Rising stars of the business world were recognised for their excellence at the Dorset Apprenticeship Awards.
A trio of high-flyers were named as winners at a ceremony with dignitaries including the Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset Angus Campbell and special guest and keynote speaker Sonnaz Nooranvary.
Dorset Chamber joined forces with the Dorset and Somerset Training Provider Network and sponsors Superior Ltd for the third-annual celebration of apprentices in the workplace.
The winners and finalists were:
* Intermediate Apprentice of the Year:
Winner: Sergejs Murnikovs from the Hendy Group (training provider, Calex)
Finalist: Jade Munden from the Dorset County Hospital (training provider, Weymouth College)
Finalist: Sonny Wilson from SG Contractor Accounting (training provider, Bournemouth and Poole College)
* Advanced Apprentice of the Year:
Winner: Ellie Hubble from the Redtale Group (training provider, Weymouth College)
Finalist: Mia Allum from Draken (training provider, the Resource Group)
Finalist: Erin Cutler from Yunex Traffic (training provider, Bournemouth and Poole College)
* Higher and Degree Apprentice of the Year:
Winner: Elliott Smith from Draken (training provider Bournemouth University and Bournemouth and Poole College)
Finalist: Vladislavs Dunders from Parvalux (training provider, Bournemouth and Poole College and Bournemouth University)
Finalist: Abigail Turner from Christchurch Hospital (training provider Bournemouth University)
Winners were announced at the award ceremony at manufacturing firm Superior’s Academy in Ferndown.
Dorset Chamber chief executive Ian Girling said: “Apprentices are the lifeblood of our businesses. They form the next generation of business leaders and judging by the talent, commitment and excellence demonstrated by our winners and finalists, the future is in safe hands.
“Judging was incredibly difficult and richly deserved congratulations go to all of our winners for their success as well as all of the finalists for showing just how valuable and important apprenticeships are.”
There were a record number of entries in this year’s competition. Keynote speaker and former Sunseeker International Ltd apprentice Sonnaz is the resident upholstery expert on the hit BBC 1 TV show The Repair Shop. She also has her own home interiors brand ‘House of Sonnaz’.
Other dignitaries at the event included Superior Ltd’s managing director Tim Brown, Rod Davis from Dorset and Somerset Training Provider Network (DSTPN), Cllr Terry Cordery, Mayor of Ferndown, Cllr Vicky Slade, leader of BCP Council, as well as senior representatives of Dorset education providers.
Intermediate Apprentice of the Year Sergejs Murnikovs is on an automotive technician intermediate programme with the Hendy Group.
He impressed judges with his ‘commitment and his professional approach’ and was described by his manager as someone who will be ‘top of the tree in his field of expertise’ in a few years.
Advanced Apprentice of the Year Ellie Hubble is an administrator with Dorchester-based Redtale Group where she is taking a Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship.
Judges were impressed by her contribution to the business, her professional success and personal achievements in her role. Her manager said Ellie shows maturity and professionalism in her work at the company.
Higher and Degree Apprentice of the Year Elliott Smith from Draken is taking a degree level apprenticeship in aerospace engineering.
His manager said that Elliott’s journey at Draken ‘has been remarkable, consistently exceeding expectations and demonstrating excellence and diligence’.
The Dorset Apprenticeship Awards were free to enter and are separate to the Dorset Business Awards, which are being held in October as part the chamber’s Business Festival.
Dorset Chamber – the ‘voice of business’ – is the county’s leading business support organisation with nearly 700 members representing 37,000 employees.
Ranked as the leading chamber nationally with 120 five-star reviews, the chamber celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. It has a mission statement of ‘enabling better lives through business’.
With over 100 members any business in Dorset can join Dorchester Chamber from business for £60p/a (no VAT).
