At Newbury College and University Centre Newbury (UCN) we have been marking National Apprenticeship Week (10 – 16 February 2025) by showcasing the value of Apprenticeships by highlighting the achievements of outstanding apprentices and employers in the Thames Valley area, in our annual Apprenticeship Awards.
National Apprenticeship Week is an ideal opportunity to share insight into apprenticeships and highlight real-life success stories. We have created a series of compelling videos, which were released on social media throughout the week, highlighting dynamic partnerships between apprentices and their employers across various sectors.
These videos included testimonials from apprentices and employers at Abacus Nursery, Oxford Quantum Circuits, PR Motors and Swindon Silicon Systems, along with insights from Newbury College Apprentice Development Coaches.
The awards were revealed through social media announcements, which celebrated the individual and collective achievements of apprentices and their employers and highlighted the significant role of mentors and development coaches in guiding apprentices to success.
The winners are:
Christine (Crissie) is a Level 3 Business and Administration Apprentice with Swindon Silicon Systems. Crissie has won this award for the outstanding quality of her portfolio. Crissie returned to studying as a mature apprentice, and we have seen her confidence grow both at work and in her written submissions for her portfolio. She has continuously researched thoroughly, speaks with colleagues who can help her and liaises with her line manager to produce accurate, detailed, and well-presented assignments that cover the required criteria. Reece is a Level 2 Carpentry & Joinery Apprentice at Hennah & Jones Carpentry. Reece has won this award for his excellent work ethic and dedication to his role. He is highly reliable, incredibly keen, and an all-round great lad with a strong work ethic. His dedication, attention to detail, and passion for the craft set him up for a promising career in carpentry. Harry is a Level 3 Installation and Maintenance Electrician Apprentice at Sovereign Network Group. Harry has won this award for his outstanding development and determination. Harry has shown outstanding development since beginning his journey to becoming an electrician. His dedication and determination to work is second to none. He can work independently using his initiative and works well with a team. Harry's test and inspection skills have improved dramatically in the last year. He has gone from having no electrical skills to being able to complete any task, including fault finding and installation. It’s impressive. He is doing very well at college, passing all his exams. He is a competent and concise individual who will go far in the future. Teagan is a Level 3 Machining Technician Apprentice at Xtrac Ltd. Teagan has won this award for her exceptional attitude and proactive approach. As a first-year machining apprentice, Teagan demonstrates the qualities of an outstanding apprentice and team player, making her deserving of this award. Her exceptional attitude and proactive approach to her role have set her apart in her day-to-day work and highlighted her significant contributions to Xtrac as a whole. Teagan has also recently won the Xtrac - 2024 Darren Huttel Award. Zoe is a Level 4 Accounting Apprentice at Donnington Valley Group. Zoe has won this award for her commitment to developing her skills. Zoe is continuing her studies at a higher apprenticeship level, having also completed Accounting apprenticeships at Levels 2 and 3 with Newbury College over the past few years. Zoe started working with the Finance Team at Donnington Valley Group with limited accounting knowledge and skills. Since then, because of her apprenticeships and dedication to learning, Zoe has gained a wealth of knowledge and skills that have contributed to the finance team's efficiency and effectiveness. Kodi is a Level 3 Motor Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician Apprentice at ABE Motor Works. Kodi has won this award for his positive attitude and commitment to his role. Kodi is an exceptional employee. He brings a great positive attitude to work every morning and is quick and efficient with the jobs that he completes. He has a huge amount of initiative and has a great character. He is completing additional training alongside his apprenticeship to expand his knowledge in the industry and further his career as a mechanic. From the start of his apprenticeship, Kodi has shown unwavering commitment to his responsibilities and the success of the entire team. Whether taking on challenging jobs confidently or helping his colleagues, Kodi always goes above and beyond. No matter how busy the day gets, Kodi always has a positive, can-do attitude to approach it. Samuel is a Level 3 Plumbing & Domestic Heating Apprentice at Ecomech Plumbing & Heating Ltd. Samuel has won this award for being an excellent representative of his organisation. Samuel is always punctual and excelling in his apprenticeship. Colleagues and customers continuously provide positive feedback showcasing Samuel's excellent contribution to the organisation. Tom Aram has recently completed his Level 6 Product Design Mechanical Degree Apprenticeship and is an employee at Xtrac Ltd Tom has won this award for his commitment to personal and professional development for himself and others. Progressing to Degree Level from Level 3 over the past six years, Tom has accomplished several achievements, including being awarded Apprentice of the Year in 2019, a First Class Degree and working towards an