Apprenticeship awards honour outstanding apprentices and employers

Cambridge Regional College celebrated the achievements of apprentices and their employers at an awards night held in their honour.

Engineers, hairdressers, scientists and chefs were among the guests at the celebratory awards dinner at the college’s Park Restaurant, where Cambridge University’s Department of Biochemistry and Domino UK were among the winning employers.

A total of nine organisations were presented with Employer of the Year awards in categories ranging from construction to business, while nine Apprentice of the Year awards were presented to outstanding apprentices across the region.

The overall Apprentice of the Year award went to Science apprentice Rebecca French, from Insect Research and Development in Stow cum Quy, for her outstanding commitment to her apprenticeship and invaluable skills set.

The overall Employer of the Year award went to the Moore Hair Company of Ely, where owner Leah Moore, employs many former apprentices – and was herself an apprentice at CRC.

CRC Assistant Principal and Director of Employer Engagement Paul Skitt said all the winning apprentices had shown outstanding skills, commitment and growth throughout their apprenticeships and were an asset to their employers.

“Congratulations to our excellent and very worthy winners,” he said. “Our Apprentices of the Year are all outstanding individuals who have had a big impact at work and will go far in their careers.

“Big congratulations as well to our winning Employers of the Year, whose support, commitment and celebration of their apprentices and their achievements has been exceptional, encouraging their apprentices to achieve to their highest level.

“Our Apprenticeship awards are one of the highlights of the year at CRC and we were particularly pleased to be able to present awards to organisations and apprentices from a very wide range of industries and sizes – from a small café to Cambridge University.

“Apprenticeships are for people of all ages and the success of our Construction one of our Apprentices of the Year, Michael Gough, who is training to be a plumber after a 30-year break from education, illustrates this perfectly.”

Captions

The winning employers at CRC’s Apprenticeship Awards, pictured with CRC principal Mark Robertson

The nine winning apprentices with CRC principal Mark Robertson

The full list of winners:

The winning Employers of the Year were:

Domino UK Business Employer of the Year

Elder Street Café, Debden Barns Catering Employer of the Year

Wigwam Nurseries Childcare Employer of the Year

Bespak IT Employer of the Year

University of Cambridge Department of Biochemistry Science Employer of the Year

Moore Hair Company Hairdressing Employer of the Year and overall Employer of the Year

JDR Cables Management Employer of the Year

Shelford Heating Construction Employer of the Year

Plextek Engineering Employer of the Year

The winning Apprentices of the Year were:

Natasha Bidwell, Wigwam Nurseries Brampton

Laura Polack, Tees Law

Bethany Collins, Premier Travel

Chloe Trainer, Cambridge Reginal College

Jamie Bruce, Huxley Bertram

Rebecca French, Insect Research and Development – overall Apprentice of the Year

Michael Gough, Waterworx

Rebecca Rees, Aesthetica Beauty Salon

Izabela Strek, Anglia Ruskin University

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MEDIA ENQUIRIES

For more information, please contact Lynn O’Shea, Cambridge Regional College Press Officer, on 01223 418773 or email