RBH Apprentice Awards highlight local talent

RBH Apprentice Award winners: (L-R) Jim Coutts, Jonathan Wenn, Julie Nelson, Sarah Wilkinson

Four awards have been made by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) at its annual Apprentice Awards this year.

Julie Nelson (plumbing apprentice) was presented with the Rising Star Apprentice Award, whilst Jonathan Wenn (risk and compliance trainee) was named Trainee of the Year, and Sarah Wilkinson (joinery apprentice) was selected as the Trade Apprentice of the Year.

Huge support is offered by existing staff to help apprentices and trainees gain the best start in their careers. In light of this – and at the suggestion of the apprentices themselves – a new award was introduced for Mentor of the Year, which was awarded to Jim Coutts (electrician).

Gareth Swarbrick, RBH Chief Executive, said:  “I am really proud of our long and successful history of supporting local people into apprenticeships, and our strong track record of offering permanent employment and progression to so many of the colleagues who first joined us as an apprentice or as a trainee.”

RBH pays the Real Living Wage to all apprentices and invests over half a million pounds in supporting apprentices. Each year they stage the Apprentice Awards to honour their hard work and study.