Apprentices and learners of all ages from across the region were recognised for their achievements in vocational training at the recent Alliance Learning Awards Evening.
Training specialist Alliance Learning held their Annual Awards Evening in a glittering ceremony at Bolton Wanderers’ Reebok Stadium on April 17th.
The purpose of the event was to highlight the achievements of both young (15-24 years old) and adult learners who have excelled in their training throughout 2007 with Alliance Learning.
The event was hosted by GMTV News Correspondent Elaine Willcox and culminated in an after dinner speech by Gary Skyner, motivational speaker and award winning comedian.
The evening was sponsored by Horwich based Gresham Office Furniture and Keystone Distribution UK, based in Heywood.
The evening was also in support of Alliance Learning’s designated charity, the Bolton Hospice, raising £790.
Around 180 guests were in attendance, including employers, representatives from key partners, including the Learning & Skills Council and the University for Industry, local schools, Alliance Learning staff, the award winners and their family members, as 17 awards were handed out to apprentices and learners in a wide range of fields from childcare, social care and administration to engineering and distribution, warehousing & storage operations.
The main highlights of the awards evening included:
Apprentice of the Year
The prestigious Apprentice of the Year Award sponsored by Barker Welding Supplies, went to 20-year-old Christopher Alker from Westhoughton.
Christopher, a Maintenance Engineer with Krones UK in Westhoughton, also won the Mechanical Engineering Apprentice of the Year.
In being nominated for Apprentice of the Year, Christopher was described as an outstanding apprentice by both employer and tutor Dennis Malloy, who said Christopher was ‘without doubt the best apprentice I have ever seen.’
Company Award for Training & Development
Celebrating continued commitment to the training and development of employees, the Company Award for Training and Development was won by Gresham Office Furniture.
Established over 30 years ago, the Horwich based furniture specialist, currently employs over 300 people and have taken on over 50 apprentices in the last 6 years.
Gresham’s training initiatives also include extensive commercial training in health & safety, first aid, specialised plant and fork lift truck training and professional development in customer service, leadership and management.
Commenting on the Awards Evening Steve Whitehead, Alliance Learning Chief Executive said:
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“Alliance Learning works closely with employers to ensure that training programmes are relevant to achieving business success and career objectives. The awards evening highlights what our learners can achieve in taking those important first steps on their career path and the benefits a skilled workforce brings to organisations”.
“This year’s awards evening was bigger and better than ever. We’d like to thank our sponsors; Gresham Office Furniture, Keystone Distribution UK, Barker Welding Supplies, Hitachi Automotive Systems Europe Ltd and Harrison Lubrication Engineering Ltd for their magnificent support”.
