LOCAL apprenticeship and skills stars were revealed as the regional winners of the National Training Awards and National Apprenticeship Awards 2012. They were announced at a ceremony at Bentley Motors Ltd in Crewe.

The winners included Barlows UK Ltd, a specialist contractor based in Malpas, which was presented with the regional Nuclear Decommissioning SLC Award for Medium Employer of the Year and Richard Davies from Essar Oil (UK) Ltd, based in Ellesmere Port, who won the City and Guilds Apprentice Champion of the Year Award.

Employer finalists who were highly commended in their categories include Britplas, a commercial glazing company based in Warrington, and Bentley Motors Ltd, Crewe.

Apprentices receiving highly commended awards included Craig Robinson, of Oliver Valvetek Ltd, Knutsford; Katy Powell of Arclid Hall Stud, Sandbach; and Miles Taitt of Bentley Motors Ltd, Crewe.

All the North West winners will proceed to a final national judging stage.

The national award winners will be revealed during the opening ceremony of the UK’s largest national skills and careers event, WorldSkills UK – The Skills Show, at the NEC in Birmingham on November 14.

Sue Price, the National Apprenticeships Service’s divisional area director for the North, said: “The North West final of the National Apprenticeship Awards and National Training Awards was a fantastic evening of celebration for apprentices and employers and I would like to congratulate all the talented winners and finalists who had such inspiring stories to tell.

“Apprenticeships and skills development bring so many benefits, allowing employers to tap into new raw talent, up-skill their staff and grow their businesses, and all our finalists are testament to this.

“I would like to wish all our champions every success in winning a place at the national final.”

If you are a business owner wanting to find out more about apprenticeships, e-mail cheshireandwarrington@apprenticeships.gov.uk or telephone Clare McCourt, employer account adviser at the National Apprenticeship Service, on 07884 474 620.