They will compete to be named ‘the best of the best’ on a regional and national level. The awards, now in their 12th year recognise businesses that grow their own talent with apprenticeships and apprentices who have made a significant contribution to their workplaces.
Last year’s winners included Hayley James from IBM, who was crowned the Unilever Higher Apprentice of the Year 2014 after impressing a panel of judges from the employment and skills arena.
Hayley, from Midhurst in West Sussex, said: ‘I chose to do an apprenticeship because I truly believe that there is no better way for me to achieve the career I want. Within three years I have already accomplished so much more than I could have possibly imagined. I hope to use this award to show people who may have misconceptions about apprenticeships that there is no difference between me and a graduate and raise the profile of apprenticeships.’
PWC won the Rolls Royce Newcomer Large Employer of the Year 2014 category. Sara Caplan, Partner at the firm said: “Our apprentices start a career with real responsibility, supporting high-profile client work and developing the skills to succeed in business through a two year development programme, with the opportunity to progress to the very top of our organisation.
‘We now hope to encourage more employers in our sector to recognise the benefits of employing apprentices through our role in the Accountancy and Management Consultancy Trailblazer projects.’
The Apprentice of the Year categories are:
· Intermediate Apprentice of the Year
· Advanced Apprentice of the Year
· Higher Apprentice of the Year
· Apprenticeship Champion of the Year
The Employer of the Year categories are open to employers of all sizes and sectors and include the following:
· Small Employer of the Year
· Medium Employer of the Year
· Large Employer of the Year
· Macro Employer of the Year
· Newcomer – Small to Medium sized employers
· Newcomer – Large employers
For the fifth year running the very best employer category entries will have the additional bonus of featuring in the annual Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list. The 2015 list will be announced at the prestigious National Apprenticeship Awards ceremony in January 2016.
This year the national ceremony will also celebrate traineeship employers and the support they provide young people to help them gain the skills and experience needed to successfully apply for an apprenticeship or job.
To find out more about this year’s National Apprenticeship Awards and for information on how to enter, please search National Apprenticeship Awards on gov.uk. Entries can be made from later this week.
Further details on the information workshops taking place across the country throughout March and April are also available on the application site.
