Sharma hails apprenticeship success at award ceremony
6th June 2012
Alok Sharma, the Member of Parliament for Reading West, was present this week at an awards ceremony held by Chiltern Training Ltd to present certificates to learners who have recently completed an apprenticeship.
The annual awards ceremony was held on 30 May 2012 at Reading Town Hall. Chiltern Training Ltd are a private training provider based in Reading, which is currently training approximately 400 young people for apprenticeships in child care and business administration.
The awards ceremony was attended by friends and families of 36 learners who were presented with certificates during the evening.
Alok Sharma said: “Apprenticeships form a vital part of the Government’s plans for economic growth and education reforms to give opportunities to more young people. The Government has delivered the biggest boost ever to apprenticeships with the number of people starting apprenticeships increasing by more than 160,000 compared with last year. I know that the Government’s ultimate goal is to see apprentices achieve equivalent esteem and status with university graduates, so that a place on an apprenticeship scheme is as valued as one at a university.”
Alok continued: “I was pleased to present the certificates which represent a huge amount of hard work and commitment on the part of the successful students. Best wishes to all of them as they enter the work place or go on to further studies.”
Elizabeth Boyd CEO at Chiltern Training said: “We were delighted and proud to have Alok Sharma present our Apprenticeship certificates and join with our students in celebrating their success. There were 36 students who received their certificates at the graduation ceremony in Reading Town Hall. Earlier this year, Alok Sharma supported our National Apprenticeship Week activities by accepting the Chiltern Challenge and “having a go” at learning a new skill as an apprentice in childcare.”
Zeena Çala, Head of Employer Accounts, Thames Valley at the National Apprenticeship Service, who was also present at the presentation said: “It was a lovely celebration and great to see so many learners achieving Intermediate, Advanced and Higher Apprenticeships even after overcoming some personal challenges. In this new era, Apprenticeships are of a high standard and quality assured; young people and parents can be confident that Apprenticeships lead to good careers with real progression. Events like this are vital in ensuring that the success of our apprentices are celebrated and rewarded.”
Photo: Alok with Chiltern Training team
