A business administration apprentice who completed her training with City of Wolverhampton College is celebrating after triumphing at the organisation’s annual apprenticeship awards.
Rhiannon Watts-Robinson, aged 24, who was an apprentice at St Edmund’s Catholic Academy in Wolverhampton, beat off tough competition from nine other apprentices to be named Overall Apprentice of the Year 2024 for the benefits she brought to the school during her training.
The awards ceremony, on Thursday 11 July, saw over 150 guests gather at the Molineux Stadium to celebrate the success of apprentices working for local and national companies.
Apprentice of the Year Awards were given in 10 industry categories, before the announcement of the Overall Apprentice of the Year 2024.
Rhiannon – who was also named Apprentice of the Year for Business Support Services at the ceremony – was described by the judges as a standout apprentice and praised for the exceptional business improvement project she implemented as part of her training.
The project revolutionised the way staff order lunchtime meals for students in isolation — replacing an outdated system relying on communication via walkie talkies with the use of a computerised form sent straight to the school kitchen — and significantly enhanced efficiency and accuracy.
Rhiannon, who was offered a permanent job as marketing and data administrator at the school, said: “The apprenticeship taught me practical skills and gave me the confidence to look at new ways of working, and it was great to see how well my new procedure was received and the difference it has made to staff and students.”
Debra Curtis, administration manager, at St Edmunds, said: “We are very proud of the role we have played in supporting Rhiannon through her apprenticeship and enabling her to move forward in her professional career.”
Guests at the event enjoyed drinks sponsored by Budweiser Brewing Group UK & I, and sector-specific Apprentice of the Year Awards were sponsored by Britvic plc, Colucci’s ChopShop, Pertemps, Royston Blythe, School of Coding & AI, Three Seeds Construction and the University of Wolverhampton.
For details of apprenticeships offered by the college go to https://www.wolvcoll.ac.uk/demographic/apprentices/
Pictured: Apprentice of the Year 2024, Rhiannon Watts-Robinson (left), with Debra Curtis, administration manager at St Edmund’s Catholic Academy.
