Worcestershire Apprenticeship Awards
CELEBRATING APPRENTICESHIPS
Annual Apprenticeship Awards
The best of apprenticeships in the county are celebrated at the annual Worcestershire Apprenticeships Awards evening.
Finalists and sponsors confirmed for 2026 Worcestershire Apprenticeships Awards!
Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Worcestershire County Council are pleased to announce the 2026 Worcestershire Apprenticeships Awards.
Over 30 finalists have been announced for 2026 from across 10 categories. These categories recognising the very best apprentices, employers, training providers, schools and ambassadors in Worcestershire.
Alongside the finalists, Worcestershire Apprenticeships are also pleased to share the sponsors for 2026 awards evening.
Worcestershire Apprenticeships, which has been operating for over a decade, is an initiative created by the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Worcestershire County Council to address the skills and employment needs of the local workforce by supporting apprenticeship growth across the county.
The annual awards evening has become a staple of the business calendar, being delivered to celebrate every aspect of the apprenticeship journey in the county. 2026 marks the 12th year of the Worcestershire Apprenticeships Awards.
The 2026 Worcestershire Apprenticeships Awards will take place on Thursday 26 November at the fantastic West Midlands Safari Park, with over 300 attendees expected to attend.
This year the awards evening with be hosted by multi-award-winning stand-up comedian, broadcaster, and television presenter, Matt Richardson.
Apprentice Awards
- Intermediate Level Apprentice of the Year
- Advanced Level Apprentice of the Year
- Higher Level Apprentice of the Year
- Degree Level Apprentice of the Year
Employer Awards
- Micro/Small Apprenticeship Employer of the Year (< 50 employees)
- Medium Apprenticeship Employer of the Year (50 – 249 employees)
- Large Apprenticeship Employer of the Year (> 250 employees)
Support Awards
- School of the Year
- Training Provider of the Year
- Apprentice Ambassador of the Year
The popular celebration event will culminate in the two illustrious overall awards of ‘Worcestershire Apprenticeship Employer of the Year’, sponsored by Sanctuary and ‘Worcestershire Apprentice of the Year’, sponsored by Amada UK Ltd.
The finalists for the 2026 Worcestershire Apprenticeships are:
Apprentice Awards
Intermediate Level Apprentice of the Year – Sponsored by Yamazaki Mazak UK
- Connor Berry – 2 Counties Construction
- Melissa Harper – Platform Housing Group
- Rebecca Swingewood – Theataccounts
Advanced Level Apprentice of the Year – Sponsored by Worcester Bosch
- Charlotte Broomhall – West Mercia Police
- Joesph Meese – Titan Steel Wheels
- Josh Davies – Yamazaki Mazak UK
Higher Level Apprentice of the Year – Sponsored by Seetec
- Justyna Mieczkowska – Southco Manufacturing
- Leila Arrazi – Kimal UK
- Robert Kelly – Sanctuary
Degree Level Apprentice of the Year – Sponsored by Platform Housing Group
- Holly Kenward – Roxel Group UK
- James Saunders – QinetiQ
- Oscar Bird – Bishop Fleming
Employer Awards
Small Apprenticeship Employer of the Year – Sponsored by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce
- Fresh Nous
- Hewett Recruitment
- UK Electrical Installations
Medium Apprenticeship Employer of the Year – Sponsored by West Midlands Apprenticeship Ambassador Network
- Barrie Beard Ltd
- GLP Training
- TSR Group
Large Apprenticeship Employer of the Year – Sponsored by Kidderminster College
- Community Housing
- Platform Housing Group
- Titan Steel Wheels
- Yamazaki Mazak UK
Support Awards
School of the Year – Sponsored by Heart of Worcestershire College
- Prince Henry’s High School
- St Augustine’s Catholic High School
- Worcester Sixth Form
Training Provider of the Year – Sponsored by Barrie Beard Ltd
- Heart of Worcestershire College
- GLP Training
- The Development Manager (TDM)
Apprentice Ambassador of the Year – Sponsored by Worcestershire Training Providers Association
- Cerys McCulloch – Yamazaki Mazak UK
- Keeley West – Yamazaki Mazak UK
- Luke Smyth – Worcestershire Acute Hospital NHS Trust
If you entered the 2026 Worcestershire Apprenticeship Awards and have not heard from our team by the end of the day on Thursday, 4th September, you have unfortunately not been selected as a finalist for this year’s awards. We truly appreciate your submission and effort and encourage you to enter or nominate for the 2027 awards.
What happened in 2025?
Worcestershire celebrated its commitment to developing local talent and skills at the 2025 Worcestershire Apprenticeships Awards on Thursday 13 November.
The 2025 awards also set a new record for the number of finalists and the evening welcomed over 320 representatives from employers, apprentices, schools and training providers to the West Midlands Safari Park for the prestigious celebration.
12 winners were crowned, with the highly coveted Worcestershire Apprentice of the year named as Courtney Richards from Roxel Group UK, sponsored by Seetec and Worcestershire Apprenticeship Employer of the Year announced as Barrie Beard Ltd, sponsored by Sanctuary.
The 2025 Apprenticeship Awards evening also highlighted the work of the Worcestershire Apprenticeships team across 2025, supporting both employers and individuals through a plethora of methods to understand more about apprenticeships, including promoting the new Worcestershire Apprenticeships Ambassador Network. The new Ambassador Network has been created to help support individuals interested in apprenticeships by sharing real stories of the value of apprenticeships.
2025 Worcestershire Apprenticeships Awards Winners
School of the Year – sponsored by Heart of Worcestershire College
Tudor Grange Academy Worcester
Training Provider of the Year – sponsored by Worcester Bosch
Herefordshire & Worcestershire Group Training Association
Apprentice Mentor of the Year – sponsored by Worcestershire Education Business Partnership
Adrian Bloomer, Blackwell Adventure
Small Apprenticeship Employer of the Year – sponsored by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce
Bespoke Advice Limited
Medium Apprenticeship Employer of the Year – sponsored by West Midlands Apprenticeship Ambassador Network
Barrie Beard Ltd
Large Apprenticeship Employer of the Year – sponsored by Open GI Ltd
Amada UK Limited
Intermediate Level Apprentice of the Year – sponsored by GLP Training
Dave Bain from Instant Scenery
Advanced Level Apprentice of the Year – sponsored by Kidderminster College
Courtney Richards from Roxel Group UK
Higher Level Apprentice of the Year – sponsored by Platform Housing Group
Christopher Hodson from Victim Support
Degree Level Apprentice of the Year – sponsored by Yamazaki Mazak UK Ltd
Charlotte Burford from Ormerod Rutter
