THE Creative & Cultural Skills Apprentice of the Year Award recognises those who have shown exceptional ambition, talent, application and commitment to learning and making a significant difference in their place of work.
The 2015 award was given jointly to Elijah Bligh-Briggs and Hannah Steele, both apprentices at the London Transport Museum, their training provided by Victoria and Albert Museum and Kensington and Chelsea College. The judging panel, comprised of industry experts, considered both Eli and Hannah to have epitomised the value of apprenticeships.
On winning the award, Elijah said:
“I am honoured to have been awarded Apprentice of the Year alongside Hannah; I feel that the awards and conference highlight the importance, value and benefit of apprenticeships for both young people and organisations, and the integral role they in supporting the future of the creative and cultural industries.”
Hannah Steele added:
“Undertaking the Young People’s Skills Programme-Apprenticeship last year has allowed me to get my foot in a door that may have otherwise been closed to me, a young person with A- Levels as their highest qualification. It has enabled me to explore what I really want for my future and has seen me start to carve a career path, that challenges me, allows me to be creative, and demands my attention.”
Rachel Craddock, who nominated Elijah and Hannah said:
“The past year working with Hannah and Eli has been an invigorating and inspiring experience. For the Museum the benefits of the Apprenticeship programme have been that of 2-way learning, and exchange of skills, experience and understanding between young people and staff that builds a motivated and innovative workplace.”
Outstanding apprentices are celebrated by the creative industries
“By taking on apprentices we now have passionate and informed professionals, who following this start will continue to flourish and become assets to the sectors future.”
Following the Awards was Creative & Cultural Skills’ Annual Conference – ‘Building a Creative Nation: The Next Decade’. The conference has become a key moment in the calendar for employers, educators and policy-makers in the creative and cultural industries.
Attended by 400 people and set in The Backstage Centre, part of High House Production Park, Purfleet, the conference debated the future of the UK’s fastest growing sector and featured a keynote speech from Nick Boles MP, Minister for Skills and Equalities.
Skills Minister Nick Boles MP, said:
"I’m delighted to be speaking at the Building a Creative Nation Conference, to help promote apprenticeships and traineeships which are opening career opportunities in the creative sector for people of all backgrounds. Creative industries are playing a leading role in the UK’s economic growth, supporting 1.71 million jobs.”
“The Government’s job is to ensure that the creative sector does not become the preserve of the well-heeled middle classes.”
A panel discussion, made up of apprentices and interns, raised some key issues about the barriers and the perception of apprenticeships.
Marcus Davey, CEO, Roundhouse, who chaired the debate, said:
‘By the end of our next three year business plan the Roundhouse aims to have 10% of its workforce as paid trainees and apprentices. Working with young people is what inspires me, day in day out.’
Nick Boles MP said:
“We’ve got a job to enlighten people about the potential of apprenticeships. Everyone in this room must pledge to tell at least one person about how fantastic apprenticeships are.”
Referring to the recently-announced National College for the Creative and Cultural Industries in his keynote speech, he also added:
“I hope the National College will create a whole range of degree apprenticeships, so no-one feels they have capped their potential by doing an apprenticeship.”
“Let’s ensure that the world of the arts is a world open to all of our talents.”
