A Kidderminster College administration apprentice, Kathleen Sandford, from The Community Housing Group (TCHG) in Kidderminster, seized the top award at the National Apprenticeship Service Awards, held in London.
To qualify for the award, she had to win the West Midlands regional award in November 2015 and then beat 11 other regional finalists to achieve National Intermediate Apprentice of the Year.
In addition, for the third year running, TCHG has been recognised as one of the UK’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers. The list is compiled annually by the National Apprenticeship Service and recognises excellence in businesses that employ apprentices.
It’s been an outstanding two weeks for Kathleen who attended a celebration event at 10 Downing Street with Prime Minister, David Cameron, to recognise the value of apprenticeships.
Kathleen commented: “I decided to go down the apprenticeship route because I wanted to start a career where I could learn on the job. I never thought that eventually it would lead to me winning a national award and visiting No.10. I feel very fortunate to have had such an opportunity.”
Marina Banner, Executive Director of Vestia Community Trust and TCHG Corporate Services, commented: “We are extremely proud of Kathleen’s achievement. She is an inspiration to our existing apprentices and we hope this will encourage other young people to consider apprenticeships for their future career path. We really value apprenticeships. Apprentices bring ideas, enthusiasm and determination and we believe that they make a positive contribution towards the future growth and development of our organisation”
Jennie Short, Head of Department at Kidderminster College said ‘We were absolutely delighted to hear of Kathleen’s success at the National Apprenticeship Awards. It is fantastic that a Kidderminster College apprentice has been recognised nationally for their talent and commitment, along with the significant contribution that they have made to their workplace. It just goes to show where an Apprenticeship can take you and the opportunities it can open up, alongside proof that apprentices really can make a difference to business.’