On Tuesday 4 February apprentices from across Apprenticeships at Salford City College put their best dresses and suits on to celebrate the annual Apprenticeship Awards. This year marks the tenth year that Apprenticeships at Salford City College have offered a provision. Launching in 2009 with a cohort of ten apprentices, the provision has since grown remarkably with over 1,500 apprentices supported in the last academic year, the vast majority of whom are from local communities. To celebrate the momentous occasion, two of the colleges first apprentices Courtney Winstanley and Ashley Gatto attended the evening and presented an award to the Overall Apprentice of the Year. Over the course of the evening a total of 15 awards were presented to both apprentices and employers outlining their achievements and commitment.
Allan Milne, Head of Apprenticeship and Business Development, said: “The nominations this year have been better than ever, with some amazingly talented apprentices being recognised for their determination and dedication to succeed.” The main award of the evening was the prestigious Overall Apprentice of The Year Award. This year’s winner was Bonnie Cassidy from Frenkel Topping. She was described as ‘a valued asset to her company, displaying the right attributes that are key to succeed in industry’.
Jim Taylor, Chief Executive of Salford City Council, also attended the event and delivered an inspiring keynote speech about the importance of apprenticeships in Salford. Allan added: “It is vital that we continue to deliver apprenticeship programmes which meets the needs of local people, providing them with the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed by their employers, ensuring all can prosper. We have been delighted with our recent stakeholder feedback confirming that this is indeed what we are doing.”
Guests were also entertained by a showstopping performance by the Pendleton Contemporary Choir. Founded in 2006 at Pendleton Sixth Form College, they specialise in 20th and 21st Century pieces. The choir cover genres such as rock, pop and classical.
If you want to be one of next year’s Salford City College Apprenticeship Award Winners, whether you are looking for an apprenticeship or to hire an apprentice, then contact the Salford City College team on 0161 631 5555 or by emailing apprenticeships@salfordcc.ac.uk
