Posted: 11/06/09
College applauds students at East Midlands Apprenticeship Awards
Staff at West Nottinghamshire College celebrated at last week’s East Midlands Apprenticeship Awards ceremony with employees from Ashfield Electrical Rewinds and Installations Ltd.
The company was crowned with the ‘small employer of the year’ award.
The ceremony, which took place at the East Midlands Conference Centre, was hosted by TV presenter Diane Louise Jordan. The College were proud sponsors of the Entry to Employment category and College Principal and Chief Executive, Asha Khemka OBE presented the awards throughout the evening.
West Nottinghamshire College offers apprenticeships at the Eakring-based company to school leavers who have joined them, as well as to mature workers whose original industries are in decline.
Ashfield Electrical was nominated by the College for many great qualities. Jayne Hall, the College’s work-based learning advisor for apprenticeships, said: “Ashfield Electricals is a company that fully understands what it is like being an apprentice. Director Lee Wilcoxson started at the company as an apprentice himself.
“Apprentices are treated extremely well and this involves many hours of mentoring. They invest fully in the apprentices, right down to providing them with the best tools to work with.
“They don’t stand in the way of apprentices who wish to progress and have just helped an original apprentice make the transition from the tools side to contracts manager. They are an exemplar company of how apprenticeships should be treated.”
Company Director Lee Wilcoxson said: “Ashfield Electrical are extremely proud to receive this award and we’d like to thank West Nottinghamshire College for nominating us. We feel that this is recognition of the employees’ and the company’s on-going commitment to apprentices and the industry.
“The College has supported our team to enable colleagues to achieve their qualifications and we’re proud to have worked with West Notts College over the past two decades.”
