Apprentice award for city school director

A SCHOOL director from Hull has been named Apprentice Champion of the Year at the National Apprenticeship Awards.

Sarah Barley, trust director of careers and employability at South Hunsley School, North Ferriby, picked up the award, sponsored by Santander, at a ceremony in London last night.

She was recognised for the programme she developed, recruiting 50 local employers to support young people in their next steps, while also planning events to recruit employers interested in offering apprenticeships.

Accepting the award, she said: “Apprenticeships are just as good as going to university! This is the message that I want to get out to students, as all too often the focus in schools is on UCAS.

“Careers advice is no longer just a discussion, it’s an experience. Next year, teaching staff will link with an apprenticeship employer so that they too can enrich their lessons with apprenticeship information and opportunities around their subjects, making it everyone’s responsibility within a school and not just the careers adviser’s.”

The awards, now in their 14th year, are run by the National Apprenticeship Service and recognise excellence in two areas: businesses that grow their own talent with apprentices, and apprentices who have made a significant contribution to their workplaces.

Changes to the future format of the National Apprenticeship Awards were also announced; more information about these will be released in March.