Posted: February 16, 2022
North Lindsey College’s 2022 apprenticeship awards hailed a huge success, after the annual celebration generated its highest number of nominations in the award’s history.
The event, which was held online this month due to Covid restrictions, generated over 30 nominations across a range of different sectors.
The awards hosted by the apprenticeship team, with special guest speaker Akshay Ruparelia, founder of Doorsteps.co.uk, aimed to celebrate the achievements of both apprentices and their employers. Highlighting the plethora of links, the popular Scunthorpe college has with industry.
Held to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), judges outlined how impressed they were with the calibre of nominees.
“We have been inspired by all the nominations and they have reminded us of the fantastic work we do with our apprentices,” says Daniel Fenwick, Deputy Principal “A consistent theme in all the nominations was the progression in the individual apprentice’s knowledge, skills, and behaviors. It is clear they have all grown in confidence and had a positive impact on the employers. Our employers are clearly inspiring and supporting our apprentices in their development.”
DN Colleges Group, which includes North Lindsey College, Doncaster College and University as well as the University Campus North Lincolnshire (UCNL), are the 5th largest provider of apprenticeships in England, working with 1000s employers across most sectors in the local region and further afield.
This year’s NAW saw staff, students, apprentices, and assessors across the Group mark the amazing work completed over the past year. Both North Lindsey College and Doncaster College also hosted open events, which saw over 1,200 potential students pass through the doors to learn more about the opportunities available right on their doorstep.
Various employers also threw their support behind the award including British Steel, Bradbury Group and HITEK.
Guest speaker Akshay Ruparelia, who became a multi-millionaire at just 19 years of age, spoke about how irrespective of the point you are in your career, many people are changing jobs, upskilling, and developing their knowledge base. “After your formal education, you enter the most critical phase in your life. That practical education known as the ‘Apprenticeship’. Every time you change careers or require new skills you re enter this phase of life. The goal is not to make money, it’s to transform yourself. You are going to transform yourself into someone who is skilled, realistic and understand the rules that govern the fields that you get into and eventually you are going to be the one who rewrites those rules, just like all masters do.”
Donna Shipman, winner of Apprentice Champion of the Year award, said of their nomination and subsequent win. “I was absolutely thrilled to win the award of apprentice champion of the year, it really put a cap on my apprentice experience. It’s been a fantastic journey that has enabled me to grow, not just academically and professionally but as an individual. Engaging in on-the-job learning has been instrumental in my development process that has allowed me to flourish and promote new skills within my workplace. At 47 years of age, who would have thought I would be doing an apprenticeship!”
Those interested in progressing into an apprenticeship, are encouraged to get in touch with the apprenticeship team via apprenticeshipsupport@dncolleges.ac.uk