Gower College Swansea has held a special awards ceremony at Swansea.com Stadium as part of Apprenticeship Week Wales 2024.
The event, which honoured the outstanding commitment and dedication of the College’s apprentices, staff and employer partners from across Wales and England, was hosted by presenter/broadcaster Ross Harries who has been the face of Welsh rugby for more than a decade.
Guest speaker for the night was Lucy Cohen, co-founder and CEO of Mazuma, the first subscription-based accounting service for small and micro businesses.
“Apprenticeships are a key priority for many employers in terms of meeting the skills needed to develop and grow their businesses and I am delighted that, especially in recent years, the College has been able to respond to this demand,” says Principal Kelly Fountain.
“Today we have over 3,000 apprentices at any one time, but I am also delighted to report that the quality of the provision has also strengthened with our apprentices, staff and programmes being recognised in Wales at the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru and the Inspire Tutor Awards, and also across the UK at the Times Educational Supplement FE Awards, the Annual Apprenticeship Conference Awards, and the Association of Colleges Beacon Awards.
“We also have many learners who participate in Worldskills competitions, making us proud contributors on the national and international stage.”
Our 2024 apprentices of the year are:
Accountancy Apprentice of the Year - Lisa Bakker
Activity Leadership/Sports Development Apprentice of the Year - Ioan Elli Evans
Built Environment Apprentice of the Year - Sam Milligan
Business Administration Apprentice of the Year - Hayley Whitworth
Business and Quality Improvement Apprentice of the Year - Brian Thomas
Childcare/Educational Support Apprentice of the Year - Molly Collins
Civil Engineering Apprentice of the Year - James White
Community Development Apprentice of the Year - Danielle Hartery
Construction Apprentice of the Year - Ashton Kime
Contact Centre Apprentice of the Year - Logan Hocking
Creative and Digital Media Apprentice of the Year - Alexander Thomas
Customer Service Apprentice of the Year - Kian Pickman
Digital Learning Design Apprentice of the Year - Elena Amado
Electronics Apprentice of the Year - Daniel Griffiths
Engineering and Motor Vehicle Apprentice of the Year - Thomas Harmer
Facilities and Resource Management Apprentice of the Year - Cynyrluis Fry
Fashion and Textiles Apprentice of the Year - Vicki Browning
Health Care Apprentice of the Year - Lisa Taylor
Housing Apprentice of the Year - Carys Evans
Information, Advice and Guidance Apprentice of the Year - Duncan Jones
IT and Digital Apprentice of the Year - Katie Davies
Laboratory and Science Apprentice of the Year - Georgia Cox
Management and Development Apprentice of the Year - Damian Aston
Social Care Apprentice of the Year - Tegan Gray
Customer Service Specialist Apprentice of the Year (England) – George Ferguson
Electrical, Electronic Product Service and Installation Apprentice of the Year (England) – Lewis Chacksfield
Facilities Management Apprentice of the Year (England) – Muminur Islam
Management Apprentice of the Year (England) – Daniel Loucas
Foundation Apprentice of the Year - Isaac Fabb
Apprentice of the Year - Sarah Price
Higher Apprentice of the Year - Georgia Cox
Apprentice of the Year (England) - Muminur Islam
Apprentice Exceptional Achievement Award - Lisa Taylor
Apprenticeship Tutor/Assessor of the Year - Constance Henry
Apprenticeship Tutor/Assessor of the Year (England) - Steve Williams
Apprenticeship Team of the Year – Emma Davies and Gwyneth Morgan-Chan
Apprentice Employer of the Year (1-49 employees) – Zygo Media
Apprentice Employer of the Year (50-249 employees) – Merthyr Valley Homes
Apprentice Employer of the Year (250+ employees) – South Wales Police
Apprentice Employer of the Year (England) – Paragon Customer Communications
Apprentice Employer Champion of the Year – Candy Passmore
Pencampwr Cymraeg Gwobr Prentis - Sarah Bowkett
Pencampwr Cymraeg Gwobr Prentisiaeth Cyflogwr - Hollow Pixel
Pencampwr Cymraeg Gwobr Prentisiaeth Tiwtor/Aseswr - Marie Allen
Many thanks to the Gorseinon Campus Jazz Band, led by Simon Prothero, for providing the arrival entertainment, and our Level 3 Theatre and Live Events Production team, led by Adrian Hocking and Andrew Murray, for their fantastic work on the set, lighting and sound.
The event was part of a wide range of activities the College organised to celebrate Apprenticeship Week Wales 2024.
On 7 February, the College held a special open evening especially for people who are interested in apprenticeships. The event was a great success, with over 500 attending to chat with lecturers and employers.