The success of Nelson and Colne College’s apprentices, and the support they receive from local employers, was celebrated at an awards event during National Apprenticeship Week.
More than 20 awards were presented during a special ceremony hosted by TV and radio presenter Tony Livesey at the College’s Farringtons restaurant.
Pendle Leisure Trust Apprentice Luke Parkinson was named the overall Apprentice of the year for achieving outstanding results in his Sport and Leisure Apprenticeship. Luke has excelled in his role and the award recognises apprentices who are willing to go above and beyond their day to day duties. Luke has taken a pro-active and positive approach to his work and is flexible and always enthusiastic. He was praised by manager, Sam Bowden for his ongoing commitment and dedication.
Steve Kelly from Hycrome Europe Ltd and Angela Woodward from Walton Lane Nursery were presented with Apprenticeship Ambassador Awards in recognition of the way they and their companies champion apprenticeships as an essential part pf their workforce strategy and the future of their businesses.
“We’re delighted that so many apprentices and local businesses could join us to celebrate their outstanding achievements and commitment to Apprenticeships,” said Nelson and Colne College Principal Amanda Melton. “National Apprenticeship Week is aimed at showcasing the impact of Apprenticeships on businesses, individuals and the local economy, and our awards provided an ideal opportunity to celebrate this.
“It was fantastic to highlight the achievements of both individuals who have excelled in their apprenticeship field, and the employers who support them and are reaping the benefits of Apprenticeships for their business. It goes without saying that I am immensely proud of the businesses and learners we work with, and I am pleased that we were able to celebrate that at this event.”
MP Andrew Stephenson, who is a passionate supporter of the benefits of Apprenticeships, helped to celebrate the achievements of the Apprentices at the event.
He said: “Apprentices play a key role in the growth of local businesses and it was fantastic to hear about so many success stories at this event, both in terms of young people who have achieved their potential and businesses who have been driven on by employing apprentices. Nelson and Colne College does some excellent work in conjunction with businesses to train apprentices and there was no better time to celebrate this than during National Apprenticeship Week.”
The full list of award winners was: Dominic Smale, AAT Apprentice of the Year; Andrew Kelllet, Barbering Apprentice of the Year; Rebecca Furmston, Beauty Therapy Apprentice of the Year; Maddison Barker, Business Administration Apprentice of the Year; Megan Wych, Catering and Hospitality Apprentice of the Year; Sadia Nadeem, Childcare/Teaching Assistant Apprentice of the Year; Nathan McMullen, Engineering Apprentice of the Year; Ainsley Carter, Hairdressing Apprentice of the Year; Natalie Wearden, Health and Social Care Apprentice of the Year; Amy Hindman, Marketing and Social Media Apprentice of the Year; Luke Parkinson, Overall Apprentice of the Year; Linda Barrowclough (Innova Solutions) New Business of the Year; Julie Fox (Pendle Borough Council with Liberata) Apprenticeship Skills and Development Award; Steve Kelly (Hycrome) Apprenticeship Ambassador Award; Angela Woodward (Walton Lane Nursery) Apprenticeship Ambassador Award; Thomas Jordan (Textstyles) Small Business of the Year; Liam Hogan (Old Fashioned Traditional Barbering); Louise Birchall (Birchalls Food Supplies) Medium Business of the Year; Spencer Burge (Bertrams) Medium Business of the Year; Debbie Richens (Bank Hall Care Home) Medium Business of the Year; Barbara Dole (East Lancashire Health Trust) Large Business of the Year.
