To mark National Apprenticeship Week, the Apprenticeship team were delighted to host the University of Kent’s annual Apprenticeship Awards, a special occasion dedicated to celebrating the people at the heart of the University’s apprenticeship programmes.
The event brought together over 170 guests, including apprentices, line managers, apprenticeship advisors, academic colleagues, and more, with people travelling from across the UK to attend. The team received a record number of nominations, making this year’s awards particularly special.
Special Guest Speakers
Max from Transport for London (TfL), spoke about his journey following the completion of his Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship. Now an Operations Manager for London Overground, he shared his first-hand experience of the impact his apprenticeship has had on his career. Employer, Joe, from the Innovate UK Catapult Network, also shared valuable insights into the benefits of apprenticeships and the positive difference they make within their organisation.
The day was a powerful reminder that apprenticeships are about more than qualifications. They are about the apprentices who bring ambition and dedication, alongside the line managers, advisors and academics who support them at every stage.
Award Winners
A highlight of the event was recognising individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to Kent’s apprenticeship programmes. The awards are voted for by employers, apprentices, and university academic staff, making the recognition especially meaningful.
Special congratulations to Clinical Trials apprentice, Jessica Davey, who was named Overall Apprentice of the Year. Described by colleagues as having a ‘thirst for knowledge’, Jessica consistently delivers work to an exceptional standard, and has been praised as being an invaluable member of the team.
Congratulations also go to the following award winners:
School of Economics and the School of Arts
L7 Architecture apprentice, Ryan Gentry, from Turner Jackson Day Associates Ltd
L7 Journalist, Kit Taylor, at the BBC
L6 Professional Economist, Naseem Alam, from Department for Education
Kent Business School
L7 Senior Leader, Ross Miller, from Commercial Services Group
L7 Operational Research Specialist, Jonathan Teagles, from Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Security and Net Zero
L6 Chartered Manager, Louise Young, from Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
L7 Research Scientist, Joe Thomas, from Bristol Myers Squibb
L6 Scientist, Shuhrra Amudi, from Reckitt
L6 Clinical Trails Specialist, Jessica Davey, from Syneos Health
L5 Technician Scientist, Lauren Beasley, from Pharmaron
Social Sciences
L6 Social Worker, Rachael Isted, from Fostering Together – for children with disabilities
L6 Social Researcher, Emily England, from the Office of National Statistics
L4 Policy Officer, Besart, from Ofcom
L3 Fundraiser, Clare Saunders, from Medway Voluntary Action
Apprenticeship Community
Employer of the Year, Kent County Council
Academic of the Year, Rob Bailey
Line Manager of the Year, Jeni De’Ath
Apprenticeship Advisor of the Year (Sarah Little John Award), Ryan Stageman MSc
Dr Parminder Sandhu -Freya Ilyas from Reckitt
Nick Lancaster, Director of Business Development, Research and Innovation and lead for the Apprenticeship Unit, said: ‘Thank you once again to everyone who joined us during National Apprenticeship Week and helped make this event such a memorable occasion. We take great pride in seeing our apprentices flourish and look forward to continuing our work with businesses, charities and public sector organisations to tailor our apprenticeship courses to skills needs regionally and nationally.’