Celebrations for National Apprenticeship Week

With over 100 guests in attendance, from apprentices and their employers to University of Salford staff, the apprenticeship awards event celebrated the success of University apprentices. It also provided an important opportunity to thank employers for recognising the value of apprenticeships to their business, and for choosing to work with the University of Salford as their training provider.

Degree apprenticeships are a modern-day interpretation of the University's industrial heritage, founded as the Royal Technical Institute back in 1896. The University started with just 16 apprentices in 2016 and in 2020 will be taking on its 1,000th apprentice. Working with over 150 employers – both large and small – and over 700 apprentices, the University provides 15 different programmes across key sectors including health care, biomedical science, property and construction, business and engineering.

With 13 awards in total and over 80 individuals nominated, it was a tough time for the shortlisting panel. A full list of the award winners can be seen below:

Apprentice of the Year - Health
Sarah Mould – Pennine Care

Apprentice of the Year - Business
Christopher Walsh – CML Associates

Apprentice of the Year - Construction
Chaya Wheeler – Jamieson Contracting

Apprentice of the Year - Engineering
Jack McClung – Urban Vision

Apprentice Ambassador of the Year
Jack Hook – Create Construction

Apprentice Rising Star
Chris Kehoe – William Hare

Above and Beyond Award
Grace Taylor – 6tine

Small Employer of the Year (50 or less staff)
Tozer Gallagher

Large Employer of the Year (51 or more staff)
Russells Construction

Mentor/Line Manager of the Year
Karen Knighton - Peninsula

Employer Link Tutor of the Year
Nicole Blythe – Nursing Associate Clinical Educator

Programme Leader of the Year
Gareth Whittleston – Civil Engineering Degree Apprenticeship Programme Leader  

Apprenticeship Team Special Recognition Award
Julie Kelly - Salford Business School

Adele Lochman, Degree Apprenticeships Business Development Lead at the University, commented: “The awards ceremony is a fantastic opportunity to bring the apprenticeship community together. From Nursing Associates to Quantity Surveyors and from apprentices and their managers to programme leaders, the event is a great platform to celebrate the hard work, dedication and commitment of all those involved in the apprenticeship journey. We have seen rapid growth in our apprenticeship numbers in the past few years and we only envisage that continuing. We would not be where we are today though without the support of our employer partners and University staff who work so hard to ensure each and every apprenticeship is a success - so thank you!”