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NECC honor apprenticeships at Training Celebration Awards 2012

Social housing organisation, Vela Group UK, claimed Employer of the Year at the NECC Training Celebration Awards 2012.

Held at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, the awards is in its fourth year of celebrating the work of employers and trainees in the North East.

Vela Group offer employment to 20 young people and has over 17, 000 properties in its remit.

The Tees Valley-based company, which was formed from a partnership between Housing Hartlepool and Tristar Homes in 2010, have over 700 staff over their sites in Hartlepool and Stockton.

Vela Group’s chief executive, Cath Purdy, commented: “As a local employer and social business, Vela is proud to give young people a start in their working lives, help them to develop and learn valuable skills.

“Our apprentices are a credit to the Group and, indeed, the whole community and we wanted to honour their outstanding attitude and determination to embrace new opportunities and excel.”

Vela and NECC also work together on an unemployment programme that helps Vela tenants into work and training.

James Ramsbotham, NECC chief executive said: “Vela Group epitomises the importance that our business community places on the apprenticeship programme.

“They have demonstrated a genuine desire to support the personal development of their workforce and NECC is delighted to name them our Employer of the Year.”

Apprentices from elsewhere in the North East were also rewarded for their commitment and hard work.

Newcastle University’s lab technician apprentice for the Institute for Ageing and Health, Emma Bennison, won Overall Learner of the Year, and Adam Nicholson, the Build Environment apprentice at European Roofing Systems was named the Employers Choice Learner of the Year.

Mr Ramsbotham added: “Both Emma and Adam have exemplified the talent that our region’s apprentices posses and I would like to congratulate them both on their outstanding achievements.”

The awards ceremony was held at Sunderland AFC’s Stadium of Light to recognise excellence in apprenticeship schemes in the region.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .