80% of apprentice award winners are from the Northern Powerhouse.
- 80% of apprentice award winners are from the Northern Powerhouse
- Joe Buck from the North West picks up prestigious 'Rising Star' award
- Northern Powerhouse based BAE Systems wins 'Employer of the year' and 'Recruitment Excellence' awards
Businesses and apprentices from across the Northern Powerhouse have swept to victory in nearly all of the hotly-contested categories of this year's National Apprenticeship Awards 2018.
Now in its 15th year, the awards are the largest and most prestigious celebration of apprentices and apprentice employers across the country.
The 'Excellence in Apprenticeships' themed Awards ceremony showcased individual and employer success stories, recognising apprenticeships as a fast-track to a great career and enabler of business growth.
An impressive 4/5 of the winning apprentices' categories were from the Northern Powerhouse including:
- The Lloyds Banking Group Award for the Rising Star: Joe Buck, Mitchells & Butlers, Liverpool
- The British Army Award for Intermediate Apprentice of the Year: Muhammad Uddin, Yorkshire Housing, Leeds
- The Nuclear Decommissioning Site Licence Companies Award for Higher or Degree Apprentice of the Year: Jordan Coulton, Weightmans LLP, Liverpool
- Royal Air Force Award for Apprenticeship Champion of the Year: Natalie White, National Nuclear Laboratory, Preston
BAE Systems – a world-leading manufacturer and Northern Powerhouse employer – also collected The PeoplePlus Award for Recruitment Excellence (selected from the Employer of the Year award) and The Centrica Award for Macro Employer of the Year (for organisations with 5,000+ employees).
Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry MP, said:
It's been a record-breaking year for the businesses and apprentices of the Northern Powerhouse in this year's National Apprenticeship Awards. Our region has a proud record on apprenticeships with over 1 million apprentice starts since 2010.
The Northern Powerhouse accounts for 35% of all apprenticeship starts in England despite only making up 25% of the UK's workforce; I'm determined to see that figure climb to 50%, as we establish the Northern Powerhouse as the world-leader in vocational training.
Many congratulations to the winners of this year's National Apprenticeship Awards – they have done the Northern Powerhouse proud.
Education Secretary Damian Hinds said:
Apprenticeships are an excellent way for anyone to gain new skills and forge a career in anything from aerospace engineering to nursing. The National Apprenticeship Awards is a fantastic event to celebrate the achievements of apprentices, employers and training providers, and I want to wish all the winners and nominees congratulations on their incredible efforts.
Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Anne Milton said:
I want to say a big well done to all the winners, finalists, 'rising stars' and all the apprentices up and down the country who I also think are stars! What stands out to me when I meet apprentices is their passion for what they do, and their determination to really get things done. All of these winners as well as anyone going out of their comfort zone, taking steps to learn new skills and change their life should be very proud.
