Apprenticeship assessor Matt wins prestigious national award

A man who has worked at the cutting edge of the fast-developing world of creative industries for more than 20 years has been named Wales’ Work-based Learning Assessor of the Year.

Matt Redd’s award was announced at the prestigious Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2021 ceremony which was held virtually for the first time on June 17.

As a writer and producer for both film and television drama, 41-year-old Matt, from Cardiff, has worked for training provider Sgil Cymru for the past five years as a freelance assessor on Creative and Digital Media Apprenticeships.

His work has included assessing costume apprentices on Pobol y Cwm, digital apprentices making factual television at ITV and post production apprentices editing Casualty.

He ensures that his assessment methods complement the working practice of each production, unobtrusively engaging with learners in their workplace.

Responding to his award, Matt said: “I am very happy, excited and privileged to have won this award in such a competitive field. It’s a ringing endorsement of the work that we are doing at Sgil Cymru to bring apprentices into the media in Wales.

“Everyone working at Sgil Cymru has vast experience and it’s exciting to be part of the team.”

Celebrating outstanding achievement in training and apprenticeships, the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2021 saw 35 finalists compete in 12 categories.

Highlight of the work-based learning calendar, the awards showcased businesses and individuals who have excelled on the Welsh Government’s Apprenticeship and Traineeship Programmes and gone the extra mile to achieve success during these unprecedented times.

Jointly organised by the Welsh Government and the National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW), the awards had Openreach, the UK’s digital network business and passionate supporter of apprenticeships, as the headline sponsor.

The Apprenticeship Programme in Wales is funded by the Welsh Government with support from the European Social Fund. Welsh Government Apprenticeship Programmes have benefitted 50,360 people across South East Wales since May 2016.

Matt recently worked with British Sign Language interpreters to help a profoundly deaf young man on his apprenticeship to feel safe and comfortable whilst giving him the same freedom his counterparts had in the same role.

Not surprisingly, like many of Matt’s learners, he completed his apprenticeship ahead of schedule.

Matt runs his own production company, Standoff Pictures Ltd, which works closely with Sgil Cymru and Great Point Seren Stiwdios. And it is from there and other working studios that he runs recruitment days where potential apprentices are invited to meet prospective employers.

Lewis Stephens, who successfully gained an apprenticeship with Matt’s support, said: “Matt made it incredibly easy to understand what was needed from each unit. I have gone from someone with no experience to a job with the BBC. Matt made this possible.”

Congratulating Matt, Minister for the Economy, Vaughan Gething, said: “Our award winners have excelled via the Welsh Government’s Apprenticeship and Traineeship programmes and gone the extra mile to achieve success during unprecedented and extremely challenging times.

“This Welsh Government has ambitious recovery plans to ensure there is no lost generation as we rebuild a new version of Wales that becomes an engine for sustainable, inclusive growth. I believe apprenticeships will be vital as we emerge from the pandemic.

“That’s why the new Welsh Government has committed to creating a further 125,000 Apprenticeship places over the next five years. We are a small country, but we have big ambitions, and our aim is to create a culture in Wales where recruiting an apprentice becomes the norm for employers.”