Award Categories

With 11 category awards, this will be a celebration of the best and brightest young and mature learners and those organisations who are finding new ways to drive aspiration and education through their apprenticeship programmes.

To enter one of the six Apprentice of the Year categories listed below, apprentices must be currently on a programme that started before 01/03/2023 and finishes on or after 11/11/2023. Your entry must be aligned to the sector that you work in. Judges will be looking for apprentices who can demonstrate their achievements, contribution and the impact they have made within the industry they work:

  • Think of your team, how they operate and your personal contribution to team objectives.
  • Outline the skills you have developed since you began your apprenticeship.
  • How has your apprenticeship impacted on you, especially in terms of your ambitions and motivation?
  • How does your apprenticeship help your employer meet organisational objectives?
  • Include your personal aspirations and planned career path.
  • 1. Construction AND PROPERTY

    The construction industry is vibrant in the region at the moment, from major projects like the Wolverhampton interchange to new office blocks and hotels. The roles are varied and applications are invited from all fields, whether you are training to be a brick layer or project manager. We also encourage applicants from property supporting sectors: from chartered surveyor apprentices to estate agency, property maintenance or fenestration installer apprentices.

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    2. engineering and manufacturing

    Manufacturing and engineering are considered the lifeblood of the West Midlands economy with so many major employers having bases here. You could be working on the production line at an automotive or aerospace manufacturer, be part of the vital supply chain or training alongside engineers on the next big road or rail project. However, the sector is extremely varied and so applications are encouraged from all fields from SMEs to large corporations.

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    3. Health, Education & Care

    Do you go above and beyond for the people you work with, whether they are learners, service users or patients in your care? Are you an apprentice with an attitude that no task is too much to help the people in your care or classroom? You will be working in fields such as mobile care or a care home setting, mainstream and higher education, for private and NHS hospitals and other healthcare sectors.

     

     

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    4. Professional
    services

    Our region has a thriving professional services sector and, although not a field traditionally associated with apprenticeships, that culture is changing. You could be working for a big accountancy firm, a small creative agency or anything in between. Judges will look for personal development and an ability to work with clients across all types of different projects and briefs. This category covers business services, professional services, financial services, legal services, recruitment and accounting.

     

     

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    5. Tech, digital and creative industries

    The digital sector is booming across the Black Country and Staffordshire with developers, gamers and IT specialists cropping up throughout the region. This category welcomes applicants from across the digital sector including coding, content production, design, development, marketing, software engineering and other technical roles. The sector is known for owner-managed businesses where everyone from the new recruit to the CEO gets their hands dirty. Are you a team player who will take on any task to help your employer succeed?

     

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    6. Hospitality, Retail, Leisure and Travel

    Whilst the last two years have been the toughest these industries have ever faced, we want to celebrate and recognise those who deserve praise and to promote the challenging work of tenacious businesses in these industries. As consumers we expect more and demand elevated levels of customer service which is vital that apprentices from these industries can demonstrate. Whether you are working in a bar, in a leisure centre, managing front of house or making peoples dreams come true by arranging holidays then we want to hear from you. Our winners will be those who can demonstrate flexibility, examples of going over and above and delivering an excellent level of customer service.

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    The links between education, communities and business are crucial to help increase employability, grow talent within our region, raise aspirations, encourage our future rising stars and show opportunities for progression.

    This award will recognise proactive organisations who go that extra mile to engage with the community around them to help shape our future workforce.

    • Why is engaging with business and developing your pupils/students/customers’ employability and soft skills (e.g. communication, team work, resilience etc.) important for your organisation? How is this reflected and promoted in your leadership, management and governance?
    • In your nomination, please describe the methods your organisation uses to engage with the business community and the level of this engagement.
    • Describe how employability and soft skills are practically incorporated into learning and/or training. What is innovative about your approach?
    • List your organisation’s recent achievements in relation to developing soft skills and engaging with business. Describe any challenges you have overcome to achieve these results.
    • Please describe why your organisation should win the Education and Engagement Award.

    7. EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT Award

    The links between education, communities and business are crucial to help increase employability, grow talent within our region, raise aspirations, encourage our future rising stars and show opportunities for progression.

     

    This award will recognise proactive organisations who go that extra mile to engage with the community around them to help shape our future workforce.

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    This award recognises outstanding commitment to apprentices and apprenticeships within an organisation. The judges are looking for proactive employers who can demonstrate how they have delivered an apprenticeship programme that has benefited the organisation and that of your apprentices(s). Please explain your strategy that drives your apprenticeship programme.
    Evidence is required as to:
    • Why do you believe the delivery of your apprenticeship programme is exceptional?
    • What sets your organisation above and beyond other employers?
    • How has your apprenticeship programme helped meet your organisations current and future skill requirements?

      8. large employer of the year (250+)

      We are keen to celebrate those businesses, organisations and public sector bodies who go above and beyond to train and nurture their apprentices. We are looking for those who have designed and implemented an exciting and innovative apprenticeship programme (for one or many apprentices). we want to hear from you. Judges will reward those who can demonstrate commitment to the apprenticeship scheme and highlight its measurable benefits as well as outstanding leadership when it comes to mentoring their staff through to the successful completion of an apprenticeship programme.

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      9. Medium Employer of the year (51-249)

      We are keen to celebrate those businesses, organisations and public sector bodies who go above and beyond to train and nurture their apprentices. We are looking for those who have designed and implemented an exciting and innovative apprenticeship programme (for one or many apprentices), we want to hear from you. Judges will reward those who can demonstrate commitment to the apprenticeship scheme and highlight its measurable benefits as well as outstanding leadership when it comes to mentoring their staff through to the successful completion of an apprenticeship programme.

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      10. small employer of the year (1-50)

      We are keen to celebrate those businesses, organisations and public sector bodies who go above and beyond to train and nurture their apprentices. We are looking for those who have designed and implemented an exciting and innovative apprenticeship programme (for one or many apprentices), we want to hear from you. Judges will reward those who can demonstrate commitment to the apprenticeship scheme and highlight its measurable benefits as well as outstanding leadership when it comes to mentoring their staff through to the successful completion of an apprenticeship programme.

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      This award will recognise excellence in the delivery of apprenticeships.
      Applications are encouraged from all types of providers, irrespective of size. Judges will be looking for providers to demonstrate
      • High Levels of engagement with employers and apprentices
      • Sustained commitment to working with employers in your sector, particularly how your provision adapts to meet employer requirements
      • Evidence of high levels of learner retention, progression, and positive outcomes
      • How do you stand out from other providers?

        11. training provider of the year

        Training providers are a vital key in the apprenticeship chain, ensuring staff are receiving all the necessary skills and training they need to succeed in the workplace and upon which employers are so reliant. Judges will be looking for those training providers which can demonstrate a real commitment to the development of apprentices, relationships with employers and the delivery of new and innovative apprenticeships (or apprenticeships complementary) programmes which respond to regional skills priorities. They will also seek evidence of solid results and the development of future plans.

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