national average.
Finalists of the ‘Apprentice Ambassador of the Year’ sponsored by the Training Academy
Jennifer Appleton (ISO Quality Services, Worcester)
Jennifer has a firm commitment to develop young people and give them the skills they need to become the best they can be. She is very hands on and takes an active role in the development of her own apprentices as well as actively promoting the apprenticeship agenda both within Worcestershire and across the UK; speaking at many conferences informing small businesses of the benefits to employing apprentices.
David Barnett (Yamazaki Mazak UK Ltd, Worcester)
David is the Learning and Development Manager at Yamazaki Mazak UK Ltd. Year on year he has increased the number of apprentices taken on by his organisation. He champions the apprentices with the Senior Management Team, showing the positives of the programme to allow them to see the benefits to recruit more. David has a true passion for apprenticeships, the development of them within Mazak, across Worcestershire and ensuring that, as a training centre, Mazak always meet the needs of the young person and the business. As well as his full-time role at Yamazaki Mazak, David actively goes into schools to promote careers events and apprenticeships as well as the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) agenda.
The evening will culminate in the two overall awards from all other winners: Worcestershire Apprenticeship Employer of the Year award sponsored by Yamazaki Mazak UK Ltd and the Worcestershire Apprentice of the Year award sponsored by Worcester Bosch Group.
Gary Woodman, Chief Executive of Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Worcestershire’s apprentices benefit from a great level of support from local schools, training providers and those who are absolute apprenticeship ambassadors. These three awards highlight the fantastic support networks available and congratulations to the finalists.
“Our dedicated local support enables our younger generations to access high-quality apprenticeships and create a bright working future for both apprentices and the County. I look forward to celebrating these successes at the awards.”
Cllr Dr Ken Pollock, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Economy, Skills and Infrastructure at Worcestershire County Council, added: “Worcestershire’s apprentices are given a tremendous amount of support to succeed in the workplace and I look forward to celebrating the work of some of the County’s greatest schools, training providers and apprenticeship ambassadors as well as the achievements of the apprentices and employers.
“I would like to thank all awards sponsors for the Worcestershire Apprenticeship Awards and I look forward to what will be another fantastic awards ceremony on Thursday 17 November.”
For a full list of finalists for this year’s awards and for more information on employing an apprentice, visit the Worcestershire Apprenticeships website.
Those interested in attending the Worcestershire Apprenticeship Awards are being encouraged to book a seat or a table at their earliest opportunity as spaces are limited. To book a table or secure a seat at the awards, email awardsbookings@worcestershire.gov.uk.
Pictured: Simon Geraghty, Leader of Worcestershire County Council, with Hanley Castle High School and 6th Form Centre, winners of the Worcestershire Apprenticeship Awards 2015 School of the Year Award.