Overall learner of the year Charlie Panayi with the other winners at Quay Arts, Newport. picture by Peter Boam.
THE sixth anniversary of the Smart Training Annual Awards was marked at Quay Arts, Newport.
High Sheriff Gay Edwards presented accolades in a number of categories, as well as Employer of the Year and Learner of the Year, at a ceremony attended by many industry guests.
Despite economic constraints, Jan Hopkinson, managing director of Smart Training, and Gill Rogers, business development manager, said 2009 had been rewarding and successful, with a high level of achievement making choosing the winners a difficult task.
"With this higher level of achievement, particularly as our awards took place during National Apprenticeship Week, we have great expectations for 2010, which has already started at a healthy pace," said Gill.
Smart Training is looking for employers willing to take on an apprentice or, perhaps, where a 16-24-year-old would-be apprentice is already based.
Jan added: "Smart Training welcomes all inquiries from both sides of employment.
"As our relationship with employers is key to the success we achieve with each learner, we will be pleased to go into greater detail about what is involved and the benefits that can be obtained."
The winners were:
Apprentice Employer of the Year — Performance in People; Train to Gain Employer of the Year — Betapak; Certificate of Recognition — Mojacs Restaurant, Mark Baldwin; Certificate of Innovation — Trouville Hotel, Helen Bond; Overall Learner of the Year — Charlie Panayi, Performance in People; Apprentice of the Year, Level 2 Commerce — Charlie Panayi, Performance in People; Smart Young Apprentice of the Year — Sadie Pearce, Carisbrooke High School; Apprentice of the Year, Level 2 Hospitality — Charlie Riley, Pier View Hotel; Train to Gain Learner of the Year, Level 2 Commerce — Teresa Pitman, Grace’s Bakery; Train to Gain Learner of the Year, Level 2 Hospitality — Ryan Kinneavy, The Spyglass/Met Bar; Apprentice of the Year, Level 3 Commerce — Amy Long, IW Council; Apprentice of the Year, Level 3 Hospitality — Josh Hammond, Mojacs Restaurant; Train to Gain Learner of the Year, Level 3 — Andrew King.