Evie shortlisted for apprenticeship award

An apprentice from Hemingway Bailey, has beaten off competition from hundreds of entrants to be shortlisted for the Yorkshire and the Humber final of the National Apprenticeship Awards 2014.

Evie Molloy was the first apprentice at the chartered management accountancy practice and, since her start, company director Alan Hemingway, has become an ‘Apprentice Ambassador’. The company has recruited a second apprentice, with the aim to expand this pool of young talent over the years.

Evie has been shortlisted for The Learndirect Intermediate Level Apprentice of the Year. On top of this, Hemingway Bailey has also been shortlisted for Newcomer SME of the Year, which shows that it is the support of the company which has helped Evie to reach her full potential.

Alan Hemingway said: “ We are pleased to be shortlisted but we are even more thrilled to hear that Evie Molloy, one of our apprentices, has been shortlisted for Apprentice of the Year. We believe young people should be given the chance to shine and Evie is a great example of how, with a little bit of confidence in your apprentices, they can really make a great contribution to the development of your business.”

The National Apprenticeship Awards, now in their 11th year, celebrate the achievements of the country’s most outstanding apprentices and Apprenticeship employers.

"After speaking to representatives from the National Apprenticeship Service I found out that we have never had a winner from the Hull area (nationally) which is what spurred me on to apply," Evie said. "I have now taken my first step towards representing Hull, firstly regionally, and fingers crossed for nationally."

"I have done all sorts from day one, including mentoring with Hull Children’s University, presentations, networking and I have even been down to Parliament to learn more about politics and to represent apprentices.

"I am also given lots of responsibility and I do bookkeeping for many clients on my own, making sure I hit deadlines and visiting them/having meetings, which is all down to me. Having ownership over my work has definitely made me more confident and it has meant I have learnt so many more skills than just how do someone’s accounts."

The award winners will be announced at a ceremony organised by the National Apprenticeship Service which will be held at the Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds on Wednesday 3 September 2014.

Sue Husband, Executive Director Apprenticeships and Delivery at the Skills Funding Agency said: “Apprenticeships are thriving in England, and it’s not hard to see why. They offer ambitious young people and adults unrivalled career prospects, and give businesses an exceptional route to grow a highly qualified and motivated workforce.

“The National Apprenticeship Awards recognise the best of the best and are an excellent opportunity for individuals and employers to gain the credit they richly deserve for investing in their own futures. I am delighted that Evie has been shortlisted, and would like to congratulate her on this success. All of the finalists should be extremely proud of their achievements.”

All the Yorkshire and the Humber winners will proceed through to a final national judging stage and the highest scoring Apprenticeship employer entries nationally will have the additional honour of featuring in the acclaimed England’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list, which will be produced by the National Apprenticeship Service in partnership with City & Guilds.

The national award winners will be revealed during an awards ceremony at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham on 13 November 2014.