The first Leeds Apprenticeship Awards were held at Leeds Civic Hall on 8 February, to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week 2012.
Over 220 people attended the event which provided an opportunity for apprentices, employers, learning providers and ambassadors in Leeds to shine and gain the recognition they deserve; and spotlight the outstanding contributions Apprenticeships make to the city.
The evening included speakers and presenters from the public and private sector, with guest appearances by Leeds Rhino, Jamie Jones-Buchanan and Leeds United’s Aidan White; entertainment was provided by musicians from the Leeds Youth Jazz and Rock Orchestra.
The awards were the culmination of a year long campaign to raise the profile of Apprenticeships; generated through the Leeds Apprenticeship Challenge. The campaign coupled with collaboration of businesses and training providers has seen the number of Apprenticeships double in the last year, reaffirming the city’s commitment to investing in and promoting Apprenticeship opportunities.
There were categories for both individuals and organisations and the winners were:
Apprentice Awards
Young Apprentice of the Year
Daniel Hendon, Corpus Christi Catholic College
Apprentice of the Year
Carra Grieve, Perry Uniforms
Toby Robbins, Leeds City Council Parks and Countryside
Making a Difference
Mark Kilvington, Leeds City Council Museums and Galleries
Robert Blackshaw, Leeds College of Building
Sarah Garnett, Telefonica UK Ltd
Against All Odds
Adam France, Siemens UK
Sadie Crossley, Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust
Employer Awards
Small/Medium Employer of the Year
Surgical Innovations
Large Employer of the Year
Asda
Changing the Face of Leeds
East North East Homes Leeds
Outstanding Contribution
Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust
Ambassador Awards
School / Academy Apprentice Champion
Joe Coluccio, Corpus Christi Catholic College
Learning Provider of the Year
Leeds College of Building
Special Award
Leeds City Council Apprentice of the Year
Dominic Grimes, Parks and Countryside
Mark Kilvington, Museums and Galleries
Toby Robbins, Parks and Countryside
Yoni Caspi, Legal Services
The Build My Future; Build My Leeds Apprenticeship Competition winners who received a construction Apprenticeship working on major Leeds developments at Leeds Arena and Trinity Leeds were also announced, these are:
Antony Pearce 18
Apprentice Electrician with Laing O’Rourke
George Moore 16
Apprentice Electrician with Rotary Yorkshire Ltd
Oliver Neal 16
Apprentice Carpenter and Joiner with Bermar Building
Thank you to everyone who supported the Leeds Apprenticeship Awards 2012 which proved to be a huge success; we hope to build on this success for next year, so start thinking about who you will nominate for 2013 …
If you would like to know more about Apprenticeship in Leeds, please visit: www.leeds.gov.uk/employmentleeds
or contact 0113 2475862