The University won the award for Training Provider / Programme of the Year, specifically recognising its creative industries apprenticeship courses. The courses support people in careers in packaging; creative digital design; and digital user experience.
The University is the home of the National Centre of Excellence for Degree Apprenticeships (NCEDA) and currently supports close to 3,000 degree apprentices studying across 40 disciplines and subjects, more than any other provider in the UK. In the past year it has achieved key milestones including working with its 700th employer partner and facilitating higher and degree apprenticeship courses worth a total of £61.1 million.
The South Yorkshire Apprenticeship Awards celebrated outstanding work by apprentices, apprenticeship providers, and employers across the region at a ceremony on Thursday 23 May. Some 43% of Hallam degree apprentices are from Yorkshire.
The win reflects the work which has been done to build a unique programme of creative industries apprenticeships which serve learners of all ages and from different backgrounds. The University is only institution in the country to offer an undergraduate degree programme focused on the packaging supply chain, and has built its creative industries courses specifically around key economic needs and challenges like the future of sustainable packaging.
Two Sheffield Hallam degree apprentices also won awards for their individual work on the night: Ellie Hagen won Technology & Digital Apprentice of the Year, and Adam Frith was named Mentor of the Year. Both are undertaking apprenticeships at Glass Technology Services in Sheffield while also studying at Sheffield Hallam.
Dan Lally, Group Director of Business, Enterprise, Skills and Employability at Sheffield Hallam, said: “As the home of the National Centre of Excellence for Degree Apprenticeships, we are proud to provide one of the largest and most unique apprenticeship provisions in the country. This award recognises the achievement of our team in building a truly one-of-a-kind programme around the creative industries. These are critical sectors and ones which will play a major role in growing South Yorkshire’s economy and making sure the best and the brightest build their careers in our region. Skills are the key to growing our economy, and apprenticeships are a crucial part of building a prosperous future in our region.
“Everyone at Hallam is tremendously proud to see our degree apprentices recognised for their fantastic work. It is another milestone in what has been an incredibly successful year for our staff and students. The exceptional work which our apprentices do with some of the region’s most innovative businesses proves how degree apprenticeships can open doors for students and boost their careers.”
The win builds on success for Hallam degree apprentices in recent months. In April, the University won the Apprenticeship Award at the Educate North Awards 2024, in recognition of its work to develop apprenticeships and to provide more and better opportunities to learners of all ages across the region.
