OVERVIEW
There are ten categories in the National Apprenticeship Awards. You can find out more about each category by clicking the tabs on this page.
Apprentice of the Year and Apprenticeship Champion categories
The Apprentice of the Year categories are looking to recognise those who are working towards, or have recently completed, their apprenticeship.
- The Amazon Intermediate Apprentice of the Year Award (Level 2)
- The BAE Systems Advanced Apprentice of the Year Award (Level 3)
- The Royal Navy Higher or Degree Apprentice of the Year Award (Level 4 or higher)
- The Lloyds Banking Group Rising Star of the Year Award (Apprentices that have made impressive progress in their career to date, and have the potential to go even further. Nominations are made by their employer).
- The Royal Air Force Apprenticeship Champion of the Year Award (Individuals who go ‘above and beyond’ to champion apprenticeships. Nominations are made by a colleague or contact who recognises an individual’s ‘champion’ credentials).
Employer of the Year categories
- The BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT SME Employer of the Year Award (for organisations with 1 to 249 employees)
- The British Army Large Employer of the Year Award (for organisations with 250 to 4,999 employees)
- The Teesside University Macro Employer of the Year Award (for organisations with 5,000+ employees)
New for 2023
- The Specsavers Social Justice Apprentice Employer of the Year Award (Awarded to an organisation which demonstrates the impact they have had in creating opportunities and support for apprentices who are disadvantaged or under-represented)
- The IfATE Apprenticeship Development Partner of the Year Award (Awarded to an employer who has gone the extra mile to develop, approve, review and revise apprenticeships in partnership with IfATE)
EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR
The Employer of the Year category is open to employers from all sectors and celebrates employers who can showcase their commitment, contribution and the success that apprenticeships have brought to their organisation.
There are three employer categories to acknowledge organisations of different sizes:
- The BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT SME Employer of the Year Award (for organisations with 1 to 249 employees)
- The British Army Large Employer of the Year Award (for organisations with 250 to 4,999 employees)
- The Teesside University Macro Employer of the Year Award (for organisations with 5,000+ employees)
The judges are looking for proactive employers who can demonstrate how they have delivered an exemplary apprenticeship programme that has benefited their organisation and individual apprentices.
You can make your application stand out by including essential evidence such as quotes from clients and apprentices, statistics, comparative data and quantifiable information.
If you want to find out more before you start your application, please download the guidance document and 10 step planner, available on this page.
Social Justice Apprentice Employer of the Year
The Specsavers Social Justice Apprentice Employer of the Year award is the first of our brand-new awards launching for 2023. We want to share examples of the impactful work that employers are achieving through apprenticeships, in creating opportunities and support packages for those disadvantaged or under-represented groups, and the positive affect that this can have on the lives of those that they are working with.
This award is open to any organisation which demonstrates the impact they have had in creating opportunities and support for apprentices through their recruitment, on-programme support and continuous delivery.
If you want to find out more before you start your application, please download the guidance document and 10 step planner, available on this page.
Rising Star of the year
The Lloyds Banking Group Rising Star of the Year Award seeks to recognise apprentices that have made impressive progress in their career to date and have the potential to go even further.
Apprentices should be nominated for this award by their employer. An employer may nominate more than one apprentice for the Rising Star Award, but a separate application must be completed for each apprentice.
To be eligible for the Rising Star Award, the apprentice being nominated must either:
- Be currently undertaking an apprenticeship at any level
- Have completed their apprenticeship within the last 24 months (since 1 June 2021)
If you want to find out more before you start your application, please download the guidance document and 10 step planner, available on this page.
APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR
To enter the Apprentice of the Year category you must either be currently undertaking the level of qualification applicable to your chosen category or have completed that level within the last 12 months (since 1 June 2022).
There are three Apprentice of the Year categories:
- The Amazon Intermediate Apprentice of the Year Award – for those who are working towards, or completed, NVQ Level 2 qualifications
- The BAE Systems Advanced Apprentice of the Year Award – for those working towards, or completed, NVQ Level 3
- The Royal Navy Higher or Degree Apprentice of the Year Award – for those working towards, or completed, NVQ Level 4 or higher qualifications
The judges are looking for apprentices who can demonstrate their achievements, contribution and the impact they have made within the organisation they work.
If you want to find out more before you start your application, please download the guidance document and 10 step planner, available on this page.
APPRENTICESHIP CHAMPION OF THE YEAR *
The Royal Air Force Apprenticeship Champion of the Year Award is for individuals who champion apprenticeships with enthusiasm. Their passion for apprenticeships is exceptional.
The award is open to all individuals. The initial nomination will now come from a colleague or contact who recognises their ‘champion’ credentials. The nominator will be required to write a short reference, explaining why they think the individual is an ‘Apprenticeship Champion’.
Once the nomination has been submitted the nominee will receive an email to alert them, and they will then complete the application form.
The judges are looking for strong advocates of apprenticeships who showcase how they proactively go beyond their normal duties to promote apprenticeships as an excellent career route and a way to boost business success.
* If the person you are nominating is currently an apprentice they should only submit an entry in the Apprentice of the Year category.
APPRENTICESHIP DEVELOPMENT PARTNER OF THE YEAR (IfATE)
Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) works in partnership with thousands of employers, who design and update apprenticeships and the end point assessments, and lead on the approval of each change or development for national implementation. They give their time freely to make sure the training matches up to the economy’s skills needs and go above and beyond to make a real difference for the apprentices in their sectors.
The Apprenticeship Development Partner of the Year award is open to employers who have gone the extra mile to develop, approve, review and revise apprenticeships in partnership with IfATE.
If you want to find out more before you start your application, please download the guidance document and 10 step planner, available on this page. You can apply for this category by clicking on the IfATE Award tab at the top of the screen.
