Home > News > December 2007 > 05 December 2007

LSC launches fifth annual Apprenticeship Awards

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is urging employers of all sizes and from all sectors of industry to enter its fifth annual Apprenticeship Awards.

Speaking at the launch event in London on Monday, skills minister, David Lammy MP, said: "Apprenticeships are integral to combating the nation's skills shortages. They stimulate innovation, give businesses the skills they need and provide opportunities for individuals to fulfil their potential.

"The government has recently announced that there will be 500,000 new Apprenticeship places by 2020 so that even more employers and individuals can reap the benefits. The Apprenticeship programme makes a real difference to all concerned, and I'm delighted to attend the fifth national Apprenticeship Awards launch tonight."

Employers are eligible to enter for one of four categories depending on their company size; Micro (1-9 employees), Small (10-49 employees), Medium (50-249 employees) and Large (250+ employees). The LSC says they are assessed on a number of criteria including implementation of the Apprenticeship programme, clear demonstration of the way Apprenticeships have benefited their business and the level of support provided to their apprentices.

Past winners in the Large Employer category include BAE Systems and British Gas, with BT winning in 2007.

In addition to the employer Awards, there are four categories open to apprentices - Apprentice of the Year, Advanced Apprentice of the Year, Young Apprentice of the Year and Personal Achiever of the Year.

Chris Banks, chair of the Learning and Skills Council, added: "Apprenticeships are a more attractive option than ever before for those employers wanting to take control of the future of their business by investing in skills. Today, more than 130,000 employers across the country are using Apprenticeships to improve their business performance, whilst giving talented individuals the opportunity to achieve their goals.

"Entries to the Awards have increased year on year and we have received around 4,000 entries since the first Apprenticeship Awards in 2004. We are now calling on all apprentice employers across the country to enter our fifth national Awards."

The Awards Premier Sponsor for the fourth consecutive year is City & Guilds.

Chris Humphries, director-general of City & Guilds commented: "Any business can only be as good as the skills of its workforce, so it is great to see that the Apprenticeship Awards showcase the very best in staff training. As well as applauding individual and employer successes, these Awards are a testament to the real economic benefits apprentices can bring."

The deadline for award entries is 29 February 2008. The Apprenticeship Awards will be held on 10 July 2008 at the Royal Horticultural Halls in central London.

External link

To enter the Awards, or for more information, visit: www.apprenticeships.org.uk/awards

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