Carlisle College held its annual awards event, with 20 awards presented on the evening, recognising the continuous effort and outstanding achievements of learners over the last academic year.
Principal Sarah McGrath said: “The commitment and dedication shown by our learners has been outstanding and it is therefore fitting to recognise their achievements.
“We have learners who have been nominated for awards not just because they have or will achieve, but because they have excelled.”
Highlighting the close relationship the college has with leading local and national employers, the evening was sponsored by Persimmon Homes with award categories supported by the University of Cumbria, Carlisle City Council, Pirelli, Pioneer Foodservice, Thomas Graham and David Allen.
Geoff Brown, construction director at Persimmon, said: “We’re proud to work closely with Carlisle College and were delighted to sponsor this year’s awards.
“It was fantastic to join learners, parents and tutors in celebrating the hard work and dedication of apprentices and students at the college.
“We currently have a number of apprentices at Carlisle College with another four due to start this September and so we look forward to continuing working in partnership with the college to ensure that learners have the skills they need to pursue their chosen career paths.”
As the evening’s main sponsor, Mr Brown had the honour of presenting the Learner of the Year and the Apprentice of the Year awards.
Lizzie Templeton was named Apprentice of the Year. When it comes to apprenticeships it’s all about employability and this student was recognised for having it all. She had been an excellent student on the accounting programme as well as an asset to her employer, Cumbria County Council.
It was also noted that she is flying the flag for future apprentices as part of her Apprentice Ambassador role within the workplace.
Carlisle College works with hundreds of employers across the county. This includes the employment of apprentices, offering valuable work experience for learners or contributing to resources and projects, and as such a large number of nominations were submitted for the employer categories.
Intro PR, based in Carlisle, were awarded Employer of the Year, recognising the support and proactive contribution they have provided to the curriculum as well as welcoming staff in for industry-based days.
The Apprentice Employer of the Year was presented to David Allen IT Solutions, who were recognised for their on-going support, mentoring and on-site training offered to their apprentices and the supportive network they provide.
Helen Statham, a director at Intro, said: “We are over the moon that Intro has received the Employer of the Year award. It was totally unexpected but we feel truly honoured to be counted as one of the winners at the Carlisle College awards this year.
“Attending the awards night has been massively humbling too. Hearing about the students that have achieved so much is definitely something to be celebrated, and I’m so pleased we’ve had the opportunity to do it in person this year.
“We’ve always enjoyed working with students and tutors at Carlisle College, and we look forward to continuing to do so in the future.”
The evening was supported by Carlisle College Catering & Hospitality students who provided a hot and cold buffet for around 80 guests.
Carlisle College has more than 100 courses and many apprenticeships starting this September. For more information or to apply visit www.carlisle.ac.uk