EMPLOYERS, assessors, family and friends joined Weymouth College apprentices for the college’s annual Apprentice of the Year Awards

Nigel Evans (principal and chief executive) and Natalie Merry (director of apprenticeships and employer services) were pleased to welcome Richard Drax MP and Mark Cribb (founder of Dorset based Urban Guild).

The final award of the morning – the Weymouth College Apprentice of the Year 2020 – was presented to Josh Harvey by Richard Drax MP.

Josh said: “I am very pleased to have been nominated for an award by my tutor Joanna Szuwalska and proud to have been recognised by Weymouth College as the College’s overall Apprentice of the Year 2020.

“I was unsure where I wanted my career to take me and I initially completed a Level 3 in Art and Design at Weymouth College. My grandfather and father both worked in stone and I decided on an apprenticeship in Stonemasonry as my next step. I have now very much found my passion and my pathway and am lucky to work at my employer alongside award winning stonemasons."

Richard Drax MP said: “I was delighted to attend the 2020 Apprenticeship Awards, which I co-founded seven years ago with Weymouth College. In that time, it has gone from strength to strength and I would like particularly to thank the Principal, Nigel Evans and his staff, who have done so much to turn this into a real opportunity for young people.

“I was glad to meet Josh and the other deserving winners and their families, and was fascinated and impressed, along with everyone else, by Mark Cribb’s story. Yet again, he is proof that traditional academia is not the only way to a successful and enduring career and that well-run apprenticeships can be the best and most practical path to the future.”

The Weymouth College Apprentice of the Year 2020 Award winners:

Weymouth College Apprentice of the Year 2020 and Stonemasonry Apprentice of the Year 2020: Josh Harvey – Harvey Stone

Motor Apprentice of the Year 2020: Luke Holmes – NJT Mechanics

Hospitality & Catering Apprentice of the Year 2020: Luke Honnor – The Shed Cafe

Electrical Apprentice of the Year 2020: Jamie Scadden – Turrell Ltd

Business Administration and Management Apprentice of the Year 2020: Holly Nash – Weymouth College

AAT Apprentice of the Year 2020: Hannah Davis – Dorset Council

Brickwork Apprentice of the Year 2020: Tom Guilfoyle – Paul Cullen

Carpentry & Joinery Apprentice of the Year 2020: Louis White – RSL Windows and Conservatories Ltd

Childcare & STLS Apprentice of the Year 2020: Jessica Hoppe – St Marks C of E Primary School

Customer Service Apprentice of the Year 2020: Megan White – Specsavers, Dorchester

Engineering Apprentice of the Year 2020: Jack Winter – Peach Engineering

Hairdressing Apprentice of the Year 2020: Kiera-Leigh Cole – Hair Moda

IT Apprentice of the Year 2020: Ben Hybert – Squire Technologies

Plumbing Apprentice of the Year 2020: William Agate – Nothe Gas & Electrical

Sport Apprentice of the Year 2020: Victoria Bryan – Gillingham First School

Special Recognition Award for Outstanding Commitment to Personal & Professional Development: Milli Threadwell - Agincare