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Yorkshire firms and apprentices in the hunt for a national award

Twenty-one firms and apprentices from across Yorkshire will represent the region’s apprenticeship talent after being shortlisted for the regional final of the prestigious National Apprenticeship Awards 2013.

Nestlé UK in York and talented apprentice Rachel Appleby from Telefonica UK Ltd. in Shipley, are just some of the local finalists who will be competing to win at the awards ceremony. The showcase event will be held at Leeds College of Music on Tuesday 10thSeptember, sponsored by Leeds City College and Leeds College of Music, Genix Healthcare, YH Training Services and West Yorkshire Learning Providers.

The National Apprenticeship Awards, now in their tenth year, celebrate the achievements of the country’s most outstanding apprentices and apprenticeship employers. Some of the Yorkshire firms who will be competing for a top accolade include:

Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc. in Bradford – Macro Employer of the Year

North York Moors National Park Authority in York – Nuclear Decommissioning Site Licence Companies Award for Medium Employer of the Year

Michael and Margaret Naylor and Associates in Sheffield – Nuclear Decommissioning Site Licence Companies Award for Medium Employer of the Year

Yorkshire Housing in Leeds – Newcomer Employer of the Year

Among the region’s apprentices who have reached the final include are:

Joseph Turton from The Food and Environmental Research Agency in York – Advanced Apprentice of the Year

Natasha Pitts from Dale Power Solutions Ltd in Scarborough – Higher Apprentice of the Year

Lee Firth (Sheffield) from NG Bailey in Leeds – City & Guild Champion of the Year

Sue Price, divisional area director for the National Apprenticeship Service in the North, said: “Apprenticeships are a great way for young people to earn while they learn in a real job, gaining a real qualification and rewarding career opportunities. Hiring apprentices is a proven way of attracting new talent and developing a motivated, skilled and diverse workforce. All of the Yorkshire and The Humber award finalists demonstrate these benefits in action.

“The National Apprenticeship Awards showcase excellence and offer a fantastic platform for Yorkshire apprentices and employers to share centre stage and gain the recognition they richly deserve for encouraging ambition and enterprise, creating opportunities and supporting development.

“We always receive entries of outstanding calibre in our region and this year has been no exception. I would like to congratulate all the employers and apprentices on being short-listed for these prestigious awards, and wish them the very best of luck.”

All the regional winners will proceed through to a final national judging stage and the highest scoring employer entries will have the additional honour of featuring in the acclaimed Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list, which will be published by the National Apprenticeship Service in partnership with City & Guilds.

The national award winners will be revealed during a ceremony at The Skills Show, at the NEC in Birmingham on14 November. The Skills Show, which has City & Guilds and the Edge Foundation as its premier sponsors, is the UK’s largest skills and careers event.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by David Gatehouse .