East Midlands Apprenticeship Awards 2009 winners: (l-r standing) Heloise Diouf, James Lebreton, Scott Bailye, awards host Diane Louise Jordan, Andrew Taylor, Paul Boulton, Lee Wilcoxson, and (kneeling) Mark Jefferson, Bryan Harrison and Neil Fowkes

Businesses from around the region gathered to celebrate the achievements of their successful apprenticeship schemes.  The Apprenticeship Awards acknowledged the hard work put in by the best employers and apprentices in the East Midlands. 

The event, organised by the Learning Skills Council and the newly-launched National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) took place at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham.

Among the winners were Eakring-based Ashfield Electrical Rewinds and Installations, who celebrated winning the Small Employer of the Year Award and Rolls-Royce, based at Derby, who collected the Macro Employer of the Year Award.  A hugely successful night for the regions science and engineering businesses. 

Hosting the Awards Ceremony was former Blue Peter presenter Diane Louise Jordan.  The regular face on BBC’s Songs of Praise said she was delighted to be guest speaker on an evening dedicated to getting the best out of peoples’ potential.

She added: “I completely identify with what I see as the three ingredients essential for a successful apprenticeship: support, encouragement and hard work.

“The awards encapsulate those three things and it is a joy to see these young people and organizations getting the recognition they deserve.”

Guest Blogger: Iain Turner, STEM Student Journalist, Nottingham Trent University