T Level Student receives Highly Commended Accolade in National Apprenticeship and Skills Awards

A 17-year-old T Level Student from South Hampshire College Group has received a special trophy in the prestigious National Apprenticeship and Skills Awards, in which she attended as a regional finalist.

Benita Raphaels has been recognised with a Highly Commended trophy in the Gatsby T Level Student of the Year category for her extraordinary accomplishments on her T Level work placement, in which she has helped design and develop an inventory tracking app for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, which has now been approved for use throughout the force. This recognition is made more remarkable by Benita’s status as a current T Level student, now in the second year of her Level 3 Digital Production, Software Design and Development course, with most of her competition older in age and already having completed their T Level qualifications.

The prestigious ceremony for the South East regional finalists took place on Thursday 10 October, with 11 award categories, and over 150 guests in attendance. Two accolades were up for grabs across all categories, the Highly Commended Award and the Overall Category Winner. All category winners will go on to compete at the National Ceremony in London on Wednesday 27 November.

Benita Raphaels said: “I’m so happy to walk away with a trophy, especially as I haven’t even finished my work placement yet. It’s the first time they included a T Level category in the National Apprenticeship and Skills Awards and it was so good to see employers celebrate T Levels and positively recognise them in this way. I’d like to thank my college lecturers and employer for all their support and for believing in me.”

Debbie Eacott, Benita’s Lecturer and Digital Academy Lead at Fareham College, part of South Hampshire College Group, commented: “Benita’s Highly Commended Award at the National Apprenticeship and Skills Awards is a fantastic achievement and is truly a testament to her dedication and commitment in her industry placement at Hampshire Constabulary and her T Level studies at South Hampshire College Group. Well done Benita, you have a very bright future ahead of you.”

The National Apprenticeship and Skills Awards celebrates its 21st anniversary in 2024 and for the very first time includes awards to recognise T Level students and employers. These awards are designed to reward the achievements of exceptional apprentices and T Level students, skills champions and apprenticeship and T Level employers.

Over 1300 entries were received nationally from sectors including the public sector, construction, health, science, IT and digital. These finalists are apprenticeship and T Level exemplars, highlighting best practice across recruitment excellence, high quality training practices, diversity and career progression.