Leeds College of Building is celebrating after achieving a Highly Commended award at the second annual West Yorkshire Apprenticeship Awards 2023.
The College joined finalists across 11 categories at the awards, hosted by the Yorkshire Evening Post in collaboration with Halifax Courier and Wakefield Express.
Held in the brand new Tileyard North in Wakefield, the glittering awards celebrate those who have excelled in their chosen field and inspired others to consider embarking on an apprenticeship scheme.
The College was shortlisted against four other employers in the Training Provider/Programme of the Year category, but narrowly missed out to the Bradford Teaching Hospitals/Bradford College partnership.
Ruth Brown, Higher Education Lecturer at the Leeds College of Building University Centre, said:
“We were thrilled to be selected as one of the best apprenticeship training providers in West Yorkshire. To reach the finals and win highly commended is an exceptional achievement and shows the dedication of our staff and assessors in supporting apprentices, not just in West Yorkshire but the whole of the UK.”
The success continued as a phenomenal five Leeds College of Building students were also finalists in several of the award categories. Apprentice Dan Voke from EN:Able Futures won Construction Apprentice of the Year, just taking the edge over fellow Leeds College of Building apprentice Aaron Clegg from Yorkshire Housing (who achieved Highly Commended). Aaron then went onto win the Higher Apprentice of the Year category.
With close to a million active Apprenticeships across England alone, apprenticeship schemes have fast become a route to future employment for thousands of school leavers. The awards recognise and reward both the apprentices and their employers that are excelling across West Yorkshire.
Chris Tunningley, Leeds College of Building Assistant Principal for Adults & Higher Education, added:
“We’d like to congratulate all our employer partners and apprentices chosen as finalists and winners, including BAM Nuttall, EN:Able Futures, Yorkshire Housing, and Richter Associates among others. Apprentices play a vital role in meeting the growing demand for specialist skills in the construction sector, and we’re delighted that our incredible students, employers, and staff have all been recognised in this way.”
The West Yorkshire Apprenticeship Awards 2023 were sponsored by Yorkshire and Humber Apprenticeship Ambassador Network, Haribo, FDM Group, Zenith, Bradford College, Appris, Royal Navy and Yorkshire Housing.
