Celebrations for Apprentices at Awards Evening

23 March 2026

We held our annual Apprenticeship Awards on Wednesday 18^th March.

The lavish event, held at The Edge, Wigan was hosted by Gogglebox star, Baasit Siddique who reflected on his 20 years of experience in education as well as announcing the award winners.

The event was a celebration of the amazing achievements of the college’s apprentices alongside their employers.

College Principal, Anna Dawe OBE said: “As one of largest national college providers of apprenticeship training, we are delighted to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our apprentices who have excelled in their industries. It was fantastic to hear the inspirational and positive words from their employers about how well they have each done.”

A host of employers attended the awards evening. Larger national employers such as Sellafield Ltd, Eric Wright Group, Bellway Homes celebrated alongside local employers such as Wigan Council, Diamond Interiors and Kraft Heinz.

Awards were celebrated from a wide range of apprenticeship industry sectors including digital marketing, technical support, nuclear engineering, mechanical engineering food and drink manufacturing and bricklaying.

Recent data from the Department for Education shows that the college boasts one of the highest national progression rates to apprenticeships for their students and this is in addition to the college being only one of 5 colleges nationally to have over 1,000 16-18 apprentices.

In response Anna added, “We are extremely proud that so many of our students secure apprenticeships from the college. We are often asked how engagement with apprenticeships is so strong and the answer is partnership. Without our strong relationships with businesses, along with their commitment to support and invest in their workforce and community, we wouldn’t have a succession of skilled apprentices coming through.”

Social Value Coordinator, Olivia Smith received the Social Value Award for JJH Building Contractors Ltd.

She said: “For us it’s giving somebody the opportunity, usually local and giving them the opportunity to learn alongside an experienced tradesperson and gaining knowledge.

“It’s so great to be here tonight and it’s a really nice celebratory event.”

Talent Development Manager at UK National Nuclear Laboratories, Anthony O’Hanlon added: “We’re a nuclear organisation, so we’re all about innovation and collaboration; so we like bringing in young people who bring in fresh ideas.

“And to be here tonight celebrating one of our own apprentices is a really proud night for us.”