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 2023).

There are four 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 British Army Higher Apprentice of the Year Award – for those working towards, or completed, NVQ Level 4 or 5.
• The Royal Navy Degree Level Apprentice of the Year Award – for those working towards, or completed NVQ Level 6 or above, including Degree Apprenticeships.

The judges are looking for apprentices who can demonstrate their achievements, contribution and the impact they have made within the organisation they work. 

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 2022)

To enter the Gatsby T Level Student of the Year category you must be undertaking a T Level qualification or have completed within the last 12 months (since 1 June 2023).

The judges are looking for students who can demonstrate their achievements, contribution and the impact they have made during their work placement.

The Royal Air Force Skills Champion of the Year category is for individuals who champion apprenticeships and skills programmes with enthusiasm. Their passion for apprenticeships and skills 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 ‘Skills 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 and Skills, who showcase how they proactively go beyond their normal duties to promote apprenticeships and skills as an excellent career route and a way to boost business success.
• If the person you are nominating is currently an apprentice and T Level student, they should only submit an entry in the Apprentice or T Level Student of the Year category.

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 two employer categories to acknowledge organisations of different sizes:

• The BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT SME Apprenticeship Employer of the Year Award (for organisations with 1 to 249 employees)
• The QA Large Apprenticeship Employer of the Year Award (for organisations with 250 or more 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.

The Gatsby T Level Employer of the Year Award (New for 2024)

The Gatsby T Level 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 T Levels have brought to their organisation.

The judges are looking for proactive employers who can demonstrate how they have delivered an exemplary T Level Programme that has benefited their organisation and Individual T Level students.

You can make your application stand out by including essential evidence such as quotes from clients and T Level students, statistics, comparative data and quantifiable information.

The Social Justice Employer of the Year category is open to employers from all sectors. We want to share examples of the impactful work that employers are achieving through apprenticeships and/or T Levels, 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 and students through their recruitment, on-programme support and continuous delivery.

The Skills Development Partner award will celebrate individuals who have gone the extra mile to develop, approve, review and revise apprenticeships and T Levels in partnership with The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE).

The Skills Development Partner of the Year category is open to individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to the development and approval of apprenticeships and T Levels.

Shortlisted entries will recognise examples of how individuals have instigated innovation; prioritised green skills and diversity; secured consensus and support; and played a leading role in promoting the apprenticeships and T Levels within their industry.