Apprenticeship Awards Winners 2019-20
The Annual Petroc Apprenticeship Awards recognise and reward the exceptional work and results gained by employers and apprentices who work alongside Petroc. This year, with the exceptional challenges that businesses and individuals have had to face, it is even more important to honour and recognise their dedication and commitment.
The Awards celebrate the very best employers, apprentices and apprenticeship champions across the region, highlighting those whose creativity, commitment, experience and strong leadership has helped them achieve success.
Sam Wilson, Head of Apprenticeships at Petroc, discusses her pride in the winners: “Apprenticeships offer a fantastic route to learning in the workplace. It has been an honour to judge all the apprentice nominations, recognising the success of dedicated apprentices, the commitment of their employers, and the support shown by the Petroc Apprenticeship Team. I want to acknowledge all of the apprentices that were nominated – with over a thousand apprentices here at Petroc, to be nominated is a real achievement and something to be very proud of. Petroc’s apprentices have shown real resilience throughout the pandemic, many working on the front line, others adapting to working from home in their first job. It’s really inspiring to hear how apprentices have succeeded.”
Petroc prides itself on its long-standing partnerships with employers, who see the value of apprenticeships and life-long learning. The employer-focused awards are given solely on merit, and are awarded to commend those most deserving for their ingenuity and investment of time and training of their apprentices.
The winner’s include:
Lifetime Achievement Award – Gail Richards – North Devon Healthcare NHS Trust
Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Apprenticeships (Employer) – Helen Duke – Mid Devon Council
Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Apprenticeships (Individual) – Andy Priest – Accord Healthcare
SEND Apprenticeship Champion Award – Devon County Council
Apprentice Employer of the Year (Large Employer) – Parker Hannafin
Traineeship Employer of the Year – Nirvana
Petroc has been offering apprenticeship routes for decades, and the apprentice and traineeship nominations were hugely popular, receiving high numbers in every category. The Petroc judges were looking for apprentices who showed resilience, dedication and the positive impact they have had within the business.
Winners include:
Apprentice of the Year (SME) – Harriet Cousins – Llewellyn’s Hairdressers
Overall Petroc Apprentice of the Year – Chloe Condliffe – TDK Lambda
Petroc’s Best Overall Apprentice of the year award went to Chloe Condliffe, an HR Support Standard Apprentice with TDK Lambda. Sam Wilson said: “Chloe represents the best of what a student can gain from an effective apprenticeship programme. She has a maturity and presence that belies her young years and her positive ‘can do’ attitude has gained her the respect of all her colleagues.”
And a special ‘Lifetime Achievement’ Award went to Gail Richards of the Northern Devon Healthcare Trust/ Sam Wilson said: “Gail’s passion for apprenticeships and training is contagious! She strives to develop and evolve the apprenticeship provision across her NHS Trust. She provides support as an employer. Gail insists on high standards and supports regular communication and quality, and is a real advocate for Trust apprentices.”
Head of Business Development at Petroc, Julie Yates commented on the awards: “We received a number of strong nominations and, while this made judging an unenviable task, it highlights the wealth of talent among our learners and the level of dedication and expertise within our employer network. It is fantastic to celebrate the many successes of commitment to their programmes during Apprenticeship Week.”
