Riverside College honoured the achievements and commitments demonstrated by apprentices and employers at the annual Apprenticeship of the Year Awards 2021.
This year’s awards evening opened with talks from College Principal Mary Murphy and Head of
Employer Services Jayne Smith, who both spoke about the importance of apprenticeships and how vital they are in industry. The speeches were followed by an inspirational talk from IT Infrastructure Technician Apprentice Joshua Davies, who spoke about his time as an apprentice at the Science and Technology Facility Council at Daresbury and the opportunities it provided to him.
The College then welcomed Sandra McCann from Warrington and Halton Hospital to speak about how challenging the past year has been for the NHS and how the College has supported them through these tough times.
Across the evening, a total of 16 awards were presented to apprentices and employers by the Mayor of Halton, Councillor Christopher Rowe. A special congratulations goes to Sharon Rushton, who was awarded the Overall Apprentice of the Year and employers Shearfab and Great British Communications, who were presented with Apprentice Employer of the Year awards.
Jayne Smith, Head of Employer Services said, “It was a privilege to celebrate the fantastic achievements of our apprentices and the support provided by their employers. It was also inspirational to hear about their commitment and resilience, especially during the pandemic and how apprenticeships have continued to grow and provide benefits to apprentices, employers and the local community.”
2021 Award Winners
- Sharon Rushton, Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Trust, Overall Apprentice of the Year 2021
- Ella Prince, Accountancy, Alfred H Knight
- Philip Barrett, Brickwork, Bloor Homes
- Phoebe Dermott, Business Administration & Customer Service, Merseyside Police
- Matthew Burns, Carpentry & Joinery, IJS Building Services
- Joshua Davies, Digital Marketing & Information Technology, Science and Technology Facilities Council
- John Bennett, Electrical Installation, Solid State Security
- Jordan Roberts, Engineering, Saria Refood
- Joel Harrison, Fabrication & Welding, Maxmade
- Abigail Kavaney, Hairdressing, Beauty@111
- Sharon Rushton, Health and Social Care, Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Trust
- Elliot Morris, Hospitality and Catering, King David High School
- Patrick Wilburn, Painting and Decorating, TJM Projects
- Kieran Anders Ray, Science, Koura
- Shearfab, SME Apprentice Employer of the Year 2021
- Great British Communications, Large Apprentice Employer of the Year 2021