Families and friends attended the ceremony to see each of the shortlisted nominees receive their awards at the annual celebration event, which recognises those who go above and beyond to develop their own skills or the skills of the local workforce.
The title of Apprentice of the Year was awarded to Beauty Therapist, Barbara Marafini from Sheffield. Barbara is a highly motivated and committed learner who is often praised for her dedication to succeed in her career by her tutors and her employer. She consistently works to a high standard and is always on hand to help and offer support to others.
She said: “It is really good for the hard work I have put into my apprenticeship to be recognised. It has been a brilliant opportunity to be able to do an apprenticeship. I like being able to study and work at the same time. I work a lot because I want to be the best at what I do. I have my final exams next week and then I will be working full time at the salon.”
Woodhead Construction was crowned as the Employer of the Year. The local company works with the college’s work experience team to provide excellent placements for students at the start of their construction careers. Matt Bust, Business Support Manager and former Chesterfield College student, has been the driving force behind the partnership with the college and always finds the best placement to suit a student’s career goals.
Matt said: “It is a big part of the company’s social commitment to offer work experience and apprenticeships to bring the next generation into construction. It is brilliant to win this award and be recognised for what we do but the real motivation for doing it is to fill the massive skills shortage in construction. For us it is a key driver to get people into the industry.”
Media make-up student, Georgia Maxwell, from Ripley, was delighted to be chosen as the Student of the Year. Not only is Georgia excelling at college but she also works hard away from her studies. She works part-time as a make-up artist, is a student ambassador for the college and also volunteers at college events and at numerous charities.
Julie Richards, Principal and Chief Executive of the Chesterfield College Group said: “I would like to congratulate all of our nominees and winners. It was wonderful to celebrate our students’ achievements at the awards ceremony, especially with family and friends present to share in their success. Many have shown resilience in the face of adversity and all of them have demonstrated a passion and commitment to develop the skills they need to secure a bright future. It is inspiring to see how students, apprentices and our employer partners value education and where it can lead. The awards demonstrated the incredible work undertaken every day by the staff at Chesterfield College, supporting our students to achieve and progress to positive outcomes as part of building their future career.”