Apprentice awards results are released
THE best Star learners, employers and learning providers in Wales have been revealed. Inspirational individual success stories and a dynamic approach to training and skills development by employers and learning providers were celebrated as the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru, which brought together 30 shortlisted finalists at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport.
The awards showcase the outstanding achievements of learners, employers and work-based learning practitioners who have excelled in contributing to the development of the Welsh Government’s Traineeships and Apprenticeship programmes.
Jointly organised by the Welsh Government and the National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW), the awards are supported by media partner Media Wales.
The Apprenticeship Programme is funded by the Welsh Government with support from the European Social Fund.
The award for Macro Employer of the Year went to Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, which employs 85 apprentices.
The council works with partners including Bridgend College and Coleg Y Cymoedd to deliver more than 20 apprenticeships in diverse careers ranging from engineering to social care.
Magellan Aerospace UK, of Wrexham, flew away with the award for Large Employer of the Year.
Working closely with Coleg Cambria, the company has invested heavily in apprenticeships and developed a dynamic workforce capable of remaining at the forefront of a competitive global industry. A workforce of 400 includes 74 apprentices.
The Medium Employer of the Year award went to catering butchery and meat processing company Celtica Foods, of Cross Hands, Llanelli, which has established a training academy in partnership with Cambrian Training Company to grow its own skilled workers. The company’s workforce of 75 includes 17 apprentices.
The Small Employer of the Year was growing IT company Pisys.net of Swansea, which is using apprenticeships as an integral part of its recruitment programme.
Providing affordable IT support and services to businesses across the UK, the company has recruited 18 apprentices over the past decade and works with Swansea ITeC.
ACT, based in Cardiff, completed a double as employees Carly Murray and Kirsty Keane collected the Workbased Learning Assessor and Tutor of the Year respectively.
Internal quality assurance assessor Ms Murray, 35, loves delivering work-based qualifications that have an impact on her learners and has twice achieved a 100% success rate since 2013.
Ms Keane, 26, has supported 91 learners through level one traineeship in care with a 100% progression rate and plans unique learner experiences for them.
The awards for apprentices went to individuals from across Wales.
Higher Apprentice of the Year was Daren Chesworth, 30, a support engineer at Transcontinental AC UK in Wrexham.
He is living proof that apprenticeships can change lives, as he retrained with Coleg Cambria after being made redundant as a plumber, and aims to become a chartered engineer.
Apprentice of the Year was 19-year-old Sally Hughes, from Port Talbot, who is building a career at Tata Steel.
A learner with Gower College Swansea, she hopes to inspire other young women to follow a science career pathway by embracing all opportunities available to her.
Foundation Apprentice of the Year was 22-year-old chef Thomas Martin, from Holm House Hotel, Penarth, whose passion for cooking has taken him to work in some of London’s top fine-dining restau-