3aaa Apprenticeship
Monday 2nd July 2018
On Friday 29th June the annual Leicester Apprenticeship Graduation ceremony and Apprenticeship Awards were held at De Montfort Hall for the fourth consecutive year. (Leicester Employment Hub)
The ceremony is an exciting and inspiring event that recognises and rewards apprentices from across Leicestershire who have achieved their advance and higher-level qualifications. Employers, colleagues, friends and family are invited to this event to celebrate their achievements, reflect on how far they’ve come, and look forward to the fantastic opportunities awaiting them in the future.
The graduation ceremony this year partnered with the Leicester Employment Hub (part of Leicester City Council). The hub is a three-year, £3.9 million business support project for small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Leicester and Leicestershire area run by Leicester City Council.
3aaa Apprenticeships work with many SMEs across Leicestershire, providing apprentices for their businesses, receiving industry experience and high-quality training. On Friday our Leicester team proudly attended the event to show their support to the 13 apprentices that were attending the graduation.
Arrival started at midday with our apprentices looking extremely smart and proud to be there, they had a fantastic time taking pictures with each other, their parents, and their trainers. The audience was delighted by the music being played by the Bluecoats Jazz Orchestra, followed by a stunning performance by the Joyful Voices children’s choir.
The city mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, gave the opening address for the ceremony, he spoke very highly about apprenticeships and the amazing doors that they can open for people. He also wished everyone all the best for the future and gave his congratulations to all the graduates.
The opening address was followed by an inspirational speech from Dana Brown, Principal of Leicester Castle Business School, De Montfort University, who was extremely passionate about apprenticeships and she promoted the choice of continuing an apprenticeship up to a degree level. She went on to explain some benefits; that they can then have years of industry experience in the workplace, gain all the educational knowledge and training for the course from the apprenticeship, and be earning in a job.
Introductions all said and done, it was time to begin the graduations proceedings, starting from Intermediate Level Apprenticeships, through to Higher/Foundation Degree Apprenticeships. One by one our apprentices proudly walked up onto the stage smiling, the sounds of their friends and families cheering echoing in the hall, as they received their graduation certificates.
Following a second enchanting song from the Joyful Voices children’s choir it was time for the Apprenticeship and Employer of the Year awards to be given. Starting with the Apprenticeship Employer of the Year award, the 3aaa East Midlands Operations Manager James Horne had the honour of presenting this to the winners this year, DHL.
After the Apprenticeship Employer Award was presented, it was time for the Intermediate, Advanced, and Higher/Foundation Awards. 3aaa were delighted to see that one of our Apprentices had been nominated and was chosen as a finalist! Waiting anxiously, hearts pounding, we jumped up cheering and applauding when we heard our Apprentice’s name called out, most certainly made the loudest noise, it was very heart-warming to see one of our own 3aaa’s Apprentice being recognised for his outstanding journey and achievements throughout his apprenticeship with us.
Our 3aaa Leicester team are excited to see the Apprentices continuing to lead successful lives and move up in their careers, and are looking forward to next year’s graduation ceremony.
If you’re interested in hiring an Apprentice or would like to become one, we have 38 local academies across England that can provide bespoke services to you through our range of first-rate programmes. Getting started is easy, 3aaa can provide the help and support to meet your requirements with our free-of-charge recruitment service, or with our CV and interview tips and techniques.
To find out more about becoming an Apprentice, hiring an Apprentice or our available programmes, visit our homepage.