Nominations Open for the 2017 Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards
Now in its third year, the Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards is well established as one of the leading training awards in the South West. Hosts Truro and Penwith College are again on the hunt for both Apprentices and Employers that are demonstrating outstanding achievement and commitment to Apprenticeships, and this week opened nominations via their website.
Any learner or employer who is involved in Apprenticeship training in Cornwall is eligible to be nominated, regardless of the College or training provider that delivers their training, provided they are still training as an Apprentice, or completed their training after 1st June 2016. Forty-two nominees will be shortlisted, and a panel of judges consisting of employers across Cornwall will decide who will be the Apprentice or Employer of the Year in each of the fifteen categories (see box out 1).
In 2016 36-year-old Emma Ferguson from Harrowbarrow and Metherell Pre-School, was awarded Apprentice of the year in Health, Social Care and Childcare and scooped the coveted Cornwall’s Apprentice of the Year Award for her astonishing rise from Apprentice to Acting Setting Leader.
Professional Cookery Apprentice Lucy Wilton, from the Eden Project, was awarded Achiever of the Year in 2016. Lucy was just 10 months into her Apprenticeship at the time, and had shown massive improvement in her self-confidence following some significant personal challenges and despite her family circumstances having to be balanced with the workplace while assisting a family member in hospital.
Members of the public will have an opportunity to help determine the Achiever of the Year for the first time in 2017, by voting for their winner from three shortlisted nominees on the Truro and Penwith College website. The public vote will go live in early September, and the result will be combined with the scores of three judges from Apprentice employers to determine the winner of the category.
Tregothnan Estate and CORMAC won SME and Large Employer of the year respectively in 2016 for the exceptional support and progression opportunities available to their Apprentices. The employers have since supported Truro and Penwith College at a number of events to spread the word about Apprenticeship training.
The 2017 Awards will be held in Truro College’s Gannel building on 17th November, in association with GetMyFirstJob. Pirate FM are the official media partners for 2017 and the College is thrilled to announce Breakfast Show presenters Neil and Lucy will be hosting the evening. Mark Peters, MD, Pirate FM commented: “Pirate FM are proud to be the official media partner for the Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards, it’s really important to us, as a local company to make sure we are training and educating for the future success of Cornwall as a whole.”
David Walrond, Principal of Truro and Penwith College said: “2017 marks a very exciting time for Apprenticeship training, with a government commitment to achieving its target of 3 million Apprentices in England by 2020. As a College we are strongly committed to delivering an outstanding experience for our learners and employers, and we are delighted to host these Awards which provide the perfect opportunity to recognise exceptional achievement and commitment across Cornwall.”
Nominations for the awards are being accepted via the Truro and Penwith College website – www.truro-penwith.ac.uk/CornwallApprenticeshipAwards. Anyone wishing to submit a nomination can visit these pages for more information or email nominations@truro-penwith.ac.uk for guidance.
Images:
Group – 2016’s Apprentices of the year with hosts Holly Day and Neil Caddy from Pirate FM.
Emma – Emma Ferguson, Cornwall’s Apprentice of the year in 2016.
Box Out 1 – Categories
Award Categories
Apprentices
Apprentice of the year awards will be presented to individuals who have achieved excellence in the range of sectors detailed below:
Apprentice of the Year – Hospitality
Apprentice of the Year – Accountancy
Apprentice of the Year – Construction
Apprentice of the Year – Health and Social Care and Child Care
Apprentice of the Year – Digital and IT
Apprentice of the Year – Management and Marketing
Apprentice of the Year – Business
Apprentice of the Year – Customer Service and Retail
Apprentice of the Year – Hair and Beauty
Apprentice of the Year – Motor Vehicle
Apprentice of the Year – Engineering
Apprentice – Achiever of the Year
Nominees for all other categories will be considered for this award that acknowledges those who have overcome adversity or personal challenges.
Cornwall’s Apprentice of the Year
Nominees for all other categories will be automatically entered for the Apprentice of the Year award. This award also provides the opportunity to nominate an Apprentice who works in a sector not covered by the sector awards.
Employer
The Employer categories celebrate companies who ensure their Apprenticeship programmes provide the upmost value to their business and Apprentices.
Apprentice Employer of the Year (SME < 250 employees)
Apprentice Employer of the Year (Large >250 employees)
