Outstanding apprentices and apprenticeship employers recognised at City College Norwich awards night

City College Norwich has celebrated its outstanding apprentices and the employers who have shown exceptional support for apprenticeships, at an awards night held at the Great Hospital in Norwich.

The College’s 2019 Apprenticeship Awards followed on from National Apprenticeship Week, which celebrates apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the wider economy.

Eight awards were presented to individual apprentices for their achievements and progress, with an Overall Apprentice of the Year announced on the night. 

Awards were also presented to four of the college’s most outstanding employer partners.  These awards recognise employers’ exceptional support for apprentices – with categories for micro, medium and large employers – and there was also an Overall Contribution to Apprenticeships award.

City College Norwich currently has more than 1,200 Apprentices on its programmes, up to and including degree apprenticeships, and 676 apprenticeship employers working in partnership with the college. 

“These awards showcase the very best of apprenticeships”

Congratulating the award winners, Ed Rose, City College Norwich’s Director of Higher Education and Apprenticeships, said:

“As ever these awards showcase the very best of apprenticeships.  The diversity of our winners show that apprenticeships really do offer opportunities across the age groups and throughout all types of employer.  It’s a real challenge to pick an overall winner from so many outstanding candidates with such great stories.  We’ve been delighted to be able to celebrate our winners’ achievements.” 

Apprentice award winners

Oliver Holmes, a Contracts Manager with Norwich-based IT firm Osiris Technologies, was named Overall Apprentice of the Year.  Oliver is working towards the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship. 

Oliver was praised for the contribution he has made to his employer using the knowledge and skills developed through his Degree Apprenticeship.  Osiris have implemented a number of Oliver’s recommendations in relation to the monitoring of its financial and service performance. 

The Overcoming Barriers to Achievement Award went to Rob Honeyman, who completed a Business Administration Apprenticeship with Flagship Group.  After spending most of his working life in the construction industry, Mr Honeyman was forced to change career because of a severe back problem.

Joining the health and safety team, and retraining through the Apprenticeship, represented a “huge change” in his working life and circumstances.  Rob was praised by City College Norwich’s apprenticeship team for maintaining his “positive attitude despite facing a massive learning curve” and for his participatory approach and “thirst for learning”. 

He was also “brilliantly supported” by his employer, Flagship Group, who showed great belief in him.  Rob has since been offered, and accepted, a permanent position with Flagship.    

Other winners included Tony Iacovazzo, a plumbing apprentice with Anglia Gas Services Ltd, who was named Construction Apprentice of the Year.  Last May Tony took first place in a national plumbing and heating skills competition, to take the title of HIP UK Heating Apprentice of the Year 2018.  He is now passing on what he has learnt by helping to coach this year’s City College Norwich entrant to the competition.     

Overall Contribution to Apprenticeships: Gasway

The Overall Contribution to Apprenticeships award went to Gasway, who have been key supporters of the new gas engineering apprenticeship which was launched by the college in December. 

Gasway have placed the new apprenticeship at the heart of their recruitment and training strategy, taking on 14 gas engineering apprentices and providing them with exemplary support.  Gasway’s support for the new apprenticeship has gone much further, however, as the company generously gave time and labour to assist the college in fitting out its new gas engineering workshop.            

Anne-Marie Seale, Head of HR and Apprenticeship Delivery, Gasway, said:

“We are delighted to accept this award and to be recognised by City College Norwich for our contribution to apprenticeships. City College are a progressive college and Gasway are passionate about growing our talent in order to address the skills shortage in our industry. This combination has allowed us to work collaboratively to build a sustainable partnership which will continue to create new engineering opportunities within our region.”   

Full list of City College Norwich’s 2019 Apprenticeship Award winners 

• Alex Curtis (Spectra Packaging) – Digital Apprentice of the Year

• Sarah Eley (Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital) – Health Apprentice of the Year

• Martha Frosdick (The Salon, Costessey) – Service Industries Apprentice of the Year

• Karl Gilbert and Eleanor Rose (Cecil Gowing Infant School) – Childcare, Education and Early Years Apprentice of the Year

• Oliver Holmes (Osiris Technologies) – Business, Management and Professional Services Apprentice of the Year

• Robert Honeyman (Flagship Group) – Overcoming Barriers to Achievement Award

• Anthony Iacovazzo (Anglia Gas Services) – Construction Apprenticeof the Year (Electrotech, Plumbing, Trowel and Wood Occupations)

• Stuart Meek (UCP Zeller) – Engineering Apprentice of the Year

• Chloe Adcock and Southlands Dental Surgery – Apprenticeship Employer of the Year (micro)  

• Pipeshield International Ltd. – Apprenticeship Employer of the Year (medium)

• UCP Zeller – Apprenticeship Employer of the Year (large)    

• Gasway – Overall Contribution to Apprenticeships