Time to get your Apprenticeship Award entries in
Time is running out for apprentices from across all business and industry sectors to enter the 2009 Apprenticeship Awards.
The Learning and Skills Council’s Apprenticeship Awards are designed to recognise employers who are successfully using apprenticeships to improve business performance and the key role apprentices play in today’s business world.
The awards demonstrate the popularity of apprenticeships amongst individual apprentices in all industries and of all ages and with prizes worth more than £500 for the winners. Past winners have included individuals from sectors as diverse as shipbuilding, childcare, aerospace engineering and sports coaching.
John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, urged employers to get behind the awards. He said: “The LSC’s annual awards are a fantastic opportunity for employers to showcase the best apprenticeship schemes and celebrate the talents of their apprentices and I encourage employers to come forward and take part.”
New research released to mark the launch of the sixth annual Apprenticeship Awards reveals just how critical the contribution of apprentices has been to the buildings, roads and railways that form the fabric of West Midlands.
Commissioned by The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the study demonstrates the breadth of renowned names, from esteemed architects to celebrated designers, for whom an Apprenticeship was the start of a highly celebrated career.
The outstanding architect behind Baskerville House – Thomas Cecil Howitt – began his illustrious career as an apprentice.
Similarly, John Cadbury started out as an apprentice so it could be argued that Bournville and Cadbury’s chocolate may not exist had it not been for apprenticeships. David Gloster, Head of Education at RIBA, who helped conduct the research, said: “Apprentices as a whole have significantly added structural beauty to the West Midlands, and in the process, helped influence future generations of architects, builders and designers. Without the likes of Thomas Cecil Howitt and John Cadbury, the West Midlands wouldn’t look like it does today.”
Chris Banks, Chair of the Learning and Skills Council, added: “In the current economic climate, it is crucial to recognise the importance of training programmes such as Apprenticeships. The Apprenticeship Awards offer individuals a fantastic opportunity to showcase the benefits of Apprenticeship programmes. Entries to the awards have increased year on year and we have received well over 4,000 entries since the first Apprenticeship Awards in 2004.”
At the Apprenticeship Awards 2008, the West Midlands boasted three highly commended finalists including Arden Hotel and Leisure Club of Solihull for Medium Employer of the Year category. Other achievements were Rachel Freestone of Coventry, Highly Commended in the Young Apprentice of the Year category and Mark Brookes of Balsall Common was nominated for the Personal Achiever of the Year award.
* To enter the City and Guild sponsored awards, or for more information, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk/awards or call 08000 150 600. Deadline for entries is February 27, 2009. The winners’ event will be held on July 16 at Old Billingsgate Market, Central London.
