The winners of the ninth annual Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards have been announced.
Over 800 guests, finalists and supporters attended a black-tie ceremony at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre this evening to celebrate inspirational apprentices and innovative employers and training providers.
A panel of 19 judges selected 30 winners from a record-breaking 450 nominations.
See table below for the full list of winners.
Catering giant Compass Group UK&I took home two awards this evening. Temuujin Amarsanaa, a level 2 apprentice at the company, took home the intermediate apprentice of the year award for his work promoting apprenticeships within the Mongolian community.
Amarsanaa’s employer was also announced as the winner of this year’s large employer of the year award. Judges were impressed with Compass Group’s growth of apprenticeship opportunities in the hospitality industry in recent years, with over 600 apprentices now working across the firm.
The awards were established in 2016 by Pathway Group to highlight diverse talent in apprenticeships.
EY accountancy and taxation apprentice Aisha Manaal Ahmed saw off competition from nine others shortlisted for the accounting and finance award. Aisha’s contribution to the company as the youngest ever co-chair of its global EY Muslim Community, a network spanning over 40 countries, ticked the judges’ boxes.
Martyn Leader, vice president of Pearson TQ, which sponsors the awards, said this year’s finalists “set the benchmark for future generations.”
Opening the event, Leader said: “The investment of precious time and resources by employers and training providers, and their belief in the potential and power of apprenticeships is essential to ensuring that every learner, regardless of background, has a pathway to a successful and fulfilling career.”
During the ceremony, tributes were paid to Yusef Mumtaz, a Jaguar Land Rover apprentice shortlisted for the engineering and manufacturing award, who tragically passed away aged 21 earlier this year.
Organisers named this year’s commitment to apprenticeships award in Mumtaz’s honour, which was won by solicitor apprenticeship champion Joanna Hughes.
Fourteen training providers were shortlisted for the learning provider of the year award, which was sponsored by the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP).
BPP Education Group, one of the country’s largest apprenticeship training providers, was chosen as this year’s learning provider of the year and the University of Exeter was named university of the year.
And taking home the overall contribution to apprenticeships award, sponsored by Pathway Group, was HIT Training’s executive chair, Jill Whittaker.
Awards founder and Pathway Group CEO Safaraz Ali, said: “This year our awards have once again seen a substantial uptake in the quantity of nominations submitted, and having such a wealth of dedication and talent gathered here is an inspiring reflection of that.
“A warm thank you to everyone who has contributed to making this event an extraordinary success.”
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