This year’s Apprenticeship Awards Cymru – the annual Wales-wide celebration of outstanding achievement in training and apprenticeships has launched.
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The prestigious awards showcase the successes of learners, employers, tutors and assessors who have excelled in contributing to the development of the Welsh Government’s traineeship and apprenticeship programmes.
The awards will culminate in a high-profile ceremony at the International Convention Centre Wales in Newport on October 24th 2019.
There are 12 categories, including a new “Tomorrow’s Talent” category, which gives employers the opportunity to nominate a current apprentice who has ‘demonstrated significant personal progress’ and has made ‘a tangible and positive impact on the employer’s organisational performance.’
The Employability category has awards for Traineeship Learner of the Year for Engagement and Level 1. There are awards too for the best Foundation Apprentice, Apprentice and Higher Apprentice of the Year.
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Successful employers are recognised with awards for small (1 to 49 employees), medium (50 to 249), large (250 to 4,999), and macro (5,000 plus) employers of the year. Work-based learning practitioner excellence is rewarded with two accolades – assessor and tutor of the year.
The closing date for entries is 12 noon, 3 May, and application forms are available online at www.gov.wales/apprenticeshipawardscymru.
The Apprenticeship Awards Cymru are jointly organised by the Welsh Government and the National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW). The Apprenticeship Programme is funded by the Welsh Government with support from the European Social Fund.
Magellan Aerospace UK, winner of last year’s Large Employer of the Year category, currently has almost 70 apprentices – of which approximately half are based in Wrexham.
The North Wales company has invested heavily in apprenticeships and works with Coleg Cambria to provide engineering and manufacturing, and other apprenticeship frameworks .
The contribution apprentices make to the company’s performance cannot be underestimated, says Magellan’s senior training officer, Dave Evans.
“Apprentices account for six per cent of our workforce, which equates to six per cent of our turn over. Therefore, the apprentices are putting £12 million back into the business.”
Growing interest in apprenticeships, coupled with Magellan Aerospace’s success at the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru, has led to the number of applications for the company’s 2019 intake more than double.
“As a company, winning at the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru certainly brings recognition.” Mr Evans continues, “By the time Magellan’s apprenticeship application period closes this year, we may receive as many as 300 applications. I would most definitely recommend businesses enter the Awards, as it is recognition for those taking part in the training programmes.”
Launching the 2019 awards, Minister for the Economy and Transport, Ken Skates said: “Our Welsh Government’s apprenticeships and traineeship programmes are helping increasing numbers of people to gain the skills and experience that we know businesses across all sectors of the economy in Wales really need.
“The Apprenticeship Awards Cymru provides an excellent opportunity to celebrate and showcase the achievements of everyone involved in those programmes from our star apprentices and employers, to learning providers and trainees. I am particularly pleased to announce a new category for this year’s awards – ‘Tomorrow’s Talent’, which recognises the personal progress of a stand out current apprentice and their early impact on business performance.”
