THE SEARCH is on for Coventry and Warwickshire’s best apprentices.
The Coventry and Warwickshire Apprentice of the Year Awards 2016 is being launched by radio station Touch FM, with an inaugural awards evening to take place at Coventry Cathedral on November 10.
The awards is being backed by partner organisations Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), Warwickshire County Council, and Coventry City Council, along with Stratford MP and government adviser on apprentices, Nadhim Zahawi.
Sixteen award categories are open for employers and training providers to nominate apprentices living or working in Coventry and Warwickshire.
The categories are health and social care; child development and wellbeing, including teaching and lecturing and direct learning support; public services; agriculture, horticulture, animal care including veterinary science and forestry; environment conservation; engineering; manufacturing technologies; transportation, operations and maintenance; building and construction; ICT; retailing, wholesale, warehousing and distribution; hospitality and catering, including travel and tourism; sport leisure and recreation; administration, accounting and finance including customer service; business management, marketing and sales, including publishing, media and communications.
Nominations close in late September, with finalists to be announced in October. All finalists will be invited to attend the presentation evening at Coventry Cathedral.
The winners of each category will receive a trophy and certificate, and will also become C&W Apprentice Ambassadors to promote apprenticeships at local schools and careers events.
Steve Orchard, chief executive of Touch FM’s parent company Quidem, said: “This is a rallying call for apprentices and the companies that employ them to step forward into the limelight.
“We are determined to recognise the achievements of our region’s very best apprentices and the fabulous awards night at Coventry Cathedral is going to provide a stage worthy of the many success stories that will emerge.”
Jonathan Browning, chairman of the Coventry and Warwickshire LEP, added apprenticeships at the heart of driving the growth of the economy.
He said: “It’s vital to promote to young people and families that apprenticeships are a real option to help develop careers. It is a great way to start in a business career and commercial career and with great technical skills.
“The future is about people in all our businesses and organisations and apprenticeships is one of the best ways to build that base of people.”
Visit www.cwapprenticeawards.co.uk for further details.
