Rotherham’s future celebrated at Apprentice of the Year awards

The ninth annual independent awards, organised by Rotherham Council’s RiDO team and the Advertiser, highlighted the work of some real superstars in the making.

The South Yorkshire Apprentice Hub sponsored event at the New York Stadium showed the increasingly varied work available in the borough and the fact that youngsters don’t need to move away to obtain good jobs and undertake careers in their chosen fields.

The evening was hosted by Lisa Pogson, MD of Airmaster and chair of the Rotherham Business Growth Board, and speakers were Cllr Robert Taylor, cabinet member for transport, jobs and the local economy, Jo Brown, assistant chief executive of RMBC, and Jennie Watts of RiDO.

The various categories were judged by Diane Keay, Simon Hartley of the RNN Group, and Steve and Carol Morris of Signs Express.

They highlighted the improving opportunities in Rotherham, the wide range of jobs available and the courses on offer at the RNN Group, which combined with the amount of development currently being undertaken meant a bright future for the town.

The Rotherham Advertiser is proud to have supported the event since its inception and editor Andrew Mosley said one of the most vital messages to put out was that apprenticeships are an excellent option alongside further education.

He added: “We were never told about apprenticeships and I’m not sure how much schools push that option now and we need them to showcase apprenticeships as a genuine alternative to traditional further education which can land you with enormous debts and potentially no job, while in completing an apprenticeship you earn while you learn.

“When a business takes on an apprentice it not only benefits itself and the future of the person it has chosen to work with, but the future of Rotherham as a whole.

“Companies need skilled young people and the apprentices who entered our competition and, of course, the many that didn’t are proving that Rotherham can provide them.

“By investing in apprenticeships we are putting our trust in young people, who will improve our businesses, our town or wherever in the world they end up working by using the knowledge and experience they have gained.”

Thursday night’s 2024 Awards covered three apprenticeship categories; Intermediate, Advanced and Degree/Higher level and new for this year was Supported Intern of the Year category. Forty six nominations were received across the categories, with the judges shortlisting and interviewing three-six finalists per category. In addition to a winner of each category, the judges felt it appropriate to award a Highly Commended Award in three of the categories.

This year’s sponsors were Mears Group, Airmaster, Ex Animo Foods, Supported Employment, RDASH and the Headline Sponsor and headline sponsors South Yorkshire Apprenticeship Hub.

Finalists and the Winners/Highly Commended on the night were:

Supported Internship:

Winner: Idrees Munir, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council post room worker

Highly Commended: Jamie Ellis, Monksbridge Farm - training provider Landmarks College

Rhys Thomas, RMBC Transport Team - training provider Rotherham Opportunities College.

Intermediate

Winner: Lucas Clarke, Mears

Highly Commended: James Stretton, Equans

Advanced

Winner: Abeer Asad, RMBC

Highly commended: Sophie Walker, Maltby Learning Trust

Higher/Degree

Winner: Niamh Brodigan, Portakabin – training provider AMRC

Other Finalists

Advanced

Gloria Gamez

Thomas Blank

Joshua Battersby

Leo Lewin

Higher/Degree

Alice Lees

Lucy Austin

Connor Firth

Catherine Smith