First-ever triple award winner crowned at 2022 Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards

Apprentices, their families and colleagues came together to celebrate in style and witness an historic Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards as the seventh annual event at Truro and Penwith College crowned its first triple-award winner.

Holly Day and Neil Caddy from Pirate FM presented the awards, held in partnership with DL Accounts Ltd with support from Cornwall-wide business sponsors, to recognise and reward the exceptional achievement of 42 shortlisted learners and employers across 16 categories.

The annual awards returned for the seventh time to celebrate both the achievements of apprentices from across Cornwall who work in a variety of sectors and those employers who go the extra mile in the provision and support they provide their own apprentices.

The awards are open to all apprentices and apprenticeship employers across Cornwall and cover a range of professional categories including construction, engineering, management, marketing and business. Judging the awards was a panel of industry leaders from a range of large and medium employers from Cornwall and across the UK.

2022 was an historic event with 36-year-old apprentice Lois Craze, Deputy Security Manager at FX Plus in Falmouth University, becoming the Awards’ very first triple-award winner, scooping Management Apprentice of the Year, sponsored by CIOS Skills Hub, Apprentice Achiever of the Year, sponsored by Award Partners DL Accounts Ltd and the coveted Cornwall’s Apprentice of the Year 2022, sponsored by hosts Truro and Penwith College.

Described as, ‘invaluable and an absolute inspiration to her team,’ Lois not only recruited an effective team during a departmental restructure but implemented policies and procedures that have improved services. Lois works with the police to benefit the safety of students at the university and launched the SafeZone app on campus which has vastly improved response times to emergency and first aid calls.

Dr. Julie Gripton, Principal at CIOS Health & Care Academy, was one of three judges in the Management category and said: “Lois is a shining example of what apprenticeships are, they are for people at all stages of their career allowing them to develop the skills that they need.”

The Achiever of the Year category is awarded to an apprentice who has overcome adversity or some form of challenge to complete their apprenticeship and is subject to a public vote that was heavily supported by the Awards’ media partners Cornwall Live and Business Cornwall.

Lois picked up this award having moved from Customer Service Supervisor to Deputy Security Manageras a result of her apprenticeship and was described as ‘blazing a trail’ for professional women in an industry that is typically dominated by men. Her nominators evidenced Lois changing the face of the security Industry by challenging stereotypes, offering new ideas and identifying new directions while being pivotal in changing the image of security on campus, transitioning from ‘rule enforcers’ a supportive and helpful service.  

Before the Awards, Lois described being recognised on International Women’s Day as a ‘career highlight’, when she took part in the university’s #breakthebias campaign and she has been presented with ‘Powers’ by the Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police in recognition of her work under the prestigious Community Safety Accreditation scheme.

Lois was invited to the stage to collect an unprecedented third award, Cornwall’s Apprentice of the Year 2022, after she received the very top judge’s score of all apprentice nominees across the whole event.

Lois Craze commented: “I’m over the moon, I feel absolutely overwhelmed, really happy and proud. I was just happy to be shortlisted. I’m really proud to be a women in a role that is traditionally male dominated and to be winning awards for that as well!”

Lois’s employer, Natalie Brown, Head of Security Services at FX Plus, said: “Lois consistently demonstrates that she embodies our team values and behaviours and seeks to deliver service excellence, helping and supporting others to do the same. She has thrived and proved she has the qualities to make an excellent leader.”

2022 marked a very successful year for the Ofsted Outstanding Truro and Penwith College as its learners came out on top in 10 of the 14 Apprentice categories.

The Large Apprentice Employer of the Year award was sponsored by Foot Anstey LLP and won by A&P Falmouth with a staggering 70% of its current leadership team starting their careers as apprentices with the group and their recruitment and training process cited by judges as ‘first-class’.

SME Employer of the Year, sponsored by Inn Cornwall Ltd, was won by The Lost Gardens of Heligan with judges describing the organisation as ‘a shining beacon of good practice in the apprenticeship arena that is setting a fantastic example for the hospitality sector and employers across Cornwall, with a real commitment to learning and development making it well placed to retain and attract new talent’.

