The achievements of Lincolnshire apprentices, trainers and employers have been recognised at an awards ceremony in Lincoln, with winners across eight categories.
Highlights of the event included the presentation of the overall Apprentice Champion of the Year award to Molly Fitch from Louth. Nominated by First College, Molly completed a Customer Service apprenticeship through East Lindsey District Council (ELDC), and overcame dyslexia and self-confidence issues to achieve a distinction in her final assessment.
Apprentice Champions were also awarded in sector categories, with the winners being:
- Health and care – Zara Lewis from Lincoln who undertook Level 3 Business Administrator with Lincolnshire Community Health Service.
- Education – Christopher Fitzpatrick from Frieston in Boston who undertook Level 3 Digital Marketing at Brooks and Kirk (Assessor Training) Ltd.
- Government and public services – Molly Fitch from Louth who undertook Level 2 Customer Service Practitioner with East Lindsey District Council.
- Visitor economy - Ben Spencer from Faldingworth who undertook Level 2 Animal Management at The Parrot Zoo Trust in Friskney.
- Construction, engineering and technology – Graeme Matthews from Lincoln who undertook Level 2 Engineering Operative at ProAmpac.
Cllr Patricia Bradwell, executive councillor for adult learning at the county council, said: “All the apprentice nominees had achieved personal successes as well as qualifications, so it was really hard to choose the winners! Those who came away with awards should be so proud of their achievements and show the huge variety of apprenticeships available for people of all ages and backgrounds.”
In other categories, the Employer award was given to Boston Endeavour Academy - a special education (SEND) school that has worked closely with Boston College to train teaching assistants with the specialist skills needed to work in SEND settings.
Their Level 3 Teaching Assistant apprenticeship programme offers a range of additional training including Makaton and awareness of medical conditions, such as epilepsy and gastronomy feeding, and offers a supportive environment for their apprentices.
Clare Hughes, from the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Apprenticeships are a real priority for us and we recently launched our new Apprenticeship Strategy for Greater Lincolnshire. They are becoming the qualification of choice not just for individuals, but for employers, recognising the tailored approach they offer”.
Credit Services Association were the winners of the training provider award, having been nominated by Lincolnshire Trading Standards for their compliance and risk training.
Gail Dunn, Chair of the Lincolnshire Public Sector Compact group said: “This was such an amazing event celebrating the achievements of all of the winners. It also provided a great platform for promoting and showcasing apprenticeships.”