Apprenticeship stars of the West Midlands have been honoured at the regional ceremony of the National Apprenticeship Awards 2013 held at the Banqueting Suite, Council House, in Birmingham.

The employer winners on the night were; Smart Assessor in Rugby (Small Employer of the Year), Walter Smith Fine Foods in Birmingham (Nuclear Decommissioning Site Licence Companies Award for Medium Employer of the Year), the Community Housing Group in Kidderminster (BAE Systems Large Employer of the Year), Jaguar Land Rover in Coventry (Macro Employer of the Year) and HSBC (Investors in People Apprenticeship Newcomer Employer of the Year Award).

Paul Cadman, HR director at Walter Smith Fine Foods, said: “Our founder began delivering apprenticeship training in the 1930s and since then his successors have seen the importance of ensuring that all our skilled staff continue to train this way.”

In the apprentice categories Michelle Sawyer, an apprentice at Wolverhampton Homes scooped Intermediate Apprentice of the Year, Benjamin Lamb, an engineering apprentice with Jaguar Land Rover was presented with the Advanced Apprentice of the Year award and James Gee, an apprentice with Capgemini won the Higher Apprentice of the Year award.

On winning her award Michelle said: “Because of my apprenticeship I’m learning more about myself and feel like a new person.”

Finally Karen Lowry-Hall, CSR and training officer at the Community Housing Group in Kidderminster, won the West Midlands City & Guilds Apprenticeship Champion of the Year Award.

She said: “I left school with limited qualifications and until I was given the chance of an apprenticeship I thought I would never succeed.

"I’m now a training professional and my passion for apprenticeships drives me to give others a chance.”

The National City & Guilds Apprenticeship Champion of the Year Award winner will be decided by a public vote, taking place from September 30 to the October 11. The top three will then be announced and voting will reopen from 14 to the 18 to decide the ultimate winner.

All the regional winners will proceed through to the national final on November 14 during The Skills Show at the NEC in Birmingham.

The apprenticeship employer entries judged to be the very best will feature in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list, produced by NAS in partnership with City & Guilds.

Jaine Bolton, divisional apprenticeship director, said: “Apprenticeships allow employers to grow their own talent, and allow apprentices to earn while they learn and build real careers and bright futures.”

“All our finalists are testament to this. I would like to ask you to vote for our apprenticeship champion and wish them the best of luck at the national final, and I’m sure they will do the West Midlands proud.”

The celebration was sponsored by the Birmingham Post, the AA, Jaguar Land Rover and Birmingham City Council.

• For more information about the winners and highly commended on the night visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk

National Apprenticeship Awards 2013 West Midlands: Danny Taylor of Smart Assessor, Emma Massey, Benjamin Lamb & Lloyd Neal, of JLR
National Apprenticeship Awards 2013 West Midlands: Danny Taylor of Smart Assessor, Emma Massey, Benjamin Lamb & Lloyd Neal, of JLR

West Midlands winners

Intermediate Apprentice of the Year 2013

Michelle Sawyer - Winner

Emma Massey - Highly commended

Kevin Reid - Highly commended

Small Employer of the year 2013

Smart Assessor - Winner

Advanced Apprentice of the Year 2013

Benjamin Lamb - Winner

Adrian Law - Highly commended

Nuclear Decommissioning Site Licence Company Medium Employer of the Year 2013

Walter Smith Fine Foods Limited - Winner

Hendra Healthcare (Ludlow) Limited - Highly commended

Higher Apprentice of the Year 2013

James Gee - Winner

Matthew Faull - Highly commended

BAE Systems Large Employer of the Year 2013

The Community Housing Group - Winner

Redrow Homes - Highly commended

City & Guilds Apprenticeship Champion of the Year 2013

Karen Lowry-Hall - Winner

Craig Davidson - Highly commended

Macro Employer of the Year 2013

Jaguar Land Rover - Winner

Sanctuary Group - Highly commended

The Investors in People Apprenticeship Newcomer Employer of the Year 2013

HSBC Bank plc - Winner