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Outstanding apprentices, employers celebrated at Yorkshire and Humber Awards

Yorkshire and the Humber celebrates the success of its apprentices and apprenticeship employers at prestigious Apprenticeship Awards.

Yorkshire and the Humber’s top apprentices and apprenticeship 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 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 full list of winners for Yorkshire and the Humber are:

• McDonald’s Award for Intermediate Apprentice of the Year: Karolina Polniaszek, Superdrug (A.S.Watson), Pontefract.
• EAL Award for Advanced Apprentice of the Year: April Bell, Monica F Hewitt Florists, Sheffield
  • Highly Commended: Kathrine Rundell, Third Energy UK Gas Ltd, East Knapton; Ruby Magson, Hemingway Bailey Chartered Accountants, Beverley
• City & Guilds Apprenticeship Champion of the Year: Martin Kennedy, Portakabin Group, York.
  • Highly Commended: Matthew Weeks, Bluefin Insurance Services, Market Rasen
• Medium Employer of the Year: Genix Healthcare Ltd., Leeds
  • Highly commended: Yorkshire Coast Homes, Scarborough; Margaret & Michael Naylor & Associates, Sheffield
• BAE Systems Award for Large Employer of the Year: Portakabin Group, York
  • Highly commended: Wakefield Council, Wakefield; Yorkshire Water, Bradford
• BT Award for Macro Employer of the Year: Lloyds Banking Group, Leeds.
  • Highly commended: Hull City Council, Hull
• EDF Energy Award for Newcomer SME of the Year: Sheffield Media and Exhibition Centre Limited, Sheffield.

Clare Bonson, Head of Employer and Delivery Services (Yorkshire and the Humber) for 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. 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.”

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, which will be produced by the National Apprenticeship Service.

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.Visit apprenticeships.gov.uk or call 08000 150 600 to find out more about apprenticeships.

Sponsors of this year’s Yorkshire and the Humber Regional Apprenticeship

Awards 2015 include: 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 City Region Enterprise Partnership, Leeds College of Building, 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, Yorkshire Water and YPO.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Regional Apprenticeship Awards 2015 .