Shining a light on our amazing apprentices

Thursday 16^th June saw the return of the annual Coleg Gwent apprenticeship awards, with an in-person celebration being held for the first time in three years to celebrate our amazing apprentices.

Apprenticeships have always been a popular option at Coleg Gwent. With an apprenticeship, you can gain real world experience on the job, work towards a recognised qualification, and get paid while studying. So, there are lots of benefits for you and your employer as well.

Our range of apprenticeships at Coleg Gwent prepare you for a career in your chosen industry, whether that’s engineering, plumbing, healthcare or catering. You’ll learn all the skills you need for your trade through hands-on practice, with the support of expert tutors in college.

So, each year, we celebrate the hard work of our apprentices and recognise their achievements through our annual apprenticeship awards. This year, learners, their employers, parents and Coleg Gwent staff enjoyed an exciting evening at the Parkway Hotel in Cwmbran, with the presentation of awards followed by a delicious buffet.

With hundreds of students currently studying apprenticeships with Coleg Gwent, the awards were hotly contested. We had some amazing nominations from both assessors and employers and it’s wonderful to hear about the brilliant contributions that our apprentices are already making to their companies.

Two of the awards, focusing on essential skills, were sponsored by Mark Harding, Head of Skills at Coleg Gwent. These awards recognise the importance of Maths and English skills within the apprenticeship framework and the students who have performed exceptionally well in this area.

The other eight awards were sponsored by the Worshipful Livery Company of Wales, supported by The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers. Both have been long standing supporters of these awards, and it was wonderful to be joined on the night by Master Stuart Castledine and Liveryman Keith Shanklan, who presented the winners with their prizes.

Our apprentice winners were delighted to be awarded certificates from both the Worshipful Livery Company of Wales and Coleg Gwent, as well as a £250 prize.

We were delighted to bring together apprentices, employers, parents and college staff to celebrate the successes and achievements of these young people once again this year. We hope that the winners are proud of themselves and their achievements as much as we are!

The full list of winners from the awards are:

• Mechanical Engineering Maintenance – Apprentice of the Year: Erin Sculley
• Electrical Engineering Maintenance – Apprentice of the Year: Jade Parry
• Construction Apprentice of the Year: Samuel Morrison
• Manufacturing and Construction Engineering – Apprentice of the Year: Michael Hayward
• Motor Industry – Apprentice of the Year: Jacque Deakin
• Apprenticeship Team – Outstanding Performance Award: Emma Parslow
• Essential Skills Wales Foundation Apprentice of the Year: Jack Goddard
• Essential Skills Wales Apprentice of the Year: Daniel Gladwyn
• Overall Foundation Apprentice of the Year: Jack Phillips
• Overall Apprentice of the Year: Matthew Catlin

Find out more about studying an apprenticeship at Coleg Gwent and make it the road to success in your career!

Not sure which trade or industry you want to specialise in? Come along to our next open event to speak to our expert tutors and find the right route for you, or have a chat with our friendly student recruitment team to learn more about your options.