Other category winners on the night included: Hospitality Apprentice of the Year – Sponsored by BIIAB – Aaron Robbins from The Lost Gardens of Heligan; Accountancy Apprentice of the Year – Sponsored by GetMyFirstJob – Jamie Sherwood from St Petrocs; Construction and Trade Occupations Apprentice of the Year – Sponsored by RS Renovations Cornwall Ltd – Eleanor Greenwood from CG Fry & Son; Health, Care and Public Services Apprentice of the Year – Sponsored by Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CFT) – Maeve Hoey from CFT; Digital and IT Apprentice of the Year – Sponsored by University of Exeter – Amelia Hopkinson from King’s Business Ltd; Business Apprentice of the Year – Sponsored by Cornwall Apprenticeships – Rachael Carter from Cornwall Council; Marketing Apprentice of the Year – Sponsored by Bull & Wolf Film Co. – Lowenna Hoskin from Hertzian; Hair and Beauty Apprentice of the Year – Sponsored by VTCT – Rose Bassett from Escape Beauty Salon; Motor Vehicle Apprentice of the Year – Sponsored by Supercharged Cornwall – Samuel Holt from HiQ Tyres and Autocare; Engineering and Manufacturing Apprentice of the Year – Sponsored by WES Engineering Solutions – Jack Robertson from Teagle Machinery Ltd and Land-based Apprentice of the Year – Sponsored by Teagle Machinery Ltd – Clover Smith from Maria’s Animal Shelter.

Speaking after the event, Martin Tucker, Principal of Truro and Penwith College, which hosted the awards, said: “We were delighted to host the seventh annual Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards and to celebrate exceptional achievement and outcomes in apprenticeship training across Cornwall. I’d like to give special thanks to our sponsors, without whom the event simply wouldn’t be possible and we are incredibly grateful for their support.

“Apprenticeships are a key part of Cornwall’s Economic Strategy to deliver a high-quality workforce and career opportunities. To deliver economically, apprenticeships need to be of the highest quality and the awards presents the perfect opportunity to recognise that quality.

“2022 is an exciting time for apprenticeships at the College with recent multi-million-pound infrastructure investments aiding curriculum development and boosting future skills. The College’s Future Skills Institute opened earlier this year and encompasses all of the College’s career and professional development training and facilities.

“The £7.3million Valency building at Truro, part of the South West Institute of Technology, new state-of-the-art Electric Vehicle labs at Penwith College and Truro College, and the £6.3 million Ottery building that will be opening in Bodmin to serve East Cornwall as a STEM and Health Skills Centre from September provide the people of Cornwall and employers with facilities that rival the very best that the UK has to offer.

“A huge congratulations to all of tonight’s nominees, we can’t wait to see where their careers take them next."

Siobhan Lawrence, from Award Partners DL Accounts Ltd, said: “DL Accounts Ltd know from our own experience the value that apprentices bring to a business. We feel honoured in helping to employ and train the future generation of learners and workers. We are delighted that we are back again to sponsor this year’s Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards to celebrate the exceptional achievement and contribution of both learners and employers involved in apprenticeship training."

The awards presentation, was preceded by a dinner, prepared and served by apprentices from a range of Truro and Penwith College’s employers and students from full-time hospitality programmes. Students were supported by tutors Tony Duce, Mark Lewin, Andy Offland, Lee Hall, Dave Izzard, Dean Bungay, Allison Smith, Elly Owen, Vanessa Offland and Stuart Pate. The College's in-house theatre technicians Jon Johnson, Gerard Wareham and Luke Penny provided stunning lighting, video and sound throughout with the support of College alumni Lewis Williams and Alan Porter.

Further support was offered from the business community with generous sponsorship from Corbey Construction to provide the stunning glass trophies and EAL ensuring a fine evening with sponsorship of the reception and table decorations.