Commitment to apprentices put North Wales council in awards finals
Linda Atkin (centre) from Denbighshire County Council’s HR and Organisational Development Team, with apprentices.
Denbighshire County Council has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award for its commitment to apprenticeships in the county.
The county council is one of 36 finalists in 13 categories of the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2013, organised jointly by the Welsh Government and the National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW). It has been shortlisted for the Large Employer of the Year award.
The awards recognise the outstanding achievements of learners, employers and providers involved in the delivery of quality apprenticeships and other work-based learning programmes across Wales. The Apprenticeship Programme is funded by the Welsh Government with the support of the European Social Fund.
The winners will be announced at a high profile awards ceremony at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport on Friday, October 18.
Denbighshire County Council introduced its corporate Apprenticeship Programme in 2001 and over the past five years it has employed 115 apprentices. Last year the council improved apprenticeship opportunities in the area to help develop the economy, provide support to secondary schools, provide young people with options for them to stay in the area, as well as training and employment opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds.
“We have provided a range of support mechanisms to assist the apprentices in their training, including buddy schemes, manager support, manager guidance on apprenticeships, apprenticeship induction and also ‘Synergy’, which is the organisation’s Young in Service or Age Employee Development and Networking Group,” said Georgina Humphreys, the council’s HR and organisational development manager.
Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology, Ken Skates said: “The Apprenticeship Awards Cymru remind us of the incredible wealth of talent that Wales has to offer and the outstanding achievements of Wales’ learners, employers and learning providers.
“Apprenticeships play an integral role in our economy. Not only do they provide essential skills and qualifications, but are in themselves life-changing opportunities for young people and, for employers, a major investment that’s paying real dividend to their bottom line and in the skills of their workforce.
“We know that apprenticeships deliver real business benefits and that’s why the Welsh Government, with support from the European Social Fund, continues to invest heavily in opportunities for young people to take up apprenticeships and continues to support employers who want to invest in the future of their workforce.
“Through their passion and dedication, the finalists announced at this year’s awards will inspire countless others to strive for excellence and demonstrate the tremendous impact that vocational training can have. I wish all of our finalists the very best as they continue to make great contributions in their chosen fields.”
Showcasing excellence in skills development in Wales, the awards are sponsored by Pearson PLC with support from media partner, Media Wales.
More than 300 key stakeholders from the vocational education and training sector across Wales are expected to attend the high profile awards ceremony, where guests will dine out with chefs from the Welsh National Culinary Team.
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