EMMERDALE’S Mark Charnock launched the North West Learner Awards 2008 in Chester.
More than 20 business and education leaders gathered in the Guildhall in Watergate Street to hear about the Learning and Skills Council’s (LSC) annual prizes.
Mr Charnock , Marlon Dingle in the ITV soap, launched the Cheshire and Warrington round of the awards.
He said: “I was lucky enough to have parents who supported me in my career, and knowing people had invested in me and had faith in me spurred me on.
“My apprenticeship was spent wearing tights and learning how to apply make up – these apprentices are learning vocational and life skills that set them apart – and that’s fantastic.
“If someone makes you believe in yourself you can’t lose; so hats off to the apprentices themselves, and also to the people here today because when you invest time and money into people, you buy into their potential and give them a feeling of self-worth and achievement that’s not quantifiable.”
John Barber, partnership director, LSC Cheshire and Warrington, said; “These awards are critical in highlighting the hard work of our young learners, the quality of the training provision you deliver, and the important part played by employers.”
More information about the North West sub-regional awards can be found at www.apprenticeships.org.uk/awards.
The deadline for all applications is Friday, February 29.
For more information or help with entries, visit the website or call the helpline on 0800 954 88 96.