IEng accreditation with the IMechE. In addition to these academic qualifications, he has taken on additional responsibilities, such as becoming a Mental Health First Aider (MHFA) and a STEM Ambassador. He has consistently sought out new roles and responsibilities within the company to support his professional growth and further his progression. Sophie Money is a Motor Vehicle Development Coach at Newbury College. Sophie is a fantastic addition to the Development Coach Team. She always gives 110% and continually goes above and beyond for her apprentices and employers. She is passionate about her role, which is evident in her enthusiasm for every task. She's also a great colleague and can be depended on to support with any duties or enquiries she's given. She truly deserves to be recognised for the fantastic person she is. Tracey is an excellent role model, guiding and delivering the key strategic apprenticeship programme at Equinix. She is an outstanding mentor to all the Equinix apprentices and a real asset to her organisation. She constantly undertakes reflective practice and seeks opportunities to support and develop Equinix apprentices. Jude is a Childcare Tutor and Apprenticeship Development Coach at Newbury College. Jude goes above and beyond for her apprentices. She always comes forward with good ideas and has questions about the funding rules. We always get fantastic feedback from apprentices and employers regarding Jude, and she has made the provision her own. The growth we have seen in this area over the last couple of years is all down to Jude, who deserves all the plaudits she gets. Warren Page joined Xtrac Ltd in 1990 as a machinist specialising in gear manufacture, during this time he also began mentoring our apprentices. In 2003, Warren became the Xtrac Ltd apprentice coordinator and was promoted to apprentice manager in 2016. Since his move to apprentice coordinator in 2003, his job role has been to design an apprenticeship programme to give the business a way to expand and upskill the workforce in-house rather than rely on recruiting new skills. Since Warren started working with the apprentices, he has been determined to have the very best skilled people within the business and has never compromised. In 2005, Xtrac won its first award for the work Warren was carrying out with the apprentices, which was received from the Learning and Skills Council. Xtrac has since gone on to win many, many awards. We are delighted to acknowledge and recognise Warren as he enters his retirement year.
Warren solely manages the apprenticeship programme, ensuring students receive appropriate training and education through liaison with line management at Xtrac and providers.
The Xtrac apprenticeship programme structure was all created from Warren’s ideas and inspirations to meet the required high levels of skills and knowledge within the business and combat skills shortages.
Because of Warren’s dedication and hard work, Xtrac was awarded their first Princess Royal Training Award in 2018, and a second in 2021 for all the work and support to the Xtrac apprenticeship scheme.
Warren is an advocate for the Xtrac apprenticeships and constantly promotes the work that we do inhouse as best practice to other employers and suppliers within the automotive industry. Warren has also worked in partnership with private equity businesses, colleges, and the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce to share best practise which he sees working well within Xtrac.
He demonstrates and promotes the purpose of and positive outcomes of apprenticeships at different levels for both employers and apprentices and does this in the local community, including schools, colleges, universities, and other community groups. This has led to him being invited onto City & Guilds ‘Industry Skills Board’ (ISB) in 2014, the MakeUK local skills group and the C&G Employer Industry Board (EIB). All of these are voluntary positions which he has taken on to promote apprenticeships, feeder qualifications such as T-Levels and best practice.
Xtrac became a member of GTA-England to enable Warren to be part of the design and revision of new and current apprenticeships to suit not just Xtrac’s skill needs, but also a national skill shortage.
Warren is passionate about his role as an apprentice manager and strongly believes an apprenticeship is a career and not just a job. It is the best opportunity for a younger person to learn and accrue new skills, knowledge, and behaviours while gaining valuable workplace experience.
He strongly encourages this not only within Xtrac, but also nationally, so apprentices can progress on with higher levels of apprenticeships or courses and go into other areas of the business as a progression in their careers.
Dr Jo Houghton, Vice Principal - HE and Skills at Newbury College and UCN, expressed her enthusiasm for the initiative, stating:
"We are delighted to celebrate the individual and collective achievements of apprentices and their employers and highlight the significant role of mentors and development coaches in guiding apprentices to success."
At Newbury College and UCN, we are proud to lead in delivering exceptional apprenticeship programmes that surpass national average achievement rates, address the evolving needs of both the local and national economy, and play a crucial role in shaping a skilled, adaptable workforce ready to meet the challenges of the future.
To learn more about apprenticeship opportunities with Newbury College and University Centre Newbury, visit newbury-college.ac.uk/apprenticeships or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..