Apprentices celebrate in style at graduation event

Apprentices from across the Midlands have been celebrated in a special graduation ceremony held at Warwick Racecourse.

The apprentices were joined by family, friends, tutors and employers to celebrate completing their apprenticeships with college group WCG (formerly Warwickshire College Group).

More than 60 apprentices graduated on the evening, with over 170 guests in attendance for the eighth apprenticeship graduation event hosted by WCG.

The college group is made up of six colleges, including Pershore, Royal Leamington Spa, Warwick Trident, Rugby and Evesham.

Radio presenter Dave Sharpe was the master of ceremonies, with guests hearing from keynote speaker Louise Bennett OBE DL, chief executive of Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

WCG CEO Angela Joyce also spoke with the apprentices as part of the event, and was joined on stage by Louise Bennett to present the apprentices with their graduation scrolls.

Apprentices graduating are embarking on careers in a wide range of sectors, from engineering and horticulture, to marketing and dental nursing.

Angela Joyce, CEO of WCG, said: “We believe in formally celebrating success at every level of education and we are proud to train more than 2,000 apprentices each year for more than 1,100 employers.

“After two years away, it was great to be back in-person to celebrate our apprentices.

“The Skills Act has highlighted the importance of skill-based learning and nine out of 10 employers say apprentices boost productivity. WCG is a pioneer of employer centred education, which led to us receiving the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2021.

“Apprenticeships are the best and most effective way to bring skilled talent into the workforce.

“Congratulations to all of our graduating apprentices this year and we wish them all the best as they move forward in their careers.”

Three apprentices were given special prizes on the evening in recognition of their high performance and excellence achieved during their apprenticeship.

Megan Lewis, 26 from Shrewsbury, was named as the Outstanding Apprentice for Engineering after she completed her degree apprenticeship in Electrical/Electronic Engineering with Jaguar Land Rover.

Megan, who studied at Warwick Trident College, said: “It has been a great evening, having everyone come out on stage to collect their scroll and meeting with the CEO of college was great too – it has been an amazing experience.

“I had done my A-Levels in Shrewsbury and initially went to university to study Chemistry, but I felt full-time learning wasn’t for me and the apprenticeship route seemed perfect. It has been perfect and I don’t know what else I would have done.

“Being on the apprenticeship has been a big learning curve, but it really helps with time management and personal skills. The experience at college was amazing and it really helped to build friendships to support me through the apprenticeship.”

Outstanding Apprentice for Land-based, Motor Vehicle and Construction went to Jake Summers, a 20-year-old Land Based Engineering Technician from near Hinckley. He had completed his apprenticeship with Chandlers Farm Equipment in Lutterworth, with studies at Moreton Morrell College.

And Rossi Salvatore, 22 from Banbury, was presented with the prize for Outstanding Apprentice for Service Industries. He has completed a Chartered Institute of Marketing Level 3 Marketing Assistant apprenticeship with Karcher.

Rossi, who studied at Royal Leamington Spa College, said: “I came out of school at 18 and was an estate agent for just over a year. I decided that wasn’t for me so I took the plunge into the apprenticeship and never looked back.

“Being able to gain a qualification whilst working was a huge plus for me. Personally and professionally my confidence has grown no end over the last few years and now I’m confident to speak up and not be afraid to say that my idea is a good idea.

“I wasn’t expecting to win the award and it came as a bit of a shock. I’ve really enjoyed the evening, it’s good to celebrate and see how far we have all come over the course of our apprenticeships.”

WCG offers a wide range of apprenticeships in a variety of industries. To find out more visit www.wcg.ac.uk/apprenticeships