Themis ceremony honours apprentices and employers

Apprentices and their employers have been honoured at an awards ceremony hosted by Themis at Burnley College.

The winners were:

Judges recognised Stephen’s commitment to continuous development and the progress he has made in his career to date. They said he is career driven and has already made a difference to his team at Roefield Leisure; taking control when needed; seeing sales growth within his area and helping to cut costs.

Over recent years, Alert Fire and Security has employed 12 Apprentices and two members of its current 21-strong workforce are Apprentices. Judges acknowledged the business’s commitment to Apprenticeships and on-going staff training and felt Alert Fire and Security were taking on Apprentices for the industry as a whole, not just themselves: a very altruistic approach.

Both Nabeela and Daniel have displayed the ability to become a #futureboss and stand out from the crowd.

Daniel has been quick to use his initiative and hit the ground running when he started his Apprenticeship, using his skills to design and produce a new tool to overcome challenges he faced in the workplace. His employers hailed Daniel as a solution-driven, problem solver who has shown he can think outside the box.

Judges agreed that Parker Plumbing and Heating Services Ltd truly recognised the integral role of Apprentices within the business: seven of its 42 plumbers have been with the company since their level 1 Apprenticeships; 11 employees are at varying stages of their Apprenticeships and staff regularly undergo additional training. They acknowledged that Apprentices have quickly become valued members of the team, bringing fresh ideas and working practices and felt that Parker Plumbing and Heating Services Ltd recognised that nurturing and supporting Apprentices was a great way to safeguard the future of the business.

Judges presented this award to Owen Hodgson, the student who has shown ambition, talent and deep interest on the Burnley College Young Engineers’ Programme. Owen, from Sabden, completed two Young Engineers’ courses while in Years 10 and 11 at St Augustine’s RC High School and has been recruited by Fort Vale to complete a Level 3 Engineering (Manufacturing) Apprenticeship.

Judges were in awe of WEC’s training academy which has doubled its intake to an incredible 40 Apprentices a year, committed to staff development and invested in its facilities. They felt Apprentices were an integral part of the business at WEC Group and were pleased to see them working on diverse schemes, including the business’s charity work (putting a roof on Darwen Tower and creating a spitfire mural in Darwen town centre) and a £1m.business project.

Abigail is flying the flag for women in engineering, the judges acknowledged. They were impressed by her in-depth knowledge of the various departments and processes within KAMAN UK, as well as the fact she regularly presents to the. Abigail is now starting a degree, an illustration of her commitment to be the very best and progress within her field.

All finalists were entered into the Judges’ Choice Award with Carrice Dickinson, from Pendleside Hospice, selected as the recipient. The judges hailed Carrice as a pioneer and a true ambassador for both the hospice (she has spoken at a national conference) and Themis Apprenticeships. The fact she works in a challenging environment illustrates her maturity and resilience. ‘All hospices need a Carrice’, said the judges.

"The importance of continuous training within industry cannot be underestimated: it gives employees vital skills and job satisfaction and fuels business growth.