The Heart of Yorkshire Education Group has recognised the exceptional achievements of its apprentices and the contributions of its employer partners at its Annual Apprenticeship Awards Ceremony.

The finalists were joined by loved ones, sponsors, distinguished guests and members of the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group at Pontefract Town Hall.

Lorraine Cross, Group Executive Director for External Partnerships, Skills and Apprenticeships and Chris Baker, Group Director of Apprenticeships, started the evening by congratulating nominees and welcoming their family and friends.

Seven awards were presented in total throughout the evening, including an ‘Apprentice of the Year’ Award for a range of sectors. A number of accolades were also awarded to local and national businesses, including:

• · Engineering & Automotive Apprentice of the Year (sponsored by GUNT Technology Ltd and presented by Technical Sales Engineer, Phil Holyome) – Kurt Moore, Klöckner Pentaplast Packaging

• · Construction Apprentice of the Year (sponsored by WDH and presented by Training Operations Manager, Kate Radavanovic) – Bradley Reynolds, MMB Construction Services

• · Health & Education Apprentice of the Year (Care & Early Years at Heart of Yorkshire Education Group and presented by Principal and Chief Executive, Sam Wright) - Izabela Latos, Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust

• Business, Enterprise & Professional Apprentice of the Year (sponsored by Employer Engagement at Heart of Yorkshire Education Group and presented by Chair of Governors, Andrew McConnell OBE) – Mark Curran, Fish & Forest. Mark Curran said:

“I’m incredibly happy to have won the Business, Enterprise & Professional Apprentice of the Year award. People don’t always see the hard work and commitment that you put into studying an apprenticeship, so it’s great to receive this recognition and be reminded how far I’ve come."

"I’ve always loved food and I really wanted to get into the Hospitality & Catering industry, so doing an apprenticeship was a great way for me to do this. It’s changed my life and I’m so grateful for the opportunity.”

New Apprenticeship Employer of the Year 2024 (Sponsored by Sigma and presented by Group Compliance Director, Stephen Woolf): Heat Exchange Group

Small to Medium Apprenticeship Employer of the Year 2024 (Sponsored by Drax and presented by UK Early Careers Development Manager, Lisa Marriott): Volta Compliance

Large Apprenticeship Employer or the Year 2024 (Sponsored by Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation and presented by Head of Technology, Darren Elvidge and Talent Development Business Partner, Emma Harvey): Well Group Services (WSG)

Chloe Wallace, Head of HR at the Heat Exchange Group, said:

“We are absolutely ecstatic to have won the New Apprenticeship Employer of the Year award."

"It goes a long way in recognising the partnership we have built with the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group and the investment we have put into jointly developing and delivering apprenticeships which are right for our business and for our workforce needs. Apprenticeships are the key to securing a thriving and successful future for our industry and it’s great to be able to celebrate the impact that they have.”

Richard Carr, Director at Volta Compliance, said:

“It was an honour to win the Small to Medium Apprentice Employer award at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group’s Apprenticeship Awards."

"Apprentices, SMEs and large companies joined together to celebrate the amazing talent that apprenticeships bring to businesses across Yorkshire. At Volta Compliance, we understand that apprentices and having a strong relationship with training providers like the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group are vital to our business growth.”

Sam Wright, Principal and Chief Executive Officer at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, said:

“I always look forward to our Annual Apprenticeship Awards, as it brings together apprentices and employers from across our regions to shine a light on outstanding achievements and the positive impact apprenticeships make to people, businesses and the wider economy."

"It’s fantastic to see this first-hand, as we share and celebrate the inspirational stories of our apprentices and employer partners at the awards - giving them the recognition they so rightly deserve.”

Throughout the evening, guests were entertained with performances from singer Abbi-Kay Ellison and a keynote speech from Alex Miles, Managing Director at Yorkshire Learning Providers and Governor at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group.

Alex passionately advocated the importance of apprenticeships in meeting skills gaps across the region and the significant contribution training providers such as the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group are making to this.

The Heart of Yorkshire Education Group offers a range of Apprenticeship programmes in Business, Construction, Engineering, Healthcare and more.

It works with over 500 employers to deliver its Apprenticeship provision, which includes SMEs, local authorities and national organisations such as Unilever, Coca Cola, Haribo, ENGIE, Burberry, Warburtons, the Emergency Services, Bosch, Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation, Mars and NHS Trusts.