Apprentices were the toast of the town as their achievements were celebrated at a special Staffordshire University awards evening.
A whole host of accolades were presented to individuals who have excelled on Higher and Degree Apprenticeship courses as well as to mentors and the companies and other organisations that have supported them.
They included Colin Jones who was named Apprentice of the Year. Colin works at the Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and completed his Senior Leader Apprenticeship through the university.
Daily Focus presented the Employer of the Year Award that went to advanced system integration specialist Capula. The Stone-base company has more than 30 apprentices studying Level 3 to Level 7 qualifications across a range of engineering, digital and business disciplines.
Another popular winner on the night was Staffordshire University Apprenticeship Business Development Officer Levi Marshall who was named Apprenticeship Champion of the Year.
Meanwhile Mentor of the Year went to Nathan Rose at General Electric.
The other winners were:
Digital Technology and Arts Outstanding Apprentice – Dominic Needham of BT
Justice Security and Sustainability Outstanding Apprentice – Khush Najran of Wells Pharmacy
Healthcare Science and Wellbeing Oustanding Apprentice – Emmanuel Folorunsho of Synnovis
Outstanding Apprentice Performer – Jennie Porter of University Hospital of North Midlands
More than 130 guests attended the awards evening held last night (Thursday) in the multi-million pound Catalyst Building. It was just a week after the same venue hosted the university’s inaugural Business Awards, which was covered in Daily Focus.
Associate Dean of Apprenticeships Maighread Hegarty said: “I am delighted that apprenticeships are no longer the university’s best kept secret.
“Everyone celebrating here tonight has been central to this year’s achievements so enjoy the celebration and join us in being ‘Proud to be Staffs’.
“We currently have over 3,000 apprentices which make up 25 per cent of the University’s student community – the second highest of any university in the country.
“We are extremely proud of our apprentices who are studying hard at the same time as making a valuable contribution in their workplaces. We’re also delighted to work with so many employers as their chosen apprenticeship provider and the Celebration Evening is an event to celebrate how we work together to develop the workforce.”
The celebration evening was attended by the University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Raheel Nawaz, a leading researcher who helped launch Degree Apprenticeships across three continents and was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in recognition of his groundbreaking work.
He said: “Earlier this year we were visited by government Minister Robert Halfon who recognised that Staffordshire University has a strong track record in delivering degree apprenticeships and working with employers to address skills gaps.”
Professor Nawaz added: “In June, we were also privileged to host the First International Conference on Delivery and Policy of Degree and Higher Apprenticeships here at the University, which gave senior stakeholders from the UK, Europe, and North America the opportunity to discuss and debate some of the most important issues around degree and higher apprenticeships.
“New research has identified that high quality teaching is the most important factor necessary for an apprentice to thrive and we will continue to work with our employer partners to nurture and support our apprentices and provide an alternative route to high level skills and education.”
Staffordshire University provides more than 20 different Higher and Degree Apprenticeships for over 200 businesses across a variety of industries. They include BT, Merlin Entertainment, the NHS and Bentley Motors.
