Stockport-based apprenticeship provider, Damar Training, has announced the winners of its annual Apprenticeship Awards, which champion apprentices and employers within the region.
Left: Higher Apprentice of the Year, Jordan Coulton, of Weightmans LLP with Jonathan Bourne of Damar Training
During 2014, Damar Training worked with over 1,300 apprentices and 200 employers. In the North West, Damar works with businesses across all sectors, helping them to recruit and develop apprentices in a wide range of roles – from entry-level administrative posts, through to managers, accountants and paralegals. Damar also works nationally with the legal and justice sectors, helping employers to develop their administrative and paralegal staff.
The awards coincide with National Apprenticeship Week (9-13 March 2015) and, this year, recognition has been given to the best apprentices at intermediate, advanced and higher (undergraduate) level. The leading workplace supervisor, employer and newcomer employer have also been honoured. Finally, the Mark Aspinall award is presented to a student that has overcome particular challenges.
This year’s award winners are as follows:
- Newcomer Employer of the Year – HRC Law LLP
- Employer of the Year – Weightmans LLP
- Intermediate Apprentice of the Year – Daniel Knowles, gunnercooke LLP
- Advanced Apprentice of the Year – Renaldo Dajko, Interpreting Solutions
- Higher Apprentice of the Year – Jordan Coulton, Weightmans LLP
- Apprentice Supervisor of the Year – Melvin Udeh, Crown Prosecution Service.
The award for overall Apprentice of the Year and the Mark Aspinall Award have been presented to Odran Nelson, who works for North West-based NTF Financial Solutions.
Odran, who works as an office apprentice for NTF, said:
“Being deaf, I have always found it difficult to communicate with people – especially large groups – and this had knocked my confidence.
“My role requires a high level of day-to-day communication with my colleagues, but the support that I have received from my employer, NTF Financial Solutions, and Damar has really helped and I now feel much more self-assured; So much so that I recently gave a presentation about the challenges of deafness in the workplace to an audience of over 30 people!”
A recurring theme across all of the winners was the positive impact of apprentices on business.
Jon Gregson – an associate at solicitors, Weightmans LLP, and supervisor to Jordan Coulton (the country’s first higher legal apprentice) – commented on how apprentices have benefited his team:
“For a practice area such as employment, the use of apprentices is an attractive option which allows us to not only invest in their development, but also to use them in a flexible, highly skilled way that meets our clients’ ever changing needs. Our higher apprentices are now carrying out work which is chargeable – a really fantastic achievement at such an early stage of their careers.”
According to recent national statistics, over the last 12 months more than 440,000 individuals embarked on apprenticeships, with this number expected to rise.
Jonathan Bourne, managing director of Damar Training, commented:
“We are delighted by the achievements of all of our apprentices and of the employers who support them. The winners all demonstrate how investment by employers in their people and great partnership working with my colleagues at Damar – of whom I am immensely proud – delivers fantastic results for business.
He added:
“The judges had a very challenging job this year – in addition to our winners, several other nominations were highly commended. We are looking forward to an even tougher challenge next year!”
For more information, visit www.damartraining.com