Staged as part of the university’s National Apprenticeship Week activities, the ceremony was held at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester with more than 100 guests in attendance.
The event was an opportunity to recognise the success of the apprenticeship students themselves and to thank those employers who have chosen to work with the University of Salford as their training provider.
Paul Ward, Director of International and Regional Development, said: “Russells’ Degree Apprenticeship programme is a really great example of how this scheme should work, with a business and the university coming together to give students a combination of practical and classroom-based learning opportunities. The Russells scheme is a genuinely excellent example of this and the company’s commitment to its trainees is second to none.
“Not only is the company providing young people with an exciting route into the construction industry, but the Russells team is also always happy to feed back into our courses by providing insight and practical expertise to the broader department through talks, site visits and presentations. We’re delighted with the success of the partnership and are pleased to recognise Russells with this award.”
Andrew Walker, from Russells Construction accepted the award on behalf of the company along with two of the firm’s degree apprentices, Abbie Norton and George Carus. Andrew said: “We’re delighted to accept the award on behalf of Russells and all the students on the Degree Apprenticeship Programme. We set extremely high standards for our trainees and this partnership with the University of Salford is an integral part of a programme to develop those who will go on to become the future leaders within our business.”
Degree apprenticeships are a modern-day reflection of the industrial heritage of the University of Salford, which was founded as the Royal Technical Institute back in 1896. The modern institution started with just 16 apprentices in 2016 and has grown over just four years to be in the position, in 2020, to be taking on its 1,000th apprentice.
Working with over 150 employers – both large and small – and over 700 apprentices, the University provides 15 different programmes across key sectors including health care, biomedical science, property and construction, business and engineering.
With 13 awards in total and over 80 individuals nominated, it was a tough time for the shortlisting panel. A full list of the award winners can be seen here.
Adele Lochman, Degree Apprenticeships Business Development Lead at the University, added: “The awards ceremony is a fantastic opportunity to bring the apprenticeship community together. From Nursing Associates to Quantity Surveyors and from apprentices and their managers to programme leaders, the event is a great platform to celebrate the hard work, dedication and commitment of all those involved in the apprenticeship journey.
“We have seen rapid growth in our apprenticeship numbers in the past few years and we only envisage that continuing. We would not be where we are today though without the support of our employer partners and University staff who work so hard to ensure each and every apprenticeship is a success – so thank you!”
Click here to watch our degree apprentices talk about their training programme and the partnership with the University of Salford.
