5 March 2015
Young people and businesses in Birmingham have been shortlisted to receive awards ahead of the eighth annual National Apprenticeship Week [9-13 March].
South and City College Birmingham is celebrating the success and achievements of apprentices, trainees and employers at an awards evening which will be held at the Macdonald Burlington Hotel on Thursday 5 March.
16 awards will be given out on the evening, which will be hosted by Free Radio presenter Tom Ross. Alongside an overall Apprentice of the Year, apprentices from seven different industry sectors will be named as Industry Apprentice of the Year; chosen for their attendance, time keeping, motivation, quality of work, attitude and work ethic.
Local businesses will also be recognised, with awards being given to large and SME employers for the valuable contribution to they have made. The college’s InBusiness network has organised the event, and Honorary President, Sir Doug Ellis OBE will be presenting the award to the overall winner along with the Lord Mayor of Birmingham.
Mike Hopkins, principal of the college said: “Apprenticeships and traineeships provide excellent opportunities for both young people and businesses. We held our first awards evening last year, and we hope this year’s will follow in its success.
“Congratulations to all the apprentices and businesses, who have been shortlisted for their excellent work, and I wish them luck on the evening.”
Last year Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust won an award for the valuable opportunities they provided young people. Alexandra Kustas, Skills and Apprentice Manager said: “We were very pleased to have been given the award. As an organisation that is all about providing services in and for the community, we are delighted to play a part in providing high quality learning and career opportunities for young people living locally.
“For us, apprentices are incredibly valuable to the business, and we go on to hire many as full-time members of staff once they complete their apprenticeships.”
Shortlisted for the Apprentice Large Employer Award 2015 are: Kier Partnership Homes, Midland Heart and National Express.
Shortlisted for Apprentice SME Employer Award 2015 are: Braywhite & Co Ltd., Fix Autos Birmingham, East and Benson Road School.
Shortlisted companies for the InBusiness Student Experience Employer Award 2015 are: MG Motors, Hollywood Monster, Roy G Hemmings, The Sounds of Philadephia and Motown Show, XPro and Eze Group.
The individuals who have been shortlisted for the InBusiness Student Contribution Award 2015 are: Aksar Khan, Kash Gill, Nick Bailey, Gary James, Jamie Dunn, Eddy Ankrett, Tom Ross, Steve Staunton, Edward Van der Keijn, Dave Barnett, Nyla Naseer Jimmy Franks, Kostas Petrou, Sheila Kelly-Trow and Tim Andrews.
The National Federation of Builders (NFB) will be presenting the Excellence in Construction award to a South and City College student from Birmingham excelling in construction. The NFB currently provide the college with the NFB Construction Fund which supplies bursaries to students in need.
The college would like to thank the generous sponsors of the awards: OCNWMR, Edwards Plumbing and Heating Supplies, Morgan Hunt, Keepmoat, NFB, British Military Security, National Federation of Builders, AB Waste Management, Ice 7 Media and The Asian Today Newspaper.
National Apprenticeship Week is co-ordinated by the National Apprenticeship Service, and is designed to celebrate Apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the economy.
