Apprentices from across the borough were celebrated at a special awards ceremony, on Thursday 8 February, as part of National Apprenticeship Week.

The Ealing Council Apprenticeship Awards recognises the achievements of apprentices that have completed their Level 2 or Level 3 training in careers including food safety and youth work.  The awards also honour training assessors, supervisors and employers who all provide crucial support services to apprentices.

The Ealing Council apprenticeship programme has been running for more than 17 years, with more than 135 former learners successfully finding employment or going to university.

During the evening, awards were given out at a graduation ceremony and winners were recognised in categories including Apprentice of the Year, Best Contribution by an Apprentice and Supervisor of the Year.

The event at Perceval House was attended by leader of the council, Peter Mason, chief executive, Tony Clements and cabinet member for decent living incomes councillor Louise Brett, as well as training providers and council staff.

‘A space to learn and grow’

Labina Omar, a property strategy apprentice, spoke about her experience and how her supervisor, Catarina Silva, has shaped her learning journey:

“Catarina has consistently gone above and beyond in guiding me through her unwavering dedication to my development. She remains patient and understanding, creating a safe space for me to learn and grow. Her encouragement and belief in my abilities have given me the confidence to push myself further and strive.”

Catarina says of Lubina:

“Labina’s work ethics combined with a warm and friendly personality have made her an asset to our team.  She has collaborated in a number of very important projects where her record keeping skills and efficiency, have made a real difference to the way in which the project is run. She has quickly learnt how to use property management and mapping systems enabling her to confidently provide assistance to colleagues. Labina has recently taken part in a number of site visits and is always willing to try something new.”

Award winners

Luca Jerome, a food safety apprentice, was crowned ‘Apprentice of the Year’. His supervisor Mary said:

“Luca has exhibited highly developed interpersonal skills and excellent judgment, handling every person who approaches him with professionalism. He is responsible for handling calls from businesses and members of the public, treating each call with respect and sensitivity. Luca has taken on the task of managing the petty cash system. This involves ensuring that the system is securely and tightly managed. He has demonstrated he is competent to manage such high-risk tasks and ensure the system is kept controlled.”

Supervisor of the Year was won by Jeffrey Campbell, a senior youth worker.

Councillor Louise Brett, cabinet member for decent living incomes, said:

“It was fantastic to celebrate the achievements of our learners who are part of the council’s apprenticeship scheme. A lot of work has gone into reaching these achievements, some taking a year and some working up to 2 years to complete their level of apprenticeship, but it’s not just the apprentices who are involved in these achievements, supervisors and managers have all been involved in their journeys and honing of their professional work skills.”

To further mark week, a bake sale, quiz night and raffle were also held to fund an afternoon tea for residents at the Michael Flanders Centre, followed by a choir performance, raising more than £700 in total.

For more information about apprenticeships, go to the council website