The prestigious East of England Apprenticeship Awards, organised by the National Apprenticeship Service, recognised exceptional apprentices and apprenticeship employers, from small companies to large household names.
The awards were presented at a gala dinner at Newmarket racecourse, with Bango, Greene King and MBDA among the winners of the Employer of the Year awards.
CRC's Director of Employer Engagement Paul Skitt (pictured) presented awards to the winning apprentices in the Intermediate, Advanced and Higher Apprentices of the Year categories, congratulating them on their achievements. The college was the lead sponsor of the awards event.
“I’m delighted, that Cambridge Regional College is the official partner of these prestigious awards. As one of the country’s top providers of apprenticeship programmes we know the value apprentices bring to business and I am delighted to be presenting awards to the region’s best apprentices,” he said.
“CRC works with more than 2,000 employers and currently has a fantastic 5,500 apprentices in training – it’s a key part of our expertise and we’re very proud to support this national initiative celebrating the success of employers and apprentices.
“Apprenticeships are great for business. They are hugely important to the regional and national economy and I firmly believe that employers and providers have got a big role to play in ensuring we work collaboratively to meet the region’s recruitment and skills shortages that are barrier to sustainable growth.”
Skills Minister Nick Boles said apprenticeships were crucial in supporting the workforce:“A big congratulations to all the apprentices and employers in the East of England who impressed the judges today. From local businesses to large household names, from intermediate to degree apprentices, all of today's winners truly deserve this recognition,” he said.
“The success of each winner reminds us of how crucial apprenticeships are in supporting our workforce, our businesses and our economy. This is why we are committed to delivering 3 million apprenticeships by 2020.”
The regional winners could now be chosen to go through to next year's national awards.
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
For more information, please contact Lynn O’Shea, Cambridge Regional College Press Officer, on 01223 418773 or email loshea@camre.ac.uk
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