Apprenticeships celebrated at South Devon College awards ceremony

As part of National Apprenticeships Week 2020, apprentices and employers from across South Devon gathered for South Devon College’s Apprenticeship Awards Ceremony 2020, delivered in partnership with Princess Yachts, Cavanna Homes, Ribeye, South Devon Dental, TDA, The Pennon Group, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, and Torquay United Football Club.

Over 220 people were in attendance to celebrate apprenticeships including friends, family, employers and College staff.

The event, hosted at the Imperial Hotel in Torquay, was a great opportunity to showcase the excellent success of apprentices and the positive impact they have on local businesses and the community.

There were 52 shortlisted nominees over 19 categories, having been nominated from over 1,500 apprentices on programme with the College.

A total of 29 local employers were also nominated for categories, having been selected from over 1000 businesses engaged with an apprenticeship.

In attendance was the evening’s keynote speaker Alan Denby, Director of Economic Development at the TDA.

He spoke about the future development of Torbay and economic strategy, highlighting the importance of the role apprentices play in enabling businesses to grow whilst also upskilling the workforce.

Alan Denby – Director of Economic Development, TDA presenting his keynote speech

Sharron Robbie, Managing Director for Devon and Cornwall Training Provider Network spoke to the audience half way through the awards. She celebrated the development of the Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (YAAN) for Torbay, mentioning all the apprentices involved and expressed the importance of the promotion of apprenticeships coming from young people that have first-hand experience of apprenticeships today.

The most anticipated part of the entire ceremony was discovering who would win the coveted Apprentice of the Year award for 2020. Cheers and tears were seen amongst the eruption of applause as Jasmine Taylor was announced the winner of the Apprentice of the Year award. She was chosen to receive this award for going above and beyond not just in her role with her employer, but for apprenticeships as a whole becoming a vital member of the newly formed YAAN for Torbay.

Jasmine Taylor – Winner of the Apprentice of the Year Award 2020. Award presented by Kevin Foster – MP for Torbay

Jasmine said “I can’t quite believe that I’ve won the Apprentice of the Year award!”

She continued: “Apprenticeships are so valuable and it is really important to continue spreading awareness of them. When I was younger, no one spoke about them. But they are a huge deal, helping to change people’s lives including my own. Becoming a part of the Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network is something I knew was for me as I’m passionate about making sure other young people see the fantastic opportunities that come with becoming an apprentice.”

Jasmine Taylor – Winner of the Apprentice of the Year Award 2020

Laurence Frewin, Principal and CEO of South Devon College, said, “The Apprenticeship Awards Ceremony was a fantastic evening full of celebration. The atmosphere was electric, with many brilliant apprentices and employers responsible for transforming the local economy coming together in one place.

“Having been shortlisted from over 1,500 other apprentices, it is an incredible achievement for all those that were shortlisted for an award and they should be incredibly proud of the mark they are making. I’m sure friends, family, employers and everyone associated from the College will join me in congratulating our nominees and winners. They are truly inspiring to all generations and I have no doubt that they will all continue to achieve great things.”

Special thanks to our speakers, compere for presenting and entertaining at the awards and the panel of judges that tirelessly worked their way through the 150 nominations received this year.

Steve Reynolds – Chair of the Torbay Business Forum addressing the crowd

Thank you to:

Alan Denby

Director of Economic Development, TDA

Claire Coulston

Enterprise Co-ordinator, Heart of the South West Careers Hub

Emily Tucker

Head of Apprenticeships and Employer Engagement at South Devon College

Rebecca Davies

Senior Economic Development Officer at Torbay Development Agency

Sharron Robbie

Managing Director, Devon and Cornwall Training Provider Network

Steve Reynolds

Chair of the Torbay Business Forum

Emily Tucker and Steve Reynolds

Full List of Award Winners

Automotive and Motorcycle Apprentice of the Year

Winner

Tegan Chesswas

Highly Commended

Michael Skelly

Beauty and Hairdressing Apprentice of the Year

Winner

Nikita  Morris

Highly Commended

Charlie Anne Carter

Highly Commended

Amanda Ingham

Business and Management Apprentice of the Year

Winner

Jasmine Taylor

Highly Commended

Oliver Aplin

Highly Commended

Cameron Cater

Highly Commended

Michelle Baitup

Computing Apprentice of the Year

Winner

Dan Smith

Highly Commended

Ethan Moore

Highly Commended

Cody Barton

Construction Apprentice of the Year

Winner

Ian Lathwell

Highly Commended

Cody Griggs

Highly Commended

Reece Philips

Digital Media Apprentice of the Year

Winner

Anabel Astle

Highly Commended

Talia Saunders

Highly Commended

Jessica Stacey

Engineering Apprentice of the Year

Winner

Jack Burnitt

Highly Commended

Dan Hamilton

Health Apprentice of the Year

Winner

Ellen James

Highly Commended

Jemma Bond

Highly Commended

Jess Austen

Hospitality and Catering Apprentice of the Year

Winner

Owen Rundle

Marine Apprentice of the Year

Winner

Callum McLelland

Highly Commended

Josh Gooden

Highly Commended

Owen Martin

Plumbing and Electrical Apprentice of the Year

Winner

Lewis  Cooke

Highly Commended

Angus Dommett

Highly Commended

Stan Hayes

Sport Apprentice of the Year

Winner

Callum Job

Highly Commended

Jordan Baird

Highly Commended

Madison Berry

Teaching and Learning

Winner

Laura  Gritton

Highly Commended

Joseph Giampaglia

The Higher Apprenticeship Award

Winner

Lewis  Rosevear

Highly Commended

Daniel Briggs

Highly Commended

Kevin Triscott

Best Large Employer (50 or more employees)

Winner

G&H

Highly Commended

Teign Housing

Highly Commended

Stormforce Roofing

Best Small Employer (49 or less employees)

Winner

Reach Outdoors

Highly Commended

Priority Pixels

Highly Commended

South Devon Dental

Highly Commended

The Curious Kitchen

South Devon College Apprenticeship Staff Member of the Year

Winner

Ben Reynolds

Highly Commended

Kirsty Grosvenor

Highly Commended

Lee Morgan

Staff Apprentice Ambassador

Winner

Adrian Richards

Highly Commended

Alison Thompson

Highly Commended

Gill Miller